Non alcoholic drinks at work

[SunshineSamba]

I work in a professional office for a large company.

Went downstairs for lunch today in my office canteen and new team member pulls out his packed lunch, including 0% ale.

I was stunned. I had a can of Fanta but it feels like non alcoholic beer is different. I hope this doesn’t become the norm. AIBU?

I'd forgotten about those

Liike you I feel vaguely uncomfortable about the non alcoholic drinks although I can't say why, but it's pretty much the same as shandies so 🤷

I can't see an issue with it, other than people glancing briefly or looking from a distance might think it's the alcoholic version of the drink, so he might get talked to about it and have to explain.

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I expect it’s probably Lucky Saint which you can get as part of meal deals in supermarkets.

To other peoples points, it’s ’healthier’ than fizzy drinks being low sugar, low carb and around 50 calories a can / bottle - so a viable alternative in my opinion. It also tastes nice!

I noticed in my local Sainsbury’s the other day they are offering an alcohol free Corona beer drink as part of the meal deal… so I am assuming there’s a market for people who like the taste without the effect, even at lunchtime.

If eating lunch at your desk is the norm in your workplace, it's really not your business what anyone else drinks with their lunch. Do you go around looking for things to be offended by?

I really like TRIP, I don’t think it makes you high, it’s essentially fizzy water with natural flavourings , there’s an elderflower one which is really refreshing. I’m not bothered about the cbd, I’d buy a non cbd alternative that tasted the same. Most companies who do a flavoured fizzy water make the flavour really strong or add sweeteners.

It wasn’t any of the drinks mentioned. It was a can of one of the popular beer brands - perhaps why I felt uncomfortable, because the branding on the can was for what I have always seen as an alcoholic brand. Lucky Saint and Tripp mean nothing to me so if these are also 0% drinks then I wouldn’t have twigged.

Genuine question, if its the same as a soft drink why do you have to be 18 to buy it?

A hang over from the licensing laws and how they're classified.

Beyond stupid

Only by the OP..

Actually, sorry, having googled it, there is no legal basis to do so. But stores seem to enforce restrictions on non alc because they think it could lead to mix ups if they don't.

When I started work we used to go for pints at lunch time. And working in France we had a proper lunch and wine. I can't say I'm fussed about 0% beer, or even someone having a glass of wine over lunch.

What about Wine Gums? Coq au vin allowed? Prosecco flavoured crisps too much? I think you're being silly.

Omg - I’d forgotten about Top Deck cider! Sudden flashbacks to my misspent youth.

@Shelby2010 i wouldn’t consider schleor to be a 0% drink. It doesn’t mention alcohol anywhere on the bottle.

@spoonbillstretford if you go out for lunch or drinks, that’s different.

This was a major alcohol brand and in small writing it said ‘non alcoholic malt drink’

I’d have been surprised too but obviously it’s fine once you’ve thought about it for a second. He likes the taste of it, the is no reason he is less entitled to his 0% beer than you your Fanta.

Why don’t you want to say the brand?

A bit of a mix in the comments but 72% of the poll think I am BU. Maybe this is going to become the norm afterall

I work in an alcohol company and have these drinks in the fridge for us freely to drink. They taste nice and gave zero alcohol so why not in my opinion. Is it because it's in the office that it's weird to you? As you don't seem to mind people actually drinking alcohol on lunch break as it's out of the office?

I think if I took NA beer in to work I'd be worried that people would think I couldn't get through the day without 'a beer' so I'd definitely avoid it for that reason.

I don’t see a problem with this at all.

But I’m of an age when a subsidised bar onsite and a few beers at lunchtime used to be the norm 🤷🏼‍♀️

Why are you keeping the brand a secret?

Well there's obviously nothing wrong with it, so why not?