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?

But then it's a matter of choice as to whether you choose to bow to that prejudice and other people's assumptions, or if you cheerfully go ahead and know that you demonstrably aren't doing anything wrong.

There will also be people at work who will criticise women for not wearing makeup or heels - because they believe that it 'doesn't look professional or give the right impression'. Do you kowtow to their opinions or do you make your own perfectly acceptable choices for yourself?

It wasn't that long ago when it was the norm for pubs to be full at friday lunchtimes of people in suits having a pint or 2, and heading back to work.

I'd have no issue at all with someone drinking 0% beer or whatever at work - if they prefer the taste of that to coke or whatever, what's the problem?

No way I could work up any upset about any colleague drinking a zero alcohol drink at any time.

I’d think it was really odd if a colleague had a Fanta or any soft drink before lunch as I couldn’t stomach that. But I accept that’s a ‘me’ anomaly, shrug my shoulders and move on with my life.

If you want to normalise NA drinks then you can't start determining where and when they can be imbibed. It contributes to the stigma frankly.

Also if I saw this at work I couldn't bring myself to care and doubt if I would even notice, I don't tend to take an interest in what other people are eating or drinking, it's not my business to be honest.

OP please come back and clarify because ‘non alcoholic malt drink’ is the tagline for Supermalt which is absolutely not a 0% beer!!!

there are also lots of supermarket dupes of this

it’s literally a malt flavoured soft drink. Kids drink it.

@casualcrispenjoyer no not that. as I mentioned, it was a well known beer brand and the can carried the branding. I haven’t said the name because I don’t see why it matters. I wouldn’t wear a jumper to work with Marlboro lights on it.

And yet plenty of people would wear a Jack Daniels t-shirt, wouldn't they? And no one would bat an eyelid.