Why Spreading The Mindful Drinking Message Is So Important In The Workplace
This month we had the pleasure of visiting Reward Gateway, an employee engagement platform, at their offices in London. With employee happiness, health and satisfaction being at the core of what they do, they asked us to come in to lead an alcohol-free cocktail class for their employees.
We of course jumped at the chance and it got us thinking about why it is so crucial to make ‘not-drinking’ more normal in the workplace. Here were our findings:
Inclusivity. There has historically been (and likely still is) a strong drinking culture in offices in certain industries. Many people are not able or may choose not to drink due to religion, health reasons, intolerance or a life decision. By bringing alcohol-free options to the office in a fun way, ensures everyone is included and there is an excuse not to drink. It might even inspire people to try a new path that they may not have previously considered.
Meaningful connection. How often have you gone on a team day or night out and woken up with ‘beer fear’ followed by a completely unproductive working day? Having a sober day that includes fun activities removes this and also means you get to connect with your colleagues in a different way.
Productivity and health. Mentioned briefly above but a category in its own right, no-one had a good working day with a hangover. Bringing this into the office means a productive next day, no rubbish hangover food and maybe even a workout after the day has ended.
Honesty and comfort. As ‘not drinking’ becomes more normalised, people are able to take the path they want to. Removing social pressures of ‘why aren’t you drinking? Are you boring?’ Or ‘come on, have just one’ is huge.
When we started the class at the office, it was incredibly interesting to see how people’s nature changed over the hour. To begin with we got a few ‘Alcohol-free? Can we spike it with vodka?’ but as the class went on and explained our own journey of drinking moderately and how many alternatives are now available on the market, the reactions were of interest and intrigue.
People realised we weren’t there to preach or turn the office to sobriety, but in fact show that there is an alternative if you don’t and when you don’t want to drink.
The Pentire team joined us on the day to showcase the natural flavours and ingredients found on the Coast and how to serve Pentire in the best way.
We also made Caleño serves which included Light & Zesty with Double Dutch Tonic and a Dark & Stormy with Dark & Zesty, Root2Ginger, freshly squeezed lime and topped with tonic.
Employees shook up their own Dark & Stormy’s getting a little competitive with each other and we also brought along a selection of ingredients for a team building exercise as teams built their own cocktail judged on taste and appearance.
We had one delicious serve and two serves that may not make the cocktail of the month cut. But 10/10 for effort.
As the class ended, each participant took home a sample JOMO Box to enjoy and experiment with in the comfort of their own home. This included both Pentire Adrift and Seaward, Caleño Dark & Spicy and Light & Zesty, Sekforde Soda, Nuisance Soda, garnishes, Doisy & Dam chocolate buttons and Loro Crisps.
‘JOMO - The Joy of Missing Out. The team at JOMO created our very own personalised cocktail making class, a personalised alcohol free cocktail making kit and the team just loved it. Big thank you to Gemma and her team for educating and inspiring us at Reward gateway on a thirsty Thursday, cheers!’