How People Really Feel About Boozy Office Parties

Raise-the-roof holiday parties in the workplace—the kind where copy machines get abused—have been a source of film and TV comedy for decades. If that was ever reality, it’s decidedly muted in the current environment, especially as corporate America has only cautiously inched back into in-person get-togethers in 2021’s lingering pandemic. Even so, 7 in 10 people think there’s too much booze served at employer-sponsored holiday parties, according to a recent OnePoll survey, and 40% said their least-favorite part of such a soirée is seeing co-workers get “too drunk.” The study, conducted in late October for a non-alcoholic beverage brand, found that 56% of the 2,000 participants said they worried about getting fired because of their booze-fueled behavior at the annual office party. Also, 35% said a colleague “usually takes it too far.” While boozing to excess is clearly tagged as a problem in the poll, there’s an existing stigma against drinking soda water or Coca-Cola at an office function, said Marcus Sakey, co-founder of Ritual Zero Proof, a fast-growing alcohol alternative that commissioned the research. “The social pressure is so endemic, and the expectation to consume is so ingrained,” Sakey told Adweek. “We’re not anti-alcohol, but we feel compelled to point out that the culture’s relationship to alcohol is unhealthy.” Disrupted family functions The venue may be different, but the results of getting sloshed are often the same, according to the OnePoll data, and family gatherings can be derailed just as easily as office parties. Among the findings: 63% said there’s always a family member who drinks to excess, with one-third of respondents saying their uncle is most likely to over-indulge and “do something shocking.” 54% said someone at their gathering had to apologize later “for something they don’t remember doing or saying,” and the same number of folks said someone’s drunken social blunder “changed the family dynamic.” 38% said that drinking too much was one of the most common behaviors exhibited at family gatherings, dovetailing into the 39% who said “yelling” is also routine. Changing attitudes and behaviors Against that backdrop, there’s a shift happening in the U.S., with both drinkers and teetotalers taking part in the recent Sober October movement in significant numbers and catapulting alcohol substitutes into the mainstream. More than half of U.S. adults (52%) say they’re actively trying to cut down on their liquor intake and 30% report that they don’t drink alcohol at all, according to NielsenIQ. The data firm found a 33.2% increase in sales of non-alcoholic drinks in the past year, totaling $331 million, with an even bigger jump (113.4%) in demand for booze-free spirits. Having sophisticated options—unlike the sickly sweet mocktails that have often been the norm—is an inclusive way to approach the sober curious demo, said Sakey, whose brand has reported a 499% sales leap in 2021 and will expand from 150 to 500 Whole Foods stores. “You can have a drink, enjoy the celebration and not worry the next day—it can be your superpower,” Sakey said. The emerging category “puts the choice in people’s hands and doesn’t exclude anyone.” Ritual and its competitors—an extensive list that includes Lyre’s, Seedlip, Three Spirit, Optimist, Curious Elixirs, CleanCo and Everleaf, to name a few—are amping up their marketing, distribution and partnerships ahead of Dry January, a resolution-heavy month that sees millions of drinkers skip the cocktails. Ritual, in addition to more brand ambassador activity, plans to sell product bundles that pair its gin, rum, tequila and whiskey alternatives with V8 and other superfruit drinks and veggie juices in the Campbell’s portfolio. The program kicks off Jan. 1 on Amazon. Blake Lively, Actor and Teetotaler, Debuts a Line of Mixers to Enjoy With or Without Booze

Alcohol Industry News

Here's How People Feel About Boozy Holiday Office Parties and Family Gatherings

OnePoll's study on behalf of Ritual Zero Proof reveals some sobering stats

T.L. Stanley

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T.L. Stanley