HomerJ

...who usually have a few beers at lunch pretty much every time we go out.
I also have a distributor in Winnipeg who likes his liquid lunches.
When I used to do international sales, both Denmark and the UK had a decent amount of lunch time tipplers.
In the US though it might as well be the 1920's.

uk1

I built a business that revolved around lunch. Clients were loosened of their signature over lunch. Clients were nurtured over lunch. Excuses were made over lunch. Lunch often started early and ended in the early hours of the following day. Everyone is happy and gets happier over lunch.

Sheikh Yerbooty

Attended a conference hosted by Airbus in Toulouse last year, with delegates from airlines all over the world. Come lunch time, and this being in France, there was of course a nice white for the starter, a red for the main and something sweet for the dessert. 75% of the participants happily dived in, most of the US contingent looked on in amazement and asked for water.

I'm fine with a beer or two for lunch, don't mind sharing a bottle of wine either if we are 2 or 3. In fact, I couldn't imagine going out for a nice lunch in business hours and not have a drink to go with it; one is not an un-cultured barbarian!

Showbizguru

There's only one thing that beats a long boozy lunch and that's a long boozy lunch followed by late afternoon hotel sex.

Captain Schmidt

An alcohol ban where driving is involved seems fair enough, though not sure I see the link between a cut hand and drugs/drink.

During my time living in the US, I found there was a big contradiction between "society" tut-tutting the use of alcohol (though to be fair, this wasn't quite so true in Chicago), whilst the attitudes to drink-driving from my British perspective were circa 1970. I encountered many people who not only thought it acceptable to have half a dozen beers and drive home at night, but were quite prepared to tell everyone what they had done. Do that in the UK and you can expect to get shunned. Probably no coincidence that deaths on UK roads per km driven are a fraction of the carnage on US highways.

kipper

A good number of US employers have a policy that, if you sustain an injury or are involved in an accident at work, you MUST have a drug/alcohol test performed shortly after the incident.

phillygold

My dream job.....

scubadiver

Back when I was a boss I'd take a candidate to lunch. I order a brew to set the tone/permission. Then I'd see if he orders 1. a double bourbon, 2. a beer, or 3. demurs. For 1 and 3 I'd look closely at the veins in his nose.

Showbizguru

People often forget that the Three Martini Lunch used to be tax deductible in the US until various government curmudgeons, including Jimmy Carter in the 1976 Presidential election campaign, hastened its demise claiming poor people were subsidising the rich's drinking habits.

After the election his opponent, incumbent President Gerald R Ford, in a 1978 speech to the National Restaurant Association, responded with: "The three-martini lunch is the epitome of American efficiency. Where else can you get an earful, a bellyful and a snootful at the same time?"

HIDDY

It really depends on what I have for lunch.

Sometimes I'll have a beer or a tea other times a glass of wine. The wine however makes me tired especially if I have a large glass so best avoided if I've got things to do in the afternoon. I'm self employed though so I can do what I want.

Don't ever recall drinking at lunchtime when I had a normal job and quite rightly so.

CMK10

Went to lunch today with the classmates and it was drinks all around! Our most uptight member of our circle even cracked and had a cigarette when we walked back to the car. It was a nice way for us all to loosen up in the middle of midterm week.

exilencfc

I agree with this. There's a major difference between a drink with lunch and drunk. In my academic life a glass or two of wine with lunch at a conference is standard. In my non-academic life at my previous workplace we occasionally had Irish coffee at 10am. Current employer takes a harsher line, but a drink at lunch is still ok if off the premises and clocked out (I don't think anyone does drink at lunch but then we are rather a long walk from the nearest pub). Mind you if I did turn up drunk (as a one off) I wouldn't be sacked unless I made a nuisance of myself.

JOUY31

Nothing special about that. When I started working in the mid-80s, when sealing a contract at lunch, we even had a separate white for fish, between the starter and the main course, and of course a different red for cheese. A few people also had an Armagnac with the cigar or over coffee.

work2fly

I'm not one to drink at lunch, because as others have said, I think it would sap the energy I need to get through the afternoon.

Earlier in my career, I would have been afraid of what other people would think, but looking back on it, I don't think a drink or two with a plate of food would have caused problems.

Usually it's not the drinking that gets people in trouble, it's what they do after they've been drinking

I've not been, but I understand French truck drivers have it made when it comes to drinking at lunch...I hope to join a few on my next trip there.

slawecki

i drink a lot. more than most. drinking knocks off that edge. maybe only 20% maybe only 10%. i do no drink when dealing.