How to ask for non-alcoholic drinks at your next work social

While work social events are very much a norm in most Australian workplaces, changes in drinking culture and attitudes to alcohol mean that many employees are feeling left out, rather than included. 

The good news is that there is a very simple solution. Stocking a range of good quality non-alcoholic drinks means people can participate without the pressure to consume alcohol.

I’m not just talking about non-drinkers here. There are lots of reasons a person might choose a non-alcoholic drink. To name a few; women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, people who travel to work by car, and anyone participating in challenges such as Febfast or Sober October. 

It’s also worth noting that mindful drinking has become more popular. In fact, data from the Australian Institute of Health and Wellness found more Aussies are cutting back than ever before, with 31 per cent of people saying they’d reduced the number of alcoholic drinks they consumed. 

Stocking good quality non-alcoholic drinks

There is a reason work social events tend to include alcohol. Whether it's sharing a bottle of wine with colleagues, or handing out beers, there is a sense of camaraderie that just doesn’t materialise over morning coffee. 

Perhaps it’s the sense of occasion that comes with breaking out the drinks trolley. It’s a definite sign that it’s time to down tools and have some fun. For this reason, providing non-alcoholic drinks such as non-alcoholic beer, non-alcoholic wine and ready-to-drink non-alcoholic cocktails allows non-drinkers to participate.

By the way, when I say non-alcoholic drinks, I’m talking about non-alcoholic beer, non-alcoholic wine and ready-to-drink mocktails — not soft drinks. Non-alcoholic drinks are grown-up drinks that are designed to replace alcohol. 

Soft drinks might be an easy option for workplaces to provide, but they don’t pack the same punch as non-alcoholic drinks in terms of social rituals.

How to ask your workplace to stock non-alcoholic drinks

Now that I’ve made the case for including non-alcoholic drinks at your next work social, let’s focus on how to make it happen. 

The first step is finding out who to approach. In some workplaces, this could be as simple as asking the person in charge of buying the drinks. But in larger organisations, it might be better to talk to your Human Resources or People and Culture team. 

Don’t overthink it, asking for non-alcoholic drinks is a very reasonable request. Start by outlining some of the reasons people don’t drink alcohol. Then explain that including some good quality non-alcoholic drinks is an easy way to make those people feel included. Finally, to make things very easy, tell them where they can buy non-alcoholic drinks. You could even send them a link to this blog post!

Why shop at Sans Drinks

There are lots of places that sell non-alcoholic drinks, which is another sign they’re becoming more popular. But if you want the best options available, avoid the supermarket and shop at Sans Drinks. 

I’m one of Australia’s leading experts on non-alcoholic drinks, which is why you’ll see my name in the media whenever anyone is talking about the alcohol-free trend. I’ve given interviews to publications like Good Food, News.com.au, Body & Soul, Sky News and many others. This means when it comes to recommending the best non-alcoholic drinks to buy, I know my stuff. 

On top of this, Sans Drinks is Australia’s number one non-alcoholic drinks superstore. I stock the largest range of non-alcoholic wine, non-alcoholic beer and non-alcoholic cocktails. This includes all the big brands like Wolf Blass, Giesen, Four Pillars and Heaps Normal, as well as smaller boutique brands you won’t find at the supermarket. 

I’m lucky enough to have exclusive relationships with some amazing non-alcoholic wine brands like Next Destination Wines, 1920 Wines and Two Hoots. Again, you won’t see these brands in other stores. 

I also have my own brand’s Sans Bar non-alcoholic spirits and Ms Sans pre-mixed mocktails and specialist non-alcoholic spirits. In creating these brands, I wanted to give my customers both great quality and great value. I’m able to keep prices low because I’ve essentially cut out the middleman. 

Shopping at Sans Drinks is an easy and stress-free process. If you’d like to buy non-alcoholic drinks online, we offer same-day shipping along with a range of delivery options. You can also click and collect from my Brookvale Warehouse or one of 37 Westfield stores across Australia. If you are a Northern Beaches local, you can also shop in person at my new store in Westfield Warringah Mall. 

Find the best non-alcoholic drinks 

With so many amazing non-alcoholic drinks available, it can be hard to choose the best non-alcoholic drinks to buy. If you’re having trouble deciding what to order, have a look through the many guides in my non-alcoholic drinks blog. You can also follow me on Instagram where I post about new products and share live taste test videos.