Holiday Drinking and Responsible Beverage Service: Ensuring a Safe and Festive Season

The holiday season is a time for celebration, often marked by gatherings with family, friends, and colleagues. During this time, alcohol consumption tends to increase, making responsible beverage service (RBS) even more crucial. As a server or bartender, it’s important to understand the impact of holiday drinking and how to promote responsible alcohol consumption.

Understanding Holiday Drinking

During the holidays, many people indulge in festive drinks and cocktails as part of their celebrations. However, this increase in alcohol consumption can lead to a higher risk of intoxication and alcohol-related incidents. Factors such as stress, social pressure, and the availability of alcohol can contribute to excessive drinking during this time.

Promoting Responsible Beverage Service

As a server or bartender, you play a crucial role in promoting responsible alcohol consumption and ensuring the safety of your customers. Here are some tips for responsible beverage service during the holiday season:

1. Monitor Alcohol Consumption: Keep track of how much alcohol each customer is consuming and watch for signs of intoxication, such as slurred speech, unsteady movements, and aggressive behavior.
2. Check IDs: Ensure that you check the identification of anyone who appears to be under the age of 21 to prevent underage drinking.
3. Offer Non-Alcoholic Options: Provide a variety of non-alcoholic drinks for those who choose not to drink alcohol or are the designated drivers.
4. Encourage Food Consumption: Offer food options or snacks to help slow the absorption of alcohol and reduce the risk of intoxication.
5. Know When to Cut Off Service: If you believe a customer has had too much to drink, politely refuse to serve them any more alcohol and offer them water or a non-alcoholic drink instead.
6. Provide Safe Transportation Options: Offer information about local transportation options, such as taxis or ride-sharing services, for customers who may be too intoxicated to drive safely.
7. Be Prepared to Handle Intoxicated Customers: Have a plan in place for dealing with intoxicated customers, including how to safely remove them from the premises if necessary.

As the holiday season approaches, it’s important to remember the importance of responsible beverage service. By monitoring alcohol consumption, checking IDs, offering non-alcoholic options, and knowing when to cut off service, you can help ensure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday season. By promoting responsible alcohol consumption, you can help make the holidays a time of celebration, not regret.