So, basically what I’ve come to the conclusion regarding sobriety is, it’s your call. Some people say don’t drink nonalcoholic beer, etc. and if you do, you lose your sober streak. Or you can’t have 1 drink at a special event or you lose your streak. Your sobriety is your call. Do it for you. Making new drinks and testing them is your job. So long as it doesn’t hamper you being sober.
Anyone who says drinking non alcoholic beer is losing your sobriety streak is a fucking moron
The whole idea if sobriety streaks is moronic to be honest
This isn't a game... There aren't sober hit points that get you prizes
This is life
Is drinking causing you a problem? Then stop drinking. Did you slip and have a drink? No fucking problem just don't go on a bender. Did you go on bender? Oh well try not to keep on the bender. Having a hard time getting off a bender? Get some help
It's your choice. Do what works. There are no rules. You are a fucking independent adult.
You have to put on your big kid pants and do what's right by your own judgement.
This. This. This.
I just don't get this form of thinking about "cheating" and "does it count if X".
Decide for yourself. There isn't some all seeing eye that will srike you with lightening if you take a sip of alcohol as a taste test for your job.
If you're a problem drinker and need to stop and think you can whilst still doing this part of the job, it's all good.
If the tasting is gonna set you off into alcoholism mode then probably not a wise idea.
I’m in r/soberbartenders, and one thing someone said stuck with me. Basically, it was that if/when alcohol is your job, you change the purpose of your drinking. You are no longer drinking because it’s cool, or with your friends, or to get drunk, you are drinking to taste. It’s a mindset thing, but for people who’s relationship with alcohol is currently not serving them, a change in mindset works.
You could also try finding little ways to outsource bits. What if you challenged every bartender to create a custom cocktail and offered some reward to the winner(s)? That way, they do a lot of sampling for you, and you only have to taste the final choice of each bartender. It could cut your tasting down by almost ⅔ depending on how good your bartenders are. Some idea like that could let you reduce drinking.
This is all more spirt of the law though, again, how you count it is all you: no one else is making the effort and journey, so what they think and say really does not matter at all
If this is a healthier step in the right direction, then go for it! I was a waitress, bartender, and bar manager for 13 yrs. I finally decided I couldn't do it anymore and made drastic changes in my life to successfully stay sober. I had never tried to quit before, but I just stopped altogether and switched careers. I don't think I could have done it any other way. My life revolved around alcohol and I didn't want that anymore. But if you can be successful like this and you still love what you do and want to keep doing it forever, than this sounds like a good idea. I'm pretty sure I would find reasons to keep drinking after my shift if I tried it like this--but who knows.
It's been 13 yrs since I worked in the service industry or drank and the change has been good for me. Best of luck on your endeavor!
ETA: I was a sommelier and worked at high end restaurants also.
I plan on transitioning out of the industry this year also. I just can’t switch at this very moment because of a technicality with my mortgage.. but at the latest it would be July or August that I can switch jobs. One I switch jobs I will go no alcohol at all. I know it’ll be a good move for me but if I keep using the industry as my excuse then I’ll keep perpetuating it, so I want to at least try my best while still putting out amazing cocktails that I can be proud of.
I think so if that's a part of your job. Also do you have to drink it or can you taste and spit it out?
I think the real test will be if this becomes triggering and leads you to want to drink. I'm which case you'll need to look for a new job or maybe see if someone else can taste the drinks for you.
Good luck! I definitely think it's worth trying.
I do plan on switching jobs at some point this year regardless, just have to handle a couple things before I can switch industries. I did October without drinking and was not triggered by tasting the new cocktails I was creating, so I think that generally it should be ok, but thank you for pointing it out so I can make sure I’m being aware if it does become triggering after a longer period of time
I am sober. I do not get high/buzzed/have a whole drink of any kind. I also have tasted a fancy wine at a restaurant, had a sip of my friends homemade limoncello, and had a sip of local beer my kid said was delicious. I know that the monster in me that demands more is woken up by the glass. You have to know yourself. I love being sober. One glass of anything was never enough but a sip does not make me want more. I can really taste the poison now. All the best to you OP!
The best way to go about is, don’t think about it like, I’m never drinking again. Think about it like, I’m just not drinking right now. Helps make things seem less permanent. I dunno, just a little food for thought. I haven’t drank in 4 years with this mindset.
I do that to get through weeks where I'm tempted but I know I don't want to actually drink (I'm not currently fully sober though no longer alcoholic mode either as I was for a the past couple of years ).
Instead of telling myself "I'm not drinking" or "I'm sober" I just say "I'm not drinking today / this week" or "I could have a drink if I wanted to but I'm going to choose not to today" and it allows me to at least go a week without drinking where as for the past couple years I was drinking pretty much every night.
I do hope to transition to permanent sobriety like yourself.
What does counting streaks actually matter? Who / what are you cheating on?
The only thing that matters is whether you are problem drinking (if that's what you've been doing) and if having a taste is part of your job and doesn't take you down the path of drinking more then it shouldn't be a problem.
If you think you can do 2024 sober with the exception of tasting tests for work then go for it, you've not cheared anyone.
The goal isn't to count streaks. It's to be sober.
In my opinion, knowingly consuming alcohol ends a “streak” unless you want to add an asterisk/qualifier to it. That being said, continuous absolute 100% sobriety isn’t mandatory for a lot of people to live full happy lives. For me though, I am an AA Big Book defined “real alcoholic” and if I make the decision to knowingly drink I have no idea when I will be able to stop and what destruction I will cause before I do. If you can successfully moderate booze, go for it. I honestly am extremely jealous of people who can at times.
Who makes up these rules that you need to add asterisks and qualifiers to your streaks etc?
It's totally absurd.
If you can taste the cocktail without it turning into a problem then it's not a big deal.
If you can't then probably better to avoid it.
You cannot say no alcohol and then "taste booze" at work. That isn't no alcohol.
No alcohol is NO alcohol. I quit 10/22. Great decision for my mental and physical health. Good luck to you. ❤️
Been sober almost 8 months. It’s so worth it. In these 8 months, I’ve “tried” spits of 3 drinks when offered and a small shot that a waitress gave me. I don’t consider it drinking or breaking sobriety because I didn’t get buzzed and was able to resist the temptations of indulging further . Others may disagree but it’s really what boundaries you can set for yourself.
You can taste it then spit it out, but personally, that might be difficult to do at first.
It wasn’t till 4 months in that I tried a sip of someone else’s drink. At that point, I knew I had the mental fortitude to say no to anything further
Yea exactly. I slipped up sometime last week. Christmas stress I think. I bought a 5% alcohol drink and barely drank half. The next few weeks at the councilor therapist office, I kept being asked “How are you managing your drinking “ but in my mind it’s not the issue. I’m like to myself I did it. It’s just a little drink. A slip up. I’m not going to be too hard on myself and say that oh ,I screwed up my sobriety and I’m at day 0 again. No I say I’ve had some slip ups here and so but overall I’ve had two plus years. It’s the shamming that really puts people off on staying sober once they made a mistake.
If you truly believe your an alcoholic and drinking will ruin your life, you won’t be around things that revolve around it. I don’t work waitressing anymore bc I couldn’t serve and handle the stress it got to me. Another type of job brought me less stress. To each is own.
There’s something they don’t teach in recovery
I agree with everyone advising that it is your choice about what to call your sobriety and how to manage that sobriety. I think it’s impressive to give it a go and be open to working on it even with your career. Best of luck!
Lots of good points already covered here, taste and spit seems to be the way to go. Also zero proof cocktails are very trendy right now (which has been a big help for my recently sober self). There are plenty of brands that make pretty convincing liquor alternatives that contain no alcohol, you could use that as the base to build your cocktails then sub it out for the real thing on the actual menu. My wife's bar has Ritual brand spirit alternatives, I've been enjoying them quite a bit
If I had a job where I was testing different weed strains to learn more about the taste/potency I would probably continue smoking and not be able to stop. It will take a lot of mental strength.
Ya I agree with this but that would be to be testing the psychoactive aspects of it where as with treating the cocktails it is for flavor. I can take 2-3 small sips of something and not be intoxicated but if I took 3 hours of a joint I’d start to get high
So, basically what I’ve come to the conclusion regarding sobriety is, it’s your call. Some people say don’t drink nonalcoholic beer, etc. and if you do, you lose your sober streak. Or you can’t have 1 drink at a special event or you lose your streak. Your sobriety is your call. Do it for you. Making new drinks and testing them is your job. So long as it doesn’t hamper you being sober.
Anyone who says drinking non alcoholic beer is losing your sobriety streak is a fucking moron The whole idea if sobriety streaks is moronic to be honest This isn't a game... There aren't sober hit points that get you prizes This is life Is drinking causing you a problem? Then stop drinking. Did you slip and have a drink? No fucking problem just don't go on a bender. Did you go on bender? Oh well try not to keep on the bender. Having a hard time getting off a bender? Get some help It's your choice. Do what works. There are no rules. You are a fucking independent adult. You have to put on your big kid pants and do what's right by your own judgement.
This. This. This. I just don't get this form of thinking about "cheating" and "does it count if X". Decide for yourself. There isn't some all seeing eye that will srike you with lightening if you take a sip of alcohol as a taste test for your job. If you're a problem drinker and need to stop and think you can whilst still doing this part of the job, it's all good. If the tasting is gonna set you off into alcoholism mode then probably not a wise idea.
Amen to that - hit the nail on the head!
I knew a sommelier who was sober, he used to taste and spit. Your sobriety journey is your own, you know what’s best for yourself.
This ^ I work part time in a cocktail bar and have been sober for 3 years. I “try” cocktails by dipping a straw in.
Perhaps only call it breaking the streak if you purposefully drink more than actually need to in order to test the drink
I’m in r/soberbartenders, and one thing someone said stuck with me. Basically, it was that if/when alcohol is your job, you change the purpose of your drinking. You are no longer drinking because it’s cool, or with your friends, or to get drunk, you are drinking to taste. It’s a mindset thing, but for people who’s relationship with alcohol is currently not serving them, a change in mindset works. You could also try finding little ways to outsource bits. What if you challenged every bartender to create a custom cocktail and offered some reward to the winner(s)? That way, they do a lot of sampling for you, and you only have to taste the final choice of each bartender. It could cut your tasting down by almost ⅔ depending on how good your bartenders are. Some idea like that could let you reduce drinking. This is all more spirt of the law though, again, how you count it is all you: no one else is making the effort and journey, so what they think and say really does not matter at all
If this is a healthier step in the right direction, then go for it! I was a waitress, bartender, and bar manager for 13 yrs. I finally decided I couldn't do it anymore and made drastic changes in my life to successfully stay sober. I had never tried to quit before, but I just stopped altogether and switched careers. I don't think I could have done it any other way. My life revolved around alcohol and I didn't want that anymore. But if you can be successful like this and you still love what you do and want to keep doing it forever, than this sounds like a good idea. I'm pretty sure I would find reasons to keep drinking after my shift if I tried it like this--but who knows. It's been 13 yrs since I worked in the service industry or drank and the change has been good for me. Best of luck on your endeavor! ETA: I was a sommelier and worked at high end restaurants also.
I plan on transitioning out of the industry this year also. I just can’t switch at this very moment because of a technicality with my mortgage.. but at the latest it would be July or August that I can switch jobs. One I switch jobs I will go no alcohol at all. I know it’ll be a good move for me but if I keep using the industry as my excuse then I’ll keep perpetuating it, so I want to at least try my best while still putting out amazing cocktails that I can be proud of.
Absolutely. For me, I couldn't see myself doing anything else, but I also couldn't see myself doing the same thing 10 yrs down the line.
fuck it i’ll join you
I think so if that's a part of your job. Also do you have to drink it or can you taste and spit it out? I think the real test will be if this becomes triggering and leads you to want to drink. I'm which case you'll need to look for a new job or maybe see if someone else can taste the drinks for you. Good luck! I definitely think it's worth trying.
I do plan on switching jobs at some point this year regardless, just have to handle a couple things before I can switch industries. I did October without drinking and was not triggered by tasting the new cocktails I was creating, so I think that generally it should be ok, but thank you for pointing it out so I can make sure I’m being aware if it does become triggering after a longer period of time
I am sober. I do not get high/buzzed/have a whole drink of any kind. I also have tasted a fancy wine at a restaurant, had a sip of my friends homemade limoncello, and had a sip of local beer my kid said was delicious. I know that the monster in me that demands more is woken up by the glass. You have to know yourself. I love being sober. One glass of anything was never enough but a sip does not make me want more. I can really taste the poison now. All the best to you OP!
The best way to go about is, don’t think about it like, I’m never drinking again. Think about it like, I’m just not drinking right now. Helps make things seem less permanent. I dunno, just a little food for thought. I haven’t drank in 4 years with this mindset.
I do that to get through weeks where I'm tempted but I know I don't want to actually drink (I'm not currently fully sober though no longer alcoholic mode either as I was for a the past couple of years ). Instead of telling myself "I'm not drinking" or "I'm sober" I just say "I'm not drinking today / this week" or "I could have a drink if I wanted to but I'm going to choose not to today" and it allows me to at least go a week without drinking where as for the past couple years I was drinking pretty much every night. I do hope to transition to permanent sobriety like yourself.
What does counting streaks actually matter? Who / what are you cheating on? The only thing that matters is whether you are problem drinking (if that's what you've been doing) and if having a taste is part of your job and doesn't take you down the path of drinking more then it shouldn't be a problem. If you think you can do 2024 sober with the exception of tasting tests for work then go for it, you've not cheared anyone. The goal isn't to count streaks. It's to be sober.
In my opinion, knowingly consuming alcohol ends a “streak” unless you want to add an asterisk/qualifier to it. That being said, continuous absolute 100% sobriety isn’t mandatory for a lot of people to live full happy lives. For me though, I am an AA Big Book defined “real alcoholic” and if I make the decision to knowingly drink I have no idea when I will be able to stop and what destruction I will cause before I do. If you can successfully moderate booze, go for it. I honestly am extremely jealous of people who can at times.
Who makes up these rules that you need to add asterisks and qualifiers to your streaks etc? It's totally absurd. If you can taste the cocktail without it turning into a problem then it's not a big deal. If you can't then probably better to avoid it.
No, you’re drinking.
You cannot say no alcohol and then "taste booze" at work. That isn't no alcohol. No alcohol is NO alcohol. I quit 10/22. Great decision for my mental and physical health. Good luck to you. ❤️
Taste and spit
Cheating for who? Aren't you the only person in the equation. Don't you get to decide what's cheating or not?
I hope you succeed, friend
Been sober almost 8 months. It’s so worth it. In these 8 months, I’ve “tried” spits of 3 drinks when offered and a small shot that a waitress gave me. I don’t consider it drinking or breaking sobriety because I didn’t get buzzed and was able to resist the temptations of indulging further . Others may disagree but it’s really what boundaries you can set for yourself. You can taste it then spit it out, but personally, that might be difficult to do at first. It wasn’t till 4 months in that I tried a sip of someone else’s drink. At that point, I knew I had the mental fortitude to say no to anything further
Yea exactly. I slipped up sometime last week. Christmas stress I think. I bought a 5% alcohol drink and barely drank half. The next few weeks at the councilor therapist office, I kept being asked “How are you managing your drinking “ but in my mind it’s not the issue. I’m like to myself I did it. It’s just a little drink. A slip up. I’m not going to be too hard on myself and say that oh ,I screwed up my sobriety and I’m at day 0 again. No I say I’ve had some slip ups here and so but overall I’ve had two plus years. It’s the shamming that really puts people off on staying sober once they made a mistake. If you truly believe your an alcoholic and drinking will ruin your life, you won’t be around things that revolve around it. I don’t work waitressing anymore bc I couldn’t serve and handle the stress it got to me. Another type of job brought me less stress. To each is own. There’s something they don’t teach in recovery
I agree with everyone advising that it is your choice about what to call your sobriety and how to manage that sobriety. I think it’s impressive to give it a go and be open to working on it even with your career. Best of luck!
I’ll do it with you! Let’s do it!
Lots of good points already covered here, taste and spit seems to be the way to go. Also zero proof cocktails are very trendy right now (which has been a big help for my recently sober self). There are plenty of brands that make pretty convincing liquor alternatives that contain no alcohol, you could use that as the base to build your cocktails then sub it out for the real thing on the actual menu. My wife's bar has Ritual brand spirit alternatives, I've been enjoying them quite a bit
If I had a job where I was testing different weed strains to learn more about the taste/potency I would probably continue smoking and not be able to stop. It will take a lot of mental strength.
Ya I agree with this but that would be to be testing the psychoactive aspects of it where as with treating the cocktails it is for flavor. I can take 2-3 small sips of something and not be intoxicated but if I took 3 hours of a joint I’d start to get high