Setting a staff drinking policy for a brewpub

Why a written policy beats an unwritten one

In most brewpubs the drinking rules are whatever the founder did last Friday. That leads to uneven treatment, resentment and occasionally a serious incident. A short written policy, signed at induction, makes the expectations the same for everyone, from the head brewer to the newest server.

It also helps with stock control. Beer that staff drink is beer that leaves the tanks. If it is not recorded, your stock reconciliation will not match and your excise registers will carry an unexplained loss.

No drinking on shift, with one exception

Our default is simple: no alcohol during working hours. The one exception is sensory quality control. Brewers must taste beer to do their job. Bar staff should taste a new keg before serving it. That is tasting, not drinking.

Set clear limits for it. Tasting samples should be small, around 30 to 60 ml. Brewers and bartenders should spit when tasting several beers. Tasting should happen at set points: a new batch, a new keg, a guest complaint. Write down who tasted and why, the same way you would log any QC check.

The brewhouse floor needs a stricter line

The brewhouse is a factory floor with hot liquid, caustic cleaners, pressurised tanks and carbon dioxide. Alcohol and that equipment do not mix. Anyone working with hot wort near 100 °C, handling caustic at 70 to 80 °C during cleaning or entering a cold room where CO2 can collect must have had nothing to drink.

Make this rule absolute for the brewing team and any bar staff who help in the cellar. A pint at lunch before a keg wash is how hands get burnt. Pair it with your day one safety training so new staff hear both on the same day.

Shift drinks: decide, then write it down

Many hospitality businesses offer a shift drink once staff have clocked out. It is a small thank you that costs little. If you offer one, define it exactly:

• One drink, a set measure such as 330 ml, after the shift has ended and the till is closed.
• Staff are off duty and out of uniform, or at least away from the bar.
• Recorded in the point of sale as a staff drink, so stock reconciles.
• A soft drink or alcohol-free option counts the same for those who prefer it.

Some brewpubs offer no shift drink and give a staff discount instead. Either works if it is fair and written down.

Drink driving and getting home

Late shifts end after public transport slows down. Many staff ride two-wheelers. India's legal blood alcohol limit for driving is 30 mg per 100 ml of blood, which is low. One strong beer can put a smaller person near it. Your policy should say plainly that staff who have had a drink do not ride or drive home.

Back that up in practice. Keep a list of reliable cab services, consider covering the fare after late closes and never pressure anyone to stay for a drink. A team member who has an accident after a shift drink is a tragedy first and a liability second.

Age, guests and breaches

Staff must be over the legal drinking age for your state to drink at all. That age differs between states. Staff must also never drink with guests on shift, even when a regular insists on buying the bar a round. Teach them a polite line: "Thank you, I will have it after work", with the drink logged as a staff tab or declined.

Say what happens if the policy is broken. A first minor breach might mean a written warning. Coming to work drunk or drinking in the brewhouse should be serious misconduct. Make sure the policy matches your employment contracts and your staff handbook.

Look after the people who do not drink

Not everyone in a brewpub drinks alcohol, whether for religious, health or personal reasons. Your policy should make clear that nobody is ever pressured to taste or drink. A server who does not drink can still sell beer well with good training and tasting notes from the brewer. Give them the same shift perks in another form: a soft drink, a meal or the staff discount on food.

Watch for the quieter problem too. Hospitality has long hours, late nights and easy access to alcohol. If a team member is drinking more than they used to or arriving unwell, a manager should talk to them privately and kindly, before it becomes a disciplinary matter. A policy that only punishes misses the point of having one.

Make it part of the culture

A policy only works if managers follow it too. If the founder pours himself a pint at 7 pm behind the bar, the policy is dead. Review it once a year with the team and ask what is not working. Brewpubs that get this right keep their staff longer and their licences cleaner.

Writing policies that hold up on a busy Saturday is a big part of running a brewpub. It sits alongside rosters, contracts and stock control in the day to day work of the business.

Your first step: write one page tonight covering tasting, shift drinks, the brewhouse rule and getting home safely.

Common questions

Should brewpub staff be allowed to drink on shift?

Generally no. The one exception is small, logged tasting samples for quality checks, with spitting when tasting several beers.

What is a shift drink?

A single drink some hospitality businesses offer after a shift ends. If you offer one, set the measure, record it in the point of sale and offer a non-alcoholic option.

What is the drink driving limit in India?

The legal blood alcohol limit for driving in India is 30 mg per 100 ml of blood. Staff who have had a drink should not ride or drive home.