Chinatowns Black Tie after-work banquets became the informal second half of the Chinese working day for decades. Baijiu circulated, toast multiplied, each successful agreement was defined by the ability to continue drinking. That practice is receiving a quiet yet stern opposition from a younger Chinese who are no longer willing to pay for success with feasts and over-drinking. From Beijing to Guangzhou, a first round is passacked or a second glass shut away by a swig or two of freshly brewed bubble.
Chen Xue, twenty-seven, a make-up artist who often does weddings, understands the thing. ‘Customers would rather hold their cups at my gigsit’s more popular now to hoover on bubble tea than to toast on champagne;’ she confesses. ‘You just don’t feel guilty enjoying a bottle of bubble when you can be seen to have savored in a drag of pure bubble tea.
‘ The change has as much to do with practicalities as ideology. The 25-35 year olds are more health-conscious. They don’t want to spend Sundays recovering from a hangover when they want to be working or meeting friends. They don’t have the money. High-end brands of Chinese spirit and taxi fares to and from the bar are expensive. They’d rather spend their money elsewhere or not at all. Baijiu has produced no growth in nine years.
In 2001, 21% of people aged 25-35 identified it as their favorite beverage. Although still a factor in many social and cultural occasions, it is overall considered an older and more obligatory way of drinking. Watchers of the industry speak of a structural shift in drinking habits. Business banquets and premium gifting, which traditionally spurred premium consumption, are declining. In their stead are relaxed social get-togethers, drinking at home and delivery of smaller-sized bottles whenever thirsty, rather than ready. Bars and restaurants are obliging by introducing lighter atmospheres and low- or no-alcohol varieties. The alcohol business, which is an industry worth several trillion dollars, is feeling the heat, although public-health researchers welcome what is happening.
Less heavy drinking reduces the long-term likelihood of chronic illnessa benefit to public health that is not overly advertised. It’s not all or nothing. A few aging managers still want to encourage involvement and a few firms are clinging to older rituals. Still, the tide is turning. Younger workers are more likely to safeguard their energy and boundaries while corporate drinking practices that once considered sober appetite a soft skill are realizing sober, clear-minded employees perform just as well. Sober-curious can be less about complete abstinence and more about drinking less, lighter, or leaving sooner. The key is that it has to be chooser plutt than coerce.
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