In a recent interview with Ask for Angela Luxembourg, Raphael Betti, owner of BAC (Bar à Cocktails) in Luxembourg-Pfaffenthal urged hospitality operators in the country to help reduce the stigma of alcohol-free drinking in the Grand Duchy.
Ask for Angela Luxembourg, the upcoming safety initiative for people who feel harassed on nights out or in other venues, recently confirmed its support for Luxembourg’s Dry January initiative following an official announcement by the Ministry of Health and Social Security.
Following its endorsement of the decision by the ministry, Ask for Angela Luxembourg, spoke to Raphael Betti about the business challenges of the “alcohol-free landscape” and his efforts to change perceptions on alcohol-free drinking in Luxembourg.
Raphael Betti said that bars which welcome alcohol-free drinkers can lead the way in taking safety, consent and customer wellbeing seriously. Following the establishment of BAC and alcohol-free cocktail pop-up Muum, Betti hoped that sharing his experience could help bars, restaurants and clubs explore alcohol-free options during Dry January and beyond.
According to Ask for Angela, around one-third of the drinks on BAC’s cocktail menu are alcohol-free and always contain one easy-to-understand mocktail and another with 0% gin, as people are usually familiar with the taste. The menus also list ingredients, allowing customers to formulate an idea of each drink’s flavour before purchasing.
Raphael Betti noted to Ask for Angela that BAC’s “dry customers” usually request non-sweet mocktails as they will order cola or juice to satisfy any sweet craving. He added that customers initially do not understand why alcohol-free cocktail prices are the same as those containing alcohol because they naturally think alcohol-free equates to lower costs. He emphasised that due to complex production and lower demand, fewer bottles are produced, making zero-alcohol spirits more expensive. However, he believed that an increased demand would result in higher production volumes and lower costs in the near future.
Raphael Betti urged hospitality operators to consider how they can reduce the stigma associated with customers ordering alcohol-free drinks by not asking questions, passing judgement or making comments when these customers order. “People should not have to whisper to the bartender that they want their beer without alcohol. Nor should they worry about people asking why they are abstaining”, he remarked.
He admitted that challenges do exist and that he has not fully figured out the alcohol-free landscape yet, but said discussion is vital: “Relay Pour la Vie asked that all cocktails in our portable bar are alcohol-free. Do we call it the mocktail bar? Should we write ‘alcohol-free’? Or write nothing and normalise that sometimes all options are alcohol-free? These discussions are a good starting point and every bar owner needs to decide how they will do it.”
Raphael Betti noted that bars tend to have separate lists for alcohol and alcohol-free drinks and that dietary food is not separated in a restaurant menu. He suggested that listing all drinks together with a symbol for alcohol-free could help to normalise the situation and that Dry January is a good opportunity for venues to start discussions on alcohol-free options, raise awareness of reducing judgement and stigma with their teams and consider how they present their alcohol-free selection.
Following an alcohol-related incident at BAC, Raphael Betti said that the arrival of Ask for Angela in Luxembourg will help to “create an even safer environment by protecting customers and letting predators know that their behaviour is not tolerated”. He added that in the same way in which expanding alcohol-free options helps reduce the stigma around not drinking, Ask for Angela’s initiative will normalise asking for help if someone feels harassed or unsafe, and that both initiatives signal that bars can be social spaces without pressure, excess or risk. BAC is the first Luxembourg venue to sign up to Ask for Angela Luxembourg’s anti-harassment scheme.
Raphael Betti will run mixology workshops with the Chambre des Métiers this year and he hopes that it will hire him to host an alcohol-free workshop in the future, to share his experience and knowledge with his peers.
