Alcohol in the workplace: an ethnographic study of professional bartender culture and risk management.

BACKGROUND

Alcohol consumption among bartenders is higher than in most other professions. However, the cultural and occupational meanings of drinking in this setting are underexplored.

METHODS

Drawing on symbolic interactionism, this ethnographic study explores how bartenders interpret and regulate their alcohol use in their professional environment. Fieldwork was conducted in Marseille, France, in 2023 and included 22 in-depth semi-structured interviews and 320 h of participant observation with 38 bartenders working in 33 independent bars. Data were analysed inductively.

RESULTS

Findings reveal a "professional culture of drinking" where alcohol serves multiple functions: commercial, relational, ritual, and self-regulatory. Bartender drinking was tolerated by all concerned parties (managers, clients, etc.) and was often considered part of their identity, provided that service quality remained unaffected. Consumption frequently occurred in a "grey zone" where personal and professional boundaries were blurred. While most bartenders interviewed recognized the associated risks, they mainly emphasized mental not physical harms. They feared dependence but rarely sought formal healthcare services; instead, informal peer-based regulation and support predominated, together with self-regulation strategies like limiting hours of drinking and using non-alcoholic shots.

CONCLUSIONS

Alcohol use among bartenders cannot be understood solely as a health-risk behaviour; it must be situated within professional norms and social logics. Public health interventions should move beyond prescriptive regulation to co-constructed approaches to prevention that respect occupational culture, valorise existing peer-based moderation practices, and strengthen dialogue between health professionals, employers, and workers.