This week’s Economist ran a more-than-a-little nostalgic piece about the disappearance of the wet workplace. The article wastes no time in establishing historical precedent for workplace tippling, noting that workers on America’s earliest government buildings were often paid in brandy and that 19th-century railroad laborers apparently drank like crazy. Of course, there’s an obligatory Mad Men reference. But has the tradition of the three-martini lunch really gone the way of the dodo? Don’t be so sure.
The Economist seems to think this practice is reserved for entertaining eccentric European visitors, and that’s where the article goes wrong. While modern professionals may not booze it up like they do at Sterling Cooper, the concept of entertaining a client or potential investor with a few drinks over lunch is hardly foreign, especially here in New York. Even more common is hitting an after-work happy hour with colleagues.
So what’s your favorite place for a workday martini? How about a neighborhood spot you can pop into for a post-meeting Manhattan? Give us your feedback in the comments below. We’ll excuse the typos, just this once.
