As an Australian who worked in the US for a startup back in 2014/2015 pre-COVID, I can attest to the different attitude towards drinking. Australia is known for

As an Australian who worked in the US for a startup back in 2014/2015 pre-COVID, I can attest to the different attitude towards drinking. Australia is known for its drinking habits as well, but the US and, in particular, the tech industry is different. The startup I worked for had continually restocked beer kegs (three different types of craft beer) it was normal for people to drink during lunch, stay back late and write some code, have some more beer. Sometimes we'd go to a hip bar or restaurant, we'd order pitchers of craft beer. Drinking was just so constant and normal, it was like drinking coffee, a part of the startup routine. It's the same story at companies like Facebook, Google and Twitter, drink fridges with soft drink, juices and then beer/cider/wine, it's such a strange thing when you think about it workplaces offering alcohol to their employees, allowing them to self-moderate their consumption. In Australia the concept of workplace provided drinks that are always there isn't a common thing, even in our startup scene. The closest I've witnessed is Friday drinks, which is where you and your coworkers finish a little early and have a drink to celebrate the week or milestone. Even then, people would have to go out and get the beer/wine to drink, it wasn't just there ready to go. I wonder if any research has been done into the tech industry and its relationship with alcohol? Because I often saw the casual attitude to drinking as exclusive, especially to those who are recovering from addiction or have had complications with alcohol in the past. Imagine being an ex-alcoholic and getting a job for a modern day tech startup? Surrounded by young twenty-somethings who casually will down a few glasses of IPA and go home to hacking on their MacBook Pros until the early morning like it's nothing. I don't see anything wrong with solitary drinking, unless you're doing it to deal with stress or problems. But, if you're like me (who works 100% remote now), I enjoy a good glass of scotch or a beer every now and then in the evening, even if my wife isn't drinking or we're not entertaining.