She had just finished the first week of work at her first real job. It had been a long and exhausting week. She had met so many new people all across the company, she was lucky everyone had to wear a name badge because there is no way she would remember all their names. She was also tasked with reading everything the company seemed to have in relation to her role, some of which clearly came from before she was born and was quite boring. She didn’t know a clock could move that slow. 8-5 felt eternal.

When Friday rolled around, she was ready to unwind. So when her boss asked her if she wanted to grab a drink, she didn’t even give it a second thought. As soon as the clock struck 5, she was out and on her way to meet her boss at the bar. As she drove there, she reminded herself of all the rules that her older sister had taught her about drinking at work: Don’t drink too much, keep the conversation professional, be positive, and don’t stay too long.

She walked in and the bar looked very different from what she was used to in college. It wasn’t packed with scantily clad coeds. It didn’t smell like stale beer and she didn’t see any pool or ping pong tables. Drake and Rihanna were definitely not on the playlist. Instead, there was a live piano player in formal attire. Finally she spotted her boss and walked over. As she took a seat she noticed how comfortable the leather was and that you didn’t need to use a coaster under the legs to keep it from wobbling. The glasses were just that, real glass and the corner. All of the men and women were so well-dressed, which made her question her casual Friday bartenders were friendly, attractive, and appropriate.

The bartender came up to take their order. Eager to get the weekend started, she blurted out, “I’ll take a Redheaded Slut.” Her boss gave her a strange look and then ordered Bordeaux. She didn’t even know what Bordeaux was. Oh well. Her and her boss got to talking about how her first week had gone and soon the bartender returned with their drinks. Her shot glass and her boss’s wine glass. Apparently Bordeaux is a type of red wine. Maybe ordering a shot called a Redheaded Slut was a bad idea. She wondered if she would ever get invited for a drink again. At that point the Redheaded Slut was already staring at her, so she took the shot and continued the conversation.

Your go to college drink is no longer a good idea for your “work” drink. Not to say you can never have a Redheaded Slut again, just don’t do it with your boss. This also applies to Drunken Toddlers, Buttery Nipples, any drink that has the word “Bomb” in it, and anything of that sort. In fact, to keep it simple just order wine. The house white or red are usually decent options and don’t require much wine knowledge.

Learn to like wine. Try going to a wine tasting, they are fun events and they will give you many options. Start by trying something light like a chardonnay (this is a white variety). It’s always easier to start with white wines. If you don’t like sweet, but want to stick to white wines, sauvignon blanc is the way to go. We generally prefer red wine, but white wine has one grand advantage – it doesn’t stain your teeth. If you order a delicious Cab or Bordeaux, you may end up with reddish teeth, which is never a good look with coworkers. Then again, if you remember some of the advice she received from her sister, you shouldn’t be drinking enough that your teeth change colors.

As you learn more about your coworkers you may find that ordering an Old Fashioned or PBR are completely okay. Hell, you might even end up shooting Fireball with them one evening (more to follow in another post). But from our experience, until you really understand your company culture and coworkers, order wine.

You’ve heard our experience, now let’s hear yours…