Breath analyzer test after coffee?

If you think that is a joke, you my dear friend are in for a surprise! Not that that the traffic police have started checking bikers and drivers after drinking coffee at Barista Lavazza, but they might definitely give it a thought.

Barista has announced its plans to give a teeny-weeny European spin to their coffee choices by adding some liquor (you read that right) to the ingredients. Some European café’s sure have alcohol based coffee’s on their menu (and some serve alcohol separately too!), so why not ape them and try to improve the sales? Some entrepreneurial thinking that! The idea is revolutionary in India and for all we know it might even work! I enjoy my coffee and the morning newspaper and I am a self-proclaimed coffee addict, but I am just wondering whether it is taking this a bit too far?

It is common knowledge that in India the stigma around smoking and alcohol has reduced (read, diluted!) in the past couple of decades as the western culture has appealed to the younger generation’s need to stand out and be accepted both by their friends and also by their opposite sex. Smoking and alcohol passes off as “cool” and not many give a second’s thought to how years of such addiction will impact their health.

It might be a good idea to get out of your cubicle and stretch your legs… while at it you may get your European style “alcohol coffee” fix at Barista. The alcohol might be in a small amount but the fact remains that it might give a smell (God bless if it has any impact on your performance!). Consider how your conservative colleagues or bosses might react to that? Would your customers want to speak to a salesman with alcohol on their breath? Would yours company’s clients (call centre, BPO, IT companies etc.) want to offshore their work to somebody who has 3-4 coffees a day with small amounts of liquor in them? Its easy to say that we are all adults and won’t drink “alcohol coffee” during work. The question is, should some preventive measures be thought about or should the responsibility be left to the individual?

Let me stretch this a bit. In western countries it is not un-common to see somebody get away from their stressful day and have a lunch-beer; nobody raises a brow and the worker can get back to his desk and resume work. Would a similar scenario in India be permissible? If not, then why have alcohol in your coffee on a working day? I am not suggesting for a minute that India will become a nation where people “drink and work” just because of Barista’s proposed “upgrade” of its menu. As I said, I am stretching this scenario just to ponder how this would turn out if alcohol during the day, during work were to be come true one day, and how the same could impact or be perceived in India.

Allow me to mention one more example from another country – Japan. When somebody buys alcohol from a store in Japan (yeah, its sold almost everywhere including department stores and chemists(!)) if the shop keeper doesn’t think you are old enough, 20 years of age per law, you might be asked to provide a personal identification card with your photo and age. Only after that you can buy alcohol and smokes. Staying with Japan, at restaurants when you go for dinner, some times you are asked if you are driving, and if so you will be politely declined alcohol. Of course, people who are dining with you can be served the same, no questions asked.

Where I am going with this example is, India does not have a control process on alcohol sales (which is a larger issue than just “alcohol coffee”). Anybody, teenager and above, can go to a bar and hardly be refused alcohol. So what will prevent the same person from ordering “alcohol coffee” at a respectable coffee shop? Consequently without a check and balance to control alcohol sales, allowing selling alcohol in coffee which can be consumed in broad daylight and any number of times is like permitting alcohol to be sold in stores but minus the control I mentioned about verifying one’s age or whether you were driving or working!

Now that I have completed this post, I feel like ordering a Barista coffee with an extra shot of liquor

If you are not drunk from your coffees, I invite your thoughts below:-)

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