HOW MANY Martinis are TOO MANY MARTINIS at a business lunch?

[Amerigo Vespucci]

[kwassa]

1. Are they classic martinis, or the modern fakery misnamed martinis?

without Martini & Rossi vermouth or gin?

I think the real 3 martini lunch left us after the era of Mad Men ...

[Amerigo Vespucci]

2. I was thinking "classic"...

...and yes, these days it just doesn't pay to get hammered at a business lunch.

:-)

[Chan790]

3. Unless you work in a really cool field...

I've found my life to be less meaningful since I quit getting shitfaced from Noon-2:30PM and again from 5:03-onward.

[trof]

13. Zackly.

It hurts my heart to see what passes for a Martini now.
Fruit punch and milk shakes.
bleh
:-(

[petronius]

4. One is too many, since I don't like gin. If I'm the boss, however, I'll drink as much whisky as I

want and woe to anyone else who dares get drunk. If I'm the peon, I drink just enough to look like I'm playing along...

[trackfan]

5. I said 3 - but that is based on an ideally smaller size of martini glass.

As a practical matter nowadays, most bars use a large size glass, and give a liberal pour, so that one is really enough; and after two you would be quite drunk.

[Generic Brad]

6. There is only one situation where alcohol is permissible at a business lunch

And that is when the business being discussed is alcohol.

[Chan790]

7. There is another...

Some types of fundraising are much more successful if you're plying beverages.

Mind you, not enough for anybody to get even tipsy but only enough to loosen inhibitions, minimize reservations and incline people to do things they really want to do. That's why if you're ever at an open-bar event for charity, the appeal is right before dessert. It works the same way for small luncheons with major donors.

The problem is puritanism. As long as you're not a machinist, driver or another occupation with a high risk factor based on minute attention to safety, 1 drink at lunch is not harmful to productivity and occasionally enhances it. (Mind you, I don't even drink.)

[Kaleva]

8. 24. Don't plan on going back to work that afternoon though.

[Bucky]

9. Just because your boss is there doesn't mean you can't "go commando".

Who knows, it might even get you a raise.

[Xithras]

10. If you're the boss, you can have 3. Everyone else, buy two, and don't finish the 2nd.

The boss doesn't have to worry about anyone firing him for stupid, alcohol fueled comments. You do.

[Lucian]

11. There's no such thing as too many Martinis at lunch.

[Rhythm]

12. Sometime before it becomes "tee many martoonies..."

...or so i'm told.
I'm a rum-and-coke kinda gal myself.

[Taitertots]

14. It all depends on what you are wearing

0-2 if you are wearing a suit
1-3 if you have a button up shirt with a collar
2-4 if you are wearing a polo shirt
8-20 if you have a shirt with no sleeves or 1990's rock band T-shirt.

If the person you are eating with is above your supervisor: One less than they had.

[Nikia]

15. I wouldn't do more than 1

If I were in a business situation where alcohol was permitted. More than that and I risk embarassing myself.

[Kaleva]

16. If you practised more drinking, you'd be able to handle more then one.

I'd start feeling a buzz after 6 drinks. By twelve, I was feeling pretty good. After finishing the 24th, I was drunk and when I put down the 48th drink of the day, I didn't know what the hell I was doing or where I was at.

That was pretty rare drinking that much though and the average day was a case of beer.