When restaurants serve alcoholic beverages, it is often their task to ensure that their patrons are responsible drinkers. Neeraj Sharma, general manager at Folks Brewpub in Faridabad,  says that a puke bag is provided to the intoxicated guest, s/he is assigned a special caretaker to help them around and even taken to the terrace area to centre themselves. He remembers a 23-year-old woman who came to the lounge. “I remember her age only because it was her birthday. She ordered 12 shots of Bacardi, five shots of vodka and five shots of Jagerbomb, after which she became difficult to handle. As the night progressed, she began swirling around the restaurant, dancing even in the brewing chambers. We had three waiters rush in to control her. She also wanted to cut her cake with our MD, so we arranged for that. After calming her down, we somehow managed to send her home safely with her friends.” 

Gaurav Dabrai, co-owner of La La Land at Atria Mall, says handling irate customers is one thing and drunk customers quite another. Since no two people behave the same way when they are buzzed, you can never be prepared. “The golden rule is to ensure that other guests and the staff aren’t harmed on account of aggression. The most interesting challenge lies in handling youngsters, high on alcohol and dad’s money, menacingly asking us if we know who their baap is.” And no matter how furious they may be, remaining calm and courteous is their cardinal rule.

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Pradeep Pruthi, managing director, My Bar Punjabi Bagh, in Delhi, says that if someone comes in drunk to the bar, they have their staff keep a close eye on them. “People tend to drink excessive amounts within a short period of time without realising the aftermath. If we notice the person has crossed their limit, we can refuse to serve them more, although very politely. In case the guest has driven down, we do not allow them to drive. We even provide a drop back home, if needed,” he adds. Pragnesh Rai, owner of Khar’s SamBar and Deepak Bar & Restaurant in Mulund, says it’s not uncommon for them to serve mocktails to guests who are sloshed and demand more alcohol. They are too drunk to realise. He says almost every hotelier will have his ammo of stories to share, more so if he happens to own a dive bar. “This actually makes for dinner table conversation back home for us.” He remembers how his father, when he began helming the Mulund bar, hired a big, tough guy with a heavy moustache, whose only job was to stand and appear intimidating, and intervene if a brawl broke out. “He was as harmless as a fly, but his presence was enough to deter patrons. He worked with us for six years, and unruly incidents actually reduced in his tenure.” Rai says the most petty reasons can sometimes trigger fights, cricket matches being one. “When my grandfather set it up in 1981, we’d get all sorts of people. Twelve years ago, we renovated the place, raised the prices slightly and did up the interiors to filter the crowd.”

Rai says every group will mostly have two kinds of people—a troublemaker and the sober sage. “Make sure you know who these two people are in every group. You’ll need one to target the other.” 

25
Legal drinking age in Maharashtra according to State Excise Department