Do you like a drop of Dutch courage before mixing and mingling with a group of strangers, or do you prefer to keep your wits about you and go teetotal?
You might not know it, but your choice of networking drink actually says a lot about you. Use our handy guide to find out what impression you give when you select a tipple, and get some useful insight into the characters of others.
Forget the name badge, who knew pinpointing a target could be as easy as looking at the drink in their hand?!
Red wine
According to a study of 2,000 wine lovers, red wine drinkers are wealthier, more educated and happier than average people.
Those who drink red wine are more likely to have a degree, be married and enjoy socialising.
More than half of red wine drinkers are university graduates, and they typically earn between £40-45,000 per year. And while 81% are currently happy at work, 65% are still highly ambitious and want to scale higher up the career ladder.
As well as being the wealthiest segment of society, red wine drinkers are the most likely to be happily married, as 86% say they are content with the state of their relationships.
When asked to describe themselves, red wine drinkers are most likely to use words such as confident, relaxed, strong and intelligent.
Red wine drinkers average four glasses of their preferred wine a week and enjoy socialising with friends at dinner parties. They also enjoy holidays, with a quarter taking around three overseas holidays a year, with a third also taking three or more mini breaks in the UK on top of that.
Most likely to be: C-suite execs
Related: What kind of networker are you?
White wine
White wine fans are more likely to be single, relaxed and happy-go-lucky types, according to the same survey.
White wine drinkers are home-lovers who enjoy a holiday in the UK and are content with their career. Although 43% have attended university, most are not very interested in the corporate ladder, with more than two fifths admitting they are really not that ambitious.
Consequently they earn quite a lot less than red wine drinkers, at around £25-30,000 per year.
White wine buyers are less likely to be married than red wine drinkers and 85% of those who are single claim they are happy with their solo status.
When asked to describe themselves, white wine lovers say they are practical, bright, shy, quiet and reserved. They drink around three glasses per week.
Most likely to be: Account managers
Related: 14 Traits of highly successful event professionals
Beer
Networkers who select beer are likely to be down-to-earth, friendly types, although personalities do vary according to their favoured beer brand, says market research company Mindset Media.
The company polled 2,600 people online and found distinct traits for several well-known brands, while those who drink a broad portfolio of beers are different than one-brand drinkers as well. Those ‘indifferent’ beer drinkers are more open-minded and emotional people who enjoy a variety of life experiences.
Meanwhile, those who opt for a Budweiser are identified as sensible, grounded and practical people who live in the here and now. However, people who prefer Bud can also be very spontaneous and tend not to do much advance planning.
Corona drinkers are busy and energetic people who are extremely extroverted. They’re people persons who seek out the company of others whether in a group or just one-to-one. Corona drinkers do more and see more people in one day than most people see in a week. But the life-of-the-party Corona drinkers also have an altruistic side; they care deeply about other people and see themselves as giving and warm.
Heineken drinkers are also energetic and dynamic and enjoy being the middle of the action, but they also like being the centre of attention. These self-assured people get high scores on self-esteem and low scores on modesty. They love their brand badges—a role the distinctive green glass bottle may play—and in fact, this group is attracted to luxury products in general.
Most likely to be: Salespeople
Related: So you think you know a lot about food and drink?
Craft beer
A staggering 85% of those who drink craft beers have a beard – okay, I made that statistic up, but they are more likely to by organic foods, according to the Journal of Consumer Marketing.
They tend to be aged between 26 and 49 years of age and enjoy jogging and biking. Perhaps most interestingly, craft beer drinkers are a highly educated bunch, with a massive 42.6% having a bachelor’s degree, 21.1% a master’s and 8.5% a PhD.
They are said to be more open-minded than most people, seek out interesting and varied experiences and are intellectually curious. Craft-beer drinkers also skew as having a lower sense of responsibility—they don’t stress about missed deadlines and tend to be happy-go-lucky about life.
Most likely to be: Start-ups and creatives
Related: 7 Things only bad event planners ever say
Cocktail
If you’re a member of Generation Z, you’ll probably be found with a cocktail in your hand.
According to The Mixed Drink Report 2014, cocktails are a favourite with millennials, with 43% of under-35s questioned for the report saying that they had bought a cocktail in the last week.
Your average cocktail drinker could be male or female, with a 54% to 46% balance between female and male drinkers.
And according to The Telegraph columnists ‘The Thinking Drinkers’, those who chose cocktails over other drinks are creative, intelligent, ambitious and inspirational – they may also just enjoy booze and like to get as much of it in the glass as possible!
Most likely to be: Bright young sparks
Related: What kind of event should our business run?
Champagne
Apparently Winston Churchill drank 42,000 bottles of champagne in his lifetime, so if you’re a fan of the bubbles, you’re in good company!
Champagne drinkers are likely to be flamboyant types who like to celebrate and can turn any occasion into a special one. They’re likely to be well-dressed and pay close attention to their appearance. They may also be watching their weight, because, at only 85 calories a glass, champagne is the lowest calorie alcoholic drink.
Fans of the fizz are likely to be ambitious, motivated and dynamic characters who can picture their own success (even if they’re yet to find it) – hence the celebration!
Most likely to be: PR people and entrepreneurs
Related: 16 Networking tips for sales directors
Gin and tonic
Although there has been an increase in the popularity of artisan gins amongst younger people, the gin and tonic is traditionally the preserve of the middle aged and middle class.
The G&T drinker is generally educated, successful, articulate and respectable… but, as mixologist Dara Mahler says, when they have a few too many than can “morph into their more rambunctious alter egos”!
“These are often the guys who get thrown out of the bar then appear a few weeks later as if nothing ever happened,” she says.
Most likely to be: Director level
Related: 7 Signs you were born to work in events
Soft drink
People may opt for a soft drink at a networking event for several reasons. Discounting that they are either a) pregnant or b) recovering alcoholics, teetotallers are normally those who like to stay in control – of both their bodies and minds.
They are health conscious, go to the gym and are always ‘on a detox’. They drink soya milk and snack on flax seeds and may suffer with allergies and intolerances.
Non-drinkers are likely to be reserved, careful and considered individuals, perhaps even rather shy. The thought of being ‘out of control’ and saying or doing ‘silly’ things makes them very uncomfortable. Their idea of letting their hair down is more likely to be a luxurious bath and a good book, as they prefer a less-hectic social life.
Most likely to be: Admin or accounts
Conclusion
A person’s choice of beverage is a window to the soul. Next time you’re networking, look carefully to find kindred spirits or potential prospects and raise a glass to our guide. Cheers!
