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One unit is 10ml (millilitres) or 8g (grams) of pure alcohol. Because alcoholic drinks come in different strengths and sizes, units are a way to tell how strong your drink is, which can also help you to make comparisons.
As an example, a pint of average strength beer (4%‘alcohol by volume’, or ABV has about two units in it, while a single measure (25ml) of typical spirits is one unit.
Only the legal and responsible consumption of alcohol should be promoted by those operating in the trade.
No alcoholic beverages shall be served to any person below the legal drinking age. If a bartender or serving staff is in doubt as to the age of a purchaser, proof of age should be requested and ascertained.
No alcoholic beverages should be served to known alcoholics. Serving staff should make an effort to identify negative behaviour that is related to alcoholism and aim at pre-empting issues that may arise as a result of excessive consumption of alcohol.
Awareness of both operator and client of the current legal units of alcohol acceptable to be able to drive, that is, Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC), is also critical. Staff should be trained to be aware of this and be able to translate alcoholic content of beverages into BAC units as listed on drinkawaremalta.com.
Bartenders shall not serve alcohol to anyone who has clearly exceeded the legaldrink-driving limit and is identified to have the intention to drive afterwards. In such cases they shall offer alternative non-alcoholic beverages and advise clients to either seek passage home with someone who is within the legal limits or, either take public transport or a taxi. Bartenders should take the initiative in such instances and offer to make the necessary arrangements themselves.
No form of sales promotion shall be organized or advertised in a manner which explicitly encourages binge drinking and /or any other form of irresponsible drinking.
Bar staff will not serve any client they suspect may supply alcohol to another person to the point of intoxication or to minors.
Bar operator shall manage intoxicated, antisocial or disruptive clients with safe removal from the premises.
Bartenders are to be reponsible for the safety of their clients, when trying out new trend of recipes, or creating new recipes, making sure that they are aware of any ingredients and allergic reaction that may cause harm to their clients.
Bartenders are to be aware of the safety and risks and take necessary precautions when preparing and serving ‘flaming shots or cocktails, that might lead to accidents or cause burns, especially when and if they are served while still burning.
The trade shall support independent research and information dissemination initiatives like drinkawaremalta.com which contributes to a better understanding of the use and misuse of alcohol.
