Hey guys, a little fun question to maybe enlighten my mood. What’s your guises thoughts on enjoying the homeowners liquor? Obviously asking first, but would you say that it’s rude to even ask? Do you not touch the cabinet or do you ask for permission to enjoy a beverage from their selection? Our current homeowners do have quite the selection and some very interesting ones, but I wouldn’t wanna ask if it might be seen as rude. I don’t wanna put anyone in an awkward position, so what are your takes?
Yes, I’d say it’s rude and taking advantage of their kindness, because it would leave them with no option but to say yes, otherwise they would be potentially deemed unhospitable in the sitters review of them.
If they wanted sitters to help themselves then they would have said so before they left. Plus some leave the odd bottle as a gift, which is lovely anyway.
So I think you either replace what you drink, get your own, or just don’t do it, but don’t ask when they are on their holidays.
Same goes for any food or drink stuff, unless they’ve said help yourself, just leave them be when they are relaxing.
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As an HO, what we offer upfront is what’s on offer.
Asking for “new stuff” after the sit has started would be rude. It puts the HO in the uncomfortable position of saying no and risky being marked down on hospitality or saying yes without knowing how constrained and responsible the sitter might or might not be. It’d also feel a little blackmaily.
Of course, if you consume the home’s liquor but replace it, who’s the wiser?
Or you can simply stay out of a liquor cabinet you weren’t invited to rummage through and save yourself the temptation.
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I wouldn’t dream of asking. I usually get at least one bottle of wine left for me as a welcome gift but it wouldn’t even cross my mind to expect anything from the drinks cabinet.
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I’ve been offered alcohol and wine, but would never ask.
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Usually I treat it as out of bounds and don’t even ask. Then no offence is given or taken.
Once on a Christmas sit in Sweden I drank a bottle of wine thinking I could replace it like for like before they got back. In the event I couldn’t find the exact wine in the state-run alcohol stores and rather wished I had just bought myself a bottle of wine in advance.
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I would consider anything not offered in advance off-limits (outside of some oil, spices and such as would only be a pinch or two and not emptied).
I agree that asking might be seen as putting them in an awkward position, and as @Alicatorze points out, having one with the intent of replacing it could be difficult or even impossible - it could also be some special anniversary-bottle of sorts that they have saved for some occasion.
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Personally, I would feel it would be cheeky to ask. If I were an owner I would be annoyed if someone asked if they could drink/sample my alcohol. If it hasn’t been offered then it’s fair to assume it’s off limits.
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If it hasn’t been offered by HO then I would not be asking them. The sit I’m currently on has a wide selection of alcohol but I wouldn’t dream of helping myself or asking HO could I sample any, where they did not offer it in the first place. It’s all part of the “trust” element.
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Owner’s alcohol is off limits unless offered by them. Yes, definitely rude to ask, so don’t.
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Is there a welcome guide? I state in ours that other than bottles gifted at the start of the sit, the rest of our alcohol is off limits.
If nothing is stated, then best to assume that it’s off limits. I would not ask, it doesn’t come across well.
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I would not be comfortable asking. I will note that in some homes I’ve stayed in that seemed to have a nice selection of liquor, I was gifted a bottle of wine. I think if a homeowner wanted you to help yourself to a drink a two they’d mention it.
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In about 100 sits - my experience- many have left me a bottle of wine, a few have said “enjoy any wine in the wine rack or beer in the refrigerator”, only 1 or 2 have invited me to help myself to the hard liquor bar.
I’d never ask.
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Like everyone else has said, I would consider it rude and it wouldn’t even occur to me to drink their alcohol. I have occasionally been told to drink their alcohol but, unless they leave me a bottle of wine, I don’t. Why can’t you buy your own?
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We would not drink it , unless it had been explicitly offered to us and even then we may not touch it .
I understand what you mean about seeing interesting drinks or food items that you haven’t seen before in a hosts home and being curious .
If I see a food or drink item that I haven’t seen before and it appeals to me I take a photo and keep a look out for it in shops, bars etc and will maybe try it in future ( at my own expense) .
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I Would only drink what iknow i can replace.last sit there was some staripramen in the fridge and it was hot so borrowed a few bottles thinking nothing of it.
Well, turns out they were a bit of an obscure size and I must’ve gone to every single shop and supermarket nearby to try and replace!!! Massive waste of time, won’t do that again.
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Fair enough, on a similar note how often do you guys keep in touch with your homeowners while on the sit? It sounds like you leave them through their relaxing but what about daily updates on the pets or anything like that?
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Even if I were a drinker, I would never help myself or even ask to drink HO’s liquor. I can’t quite explain the nuance but it just seems wrong…..I even have a hard time a hard time eating HO food that has been offered !
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I go to sits prepared with my own food and beverages. If they say to please eat up what is in the fridge or they say there is a drink in particular you can have - then maybe, but otherwise stay out of their food and drinks.
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Not at all, we don’t leave them alone, we have a great relationship with those we sit for, we just don’t make THEIR holiday about our non-essential needs, like alcohol, we give them updates/pics/etc when they want, usually most ask for every 2-3 days.
As sitters we get rated on self sufficiency. So by asking for a non essential item like alcohol when it wasn’t offered in the first place would potentially knock that score down, but more importantly, it’s just not right, so anything we use, we simply replace.
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