If you’re often left on read and hanging on to the end of the bar with no one to talk to but the barstaff who have already heard all your jokes you can now sue your friends for being massive flakes.
How come if we’re generation of people who supposedly never look away from their phone screens no one ever responds to my calls to arms when it comes to getting the pints in? I’m so funny and great around people!
Thankfully, folk like me – or, argh, classic exciting news caveat: folk in Sweden – can now sign a legally binding contract with mates agreeing to go for bevs, which if breached allows friends to take each other to court for cancelling plans.
The Beer Contract, ‘Ölavtalet’ in Swedish, has been created by Swedish beer brand Norrlands Guld, under it’s alcohol free beer (0,5 ABV) Norrlands Guld Alkoholfri, to boost social get-togethers, encouraging friends to stick to their plans and make time for each other.
I’m going to post this to my Facebook profile when I’m done writing this, so you know you are without naming names.
Friends can create the contract in minutes, picking a time, date and place to meet, and then digitally signing the legally binding contract.
Those who back out of the agreement or stand up the other party will face a £40 fine.
Charlotte Liljewall, from Norrlands Guld, said:
Trying to plan a simple get together with a friend can be tricky. Just because you agree to grab a beer doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen.
To put an end to this half-hearted behaviour, and get more Swedes to meet as agreed, we’ve created a digital tool that helps turn empty words into action with a contract that guarantees a beer will take place.
We want the contract to transform ‘maybe we’ll grab a beer’ into a legally binding ‘yes’.
The Beer Contract from Norrlands Guld isn’t all about getting leathered either, so take note those who have family commitments, football practice or a heavy workload on the horizon.
I may not be in Sweden but I can sure as shit tag you when I post this on Facebook.
Charlotte added:
It should be noted that even though this is a ‘Beer Contract’, beer doesn’t have to be consumed to fulfill the contractual obligations. The contract works for any drink, whether hot, cold, soft or alcoholic – so if a Swede has a friend who always bails on coffee dates, this is also the contract for them.
Now if we could just get something like this sorted in the UK, maybe I won’t be such a Billy No Mates on a Friday night.
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Tim Horner is a sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated with a BA Journalism from University College Falmouth before most his colleagues were born. A previous editor of adult mags, he now enjoys bringing the tone down in the viral news sector.