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If you haven't heard of Angel Shots, it's time to catch up. They're not Liquor Shots, but you should be serving them.

Brace yourself. You're about to read some very uncomfortable facts.
The results would be amusing if you sought answers to the question- "what's an angel shot?" on one of the artificial intelligence-led content generation tools. Some would give you results like- "vodka and cranberry juice served in a shot glass with a lemon twist," or "scotch on the rocks," and many more such variations. But an angel shot is not an alcoholic drink at all, or even a drink in the first place! It's a code that signals 'I need help!'. The original angel shot was created as a way to protect women from being taken advantage of when they're drunk or alone. But it can also be useful in other situations, like when you're feeling uncomfortable around someone at the bar or want to leave, but don't want to make a scene. Ordering an angel shot is a discreet way to signal for help without having to confront your harasser. Bartenders and servers trained to recognize the signs of harassment can play an important role in interceding the message and keeping their customers safe. The bartender will either eject the harasser from the premises or escort the person feeling unsafe to their car. Angel shots give people a way to assert their safety without challenging their harasser.
The core idea for angel shots took root in Lincolnshire, England, in 2016. Bars and pubs in the area put up signs in the restrooms encouraging anyone feeling uncomfortable or threatened to go to the counter and "Ask for Angela." By the end of that year, the trend traveled across the Atlantic to a small bar in St. Petersburg, Florida, called the Iberian Rooster. Females tweeted that they saw a sign in the Rooster's restroom advising them to ask for Angel Shot if they needed help. Then, as the
Some have called angel shots 'a marvelous idea', others haven't been too kicked about it. Some feel it empowers women to take control of their own safety. Others feel it victimizes them and implies that they are always at risk of being attacked. Some feel that the whole concept reinforces gender stereotypes, as it suggests that men are naturally aggressive and violent, while women are passive and helpless. Others argue that angel shots put the responsibility of preventing sexual assault on women instead of men. They argue that if we want to prevent sexual assault, we need to teach men not to rape, instead of teaching women how to defend themselves. This debate will likely continue for a while. For the time being, however, more and more bars and restaurants have warmed to the concept.
L.A. bartender Benjamin Smith (Benjispears) went viral with a TikTok video last year that received over 10 million views. Attempting to help people understand the concept better, he enacted how he would react when somebody ordered an angel shot -- reading the body language of the person and acting on the situation. He went on to talk about three common variations of the angel shot.
Ben's TikTok post received great response, but not everyone was impressed with the video. Michelle Charlotte, a bartender and content creator with over 3.5 million followers, was worried about over-publicizing the secret drink. She was worried that it would defeat the purpose and feared that "its widespread awareness will ruin its secrecy." "I feel like the whole point of an Angel Shot is to ask the bartender for help discreetly," she said in her TikTok video. "We've been publicizing it so much, making it so well known, that if somebody asks me for one, the person next to them that they're asking help from is going to know what it is." Many, of course, agreed with this point of view.
The use of codewords like 'Angel Shots' or 'Asking For Angela' is becoming increasingly common in bars and restaurants. With more people becoming aware of the dangers of alcohol and drugs, safe words are a way for patrons to let the Restaurant Management, bartenders or servers know they need help. But is only implementing a safe word enough? Absolutely not! You must have a solid plan for what to do if someone does order this 'drink'. Also make sure to promote the program to your customers effectively, so that they are aware of it. Here are a few ways to start-