Dear Urban Diplomat: How do I get my officemates to lay off the beer tap?

My co-working space has a bunch of great amenities, but one seems to get used a little too often: the beer tap. This summer, some of my officemates have been downing multiple pints over lunch—and getting pretty rowdy in the process. It’s become a serious distraction, and there’s no “boss” to crack down on it. In fact, one of the perpetrators is an office administrator. I don’t want to leave the space, but I can’t work like this. How do I get them to tone it down without seeming like a teetotalling buzzkill?

—Jeff Sober, Queen West

To start, read the room: can you feel anyone else’s resentment reverberating through the open-concept office? If you’re not alone, gather a couple of other diligent workers and approach (or contact, if they’re off-site) the office brass. Let them know that, while you love the space, the liquid lunches are harshing your productivity. If they care about their bottom line, they’ll tame the party. But if no one else seems fazed, or if your revolt gets dismissed, it’s possible the office isn’t for you. Move on and search for a space with a little less frat-like folly.

Send your questions to the Urban Diplomat at urbandiplomat@torontolife.com