The art of being governed: The implementation of Covid-19 policy in Swedish on-license alcohol service

The licensed serving of alcoholic beverages is an important institutional aspect of food culture. In Sweden, the Government’s policies to battle the Covid-19 pandemic meant further restrictions, including a temporary law, to mitigate contagion at licensed restaurants, bars, producers’ tasting events, etc. This paper inquiries into the “art” exercised by managers of such businesses, already used to strict governance, of “being governed” when faced with these new and sudden policies. The study draws on Swedish Covid-19 policy and interviews with managers of licensed premises and a municipal auditor during the three months of the most far-reaching restrictions. By analyzing these materials through anthropological theories of state governance, the paper shows how Covid-19 restrictions were enacted in practice, including their discontents. The study’s findings contribute to further insights into the role of alcohol policy in food culture and opens up for further bridging of food studies, service studies, and alcohol research.