Some people hoard toilet paper and some people buy a crap ton of beer. With alcohol and ABC stores having been declared “essential” during this time of chaos and Coronavirus, many people have truly taken advantage of alcohol being considered an essential item, which recent stats have shown.
I guess it makes sense, there’s nothing else to do at home once you’ve cleaned everything, finished your DIY projects and reorganized your closet for the third time, might as well take a load off and crack a cold one; you’ve earned it!
Recent stats show that not only are Americans purchasing more alcohol right now, but specific beers are somehow more popular than others during a pandemic. Some of these beers include: Busch Light, Miller Lite, Natural Lite and Michelob Ultra. So why only light, cheap beers that we all drank at frat parties in college?
With many Americans being stuck at home and a majority of people unemployed, this has people definitely on alert for pinching every penny they can. When people aren’t busy penny pinching they’re also worried about limiting self-exposure to the virus as well. If you go to the grocery store one can easily stock themselves up for (hopefully) a few weeks while also being budget friendly. You can easily go to the store and buy a case of Natty Light for $15 and be stocked for a few weeks to try and minimize the number of beer runs you make.
Being budget friendly is great and all but what about our local breweries? Many clients have contacted us regarding compliance with the stay at home orders, take out only restrictions and selling/serving alcohol. Currently, our local brewers are only open to do things such as curbside pick-up, growler fills, canning and distributing to local grocery stores. Any business owner knows that this makes it extremely tough to maintain the business when you rely on customers coming in, sitting down, having a pint at the bar and tipping bartenders, who a lot of the time, rely on those tips themselves as a large part of their income.
Now more than ever, your local breweries need your support! Why waste the calories on a beer you can get at any grocery store, gas station or frat party when you can go get a couple of growlers filled from your local brewery down the street. During times of crisis we all need to do our best to support one another; so, the next time you rearrange your living room furniture, instead of drinking a Bud Lite, why not try something new and pick up a six pack from the brewery down the road? Keep your local brewers (and alcohol attorneys) in business!
-Ileigh Kuga