It’s no secret that Americans like to drink alcohol. Nearly nine out of 10 adults have tried alcohol at least once in their lifetimes, and most people are at least occasional drinkers. Among people 55 and older, 65% drink liquor, beer or wine at least occasionally. Among younger people, that number is higher, with more than 70% of millennials being at least occasional drinkers. There are many places to find a drink if you want one.
Of course, the traditional place where most people do their drinking — other than their own homes — is in a bar. There are hundreds of thousands of bars across the U.S., from tiny towns to big cities. Typically, bars either serve no prepared food or if they do, the revenue derived from it is much less than that from alcohol sales.
Another popular place for people to drink is at restaurants that serve alcohol.These days, alcohol is served everywhere from fast food restaurants to fine dining establishments. Alcohol sales have become almost synonymous with restaurants, and the only place you won’t find it for sale these days is at some fast food chains, breakfast-oriented restaurants and a few mom and pops.
Drinking establishments that have grown a lot in the past few years are wineries and breweries. Because of the ways laws are structured in most states, wineries and breweries can having tasting rooms where they are allowed to sell their own product without having to move it through a distributor. Though the primary purpose of these establishments is production, being able to sell drinks by the glass in a tasting room is a strong ancillary revenue stream.
If you prefer to drink at home, a convenient way to do that is through online wine sales or online sales of liquor or beer. Buying from an online wine shop is easy and it can be cheaper as well. Online wine sellers are all over the web, more so than sites selling wine or beer. That means it’s easier to find cheap wine online through an online wine shop. Online sales of wine, beer and liquor are not legal everywhere, so you should make sure it is legal in your state before attempting to buy online. In some cases, the online “seller” may really be acting more like a middle man and facilitating a sale through a local establishment.