Get Your Drink at a Local Brewery
Depending on where you live, getting alcohol can be much more difficult now than usual. It is true that states such as New York, New Jersey, and Maryland consider liquor stores to be “indispensable” businesses , while other states, including California, Nebraska, Vermont, Kentucky, Colorado, and the District of Columbia, have been watered down for the time being and restaurants are allowed to deliver alcohol . But that leaves out most of the country – and not every grocery store offers spirits delivery. If there was a time when we needed access to booze, it was during a global pandemic, right?
Well, fear not: your Zoom happy hour doesn’t have to be dry. When you think all hope is lost, try going straight to the source: your local brewery. Now that microbreweries, breweries, and regional craft breweries can be found just about anywhere, the chances of being near you are pretty decent and they might be able to hook you.
Not sure where to look? CraftBeer.com has a handy feature that lets you search for breweries near you.
If you live in California, someone has already done this job and have drafted this document with all the breweries shipping right now.
Breweries across the country are creative in finding ways to get their produce into the hands of local beer lovers. Some, like Ponysaurus Brewing in Durham, North Carolina, offer contactless drive-through windows: customers place an order online and drive to the brewery, while others put their purchases right in the trunk of their car.
MadTree Brewing Company in Cincinnati, Ohio also offers travel by car, but took a different approach when the pandemic began: they released brewers to travel around the neighborhood, such as over 21 ice cream trucks. They proved to be so popular that large crowds eventually gathered around them and had to suspend services for public health reasons. Trucks are currently used for delivery.
If you can wait a few days, many breweries also offer shipping options. Eater has compiled a list of breweries supplying in the NYC area , while the good folks at TimeOut have compiled this list of local breweries in Chicago that offer delivery, delivery, or takeaway. Just do a quick search to see who is delivering near you, order and spill one for us this weekend.