Will Cocktails-To-Go Even Affect Kalamazoo?

In the height of many local bars and restaurants being closed down, a new bill was passed allowing people to order cocktails for pickup or delivery from Michigan bars and restaurants through 2025. On one hand, this is great for bartenders and bar owners. If there are no customers in the bar, they can't order cocktails. This allows them to at least start making some money on liquor sales.

The “cocktails-to-go” bill is part of a broader package that also includes a temporary cut in state liquor prices to help businesses hurting during the Coronavirus pandemic, as WILX reports. But taking a look at this bill it's clear, to me at least, that this may have little to no affect on the local bars in our area. Now, having a brother who's about to turn 21, I know that younger kids are more prone to drink liquor over beer. Even when they drink beer, it's not usually craft beer.

I recall when I turned 21, I was mainly drinking liquor. So in terms of being able to sell cocktails to go in a college town, one would expect that this would be a success in Kalamazoo. But a lot of college kids have gone home since the pandemic started. So in Kalamazoo, a lot of these bars who will offer cocktails to go may not even see that many orders.

Besides the fact that this city has so many craft beers available to purchase in growlers, I find it very unlikely many people will take advantage of the new service, once offered by local bars.