THE SURPRISING IMPORTANCE OF A COCKTAIL TO GO
Entrepreneur|June 2021
This is the story of how complicated it is to change a simple law—and the large role entrepreneurs can play.
Jason Feifer
THE SURPRISING IMPORTANCE OF A COCKTAIL TO GO

Want to do something radical? Order a cocktail from your local bar or restaurant, and then walk out the door with it. Prior to the pandemic, that act was illegal almost everywhere in America. Cocktails had to be consumed on-premises. They couldn’t be packaged and sold for takeout. And they certainly couldn’t be delivered to people’s homes.

Then the pandemic arrived, and bars and restaurants began shutting down. To create a lifeline for these businesses, more than 30 states began temporarily legalizing the sale of to-go cocktails. In Vermont, it happened on March 19, 2020. That’s the day Sam Nelis knew he’d still have a job.

“We realized that we could bring back some staff and start doing cocktails,” Nelis says. He’s the beverage director for the cocktail bar inside Barr Hill Distillery, a maker of craft gin and vodka in Montpelier, Vt. His team swiftly got to work, serving cocktails in glasses that could then be repurposed in people’s homes, and it saved their business. “If anyone out there is listening,” Nelis says, “I would say, please, keep the to-go cocktails going forever. I don’t know why it was never allowed.”

Nelis may not realize it, but he’s pondering something very important.

There are two good reasons to wonder why to-go cocktails weren’t allowed. The first is about alcohol itself: To-go cocktails were illegal because of a tangled mess of laws that go back a century, and that still dominate the economics of alcohol today. And yet, when you really dig into the way alcohol regulations are changed, to-go cocktails reveal an important lesson about how to create positive change more broadly.

Esta historia es de la edición June 2021 de Entrepreneur.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición June 2021 de Entrepreneur.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE ENTREPRENEURVer todo
How to Succeed With Gen Z Workers
Entrepreneur US

How to Succeed With Gen Z Workers

People often say that younger employees are different. But are they? We asked six business leaders what they've learned, and how their teams thrive.

time-read
2 minutos  |
November - December 2024
There's No Perfect Answer
Entrepreneur US

There's No Perfect Answer

I worked the same job for 19 years. I hated it, but it paid the bills. Then, in 2017, I entertained an exciting but terrifying question: Could I be an entrepreneur? I wasn't sure, so I needed something that felt like a guarantee. I searched for signs that would feel like a big, clear \"yes!\" Instead, what I found was a tarot card deck.

time-read
1 min  |
November - December 2024
10 HOTTEST TRENDS for 2025
Entrepreneur US

10 HOTTEST TRENDS for 2025

Want to buy a brand that buzzes? Here's what to know.

time-read
1 min  |
November - December 2024
BUILD YOUR MONEY MACHINE
Entrepreneur US

BUILD YOUR MONEY MACHINE

A franchise isn't just a franchise. It should be a Money Machine, creating profit even while you're out of the office. Here's how.

time-read
10 minutos  |
November - December 2024
The Top Franchises for Veterans
Entrepreneur US

The Top Franchises for Veterans

Are you a military vet looking to become a franchisee, or just want to support a brand that supports the troops? Check out these 150 brands.

time-read
1 min  |
November - December 2024
20 LEADERS WHO ARE DEFINING ENTREPRENEURSHIP TODAY
Entrepreneur US

20 LEADERS WHO ARE DEFINING ENTREPRENEURSHIP TODAY

In a year of disruption, we wanted to know: Whose work will define the years to come? We reviewed hundreds of names and picked 20 leaders across a range of industries and sizes. Meet them on the following pages, and see what it takes to thrive in 2025 and beyond.

time-read
10+ minutos  |
November - December 2024
How to Become a Main Street Millionaire
Entrepreneur US

How to Become a Main Street Millionaire

It started when I bought one little laundromat. Now I have a whole portfolio of small local businesses that bring in tens of millions in revenue a year. Here's why following my playbook could be your ticket to financial freedom-and saving America's local small businesses.

time-read
5 minutos  |
November - December 2024
Want to Better Serve Your Clients? Become Them.
Entrepreneur US

Want to Better Serve Your Clients? Become Them.

As a designer for brands, starting my own product company gave me a dose of humilityand it changed the way I relate to clients.

time-read
3 minutos  |
November - December 2024
I've Been a Publicist for 17 Years.Don't Hire Me.
Entrepreneur US

I've Been a Publicist for 17 Years.Don't Hire Me.

Entrepreneurs often think they need PR. Most don't. Here's why you're probably better off not hiring someone like me.

time-read
5 minutos  |
November - December 2024
The CEO's Advice to the MVP
Entrepreneur US

The CEO's Advice to the MVP

Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor knows the formula for a successful launch. NBA champ Jaylen Brown recently launched a shoe and athleisure brand. They have a lot to teach each other.

time-read
7 minutos  |
November - December 2024