2020 and 2021 have been tough on everyone. Over the past year or more, few people have been able to enjoy their normal helping of nights out, birthday parties, holiday get-togethers, and other social occasions. Instead, they have been holed up in their houses, condos, and apartments for months at a time. Fortunately, those days are finally coming to an end. And while the reopening process is bound to include a setback here and there, the fact is America is back, socializing is back and enjoying cold beers and Moscow Mules out of solid copper mugs during the BBQ are back! Thank the maker!

Make the Most of 2021 with Custom Barware from Paykoc

Family get-togethers, cookouts, dinner parties, and watching the big game with your buddies are all back. So are sports bars, cocktail lounges, the neighborhood watering hole, and more. But as we get back to normal let’s not forget how much we have missed our special, life-affirming social occasions and dedicate ourselves to making them better than ever.

Below, we’ve prepared a brief primer on how the cocktail landscape has changed while you've been binge-watching Netflix for the past 18 months. Hopefully, this info will provide context that will help you understand some of the changes you're about to encounter, while at the same time giving you a heads-up on what is hot.

Scorpion Bowl We Hardly Knew Ye

For the time being at least uncertainty lingers in the air like one of your uncle’s Thanksgiving day farts. Because of that communal drinks are a non-starter, and it will probably stay that way until we put at least a couple of non-lockdown years behind us and begin to collectively exhale. So let’s say a fond farewell to communal punch bowls and multi-person staples like the Scorpion Bowl. We may well meet again, but for 2021 it’s “don’t call me I’ll call you” for communal drinks.

The Rise of the Canned Cocktail

Many people missed going to their favorite bar during the past year and enjoying a professionally crafted cocktail served in custom barware. As such, as closures dragged on those folks began to seek solace in canned cocktails obtained at the local liquor store. While cocktails in a can will never fully replace the real thing, sales of these pre-made cocktails increased significantly during lockdowns and are unlikely to return to pre-pandemic levels anytime soon.

Local Spirits Will Be Harder to Find

Pandemic-related lockdowns have been particularly tough on the craft brewing industry with scores of local breweries closing their doors in the past year. But local beers are not the only adult beverages that will be harder to find in 2021. Craft distillers have also been broadsided by plunging sales. It is estimated that sales of local spirits have sagged more than 45% in the past year. The end result is that a significant number of craft distillers will not be there as people begin to venture out again in search of them.

Would You Like That Bloody Mary for Here or To Go?

To-go cocktails have never been a big hit with local lawmakers, and it's easy enough to understand why. However, desperate times call for desperate measures, and in order to enable restaurants to earn some extra money while in-person dining was banned many municipalities nationwide gave the okay to take out drinks. It is likely that take-away cocktails will remain a phenomenon through the rest of 2021, but beyond that, no one is really certain. What we’d like to know is this: will bars put their to-go Moscow Mules in solid copper mugs?

Hard Seltzers are Officially a Thing

For years, hard seltzer had been slowly but steadily growing in popularity. That slow, steady growth came to an abrupt end during recent lockdowns and was replaced by skyrocketing sales. “Skyrocketing” is the only word that will do because hard seltzer sales nearly tripled in 2020 compared to 2019. Now that people are beginning to venture out again to their once favorite bars and restaurants (if they are still there), it remains to be seen if the hard seltzer phenomenon has legs. But for this year, it’s officially a thing.

Now You See It...

Even before 2020 saw a wholesale shutdown of the bar and restaurant industry enterprising types were exploring the possibilities of the popup bar. Now that ‘temporary’ closures have led to the permanent closure of many brick and mortar locations it seems perfectly understandable that many of yesterday's bar owners are now embracing the popup model as a flexible, relatively low-cost way to get back in the game. So keep your eyes open in 2021, your formerly favorite bar may be making brief appearances at the local street fair, art gallery opening, or empty retail space.

Wholesale Barware from Paykoc Imports

Whether you plan to entertain big groups at your house, establish your own popup bar, or are ready to fill the void created by the closure of so many formerly thriving eating and drinking establishments, you’ll need quality barware. The best place to get it is Paykoc Imports. We not only sell high-quality copper mugs and other drinking vessels but we can customize copper mugs and glassware with whatever text, imagery or graphic touches you wish. Give us a call at 1 (888) 657-2881 or write to us at, paykocimports@gmail.com to learn more.