Chinese Bars are Delivering Drinks to Stay Afloat Through Coronavirus Quarantine

Some bars in Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and China’s other big cities are taking coronavirus confinement in their stride.

With many people holed up indoors due to the outbreak of Covid-19, a growing number of bars are taking to the streets to deliver drinks. As the New York Post reports, some bars are even sticking to their usual happy hour deals. But it’s not all fun and games — the measures come as many small businesses close, unable to pay out employees through a profit-less dead period.

Circumstances are different across different cities, but some of the more severe measures taken to halt the spread of the virus have stopped people from leaving their homes, or even from gathering in groups — dinner and drinks included.

Shanghai cocktail venue Union Trading Company, which regularly makes the “Asia’s Best Bars” list, is one of those to take matters into their own hands, announcing their freshly-minted delivery service “in light of our combined unfortunate circumstances”:

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In light of our combined unfortunate circumstances your friends at your favorite neighborhood bar have taken it upon themselves to bring some of our hospitality into your homes. That’s right, Union Trading Company is launching delivery! Get ready for a Dead Man’s Gun and some t’achos delivered to your door! Well, gate, but you know what we mean. Deliveries from 11:30am to 9pm by shansong, currently only delivering to Huang Pu, Xu Hui and Jing An. and let us know what else you’d like to see, we’re here for you guys! Contact Yao or Austin or call our Bar Manager Mison Huang 13016937207 SCROLL FOR THE MENU 足不出户也可以享用到Union Trading Company的酒和小食了! 我们将会用闪送为您送到您最喜欢的Dead Mans Gun，薯宝，等等各种鸡尾酒，小食，无酒精饮料等等。请联系我，或者Austin, 或者直接打电话给我们吧台经理Mison Huang 13016937207. 时间为上午11点30到晚上9点，目前只送到徐汇，静安和黄浦区。

A post shared by Union Trading Company (@uniontradingco) on Feb 16, 2020 at 12:13am PST

Elsewhere, the alcohol industry is coming to viewers at home through livestreaming; a text message ad for a Ballantine’s whiskey livestream sale starts off, “Stuck inside, you can still drink with your friends”:

An ad for a livestream selling Ballantine’s whiskey

No word on how sales of a certain Mexican beer brand are going, however.

A toast, to the bad times.