For a few years it’s been a persistent rumor floating around the nether regions of the booze world: Thanksgiving Eve was a time to really tie one on.
Bar employees in various parts of the country have long experienced big bumps in business on the night before Turkey Day. In 2012, the Wall Street Journal reported on the “Blackout Wednesday” phenomenon. Some sources claimed it was particularly popular in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Chicago suburbs. Drink Philly had an article on the phenomenon in 2013.
The reports weren’t always positive. Mothers Against Drunk Driving reported in 2012 that there are more drunk driving deaths over the Thanksgiving holiday than the Christmas holiday; it was second only to New Year’s Eve, MADD claimed. Minnesota Public Radio warned of the driving dangers associated with the day in 2014.
Finally, there’s proof to back up the empirical claims.
Upserve, a platform that provides advice and analytics for the restaurant industry, released a survey based on data from almost 3,000 restaurants around the U.S., gathered in 2016. The findings bear out the urban myth about Blackout Wednesday:
- Overall sales jumped an average of 23 percent on Thanksgiving Eve compared to the previous Wednesday.
- Beer sales increased by 270 percent.
- Growler sales were up 658 percent.
- Liquor sales rose 114 percent.
- Food orders increased 28 percent, and the number of checks increased 18 percent.
- The only category that shrank was wine by the glass, down 27 percent on Thanksgiving Eve.
Those last numbers prove that sales are being driven sharply upward by a relatively small increase in people. And it looks like they’re not looking for quality on that particular evening but a cheap buzz.
What are the reasons for the phenomenon? Drink Philly and other sources agree on certain elements: Many people have a four-day weekend that starts on Thanksgiving Day; family and friends are getting together after an extended absence; nobody wants to cook the night before Thanksgiving.
My own theory is that some people just need to steel themselves for the coming stresses of T Day. Cooking a 24-pound bird and your grandmother’s beloved canned string bean recipe while your brother’s kids destroy the living room is an experience that would try the temper of a saint.
