The Backstory: Shelf Life ONE FOR THE HOUSE As the pandemic and shutdowns took hold of the nation, one sector of the economy skyrocketed: booze. Alcoholic beverage sales shot up 55% in the third week of March compared to the same time in 2019, according to Nielsen. Mixing up a cocktail, especially one with gin (which is outstripping sales of spirits in general), proved a popular way to imbibe among consumers sheltering in place. Sales of spirits-alcoholic beverages with over 20% ABV-increased by 75% compared to the same dates in 2019. Beer purchases were up by 66%; wine, up 42%. People have also been ordering in their adult beverages. Popular alcohol-delivery app Drizly reported a 300% increase in sales in March. And to combat any social media #fakenews, the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism released this statement in May: "While hand sanitizers ... can help destroy the coronavirus on surfaces, drinking alcohol ... offers no protection from the virus." -Helen Olsson 64 OUTDOOR RETAILER / Summer 2020 Photograph by Andrew Kornylak