The past year has been a very unusual for all of us. The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we live, the way we work… and the way we drink.
Bars and restaurants have either been operating at reduced capacity or closed altogether. While people have been drinking beer at home in record numbers, it’s safe to say that we all long for a time when the coronavirus will end and we can all go back to the pub with our buddies.
Luckily, the end is in sight, with the vaccine rollout underway… and one beer company is hoping to speed up the process a bit, incentivizing their fans to get vaccinated in the tastiest way possible.
Yesterday, in honor of National Beer Day, Samuel Adams announced their #ShotForSam program, offering a free beer to fans who get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Starting April 12, the company will send $7 to the first 10,000 people to show proof of their vaccination on social media (a simple “I’m vaccinated” sticker will do, no need to provide all your medical info) to buy a beer at their local bar.
That’s easy enough. If you’ve browsed Instagram lately you know it’s full of people showing their band-aid covered upper arms, so why not get a free beer, too?
“Sam Adams hopes drinkers will get back to supporting the bars and restaurants they love,” their site reads. “So if you get vaccinated against Covid-19, we’ll buy your first beer back!”
Their campaign emphasizes that they want people to get back to their old pre-pandemic lives, particularly the joys of hanging out in a crowded bar with no worries about social distancing.
To this point, they made a new TV ad featuring their character “Your Cousin From Boston,” getting his shot and dreaming of going back to “indoor beers.” (Though the ad makes it clear that it’s not quite that simple — for now you still need to wear the mask.)
Sam Adams is one of the several companies offering freebies for people who get their vaccines. You can grab some free marijuana from a dispensary and then get a Krispie Kreme donut! What a combo!
Of course, you should get the vaccine anyway, whether or not anyone gives you free food. Widespread vaccination is the only way we’ll get back to normal, and protection against COVID-19 is its own reward. I mean, one of the serious symptoms is losing your sense of taste. Do you wanna live in a world where you can’t taste beer anymore? No. Get vaccinated.
But still, a free beer is a fun bonus. It’s sort of like when you’d get your shots as a kid and the doctor would give you a lollipop, except the adult version of that.
Get vaccinated so we can go back to drinking ASAP. And grab a free Sam Adams while you’re at it ?
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