New Survey Finds That Americans Would Rather Socialize at Home Than Go to Bars

Increasingly People Across the U.S. Have More Fun at Home, But in Irish American Communities The Pub Scene Will Never Die

While the suburbs offer quality-of-life advantages over urban living, people have long assumed that the city social life is more fun and rewarding. However, according to a new study conducted by Kelton Research on behalf of Mike's Hard Lemonade®, 78% of Americans ages 21+ say that going to a barbeque or get-together in the suburbs is more fun than going out to bars and clubs in big cities. And it's not just suburbanites that feel that way -- 72% of urban dwellers agreed.

The findings indicate that although TV shows such as Entourage and Sex in the City make the urban nightlife and social scene look fabulous, a new "Cocktail Culture" is now taking root. The migration of the American population from cities to suburbs (85% of the U.S. population growth since 2000 has taken place in suburbia) has resulted in a reordering of cultural ideals, not least of which is what adults consider the ideal social life to be.

Increasingly, men and women of legal age to drink are opting for activities such as backyard barbeques, poker nights and cocktail parties, instead of heading to bars and nightclubs.

"With suburbs continuing to gain population at the expense of urban areas, there's a redefinition underway as to what social experiences are considered satisfying and enjoyable for adults," said Kevin McLaughlin, vice president of marketing for Mike's Hard Lemonade, which commissioned the study.

"Along with this, there has also been a significant switch away from beer and wine to cocktails as the beverage of choice for these occasions. As a result, a 'new cocktail culture' with a decidedly suburban twist has emerged," added McLaughlin.

"People in the 21-23 range have more get-togethers at home. It's cheaper than going out to a bar, and a lot times people that age don't have as much money to spend," said Patrick Farrell, 27, a Boston area native who lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. "Once I began to have a disconnection from college friends, I socialized more at bars. In a city like New York, there's a bar on every corner. If I were in living in the suburbs and had to drive to go out, I'd probably socialize at home."

"Irish Americans have a lot of pride in their heritage and where they come from, so I don't ever see them abandoning Irish bars," Farrell added.

"The young Irish who are coming over now are more embracing of American way of life and culture, than in generations past," said Eibhlin Donlon-Farry, a Longford-born psychotherapist who specializes in working with Irish immigrants. "I don't think they are abandoning the pub culture, which is still a central focus. The difference now is that the new arrivals seem quicker to embrace new social aspects of life in America and are expanding their social scenes."

"I don't think the tradition of going to the pubs is diminishing, because it is so much part of Irish identity," said Donlon-Farry, who is also a board member of the Aisling Irish Center in Yonkers. "We didn't plan barbeques back home in Ireland like we do here because you could never count on the weather."

Damian Muldarry, bartender at Rory Dolan's on McLean Avenue in Yonkers, notices a slow-down at the bar during the summer months, which he attributes to the myriad of social options available in America.

"In the summer, people go to barbeques and on fishing trips. Also, the novelty of making frozen drinks at home has really caught on," said the 31-year old Muldarry, a native of Mullingar. "But you'll never replace the craic and the camaraderie of an Irish bar. The Thursday-Friday-Saturday crowd is always going to come in - especially the singles looking to meet."

Muldarry believes the bar scene is more vibrant in New York than back home because it has become increasingly expensive to buy drinks (in Temple Bar, you can expect to pay $8-9 for a pint) and because of crack-downs on drunk driving and smoking.

"Business is still strong here, and I want it to stay that way," he said.

Most everyone knows that the pub life is of such importance in Irish culture. Eibhlin Donlon-Farry sited several reasons why. Firstly, the pub was traditionally the bastion of male space outside the home. Men could escape the family for a night out with the boys and espouse their views on topics from politics to sports without fear of being embarrassed.

Secondly, the local pub was an inexpensive form of entertainment.

"You could enjoy your pint and some entertainment, particularly if musicians gathered for seisiuns."

The local craic was always a good draw.

Lastly, the bar scene became an important part of coupling in the past few decades.

"Up until the late 1960s, the sexes were separated; the lounge was for the ladies, and the bar was for the men." That has only recently changed. The bar became a place to meet your partner.

The Mike's study also found that 33% of adults prefer to drink and serve cocktails at social gatherings, as compared to 25% for beer and 18% for wine. With the exception of bars such as Nevada Smith's, which attracts a strong sports crowd, bartenders are finding that younger customers are increasingly opting for top-shelf cocktails and wine, at the expense of beer. In fact, wine consumption surpassed beer consumption in the United States for the first time ever last year.

Mike's Hard Lemonade Company commissioned its "Cocktail Culture" survey to support the launch of two new products: the Mike-arita™, a ready to drink cocktail with real margarita taste, and Mike's Hard Frozen Lemonade™, which offers a refreshing cocktail, ready in an instant, by mixing in a blender with ice.