DrinksGiving
Heading home on the evening before Thanksgiving is an American tradition. And in preparation for spending the weekend with Aunt Martha and her pumpkin pie, the night before is often spent at a bar, catching up with old friends who are also back from out of town.
Target young professionals and alumni returning home for Thanksgiving with bar promotions, happy hour specials, and social reunion campaigns on Thanksgiving Eve.
- 'Blackout Wednesday' bar crawl specials and group drink deals for reuniting friends
- Safe ride-home promotions (Uber/Lyft partnerships, designated driver incentives)
- Home entertaining kits: spirits, mixers, and appetizers for at-home DrinksGiving gatherings
- Nostalgic 'homecoming' messaging targeting college alumni reconnecting with old friends
Campaign ideas7
- Host a multi-bar crawl with a mobile app (like Royal Crawl's poker hand competition) — contestants visit 5+ bars, collect virtual rewards, and compete for prizes while building traffic across partnered venues
- Launch a "Reunite & Celebrate" TikTok/Reels challenge asking people to post throwback photos of themselves with friends from high school/college, tagged #DrinksGiving2025, with top posts featured on brand accounts
- Sponsor a free Safe Ride program with QR codes at bar tops — promote it heavily on social (since DrinksGiving is the busiest drunk-driving night of the year) to position your brand as responsible and community-focused
- "Thanksgiving Eve Special Menu" campaign — create limited-time autumn cocktails (cranberry-bourbon, spiced apple cider drinks, etc.) with in-store signage + email + paid social, tie to nostalgic homecoming themes
- Organize a "Friendsgiving Pre-Party" collaboration with local bars, promoting group discounts for tables of 6+, encouraging early-night gatherings before people split for family dinners
- User-generated content contest: "Your DrinksGiving Moment" — encourage followers to share photos/videos from their night out with branded hashtag, offer weekly drink vouchers or merchandise prizes
- Partnership with rideshare apps: co-branded promotion offering $5-10 off rides on DrinksGiving evening, with both brands splitting cost — appears as in-app banner and geofenced mobile ads near bars
Social angles6
- "Coming home hits different when you're with your people. 🍻 Where are you starting your Thanksgiving Eve tonight? Tag your crew! #DrinksGiving #ReunionSzn #HomecomingNight"
- "PSA: DrinksGiving is the busiest bar night of the year, which means it's also peak drunk-driving night. Plan your ride NOW. Download the [App/Partner] and get $X off a safe trip home. #DrinksGiving #DrinkResponsibly"
- "The Thanksgiving tradition that actually makes sense. No turkey required, just cold beer and better company. What's your go-to DrinksGiving order? #DrinksGiving #BlackoutWednesday"
- "Reconnecting with high school friends like: [meme/reel format showing before/after reunion excitement]. DrinksGiving > Family dinner arguments. 📍 [Bar Name] #DrinksGiving #FriendsForever"
- "We're ready for the chaos. Are you? DrinksGiving specials all night: [menu items]. Come early, stay longer, leave safely. #DrinksGiving #LetsGo"
- "That moment when everyone realizes they're actually home for the holidays and NEEDS a drink. Welcome back. 🏠🍻 #DrinksGiving #PreThanksgiving #HomeSweetHome"
Ad copy starters5
“"The Busiest Bar Night of the Year Starts Now. Catch Your Crew Wed Night. [Venue/Brand] — Come Early, Leave Safe. #DrinksGiving"”
“"Welcome Home. Your Friends Are Waiting. DrinksGiving Specials All Night. 🏠🍻"”
“"One Night. Unlimited Reunions. Plan Your Safe Ride Now. DrinksGiving at [Venue]."”
“"Thanksgiving Eve, But Make It Fun. Group Discounts, Autumn Cocktails, Zero Family Drama. Reserve Your Table."”
“"The One Night Everyone Comes Home. Are You Ready? DrinksGiving Starts Wed — Free Safe Ride Program Included."”
Tips4
- DO: Emphasize responsibility & safety hard — DrinksGiving has the highest drunk-driving rate of any holiday evening in the U.S. Brands that promote Safe Ride programs, designated drivers, and Uber/Lyft discounts build loyalty and positive brand association. DON'T: Make light of excess/blackouts — avoid glorifying binge drinking or poor behavior
- DO: Lean into REUNION/NOSTALGIA themes — DrinksGiving is about reconnecting with old friends & coming home. Use throwback imagery, "remember when" angles, and community-focus. DON'T: Push it as a solo night out — it's inherently social & homecoming-driven
- DO: Create mobility/logistics offers — bars and brands that solve the "how do I get home" problem win this day. Partner with rideshare, offer free ride programs, highlight transit options. DON'T: Treat it like a regular drinking holiday — this is peak logistics problem
- DO: Run early-week teasers (Mon–Tues) — capture planning mindset, build hype before Wednesday evening. DON'T: Wait until Wednesday to promote — people are already committing to which bar/friends by mid-week
While Thanksgiving has been around since 1621, and it has been celebrated on a Thursday in November since the 1800s, the tradition of DrinksGiving is much newer. It made its appearance naturally, at least several decades ago, when American students would come home from college for the Thanksgiving holiday and then meet up with friends the night before to get a drink.
An important time of coming home, DrinksGiving always takes place on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. The idea is that it’s the perfect time for old friends from school to hang out at bars and pubs to catch up with each other and have a drink before spending the weekend with family.
Plus, some people really struggle with the idea of spending the Thanksgiving holiday weekend with their families, so going out for drinks the night before might also be a bit of a coping mechanism!
The tradition of DrinksGiving has been around for many decades, but the clever term ‘DrinksGiving’ seems to have been coined sometime around 2007. Sometimes called Blackout Wednesday or Thanksgiving Eve, DrinksGiving is one that can be celebrated but should also come with some safety precautions and awareness. In fact, in some cities in the United States, this is the night of the year that has the highest statistics for drunk driving.
So have some fun and be careful out there when celebrating DrinksGiving by raising a glass and catching up with old friends!
Meet Up with Friends for a Drink
Have fun reconnecting with old friends who are also home for Thanksgiving by celebrating DrinksGiving! It’s a fun way to catch up and find out what other people have been up to in their time away. Some people like to turn this day into a pub crawl so that they can hit the different bars where their long, lost friends might be hanging out.
Enjoy DrinksGiving Safely
Those who plan to head out to the bar for drinks should make sure they have a plan for how they will get home. Whether a designated driver is assigned or the cab company or Uber is on speed dial on the phone, it’s important that DrinksGiving is celebrated safely so that everyone gets home without any incidents or accidents! Invite Friends Over for DrinksGiving Not so much into the bar scene? That’s okay! DrinksGiving can just as easily be celebrated at home by inviting friends over and serving them drinks while offering an opportunity to catch up on the latest happenings.