4 reasons to visit your favorite watering hole this summer

(BPT) – The last year probably kept you cooped up at home, so as the world starts to open up again, it’s time to get out and meet up with some of your closest friends. For many, the local watering hole is a place to reunite, reminisce and ramble about life’s ups and downs.

They say home is where the heart is, or in this case, where the free peanuts, billiards tables and neon signs are. Either way, if you’re with the right crew, you’ll feel right at home. Here are a few reasons why you should get back out to your local bar:

1. You get to see old friends again

Sure, you may have been in touch with your friends, but Zoom calls aren’t as authentic as seeing them in person. You can only unleash so much of yourself on a video chat, and while bars can be noisy, you don’t have to worry about having to manage many people on a call or having someone’s chat freeze up by surprise.

2. You can enjoy a drink you didn’t have to make

Whether your local bar is a place where everyone knows your name, or where everyone knows to just leave you alone, it’s a welcome escape from the stress of everyday life. It’s also an opportunity to have a delicious drink that you didn’t make yourself. Let’s face it, your quarantine drinks probably never tasted as good as your local bartender can make them.

Your hometown bar isn’t just for singing sea shanties with your good friends and neighbors, it could be an opportunity to try a new drink. If you order a rum cocktail at your local bar, The Kraken Rum will pick up the tab. Not only will it be free, but Kraken will donate a portion of the proceeds from your cocktail to the United States Bartenders Guild Foundation’s Emergency Bartender Assistance Program. Even iconic hometown names like Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi and Mike Ditka have joined in to encourage people to get back to the local bars they love. Take it from Nicole herself:

“The Jersey Shore is nothing without its boardwalk bars and delicious cocktails, so it was a no-brainer to team up with The Kraken Rum to kick off summer right — with a free Kraken Rum cocktail,” said Polizzi. “This is my stomping ground and the bars here hold a special place in my heart, so let’s go, Jersey Shore — drinks are on us!”

Photographs of your drink and your receipt can be uploaded and itemized until Aug. 5. For more details on how to redeem yours, visit krakenkoupon.com.

3. It makes for a good change of scenery

After a long year at home looking at the same decor in your house, seeing the same neighbor walking around in their PJs, and drinking the same mixed drinks on the couch, being out and about can be a welcome change. Another benefit of a scenery change? Your local watering hole probably has more than just room-temperature light beer.

If you’re over age 21, you may be in for a pleasant surprise. To celebrate local bars in cities across America, The Kraken Rum is offering limited-edition “The Kraken Attacks” bottles that offer the opportunity to win a seaworthy prize. If you find a limited-edition bottle, you could win yourself a trip to Hawaii for the squid hunting adventure of a lifetime. Wondering if any limited-edition flavors are in your hometown bar? Kraken Rum has hidden these new sea beasts across 19 different American cities.

4. You can watch live sports again

While the pandemic was challenging for many, it’s finally reaching the end and you deserve to treat yourself (responsibly) by heading out to your local bar. A great way to have some fun is watching sports games with fellow fans. There’s nothing better than gathering at your watering hole to cheer on your favorite team and high-five strangers when you win the big game. Even if you don’t know someone, it’s the local sports teams that bring strong community ties. Take it from Coach Mike Ditka himself:

“Local watering holes have been the pulse of Chicago for as long as I can remember, especially after a big hometown win,” said Ditka. “I couldn’t be happier to finally be able to celebrate the reopening of these favorite local spots with The Kraken Rum, and for Chicagoans to mark the occasion with a free rum cocktail at da bars!”

Check out krakenattacks.com to learn how you can unleash the liquid of unparalleled darkness.