Exactly. Add in tip + tax and you're not leaving without spending ~$40 for two cocktails and ~$60 for 3 cocktails. Many, if not most, people sit at bars doom-scrolling on their phone and generally are anti-social. It's just not a fun, enjoyable experience most of the time.
Cocktails are margin error on drinking stats
Beer at bar $7. What did industry expect?
And, if you want to be overly precise, can you tell us the average prices and consumption for cocktails, shots, wine serving, and beer?
The rent is too damn high.
Totally not what the numbers say in TFA. Big shift from beer to liquor (which I presume to mean cocktails for a big share of that.)