Next up from ride-share company Lyft? Beer. Starting on Jan. 18, Chicagoans will be able to buy Lyft’s Five Star Lager and land up to a 60% discount on their Lyft ride home.
While it may seem counterintuitive to sell alcohol as a mechanism to get people home safely, Lyft is hoping to do just that. The goal is that Five Star Lager will serve as a drink that bar-goers can wind down the night with, while also offering them an incentive (i.e. A Lyft discount good for seven days) to not drink and drive.
“We know through data that nightlife is one of our largest business segments, especially going out on a Friday or Saturday night,” David Katcher, Lyft Midwest’s general manager told the Chicago Tribune. “Harder (to understand) is the psychology of how they decide to get home and when they decide to make that happen. That’s a little more art than science.”
Enter local craft-beer brewery Baderbräu Brewing. Baderbräu is rebranding their Munich Helles-style lager—currently called South Side Pride—to Five Star Lager. Bars will be able to sell 12-ounce cans of the beer.
“Five Star Lager is a no-nonsense, bright-tasting beer that is perfect for a nightcap,” Rob Sama, the founder of Baderbräu, said in a statement to Coins2Day. “We think it will appeal to avid craft beer drinkers as well as those who are new to the craft beer scene.”
Lyft has committed to 24,000 cans. After the launch party at Baderbräu Brewing Company next Thursday, the beer will slowly roll out to bars across the city.
“Baderbrau is distributing the beer to be sold in bars,” a spokeswoman from Lyft said. “Lyft is not receiving any part of the sale of the beer.”
Chicago is the only city Lyft is focused on for this type of program.
This is not the first time Lyft has partnered with a beer company to promote safe rides. For two years the ride-share company partnered with Anheuser-Busch to provide free round-trip rides during weekends and holidays in certain states.
This piece was updated with financial information from Lyft.