Just Add Ice

As part of Ohio’s coronavirus-related measures, restaurants on March 15 were restricted to only pickup, to-go and delivery orders.

The Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Liquor Control and Gov. Mike DeWine passed an emergency ruling on April 7 allowing “all establishments with existing, on-premises, general consumption liquor permit privileges to sell and deliver high-proof alcohol for off-premises consumption,” given certain requirements.

Those requirements included the purchase of a meal, along with the beverages. The emergency order meant customers were permitted two high-proof drinks (over 42 proof) per meal, with each drink limited to a maximum of 2 ounces of liquor per container. There is no limit, and no food requirement, for sales of beer and wine. All drinks must be sealed, and cannot be opened until the customer is home.

Findlay restaurants and bars were relieved by this new ruling, with many establishments taking swift and creative measures.

Logan’s Irish Pub, for instance, began the stay-at-home order promoting bottled and canned Irish beers for to-go orders. The restaurant is now able to serve up popular cocktails and draft beers, too. Customers cannot dine in, restaurant staff are taking this time to give the pub a facelift. When things return to normal, customers will be greeted by refinished floors and tables.

Vivir Modern Mexican is offering Emergency Margarita Kits with rotating flavors. In honor of the governor’s news, a new cocktail is on the menu: The DeWine. This drink contains resposado tequila, Campari and grapefruit juice. And while the restaurant is not serving its main menu, a new option, Mixtas (Mexican hot dogs), provides thirsty patrons with the required meal purchase to supplement their beverage of choice.

Until the new cocktail ordinance went into effect, The Bourbon Affair was not able to serve the community. Now that high-proof spirits and cocktails can be offered to-go, the trendy cocktail spot is throwing its hat into the ring. Cheese plates must be ordered in conjunction with artisanal cocktails. And in keeping with its prohibition theme, drinks from The Bourbon Affair are being packaged in sealed Mason jars, then stapled into a brown paper bag. To limit contact, customers can fetch orders from the walk-up window (or in the front room on inclement days), and can use contactless payment methods.