A bill making cocktails to-go from restaurants and bars permanent passed both chambers of the Ohio legislature today and heads to Governor Mike DeWine’s desk for signature. Upon the governor’s signature, Ohio will become the second state in the nation to make permanent a cocktails to-go economic relief measure enacted in response to COVID-19.
“The legislature has recognized the desperate situation Ohio’s restaurants and bars are in and passed legislation to make cocktails to-go permanent to provide increased stability for these struggling businesses,” said David Wojnar, Vice President of State Government Relations for the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. “With cocktails to-go, many Ohio businesses have escaped permanent closure, but with continued uncertainty in the months to come, permanency is needed. Governor DeWine was one of the first to implement cocktails to-go via executive order, and we are hopeful he will sign this legislation and make Ohio the second state to make cocktails to-go permanent in the COVID era.”