I am thrilled to contribute to VinePair’s article about cocktails-to-go. Tim McKirdy wrote a great article on this issue. https://vinepair.com/articles/off-premise-alcohol-sales-bars-restaurants/

Included in this article is one of my great partners in getting cocktails-to-go for the struggling Illinois hospitality industry, Julia Momose of Kumiko. It is a pleasure to team with her on such an important issue!

I spoke to VinePair about how Cocktails-For-Hope is addressing safety concern issues surrounding cocktails-to-go. Here an excerpt:

“Chicago-based alcohol lawyer Sean O’Leary is helping the organization draft a bill to send to the governor. The proposal sets out a clear guideline for how to-go cocktails can be sold safely and responsibly.”

“Among the measures, the group believes all deliveries should be carried out by bartenders and servers rather than third-party services. This will reduce any risk of alcohol being sold to minors or those who are overly intoxicated, because bartenders and servers are educated on these factors during BASSET training. (Illinois state law requires all on-premise servers and those checking IDs for alcohol service to be BASSET-certified.) This provision also means license holders will be fully accountable for any violations. “We know the concerns and now we are bringing our solutions,” O’Leary says.”

sean.oleary@olearylpgroup.com