Ohio Becomes Second State to Make Cocktails To-Go Measure Permanent

The Hospitality Recovery Coalition, an initiative led by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) in partnership with the American Distilled Spirits Alliance (ADSA), the Council of State Restaurant Associations (CSRA), the National Restaurant Association and TIPs, sent a letter applauding Governor DeWine for signing HB 669, a bill making cocktails to-go from restaurants and bars permanent in Ohio.Ohio cocktails to-go COVID-19
With the governor’s signature, Ohio is now the second state in the nation to make a cocktails to-go measure enacted in response to COVID-19 permanent.

“During these unprecedented times, [Governor DeWine has] listened to the plight of Ohio’s restaurants and bars as they struggled to cope with the challenges posed by COVID-19,” the Hospitality Recovery Coalition letter reads. “Cocktails to-go provided a much-needed lifeline for struggling on-premise locations and prevented the permanent closure of many of these businesses. Now that this measure is permanent, hospitality businesses have increased stability despite the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic.”

Currently, more than 30 states plus the District of Columbia are allowing restaurants and/or bars to sell cocktails to-go, bottled spirits to-go or both. Iowa became the first state to make a cocktails to-go measure in response to COVID-19 permanent on June 29. Other states, including Texas, Florida, Oklahoma and the District of Columbia are also considering making their policies permanent.

The distilled spirits industry is committed to responsibility and encourages moderation for adults who choose to drink alcohol. Cocktails to-go are intended for home consumption. Laws governing alcohol consumption must always be observed.

COALITION PARTNERS
The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States
DISCUS is the leading voice and advocate for distilled spirits in the U.S., advocating on legislative, regulatory and public affairs issues impacting the distilled spirits sector at the local, state, federal and international levels. DISCUS members are committed to responsibility and encourage adults who drink to do so in moderation.

The American Distilled Spirits Alliance
ADSA is a trade association of 27 member companies with common interests in the manufacturing, importation and marketing of distilled spirits products in the United States. ADSA members produce approximately two-thirds of all the distilled spirits currently sold in the U.S. Previously known as the Presidents’ Forum of the Distilled Spirits Industry, ADSA traces its history back over 40 years.

The Council of State Restaurant Associations
CSRA’s Mission is to foster goodwill and promote the success of state restaurant associations and their members. The purpose of CSRA is to foster and promote the best interests of the state restaurant associations.

The National Restaurant Association
Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 1 million restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of 15.6 million employees. We represent the industry in Washington, D.C., and advocate on its behalf. We also sponsor the industry’s largest trade show; leading food safety training and certification program (ServSafe); and unique career-building high school program (the NRAEF’s ProStart).

TIPs
TIPS (Training for Intervention ProcedureS) is a dynamic, skills-based training program designed to prevent intoxication, drunk driving and underage drinking by enhancing the fundamental “people skills” of servers, sellers and consumers of alcohol. TIPS gives individuals the knowledge and confidence they need to recognize potential alcohol-related problems and intervene to prevent alcohol-related tragedies.

United States Bartenders Guild
USBG’s mission is uniting the hospitality community to advance professional bartending. We believe tending & owning bars is an honorable career choice. Our goal is to empower bartenders to take charge of their careers. We accomplish this through working with our committed partners to enrich the career advancement of our members through peer-to-peer learning, expert instruction, service projects and competition. Since knowledge is power, our chapters hold cocktail competitions, sponsor intimate seminars with internationally recognized brand representatives, and forge relationships between top bar talent in 50 cities and counting. We offer all our members opportunities to compete, travel around the world, and spread knowledge in the pursuit of elevating our craft.

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