This idea has been circulating around Chicago's social media since the first days of the Governor's closure of restaurants and bars. How can bars and restaurants make money off their extensive alcohol programs to partake in the new coronavirus economy? Julia Momose of Oriole and Kumiko quickly jumped into the fray with a proposal that many of these bars and restaurants need to survive quarantine and beyond - an actual change to the letter of the law or at least an allowance to violate the "original container" provision. What's the original container provision? It's a law that says any alcohol sold to-go/delivery/etc needs to be in the original container...which most likely means the container it arrived in at the bar from your distributor.
Julia's Petition is here. Some of your favorite bars and restaurants will depend on this change. It'll let you take a cocktail home from Lost Lake, from Rogers Park Social, from Sable (happy 10th anniversary), from anywhere that wants to participate in the delivery and takeout economy.
For now, you need to hit up some of the following spots (list will grow, keep checking back for updates) for cocktail kits, which are allowed as long as the booze stays in its original container.
Cocktail Kits (updated at 3/24/20, 9:22 PM):
Bar Biscay - Mimosa, Manhattan, Negroni
Maria's Packaged Goods - Maria's Paloma Kit
Estereo - Breezy mix, Paloma mix
Big Star and Violet Hour - Big Star on Grubhub for Margaritas, Violet Hour here - Negroni, Old Fashioned, batched Romeo & Juliet Bar on Buena - check here for instructions
