Elected officials are finally getting behind the idea of legalizing to-go cocktails in Illinois, nearly two months after Gov. J.B. Pritzker closed bars and dine-in restaurants to curb the spread of COVID-19. Members of the state liquor commission have also met with bartender Julia Momose, one of the leaders of an effort to legalize the sales of alcoholic mixed drinks for delivery and takeout. She began her efforts March.
Momose co-owns Kumiko, an upscale cocktail bar in the West Loop that’s centered around the relationship between bartender and customer. Bartenders, including Momose and husband Sammy Faze, create customizable drink flights based on what their customers like to drink. Kumiko offers a unique experience — last year Time named the bar one of “the World’s 100 Greatest Places.” It’s difficult to mimic that at home. Dive bars fans can always pretend by enjoying a shot of malört and a canned beer in their basements.
During the pandemic, some restaurants found relief by focusing on delivery and carryout. A few bars sell beer in growlers, cans, and bottles to go. None of these measures make up for the sales lost due to stay at home, but they do help. Cocktails bars can also sell packaged goods, but they make most of their money on mixed drinks which have higher profit margins. With to-go cocktails, bars could make five times as much versus cocktail kits, Momose says. That’s why Momose says her slice of the industry needs help. She’s started Cocktails For Hope, a campaign pushing the state and Pritzker to lift restrictions.
“I hope they will see everything that we put together and see what other states are doing,” Momose says.
She points to Pennsylvania which has alcohol laws stricter than Illinois, forcing customers to shop for booze at state-run stores. Yet this week, the Keystone State’s senate approved a bill that would allow the sale of mixed drinks for carryout and delivery. California and New York have already legalized them. State law prohibits the sale of alcohol not in its original container — save for beer in growlers. The Illinois Liquor Control Commission hasn’t supported change; in late March it issued a clarification making sure owners knew to-go cocktails weren’t permitted.
Momose wants a responsible roll out of to-go drinks, for alcohol to be stored in car trunks during delivery and to require drinks to have tamper-evident seals. She also want drivers to display a restaurant’s liquor license in their vehicles.
This week, elected officials — like 19th District State House Rep. Lindsey LaPointe — began showing their support. Cocktails For Hope says 35 state lawmakers are in favor of allowing to-go cocktails. Members of the General Assembly, who are scheduled to return next week to Springfield, are ready to make a move, LaPointe says. Momose has been successful in educating them in teaching them to-go cocktails are “the lifeline that will keep the industry alive.”
“The bigger point is that other states have found a way to do this,” LaPointe adds. “And found ways to do this safely and in short order.”
LaPointe’s district covers the Northwest Side, which isn’t exactly a hotbed for artisan cocktail cocktail bars. However, LaPointe says restaurant owners from Gale Street Inn in Jefferson Park and Community Tavern in Portage Park support the effort. They want to support their industry colleagues who want want Springfield to act quickly.
“It would be a dream to be able to sell to-go drinks,” says Sophie Huterstein, the owner of the Darling in West Loop.
Cocktail kits have further added to the confusion, as the general public sees them as evidence that there’s not a problem for business owners. These kits contain bottles of alcohol, mixers, and other ingredients so customers could fix their own drinks at home. But they’re not cost effective, says Huterstein. Many of the cocktails that the Darling sells use multiple spirits. If customers want to recreate the same beverage at home, they’d have to buy more than one bottle of booze. That drives the price of these kits up and makes them unattractive to the consumer.
A few restaurants are defying the state’s law on to-go mixed drinks. Several sold margaritas during Cinco de Mayo. Owners have told Momose that they’re not publicly supporting her campaign because they don’t want that added scrutiny that could jeopardize their to-go cocktail operations. Momose understands their position, but says owners shouldn’t have to worry about breaking the law. They shouldn’t worry about incurring fines that would bury them in even more debt. Owners are already behind in their rents and other bills thanks to the outbreak.
Change doesn’t usually happen without help behind the scenes. Independent restaurant and bar owners, the ones that didn’t get invited to President Donald Trump’s Economic Council on Restaurants, have griped that don’t have a loud lobbying voice. One group that has the ability to grab the attention of lawmakers is Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA). Its political action committee spends millions of dollars a year on lobbying. WSWA declined comment for this story.
Huterstein isn’t surprised and notes that wine and beer sales at grocery and liquor stores — both considered essential and able to operate during the state’s stay-at-home order — have increased.
“They’re doing OK,” Huterstein says of WSWA. “So why rock the boat?”
Another component involves jurisdiction. If the state OKs to-go cocktails, elected officials on the local levels will also have to adjust ordinances. For example, Chicago would need to allow residents to carry their mixed drinks from the bar over public ways like sidewalks and roads. Chicago officials remain non-committal.
“The City of Chicago is committed to supporting businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak while maintaining the health and safety of our residents,” according to a statement from a city spokesperson. “The sale of to-go mixed drinks is currently prohibited by both the State and City of Chicago. The City cannot comment on any hypothetical regulation changes but we are working closely with our State partners on this and many other topics and we will continue to ensure that regulations prioritize safety while supporting our businesses.”
Momose says she sometimes feels disheartened. She isn’t sure of why lawmakers remain flatfooted. But she isn’t giving up.
“Chicago and Illinois have been touted as the food and beverage capital of America,” Momose says. “It’s a badge people wear with pride, yet here we are kind of left in the dust.”