I miss sitting at a bar, sharing a laugh with a bartender. I yearn for a cocktail at an outdoor table in the sun. I feel so much sadness, thinking about being together with friends in person and wondering when we will be able to visit our favorite watering holes again in the future. Although there seems to be few reasons not to drink, zoom happy hours are not cutting it for me. I have found that one way to make them more interesting is to patronize the local businesses creatively offering take-away drink options.
In recent years, Baltimore has grown to offer a growing list of excellent cocktail bars, breweries, and restaurants with an ambitious mixology agenda and it’s tragic to think that many of these businesses might not exist after the pandemic is over. With true Baltimore grit, a number of creative chefs and mixologists at our favorite bars and restaurants are producing much-needed libations and these can be ordered safely online with curbside pickup. Not only do these professionally made, effective, and beautiful drinks liven up the at-home happy hour, they are designed to help us to cope with the monotony of quarantine.
There are a number of restaurants in Baltimore offering carry-out booze with style and creativity, and this is not a comprehensive list, but it does present twenty excellent options in a number of different geographic regions of the city.
Until we are able to walk inside these establishments again, we can all support our favorite local businesses by buying beverages and food to go, especially for those who want to stay drunk enough to get through the agony of staying in place, especially solo. Drink responsibly at home my friends, and I hope to see you at a bar sometime soon!!!