The state of Ohio will allow restaurants who are still offering carryout during the coronavirus outbreak to serve their patrons cocktails, and other beverages, to-go with their meals.

The state of Ohio will allow restaurants that are still offering carryout during the coronavirus outbreak to serve their patrons cocktails and other beverages to-go with their meals.

Gov. Mike DeWine on Tuesday announced that the state Liquor Control Commission has approved new rules to allow liquor license holders to sell up to two beverages – beer, wine or mixed drinks, and even shots or pours of liquor – in sealed containers to go along with food orders.

Liquor permit holders can serve any drink they would prepare in their establishments, but there are some caveats:

Any beverage sales must accompany an order of food; alcohol cannot be sold by itself

Liquor drinks can't contain more than 2 ounces of spiritous liquor per container

All drinks must be sold in a closed container

No more than two drinks can be sold per meal

Open container laws are still applicable, so the drinks must be consumed at home

Ohio Department of Commerce spokeswoman Mikaela Hunt told me that the idea is to offer additional relief to businesses who have inventories of alcoholic beverages, but don't have a liquor license that allows them to sell those drinks to-go.

Some liquor licenses permit establishments to sell beverages, typically packs of canned beer or bottles of wine, to-go. This new order expands that ability to all license-holders, and allows them to sell other kinds of beverages as well.

Restaurants have been ordered to shutter their dining rooms since March 16, but are still permitted to sell carryout meals.