A lot of things suck right now — like, a lot of things. But the alcohol gods have bestowed upon us a gift: the to-go cocktail. That’s right, in Michigan, we can now get cocktails for carry-out. The legislation allows bars and restaurants to sell cocktails-to-go in sealed containers that can be consumed at home or in designated outdoor areas, which will help your favorite local spot weather the economic impact of the coronavirus, which has forced restaurants to close for months and now operate at a lower capacity. So do your part and drink up, OK?

Bagley Central 2545 Bagley St., Detroit; 313-262-6763; bagleycentral.com This Southwest cocktail spot is serving up some crafty cocktails to go, including The Moonage Dream, a sparkling dry brut paired with Aperol, elderflower, and grapefruit juice. Have a favorite house cocktail? Bagley Central will whip it up and send it off to its new home: your home. They’ve also got build-your-own six-packs of beer. Photo via Bagley Central /Facebook
Barter Detroit 11601 Joseph Campau; 313-707-0986; barterdetroit.com You don’t have to risk it at a patio to sip the sweet nectar of the alcoholic gods. Barter in Hamtramck is bottling up their cocktail menu to-go, as well as offering takeaway beer and wine, so quit your whining! Photo via Barter Detroit/Facebook
Castalia Cocktails 3980 Second Ave., Detroit; 313-305-1442; castaliacocktails.com Smell that? That’s the smell of Castalia Cocktails, the crafty sister to Sfumato fragrances in Midtown. From cocktail kits to the real deal, Castalia offers elegant cocktails, like the fan-favorite Gravitas Old-Fashioned. True to Castalia Sfumato’s ethos, they have a more playful offering via boozy ice pops in a flavor called The Raz Dazzler, made with bourbon, orange juice, coriander, cardamom, nutmeg, and raw sugar. Photo via Castalia Cocktails/Facebook
Chartreuse Kitchen and Cocktails 15 E. Kirby St., Detroit; 313-818-3915; chartreusekc.com Midtown loves a cocktail. More specifically, a cocktail from Chartruese Kitchen and Cocktails. To combat our cocktail-less lives, they’ve launched a series of to-go cocktails, including The Last Word, a Detroit invention made with, you guessed it, Chartreuse. They also offer daiquiri, martini, Manhattans, and a take on the Old Fashioned. Photo via Chartreuse Detroit/Facebook
Cork & Gabel 2415 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-638-2261; corkandgabel.com Comfort food hot spot, Cork & Gabel wasted no time in jumping on the cocktail to-go bandwagon and have done so with a ton of options. Offered in Capri Sun-style containers, each cocktail is enough for two, and, for $20, you can get your adult hands on two craft cocktails from the menu, or bartender’s choice. Don’t see your favorite classic on the menu? Just ask and thy wish shall be granted. Photo via Cork & Gabel/Facebook
Detroit Fleat 1890 E. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-607-7611; detroitfleat.com Give us slushies with booze, or give us death! OK — while that may be extreme, our love of the cooling summer treat is also extreme, which is why this food truck park has our attention with their howlers of mules and margs, as well as boozy “slooshies” like that in Superman flavor, which is basically our kryptonite. Photo via Detroit Fleat/Facebook
The Film Lab 3105 Holbrook Ave., Hamtramck; thefilmlab.org Man, do we miss movies. Don’t get us wrong, during this whole quarantine sitch, we’ve exhausted our streaming services and, yeah, we’ve even binged the 90 Day Fiance season with Big Ed. (Ugh!) Well, Film Lab in Hamtramck has pivoted to showing movies that speak to the times at their outdoor film space. They also offer to-go cocktails for those who are sick of their at-home liquor cabinets. Offerings include Dead Ringers, which combine Heaven Hill Bourbon, maple, Byrrh Quinquina, Angostura Bitters, Rosemary; Daisies features Sobieski Vodka, Cocchi Americano, lime, raspberry, orange bitters; and The Young and the Damned has a mix of Banhez Mezcal, Angostura Amaro, hibiscus, lime, and soda. Oh, yeah — they also have spirit-free cocktails for anyone who wants a kick without the buzz. Photo via The Film Lab/Facebook
Grange Kitchen and Bar 118 W. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 734-995-2107; grangekitchenandbar.com Home on the Grange, where the buffalo … OK — we’ll stop because even our drunk asses don’t want to hear how that ends. What we do want is to hit up Grange Kitchen and Bar in Ann Arbor, where they’ve decided to bottle up some behind-the-bar faves, like the GGGInger (fresh mint, ginger syrup, lime juice, A2DC Revival gin, ginger beer, and crystallized ginger,) for us to enjoy in the environment of our choosing. Thanks, Grange. Now, where’s the Asprin? Photo via Grange Kitchen and Cocktails/Facebook
The Last Word 301 W. Huron St., Ann Arbor; thelastwordbar.com Nice cans! No, not like that — nice cans of booze! The Last Word in Ann Arbor has stepped up the cocktail to-go game by canning their selection of boozy offerings, which come in mouth-watering flavors and killer packaging that reminds us of Pantone colors. Check out the You’re My Boy Blue, which combines bourbon, St. Germain Elderflower, fresh lemon, and muddled blueberries. While they tend to sell out of some of their signature flavors, feel free to grab a bottle of wine, beer, or grub, too. Photo via
Mabel Gray Kitchen 23825 John R Rd., Hazel Park; 248-398-4300; mabelgraykitchen.com One of metro Detroit’s most celebrated restaurants is now presenting some beautifully bottled upscale cocktails you can drink at your leisure. Take the house Manhattan or margarita. Or, for the more adventurous take a trip to Saturn, a drink that boasts Citadelle gin, Velvet Falernum, roasted peanut orgeat, passion fruit, and lemon or the Mabel Mai Tai made with plantation special dry, Pierre Ferrand dry curacao, lime, and roasted peanut orgeat. Photo via Mable Gray Kitchen/Facebook
Motor City Gas Whiskey Distillery 325 E. Fourth St., Royal Oak; 248-599-1427; motorcitygas.com Hit the gas! There’s booze to be had. Royal Oak’s Motor City Gas Whiskey Distillery is offering up new to-go cocktails each week and come in offerings like the Mellon Baller or bourbon orange creamsicle, as well as a rotation of DIY cocktail kits. Photo via Motor City Gas Whiskey Distllery/Facebook
The Painted Lady 2930 Jacob St., Hamtramck; 313-874-2991; paintedladylounge.comColor us curious… and thirsty. Hamtramck’s beloved watering hole, The Painted Lady, is whipping up some elevated bottled cocktails to-go, including Barrel Proof Manhattans, Soulless Sours, Hemingway Daiquiris, and Strawberry Margaritas. Though the selection changes frequently, you can snag drinks in 8-ounce ($20) or 16-ounce ($35) takeaways. Photo via The Painted Lady/Facebook
PizzaPlex 4458 Vernor Hwy., Detroit; 313-757-4992; pizzaplex.com We’ve got a cocktail com-plex. Thankfully, Southwest’s PizzaPlex started baggin’ up their cocktails to go in Capri Sun-style pouches. For $10, you can get the Orchid, Negroni, or Plex Margarita. Photo via PizzaPlex/Facebook
Second Best 42 Watson St., Detroit; 313-315-3077; secondbestdetroit.com Why settle for first when you could drink Second Best? This Midtown watering hole offers some first-rate twists on some tasty favorites, all of which can be made to-go. There’s the old fashioned, rock & rye, long island, cucumber gimlet, gin and tonic, and the house Zima, which is made with vodka, aloe vera, Calpico, simple syrup, citrus, and soda. Second place never tasted so damn good. Photo via Second Best/Facebook
The Skip 1234 Library St., Detroit; 313-241-5719;theskipdetroit.com Don’t mind us, we’re just skipping our thirsty asses to The Skip, located in The Belt alleyway, so we can get our drink on. The Skip is offering watermelon frosé — that’s frozen rosé — as well as frozen cucumber margaritas. As for non-frozen takeaways, The Skip also offers something called the Lil Pigeon (Blanco Tequila, Grapefruit Cordial, lime, and bubbly coconut water) as well as a gin and tonic, and an old fashion made with chocolate bitters and pineapple syrup. They have sangria, non-alcoholic mixers, as well as precious little garnish packets to help you bring the bar to your kitchen. Photo via The Skip/Facebook
Standby 225 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; 313-241-5719;
The Sugar House 2130 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-962-0123; sugarhousedetroit.com Of course, Detroit’s original craft cocktail bar is getting in on the to-go fun with a selection of 12-ounce bottled favorites and some single barrel whiskey options, too. There’s the Cowboy cocktail, which combines black-tea infused Old Charter 8, Amaro Pazzo, Punt e Mes, and Bundaberg Root Beer, as well as the Jabroni Negroni, which has a tasty mix of Citadelle Gin, Wheatley Vodka, Averna Amaro, Campari Punt e Mes, orange bitters, and Topo Chico. Photo via The Sugar House/Facebook
Vivio’s Food and Spirits 2460 Market St., Detroit; 313-393-1711; viviosdetroit.net If you’re like us then you miss brunching at Eastern Market and buying a trunk full of plants, you will absolutely kill within the first week. But back to brunch. One of the top Bloody Mary’s in the city comes out of Vivio’s Food and Spirits. Hell, they have a Bloody Mary menu, boasting concoctions like the Big D, a 32-ounce monster complete with bacon, sausage, pickles, and a hard-boiled egg. While that might be difficult to package for a to-go option, Vivio’s has created the Easy Carry Mary, which is basically a Capri Sun for adults. Now excuse us while we neglect our ferns. Photo via Vivio’s Food and Spirits /Facebook
Voyager 600 Vester Ave., Ferndale; 248-658-4999; voyagerferndale.com This seafood haven in Ferndale has recently undergone a shakeup in the kitchen with a new chef, which will introduce some more casual dining options, but one thing we can count on is carry-out cocktails, baby. Bottled cocktails, which, you know, should be consumed with a whole mess of oysters, include Mai Tais, margaritas, and the John Daly, a tea-infused vodka drink that screams summertime badness. Oh, they also have frosé by the pint. Photo via Voyager/Facebook
Yum Village 6500 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-334-6099; yumvillage.com Didn’t know Afro-Caribbean hot spot Yum Village had cocktails? Honestly, neither did we. But they’ve had a liquor license since January, and they’re making sure your to-go needs are filled. Try the Village Stranger, Village Elder, Village Islander, or for the early birds, Savannah Morning. Photo via Yum Village/Facebook

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