Clevelanders, get ready to put on your party pants. More than 240 bars and restaurants applied to extend their liquor license during the RNC, leaving their doors open until 4 a.m. “We are trained in this town to drink until last call,” says Will Hollingsworth, owner of Tremont’s the Spotted Owl. So while two more hours of imbibing might seem fun, it also could push our limits. “It’s just going to be chaos,” he says. Hollingsworth gives us three tips for survival.
Keep Cool: If you have trouble pacing yourself between brews, seek out some water. “A glass of water for every drink you have is going to be really important,” says Hollingsworth. “It keeps your blood cool, and the more hydrated you are the more diluted the alcohol is when it finds its way to your bloodstream.”
Carry On: Keep the normal time frame of your going-out game plan rather than starting later like in New York or Chicago. “If I hit the bars at 2:30 a.m., I would walk into a lot more drunken nonsense on the part of the clientele and a lot more exhausted bar staff,” he says. “So be nice to your bartender.”
Buzz Worthy: Consider postponing dinner until 10 or 11 p.m. to prepare for the long road ahead. Hollingsworth recommends a Royal Jamaican ginger beer with a shot of Fernet-Branca. “It’ll keep your stomach in check throughout the night but will keep you with a nice pleasant gauze over the lens so-to-speak.”