Seventeen states have passed legislation to make cocktails-to-go permanent and 14 states have passed legislation allowing cocktails-to-go on a temporary basis, the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. said.
Three states, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and New York, that allowed cocktails to-go during the pandemic have let those measures expire.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 35 states allowed restaurants and/or bars to serve cocktails-to-go as an economic relief measure via executive orders or other ways. Some states are still considering legislation.
“Business owners from all across the country continue to tell me that cocktails to-go helped them keep the lights on during the pandemic and provided stability when little else could,” said Chris Swonger, president/ceo, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.“Unfortunately, the hospitality industry has a long way to go before it is fully recovered. We are pleased to see so many states taking action to allow cocktails to-go permanently or for an extended amount of time to help these businesses get back on their feet.”
These states have passed legislation to make cocktails to-go permanent:
Arizona, Arkansas, Iowa, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Montana, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.
These states passed legislation to allow cocktails to-go on a temporary basis:
Colorado (expires July 1, 2025), Connecticut (expires June 4, 2024), Delaware (expires March 31, 2022), Illinois (expires Jan. 3, 2024), Maine (expires Sept. 10, 2022), Maryland (local option – expires June 30, 2023), Massachusetts (expires May 1, 2022), Michigan (expires December 31, 2025), Jersey (expires January 1, 2022), Rhode Island (expires March 1, 2022), Tennessee (expires July 1, 2023), Vermont (expires July 1, 2023), Virginia (expires July 1, 2022) and Washington (expires July 1, 2023).
“Reopened does not mean recovered, and hospitality businesses are still struggling with the harsh economic impacts of COVID-19.” Swonger said. “Stripping local businesses of this lifeline at such a critical time will only further devastate the hospitality industry.”