RICHMOND, Va. — Wednesday, the Virginia House and Senate passed bills that would permanently allow restaurants, bars and distilleries to sell cocktails to-go.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, 23 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws to permanently allow cocktails to go, and nine others have enacted laws that allow cocktails to go temporarily.
Virginia is one of the 9 states that allowed the temporary sale of cocktails to-go. Currently, those sales in Virginia are set to expire on July 1st, 2024.
Passing these bills leads the Commonwealth to be one step closer to permanently allowing the sale of to-go cocktails.
This was met with approval from the Distilled Spirits Council of United States (DISCUS) and the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging, & Travel Association (VRLTA), two organizations that support the sale of cocktails to-go and the benefits they provide consumers and businesses.
“Local bars, restaurants and distilleries continue to face headwinds with inflation, supply chain disruptions and staffing shortages,” Andy Deloney, the senior vice president and head of state public policy at DISCUS, wrote in a news release. “Cocktails to-go offer a stable and important source of revenue for Virginia businesses while providing increased convenience for consumers."
