Lawmakers in the Virginia legislature overwhelmingly voted to make to-go cocktails legal, as a pandemic-era order on the matter is set to expire in July.
The state House of Delegates voted 81-18 on Wednesday in favor of repealing the July 1, 2024, expiration on the “sale and delivery of mixed beverages and pre-mixed wine for off-premises consumption.” The state Senate voted 40-0 in favor of a measure extending the policy, which was originally instituted via an order by then-Gov. Ralph Northam (D-VA) in April 2020 and has been extended multiple times.
The bill must be signed into law by Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA), who previously signed an extension in 2022 for to-go cocktails to remain legal through this July.
The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States is one of many groups who pushed for states to make their COVID-era to-go cocktail laws permanent, and celebrated the action by lawmakers in the Old Dominion. Andy Deloney, senior vice president and head of state public policy at Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, touted the benefits for businesses in a statement.
“Local bars, restaurants and distilleries continue to face headwinds with inflation, supply chain disruptions and staffing shortages,” Deloney said. “Cocktails to-go offer a stable and important source of revenue for Virginia businesses while providing increased convenience for consumers. Making cocktails to-go permanent provides long-term stability for those in the hospitality sector and continues a convenience many adult consumers have come to enjoy over the last four years.”
“We applaud the Virginia House and Senate for moving these measures forward,” he added.
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If signed into law, Virginia would become the 24th state to make to-go cocktail laws implemented during the pandemic permanent, along with the District of Columbia.
Several other states, including Massachusetts, California, and New York, allow to-go cocktails, but those measures are set to expire in the coming years.