New York could become the 21st state to permanently allow bars and restaurants to sell to-go cocktails if Gov. Kathy Hochul has her way.
The Democratic governor will propose a permanent extension of the state’s current to-go alcohol law — which is scheduled to expire next year — on Thursday as part of a series of amendments to her $233 billion budget proposal, her office told Gothamist.
In a statement, Hochul said to-go cocktails have been “wildly successful for bars, restaurants and everyday New Yorkers.”
“It’s long overdue to permanently legalize to-go drinks, and in this year’s budget we’re going to get the job done,” she said.
The sale of drinks with to-go orders became popular during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when bars and restaurants had to close their doors to dine-in patrons. Then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo allowed carry-out drinks until his pandemic-era emergency powers expired in June 2021.
Hochul and state lawmakers approved a law in 2022’s budget allowing the sale of cocktails and glasses of wine with to-go food orders. But that law came with an expiration date in April 2025.
Restaurant and bar owners hailed the law at the time, saying their customers came to love the idea of to-go drinks during the pandemic. But liquor store owners argued against it, claiming it would allow bars and restaurants to encroach on their turf.
At least 20 states have permanently enacted laws allowing to-go cocktails since the start of the pandemic, according to the National Restaurant Association, which calls it the “most significant change to state alcohol laws since the end of Prohibition.” Another 14 states, including New York, enacted temporary laws.
Andrew Rigie, executive director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, which represents the city’s restaurant industry, said to-go drinks were “critically important during the pandemic.”
“It’s been great for consumers and important for restaurants alike ever since, so making this…
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