WTWO Terre Haute
Christopher Boyll

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTWO/WAWV)— Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law a permanent cocktail-to-go law on December 12.
The law allows restaurants to sell mixed drinks and cocktails for delivery and curbside pickup. According to the Illinois Restaurant Association stated that cocktails-to-go helped keep establishments afloat during the pandemic and continue to help restaurants stay competitive.
“We thank Gov. Pritzker and applaud the General Assembly for passing Senate Bill 618, which guarantees that alcohol delivery and cocktails-to-go can continue through 2028 and beyond, preserving a vital source of revenue for restaurants across the state,” said Sam Toia, CEO and President of the Illinois Restaurant Association.
The bill includes safeguards such as strict container requirements and age verification to attempt to ensure responsible service and compliance. The legislation also allows those with a craft brewer license to offer rewards and loyalty programs like mug clubs for their customers.
“Illinois becomes the 30th state, plus Washington, D.C., to make cocktails-to-go permanent. This commonsense policy is a win for restaurants, employees, and customers across Illinois. The modern restaurant consumer is looking to order their meals to-go more often, and allowing operators to include alcoholic beverages as part of those orders provides them with new ways to set themselves apart and to meet customer interest,” said Mike Whatley, Vice President of State Affairs and Grassroots Advocacy, National Restaurant Association.
The bill was voted through unanimously in the State Senate and won 104 to six during the veto session in the House of Representatives.

DC News Now

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — As of July 1, multiple new alcohol-related laws — including two that impact how such beverages can be sold — went into effect across Virginia.
On Tuesday, July 1, five new laws impacting the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC), as well as its current and prospective licensees, went into effect. These changes reflect bills recently passed by the Virginia General Assembly.
1. To-go cocktail delivery is here to stay.To-go cocktails became very popular during COVID-19, when many restaurants were forced to pivot towards carry-out.
A provision that allowed licensed third-party delivery providers like DoorDash and Uber Eats to deliver wine, beer and to-go cocktails was set to expire — until the General Assembly moved to make it permanent.
“These bills, in conjunction with prior legislation, continue the same public safety protections, including those related to packaging and labeling, that have been in place,” the Virginia ABC said in a press release.
2. Customers can now be served full canned cocktails — some of them, at least.Mixed-beverage licensees face a variety of restrictions on how and what kind of drinks they can provide to their customers.
Under this new law, these licensees can now serve individual customers an entire canned cocktail both in-house and to-go — with some restrictions. The original canned cocktail must be 16 ounces or less and it must be no more than 15% alcohol by volume.
3. Human trafficking training has been added at Virginia ABC.An online course on human trafficking, developed by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, will be offered by the Virginia ABC to retail licensees and their employees for training purposes.
4. A new group will focus on cracking down on underage smoking sales.While this law may not involve alcohol, it does involve the Virginia ABC and its Bureau of Law Enforcement.
This new law created a working group to address enforcement on illegal, underage sales of tobacco, liquid nicotine and hemp products. 
The Virginia ABC’s Bureau of Law Enforcement conducts an underage buyer program with alcohol and tobacco sellers. It will contribute to this working group, per the agency.
5. Rules on how alcohol manufacturers conduct sales with vendors are now clearer.This law, in theory, does not actually change any requirements currently on alcohol manufacturers, bottlers or wholesalers. Instead, it clarifies the language within existing statute to make current requirements clearer.
Under Virginia law, these manufacturers, bottlers and wholesalers can get retail licenses and provide products to their licensees as long as the products they provide are not alcoholic beverages.

“Now marking its 91st year, ABC remains committed to progress and innovation in carrying out its vision of bringing good spirits and excellent service to Virginia,” the Virginia ABC said in the release.

WJZNews
By Janay Reece
Updated on: January 30, 2025 / 3:51 AM EST / CBS Baltimore

LOCAL NEWS
Maryland lawmakers push to allow cocktails to-go in Baltimore CountyBy Janay Reece
Updated on: January 30, 2025 / 3:51 AM EST / CBS Baltimore

BALTIMORE COUNTY — You may want to get your favorite drink order ready.
Maryland lawmakers are proposing a new bill, HB 0770, that may make it easier for adults to order cocktails to-go from their favorite restaurant.
"I think it's time to open Baltimore County up to allow this really reasonable practice," said Kathy Szeliga, Baltimore County District 7A Delegate.

Past Alcohol Beverage Laws In 2021 Gov. Larry Hogan signed a bill extending the take-out cocktails and alcohol delivery measure during the covid pandemic. 
The initiative ended in 2023. 
But Maryland Lawmakers like Del. Szeliga and Del. Carl Jackson are working together to bring the measure back to Baltimore County permanently. 
"You can currently get alcohol delivered in Baltimore County, a closed bottle of wine, a closed beer. So this really makes sense, and is part of modernizing the way we do things today," explained Szeliga.
Gelmin Portillo owner Taco Love Grill in White Marsh. The restaurant has been open since 2011. He believes for some restaurants alcohol and drink sales are changing.
"We also have to understand that after the pandemic, there's been a shift in the way that consumers behave when it comes to eating out," explained Portillo. "There's less and less people dining out, and we have to adapt to those times as well."
Current Alcohol Beverage Laws Portillo believes the new bill could help — if it is done right.
"This type of regulation has been proven that it can work in other jurisdictions, and we believe that it can work here as well with the right regulation," said Portillo.
Currently, there are some Maryland counties that let users order alcoholic beverages from local merchants for delivery by third-party platforms like DoorDash.  
Delivery drivers will have to apply for a service permit at an annual rate of $1,000, which allows them to deliver alcohol from authorized businesses.  
People who purchase or receive alcoholic beverages must be at least 21 years old and provide valid identification as proof of age upon delivery of the alcohol.
With HB0770 being introduced, it will expand what restaurants can offer to customers.
"You can currently get alcohol delivered in Baltimore County, a closed bottle of wine, a closed beer. So this really makes sense, and is part of modernizing the way we do things today" said Szeliga. 
Addressing Concerns Szeliga is aware there are safety concerns surrounding the proposed bill, but she said there are provisions within it to protect customers. 
"This bill has provisions like the cocktail to go has to have a lid, without a straw, without a hold or a straw, and it's going to be taped down which makes sense because you don't want it to spill. And you know, we'll have revisions to ensure it's not something that could be easily accessed," Szeliga explained.
"Know that it can be done, and this bill is going to have some provisions in it to ensure that people are not drinking and driving and that minors are not getting a hold of it."
The bill is still in its early stages and has a few more steps before it can go to the governor's desk.

WNCT9
by: Gabby Sartori, Mekaela Muck
Posted: Jan 6, 2025 / 01:05 PM EST
Updated: Jan 6, 2025 / 11:20 PM EST

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — Ordering takeout is one of the most convenient forms of customer service for many people. 
Cocktails to-go are officially back after their five-year hiatus since COVID-19. Under Senate Bill 527, you can order a cocktail to-go through a restaurant’s order service or Doordash. 
During COVID-19, Sup Dogs initially had the cocktail to-go service and they are excited to have it back once again.
“It’s nice that people are over order food and maybe instead of spending 10, 20 bucks on food, they’re adding on an additional 510 bucks for a drink to go,” Owner of Sug Dogs Bret Oliverio said. “So, it’s additional revenue for restaurants and, you know, I’m just glad that there’s processes in place that make things safe and gives restaurants a chance to make a little bit more revenue.” 
When ordering a cocktail to-go, you must order a meal too. North Carolina is the 29th state to permanently allow cocktails to-go.

Published:  The Roanoke Times
April 7, 2024

The 1980s called. They want their alcohol policy back.
Dan Casey’s opinion piece [“Legal cocktails-to-go: Freedom or just dumb?” March 26] ignores the most recent research on alcohol laws and regulations completely. This is especially true when it comes to Virginia alcohol law, and more importantly, the recently adopted cocktails to-go law. The R Street Institute, where I work, is one of the only nonpartisan think tanks in the country that analyzes alcohol laws and regulations. I am confident that our work is more current and relevant than the sources Dan Casey cites.
The piece points out the many states — 26 states and the District of Columbia — that have made cocktails to-go permanent. That is where most of the facts related to this issue ends, and the conjecture begins. Mr. Casey points out that Maryland is notably absent from the list of states that have made cocktails to-go permanent because the state allowed its pandemic era law to expire because of “drive-thru bars” in a 1980s rural county.
The only facts he references are from a 1984 Washington Post article related to drinking and driving rates. A lot has changed in 40 years, including the passage of the Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, which pushed states to raise the legal drinking age to 21.
He conveniently overlooks the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (VABC) report last year to the General Assembly which found compliance related underage drinking laws for restaurants was similar to that of VABC brick-and-mortar stores.
In fact, the R Street Institute has found that almost every state that permitted delivery and to-go alcohol during COVID-19 witnessed a decrease in underage drinking. Likewise, states that allowed alcohol delivery saw their overall drinking rates rise less than those that prohibited delivery. In terms of drunk driving, states that allowed alcohol delivery experienced lower increases in drunk driving deaths during the pandemic — which intuitively makes sense, given that home-delivery of alcohol allows consumers to avoid driving back from the bar after numerous drinks.
In the future, Mr. Casey may want to use more precise data than a Reagan-era Washington Post article on Maryland when discussing 21st century alcohol laws in Virginia.
Robert Melvin, Richmond