Colorado state reps unanimously advance bill to allow to-go cocktails

by Sarah Polus - 04/29/21 1:27 PM ET

The Colorado state House on Wednesday advanced a bill to permanently allow the sale of to-go cocktails even after the pandemic is over, according to The Associated Press.

If passed in the state’s Senate, the measure the bill would allow the sale of to-go cocktails for five years, until 2026.

The new legislation would continue the order past its slated summer expiration date and beyond the time when all other COVID-19 regulations are lifted.

The Colorado House voted unanimously to advance the measure to the state’s upper chamber.

“We are grateful that the House of Representatives has unanimously passed this important piece of legislation, and we urge the Senate to move quickly to advance and pass this bill,” Colorado Restaurant Association (CRA) CEO Sonia Riggs said in a statement to The Hill.

“Alcohol to-go sales have been a crucial lifeline for Colorado restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is the gravest crisis the restaurant industry has faced in living memory.”

Riggs noted that 85 percent of Coloradans are in favor of passing the measure, which would also increase the limits on alcohol sales for takeout and delivery to two bottles of wine, two six-packs of beer and one liter of spirits per transaction.

She added, “Although selling alcohol to-go beverages will not make up for all the lost revenue — $3 billion in 2020 alone – this bill gives restaurants the opportunity to further serve their customers and a chance to move into recovery from a position of strength.”

KUSA-TV notes that more than 30 states passed similar emergency orders during the pandemic, and Iowa, Ohio, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Montana, Arkansas and the District of Columbia have opted to permanently allow to-go cocktail sales.

Updated 2:18 p.m.

Tags Colorado Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic Jared Polis Jared Polis to-go cocktails