To-Go Cocktail Bill Signed by Gov. Baker

Bar owners in Jamaica Plain were growing tired of seeing local liquor stores receive daily deliveries while their expensive inventory sat collecting dust on shelves.

Many bars here were forced to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic only to recently reopen with limited capacity or outdoor seating.

Many bar owners in Jamaica Plain were frustrated because they couldn’t order liquor and sell it in any profitable volume nor could they move already stocked inventory.

Many bar owners here became vocal proponents of the state legislature’s ‘to-go cocktail’ bill.

The bill is designed to allow bars to start moving inventory of expensive liquor that has been sitting on shelves since the pandemic began.

The bill, which sat on Gov. Charlie Baker’s desk since last week, was finally signed by the Governor Monday.

The bill, which was passed by the House back in June and the Senate last week, will let bars and restaurants sell to-go cocktails with takeout only or delivery food orders until Gov. Baker lifts the state emergency order that was given back in March.

Customers of bars in restaurants in Jamaica Plain can now order two cocktails per entree. However, the total volume of liquor being sold can not exceed 64 ounces.

All cocktails must be sold in a sealed container, and the volume of alcohol-to-mixer must be the same as for on-premises consumption.

 State Sen. Diana Dizoglio, a Meuthuen Democrat that filed the bill, said, “While many mom and pop establishments have been able to slowly reopen in recent weeks, they still face significant challenges in their efforts to retain employees and pay their bills. According to our local, family owned and operated restaurants, these measures could help them generate thousands of dollars a month and would greatly assist them in paying utility bills and rent. I am grateful to my colleagues in the legislature for their support and continued advocacy on the issue and to Governor Baker for signing it into law.”

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