'Alcohol-To-Go' Is Permanent In Texas

Austin TX

12 May, 2021

2:14 PM

Description

ACROSS TEXAS — After the success of "cocktails to-go" during the pandemic, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has made the sell of alcoholic beverages to-go permanent in the state. Abbott signed HB 1024 Wednesday making cocktails to-go permanent in the state as a way to continue supporting restaurants devastated by COVID-19 and providing increased convenience for consumers. HB 1024 allows the sell of alcoholic beverages through pickup and delivery from certain premises for off-premises consumption, the bill states. The Lone Star State is the 10th U.S. state to make a COVID-19 era cocktails to-go measure permanent. "Today is a great day for Texas restaurants as well as its customers," Abbott said Wednesday. "During the course of the pandemic, we waved regulation to allow restaurants to allow alcohol to-go. Well, it turns out, Texas liked it so much that the Texas Legislature wanted to make it a permanent law, which I am about to sign." Proud to sign #HB1024 into law, making Alcohol-To-Go legal in the state of Texas – a big win for restaurants across the state. Congrats to @KHancock4TX @CharlieGeren @Justinaholland @Senfronia4Texas @CarolForTexas & @TanParkerTX. #txlege https://t.co/l8PT4n1924— Gov. Greg Abbott (@GovAbbott) May 12, 2021 Kristi Brown, Senior Director of State Government Relations of Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, said cocktails to-go provided a much-needed lifeline for struggling hospitality businesses and prevented the permanent closure of many in Texas. "Now that this measure is permanent, hospitality businesses will have increased stability as they begin the long path to recovery," Brown said. "We applaud the Texas Legislature and Governor Abbott for supporting local businesses and for providing increased convenience to consumers." Other market modernization efforts are also moving through the Texas Legislature including one bill to allow seven-day spirits sales statewide (HB 937) and others that would allow local option elections for seven-day spirits sales (SB 1013; HB 2232), officials said. According to a statewide poll released by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, 65 percent of Texas voters support cocktails-to-go legislation; 65 percent of Texans support seven-day sales at liquor stores and craft distilleries; and 61 percent support allowing seven-day sales to be decided at the local level via local option election. "Recent polling shows that Texans overwhelmingly support modernizing Texas' marketplace to bring consumers increased convenience and expanded access to spirits products," said Brown. More than 30 states began allowing restaurants and bars to sell cocktails to-go as a COVID-19 economic relief measure. Iowa, Ohio, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Montana, Arkansas, West Virginia, Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas and the District of Columbia have all made COVID-era cocktails to-go measures permanent. Dozens of other states are also considering legislation to extend or make permanent cocktails to-go measures.