Arizona restaurants can return to selling to-go cocktails this fall under a new law passed Monday by the state Legislature.
Gov. Doug Ducey extended the temporary privilege to restaurants last year to help them survive the covid-19 pandemic, but his action was struck down by the courts in November.
(Pictured: Last year’s to-go cocktails from The Brickyard Downtown in Chandler.)
Rep. Jeff Weninger of Chandler, along with the Arizona Restaurant Association, led a bipartisan effort to change the law permanently.
Weninger co-owns Floridino’s Pizza & Pasta in Chandler and Dilly’s Deli in Tempe.
Under current Arizona law, restaurants have no off-sale privileges, other than those that have growler permits for craft beer.
Under the new law, which takes effect Sept. 30, restaurants can apply for a lease to sell to-go mixed cocktails, which are defined as any spirituous liquor (beer, wine, or distilled spirits) mixed with at least one other ingredient (other than water).
Restaurants also will be able to lease off-sale privileges to sell packaged beer, wine, and distilled spirits from a bar or liquor store (or just beer and wine from a beer and wine bar).
The new law does not allow beer and wine bars to sell mixed cocktails to-go.
The 46-page law also contains quite a few other provisions. You can find them all here.
