CARSON CITY, Nev. (KOLO) – There’s a new menu item available at many Nevada restaurants, cocktails to-go.
“Adult consumers in Nevada have something to toast to, cocktails to-go are back and here to stay,” said Adam Smith with the U.S. Distilled Spirits Council. “During the pandemic, cocktails to-go were a great additional source of revenue for local bars and restaurants, while adding convenience for consumers.”
On June 9, Gov. Joe Lombardo signed Assembly Bill 375, which permanently allows liquor to-go in Nevada. It also makes Picon Punch the official state drink.
Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager and GOP Assemblymember Bert Gurr were the bill’s primary sponsors.
Gurr submitted the latest bill this session.
“I started it as a single bill, one sentence,” Gurr said. “And the speaker very kindly showed me how that wasn’t going to fly. And then asked me if I’d put it in his bill which, when I read the bill, yea it’s a good bill.”
It’s the equivalent of ordering food and cocktails from a restaurant and having Door Dash or other delivery service bring it to your door.
Cocktails to-go were temporarily allowed in Nevada during the pandemic.
The new law allows county commissioners and city councils to authorize cocktails to-go in their jurisdictions.
“We applaud the legislature and Gov. Lombardo for supporting Nevada’s businesses and consumers by bringing this popular measure back,” Smith said.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 31 states, including Nevada, and the District of Columbia have enacted laws to permanently allow liquor to-go.
Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia have all made COVID-era cocktails to-go measures permanent.
California (expires December 31, 2026), Illinois (expires August 1, 2028), New Jersey (TBD) and New York (expires April 9, 2030) passed legislation to allow cocktails to-go on a temporary basis.
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