Overview
- Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed the measure on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, making permanent the pandemic-era authorization for bars, restaurants, distilleries and hotels to sell and deliver alcoholic drinks for off-premises consumption.
- The law takes effect immediately and requires mixed cocktails sold to-go to be in closed, tamper-evident containers that do not exceed 16 fluid ounces.
- Deliveries may be made either by the licensed business itself or by permitted third-party delivery companies, and distilleries get limited new retail and delivery privileges under the statute.
- In California, lawmakers passed Assembly Bill 2663 and sent it to Gov. Gavin Newsom; the bill would extend the current temporary cocktails-to-go rules through 2029 and requires drinks to be purchased with a meal while awaiting the governor’s signature.
- The policy began as a 2020 pandemic lifeline and now sits on an uneven state-by-state landscape, with at least 32 states and Washington, D.C., already making takeout cocktails permanent and restaurants citing significant sales gains from the option.