MA To Permanantly Allow To-Go Cocktails Thanks To New Bill

MASSACHUSETTS — If you like to bring the party home with you, you're in luck — Massachusetts' governor Maura Healey signed a bill Tuesday to permanently allow to-go cocktails in the state.

The provision is part of a supplemental budget bill and aims to support local businesses and consumers, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.

There had already been a temporary measure in place in Massachusetts to allow to-go cocktails, which became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it expired on April 1.

"Adult consumers have enjoyed cocktails to-go in Massachusetts for nearly four years now and businesses have benefited from the added revenue," Andy Deloney, senior vice president and head of state public policy at the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States said in a news release Tuesday. "Taking away this revenue generator for businesses and this convenient option for consumers simply doesn't make sense. We are grateful the legislature has approved this bill and urge the governor to sign it, reinstating and making cocktails to-go permanent in Massachusetts."

Since the pandemic began, 26 states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws to permanently allow cocktails to go, and six others have enacted laws that allow cocktails to go temporarily. Numerous states are still considering cocktails to-go legislation.

The states that signed legislation to make cocktails to-go permanent into law are Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.

Those who have signed into law legislation to allow cocktails to go temporarily are California (expires December 31, 2026), Colorado (expires July 1, 2025), Illinois (expires August 1, 2028), New Jersey (TBD), New York (expires April 9, 2025) and Vermont (expires July 1, 2025).