June 27, 2023 – Gov. JB Pritzker recently signed SB 0089 into law, which extended the pandemic-era “cocktails to-go” law until August 1, 2028.
The original law went into effect in June 2020 and allowed restaurants and bars to provide carryout, curbside pickup and delivery of mixed drinks and single servings of wine for off-premises consumption during COVID-19 shutdowns. It was set to expire on January 3, 2024 but has been extended for five additional years, under a set of restrictions and regulations created by the Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC).
Like all alcoholic beverages, to-go drinks can only be sold or delivered to those 21 and over by an employee who is also at least 21. If the server cannot accurately identify the buyer’s age or intoxication level, ILCC mandates the sale must be canceled and any beverages be returned to the seller. All drinks must be sealed, with ingredients and the packaging date clearly labeled, and cannot be stored in the passenger area of the transporting vehicle. Under the law, third-party delivery services and apps are not allowed to deliver alcohol as part of their services.
“We are happy that the Illinois hospitality industry can continue to receive the economic benefits of cocktails to-go, however, we want to ensure retailers and consumers are able to easily comply with the requirements of the law,” said Lisa Gardner, Executive Director of the ILCC, in a press release. “It is the ILCC’s responsibility to safeguard the public by ensuring that to-go cocktails are safely transported.”
The requirements are in place to protect the health and safety of consumers, licensees and the public, the ILCC said. Illinois law prohibits drivers and passengers from carrying open containers of alcohol while driving, and driving while intoxicated is illegal and can lead to fines or even bodily harm.
To read more about the law’s extension, click HERE.
