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To-go alcohol was initially approved by Governor Jared Polis via an emergency executive order during the pandemic.
DENVER — Alcohol to-go could soon be leaving Colorado, unless a bill is signed into law to make this decision permanent.
Gov. Jared Polis initially approved to-go alcohol via an emergency executive order during the pandemic.
“That was in effort to help restaurants that were hit incredibly hard by the lockdowns and no in-person contact orders by the government to help them create an extra source of revenue that they desperately needed at the time,” said (D) State Sen. Dylan Roberts, District 8.
The law was set in 2021 and it’s schedule to expire in 2025. This bill allowed restaurants to pour a certain amount of alcohol in a to-go cup, seal it, and hand it off to the customer.
“Restaurants really struggled during COVID, so this was a priority for them to allow this very revenue source to continue and it was the difference between a lot of them having to close their doors or not and unfortunately we lost a lot of restaurants during the pandemic,” said Roberts. “Many were able to stay open because of this, but they’re still recovering. That’s why it’s important to keep this extra revenue in place.”
According to the Colorado Restaurant Association, this law was a crucial lifeline for restaurants who had to pivot to other options when dining rooms were closed or had to operate with limited seating.
“This will give restaurants certainty, so that restaurants that are looking to open up next year will know alcohol to-go can be part of the business plan, they can plan for it,” said director of government affairs at the Colorado Restaurant Association, Colin Larson.
The bill would not change safety measures that have been put in place or alcohol limits, which is no more than:
- 1.5 liters of wine
- 1 liter of spirits liquor
- 144oz of beer
“We’re taking what’s already been on the ground, what’s been going on for the last 3-4 years. We think it’s a great system and we know there’s predictability into what we’re getting, and we just want to continue that,” said Larson.
The bill was formally introduced earlier this month and there’s a hearing set for Thursday.
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