Cocktails won’t be on NC to-go menus, at least for now

Liquor to-go became too controversial to be included in the North Carolina legislature’s COVID-19 relief bills.

Proposals to allow restaurants and bars to sell up to two servings of mixed drinks for takeout and delivery didn’t make it into a bipartisan relief measure before it passed the state House and Senate on Saturday directing how to spend more than $1.5 billion in federal stimulus money.

Some lawmakers wanted to allow the new liquor sales temporarily to help businesses whose dine-in service has been shut down to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. One of those proponents, Wake County Democratic Sen. Jay Chaudhuri, asked during a committee meeting Saturday why his proposal didn’t make it into the measure.

“I thought that could put cash in restaurants and bars that really need it,” Chaudhuri said.

Sen. Brent Jackson said the proposal was debated late into the night during negotiations between the House and Senate, but lawmakers could not reach an agreement.

“The consensus was this was something we could run later in an alcohol bill and did not belong in the COVID-19 recovery bill,” said Jackson, a Sampson County Republican.

Critics concerned about drinking and driving

Both the Senate and House put forward amendments to include the sale of mixed drinks to go. From the get-go the proposals were controversial.

Bars and restaurants already have the ability to sell beer and wine to go. But some lawmakers had voiced concerns about potential increases in domestic violence, or in drunken driving.

“I’m deeply concerned that this does a couple things, it gives access to open containers providing better access to drinking and driving with two drinks that are in the vehicle,” Rep. John Torbett, a Gaston County Republican, said in a committee meeting Thursday.

Torbett was told all current laws including drinking and driving would stand. The mixed drinks would have to remain sealed.

Rep. Pat Hurley said Thursday she was told that ABC stores had been deemed essential — and exempt from stay-at-home orders — to stop hospitals from being overrun by detoxing alcoholics. But the Randolph County Republican added that alcohol use has been up and sellers were making a lot of money.

The House and Senate passed their COVID-19 relief bills without the amendments. Isabel Villa-Garcia, director of government affairs for the NC Restaurant and Lodging Association, tweeted her disappointment: “A much needed pro-business, consumer choice COVID relief provision got stuck by a small minority.”

This story was originally published May 2, 2020 at 3:41 PM with the headline "Cocktails won’t be on NC to-go menus, at least for now."