During the summer of 2020, I had my fair share of drinks. To-go cocktails, a weekly alcohol delivery, you name it. Forgive me, I was 22-years-old and stuck at home with my parents.
Now, the alcohol policies popularized during the pandemic are back.
Governor Mikie Sherrill signed S-4384 into law, making New Jersey’s cocktails-to-go and alcohol delivery rules permanent. The bipartisan legislation was sponsored by State Senators Vin Gopal and Declan O’Scanlon.
The rules—passed by former Governor Phil Murphy in 2020—were originally intended to be temporary, set to expire on September 1, 2026. Now, they’re here to stay. For good.
The new law is for eligible businesses only: restaurants, bars, hotels with retail consumption licenses, and craft distilleries.
Restaurants and bars specifically can now sell alcoholic beverages in their original containers, mixed cocktails in sealed containers capped at 16 fluid ounces, and malt beverages like beer and hard seltzer in their original containers.
Alcohol delivery is now officially permitted either by the business itself or a licensed third-party delivery service.
This is a big deal for restaurants offering food delivery options. To-go cocktails opens up an additional revenue source, and their availability tends to attract more customers. According to data, states where alcohol-to-go is allowed, a majority of beer, cocktail, and wine drinkers said they were more likely to choose a delivery restaurant if to-go drink options were available.
Additionally, under the new rules, craft distilleries can sell cocktails for on-site consumption, sell mixed drinks made with their own spirits for off-premises consumption in tamper-evident containers, and sell their products in original containers alongside non-alcoholic mixers or food items.
“New Jersey’s small businesses shouldn’t have to navigate outdated rules just to serve their customers and grow. Cocktails to-go worked, customers liked it, and small businesses told us it was another way to bring in revenue. Today, we’re making it permanent,” Governor Sherrill said in a statement.
Assemblywoman Luanne Peterpaul framed it as a win for small businesses: “We need to support our small businesses by giving them the tools they need to succeed, and this bill does exactly that.”
With alcohol delivery and to-go cocktails rules set to expire next week, NJ lawmakers made it permanent at the buzzer. Now, maybe re-visiting our archaic liquor license laws can be next.
Peter Candia is the Food + Drink Editor at New Jersey Digest. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Peter found a passion for writing midway through school and never looked back. He is a former line cook, server and bartender at top-rated restaurants in the tri-state area. In addition to food, Peter enjoys politics, music, sports and anything New Jersey.
