Ashtyn Asay 
New Jersey restaurants and bars will be able to continue selling cocktails to-go under a new law signed by Governor Mikie Sherrill on Friday, August 28th. The legislation makes permanent the temporary rules introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing eligible businesses to sell and deliver alcoholic beverages for off-premises consumption. The COVID-era rules were set to expire on September 1st, but the new law permanently codifies the temporary provisions while maintaining restrictions on how alcoholic beverages can be packaged and delivered. Keep reading to learn more about this new law.
What Does This Mean for Restaurants and Bars?
“New Jersey’s small businesses shouldn’t have to navigate outdated rules just to serve their customers and grow,” Governor Sherrill said in a press release. “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.” Under Senate Bill 4384, businesses, including restaurants, hotels, and bars, that hold retail consumption licenses can sell certain alcoholic beverages for off-premises consumption.
Eligible businesses can sell:
- Alcoholic beverages in their original containers for off-premises consumption.
- Mixed alcoholic beverages, including cocktails, in closed and sealed containers.
The law also allows eligible businesses to deliver certain alcoholic beverages to customers for off-premises consumption, provided they follow certain requirements. Mixed alcoholic beverages must be provided in closed and sealed containers, while malted beverages, including beer and hard seltzers, must be delivered in their original, sealed containers. Alcohol delivery can be handled by the licensed business itself or by a licensed third-party delivery service.
Read More: 15 Must-Try Cocktails at the Jersey Shore
To-go alcohol options may also make food delivery more appealing to customers. According to the National Restaurant Association, consumers are more likely to order delivery from restaurants when cocktails are available. In states where alcohol-to-go is permitted, 79% of wine drinkers, 77% of beer drinkers, and 74% of cocktail drinkers surveyed said they were more likely to choose a restaurant for delivery based on the option to order cocktails to-go.
New Options for Craft Distilleries
The law also touches on what craft distilleries in the Garden State can offer customers. Craft distillery licensees can sell mixed drinks for on-premises consumption when the drinks are made using distilled alcoholic beverages manufactured at the licensed premises. They can also sell mixed drinks for off-premises consumption, provided the drinks are placed in containers with a tamper-evident seal. Additionally, craft distilleries can sell their own distilled alcoholic beverages in original containers alongside nonalcoholic beverages or foodstuffs that customers can combine at home to make a mixed drink.
Restaurants Say the Law Will Help Small Businesses
According to supporters of the legislation, making cocktails-to-go permanent will allow eligible bars, restaurants, distilleries, and breweries to continue tapping into an additional revenue source.
“For family-owned small businesses like mine, every opportunity to better serve our guests and generate additional revenue matters,” Matthew Borowski, owner of 618 Restaurant and The Death of Hospitality Group, said in a press release. “Giving our guests the opportunity to bring a piece of our brand home with them is priceless.”
Daniel Klim, president and CEO of the New Jersey Restaurant & Hospitality Association, also praised the new legislation.
“Making cocktails to-go permanent is a meaningful solution for New Jersey’s hospitality industry,” Daniel said in a press release. “This law preserves a popular and convenient option for customers while providing restaurants and bars with an additional revenue stream.”
See More: Where to Find Cocktail Towers in Hoboken + Jersey City
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