New Jersey just made a decision that a lot of guys who like to grab a drink with their takeout order have been waiting on. Governor Mikie Sherrill signed a bill making cocktails-to-go a permanent option in the state, and that means New Jersey is now the 33rd state in the country to lock this in for good. No more waiting around wondering if the law is going to get pulled or expire. It's official, it's permanent, and it's here to stay.
How This All Started
This whole thing goes back to the early days of COVID-19. When restaurants and bars got hit hard and had to shut their doors or scale way back, states started allowing them to sell mixed drinks to-go as a way to keep some money coming in. It made sense at the time — people were stuck at home, restaurants needed a lifeline, and letting them sell a margarita or an old fashioned alongside a burger and fries gave them another way to survive.
What's interesting is that this "temporary fix" ended up sticking around because people actually liked it. It wasn't just a pandemic-era gimmick that faded once things went back to normal. Consumers kept ordering cocktails with their takeout, and restaurants kept seeing the extra revenue roll in. So state after state started looking at making it permanent instead of letting it die off.
What The Industry Is Saying
Corey Staniscia, who serves as vice president of state government relations at the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, put it plainly. He said, "New Jersey consumers have enjoyed cocktails to-go for years, and this legislation ensures they'll continue to have that option." He went on to add, "What began as a temporary measure has become a reliable part of how many restaurants and bars serve their customers. We thank Governor Sherrill and the Legislature for making cocktails to-go permanent. This bill will provide support for the New Jersey hospitality industry, while preserving a popular option for adult consumers."
That's basically the whole story in a nutshell. This isn't some fringe idea anymore. It's become a normal part of how restaurants operate and how people order food and drinks together.
Why This Matters For Restaurants And Bars
Anyone who's owned or worked in a restaurant knows the margins in that business are razor thin. Food costs, labor, rent — it all adds up fast, and profit can be hard to come by. Cocktails-to-go gives these businesses another revenue stream that doesn't require opening a new location or hiring more staff. It's an easy add-on to an order that's already happening.
For the guy who orders takeout on a Friday night, this means he can also grab a cocktail to bring home instead of stopping at the liquor store or settling for a beer from the fridge. It's convenience, plain and simple. Order dinner, order a drink, pick it all up together or have it delivered, depending on what the local rules allow.
The Full List Of States That Made It Permanent
New Jersey isn't alone in this. In fact, it's joining a pretty long list of states that have already gone through this process. Here's every state that has signed legislation making cocktails-to-go a permanent fixture:
Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.
That's 33 states plus D.C., which shows this isn't a regional trend or something limited to one part of the country. It's happening everywhere, red states and blue states alike, which tells you something about how popular this policy really is across the board.
The States Still On The Fence
Not every state has made the jump to permanent status yet. Two big ones are still operating under temporary rules. California has cocktails-to-go allowed, but that law is set to expire on December 31, 2026. New York also still has a temporary version in place, with theirs running until April 9, 2030.
So if someone lives in California or New York, they can still get their to-go cocktail for now, but there's a clock running on it. Whether those states follow New Jersey's lead and make it permanent remains to be seen, but given the trend across the rest of the country, it wouldn't be a shock if they eventually do the same thing.
A Word On Responsibility
None of this is meant to be an excuse for overdoing it. The Distilled Spirits Council has been clear that the whole point of cocktails-to-go is for people to enjoy a drink responsibly at home, not to encourage binge drinking or reckless behavior. Adults who choose to drink are encouraged to do so in moderation, and every local and state law about where and how alcohol can be consumed still has to be followed. This is about convenience and supporting local businesses, not about cutting corners on responsible drinking.
What This Means Going Forward
For a state like New Jersey, known for its dense population and heavy reliance on restaurants and bars for both jobs and local economy, this permanent law is a win on multiple fronts. Restaurant owners get a dependable revenue stream they can count on long-term instead of wondering if lawmakers will let the option lapse. Consumers get the freedom to keep doing what they've already been doing for years — picking up a cocktail with their dinner order without any hassle.
It also sends a signal to other states still sitting on temporary laws. When 33 states and D.C. have already made this permanent, it puts pressure on the remaining states to catch up or explain why they're falling behind. Nobody wants to be the last state clinging to red tape while everyone else has already figured out that this works.
At the end of the day, this is a straightforward story about a policy that started out of necessity during a crisis and turned into something people just expect now. New Jersey made it official, and the rest of the country is mostly already on board or getting there. For anyone who enjoys grabbing a drink with their takeout, that's good news that isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
