More California bars, wineries, breweries can serve to-go drinks under new relaxed rules

The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control is relaxing some of its regulations regarding a previously announced action that allowed for bars to sell to-go drinks.

Now, ABC officials said in a news release, even those bars, wineries, distilleries and breweries that lack a kitchen may now sell alcoholic drinks, as long as the establishment is partnered with a meal provider.

The emphasis on meal providers is due in part to the state’s requirement that to-go drinks be sold with a meal.

The ABC first loosened rules to allow for boozy to-go orders in mid-March, shortly after Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered all bars and night clubs close in response to the then-nascent coronavirus pandemic.

Although the measure was intended to provide relief, confusion ensued at local establishments as regulatory language proved to be complex. The Snug, a downtown Sacramento bar, received a complaint from the ABC after it was caught selling to-go drink orders.

The bar, lacking a kitchen of its own, was forced to shut down its operations. The ABC stipulated at the time that bars eligible to sell drinks to-go must be “bona fide eating places,” a categorization which excludes bars such as the Snug.

Under the new ABC guidelines, however, the Snug and others may theoretically be able to resume to-go sales — if they can manage to sell the drinks with a full meal, that is.

ABC officials cited public demand for more inclusive regulations as rationale behind the action.

“We know businesses have suffered as they continue fighting to slow the spread of COVID-19,” ABC Director Jacob Appelsmith said in a prepared statement. “We have heard directly from these businesses that the notices of regulatory relief can give them a boost and help bring more people back to work.”

The loosened regulations are a temporary measure that provides aid to an estimated 50,000 businesses across the state, according to the ABC.