Last summer as the pandemic was delivering a heavy blow to local restaurants, Massachusetts temporarily allowed them to sell cocktails to-go. Now, with that provision due to expire in June, some establishments and lawmakers are pushing to extend that ability — perhaps even permanently. Local liquor store owners, however, are not pleased with the idea. Jim Braude was joined by state senator Diana DiZoglio, who is pushing for the extension, and Robert Mellion, executive director and general counsel of the Massachusetts Package Stores Association, which is opposed to the permanent switch.
“Cocktails to-go is something that’s proven tremendously successful in assisting our local mom-and-pop restaurants to be able to survive the negative impacts of the pandemic,” DiZoglio said. “It’s also very popular with residents.”
“The amendments process is not the way to change decades-old alcohol and beverage laws that intentionally segregate, separate section 12 licenses, restaurants, and section 15 licenses,” Mellion said, noting that contrary to public narrative, many liquor stores did not see profits this year. “If you’re going to make changes that are this material, where you’re going to allow restaurants to be both on the premise and off the premise retailers, then you’ve got to have open hearings about this.”
WATCH: The legal debate around cocktails-to-go
