The Michigan House of Representatives passed a bill that would make to-go cocktails in Michigan permanent.
HB 4201 will next head to the Michigan Senate, and if approved, will go to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's desk for her signature. It passed with a vote of 102-5 with three people not voting.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the legislature allowed to-go sales of cocktails for restaurants that transitioned to take-out sales while indoor dining was closed.
That bill is set to expire on Jan. 1, 2026, and the current bill removes the end date and allows on-premise licensees, including distillers, to sell cocktails to-go in a sealed container for carry-out.
“We are grateful to representatives who voted to approve cocktails to-go,” Andy Deloney, the senior vice president and head of state public policy at the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, said in a statement. “The cocktails to-go law has been a tremendous benefit for Michigan’s neighborhood restaurants, taverns and small distilleries. Michigan consumers have come to expect cocktails to-go when ordering takeout from their favorite local restaurants. Making the cocktails to-go law permanent solidifies the increased convenience consumers have enjoyed over the last few years and builds increased stability for businesses.”
The Senate passed its own bill earlier this year but that bill is awaiting consideration in the House.
Since the pandemic, there have been 19 states that allowed permanent to-go cocktail sales and 14 others that allow temporary sales.
