DENVER (KDVR) — A bill that will legalize alcohol to-go for takeout and delivery from restaurants until July 1, 2025, in Colorado is on the way to Gov. Jared Polis’ desk for a signature.
The bill passed through the Colorado legislature on June 8.
The Colorado Restaurant Association said 93% of Colorado restaurants have relied on alcohol to-go to supplement lost revenue from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Alcohol to go is win-win for the people of Colorado, who overwhelmingly approve of it, and for restaurants, who need it as they work to recover following more than a year of pandemic-driven disruptions to business,” said Sonia Riggs, President and CEO of the Colorado Restaurant Association. “Passing this measure was a political no-brainer. Being able to sell alcohol beverages for takeout and delivery has been a lifeline for the Colorado restaurant industry, which lost $3 billion in revenue in 2020 alone. Allowing alcohol to go will be instrumental to alleviating the gravest economic crisis the restaurant industry has faced in living memory.”
Here’s what is included in the bill:
- Extends alcohol for takeout and delivery from a restaurant until July 1, 2025
- Allows a restaurant to sell alcohol for takeout and delivery between the hours of 7 a.m. and midnight
- After the pandemic State of Emergency Order is lifted, the following limits on how much alcohol restaurants can sell for takeout and delivery, per transaction, will be:
- One liter of spirits
- Two 750-ml bottles of wine
- Two six-packs of beer
- Cities can create outdoor communal dining areas where two or more restaurants are allowed to attach their liquor licenses and then sell and serve alcohol in that outdoor dining area