(FeaturedNews.com) – Once again, North Carolina has passed a law allowing residents to order cocktails to-go.
On July 8, Governor Roy Cooper signed Senate Bill 527 into law, permanently reinstating cocktails to-go in the state.
The law also lowers the tax rate for spirits-based ready-to-drink cocktails and allows alcohol sales on specific holidays.
According to Lisa Hawkins, a spokesperson for the Distilled Spirits Councils of the United States (DISCUS), the measure was initially introduced during the pandemic when North Carolina joined 34 other states to allow bars, restaurants, and distilleries to sell takeaway cocktails, providing some much-needed economic relief as social distancing was still ongoing.
However, North Carolina’s executive order expired in June 2021, despite other states that had initially introduced the measure during the pandemic, making it permanent.
North Carolina has joined the District of Columbia and 28 other states, allowing the sale of to-go cocktails.
Hawkins also lauded the lower tax rate for spirits-based ready-to-drink cocktails, suggesting it will benefit the local economy.
DISCUS suggests removing the tax for mixed beverages on ready-to-drink cocktails would allow local bars and restaurants to sell products in the fastest-growing spirits category, with an annual revenue of $2.8 billion.
North Carolina has also become one of the six states that have lowered the tax rate on ready-to-drink cocktails, allowing easier access to the market. The Tar Heel State joins Nebraska, Iowa, Mississippi, Vermont, and Michigan, states that have all passed similar laws.
2024 Could also be a game-changing year for the ready-to-drink cocktail industry as a dozen other states consider following suit.
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