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Panel weighs sealed cocktails to-go, split over enforcement and business impact
Summary
Supporters argue sealed cocktails for takeout and a restaurant delivery license would help struggling restaurants and keep impaired drivers off roads; Liquor Commission and public-health witnesses pressed for integrity seals, labeling, and clear enforcement to prevent sales to minors and open-container risks.
Senate Bill 5-24 would allow restaurants to package sealed alcoholic beverages for takeout and permit on-premise establishments to provide delivery via a restaurant delivery license. Senator Tim McHugh, the bill sponsor, said the measure is intended to give consumers the option to take a sealed drink home with a meal and to provide a safety benefit by removing the incentive to drink at the bar and then drive.
Industry groups and business advocates generally supported the bill in concept. Mike Summers, president of the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association, told the…
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