Alcohol To Go is Back in New York – Kind Of…

COVID was tough, but there was ever a silver lining in that mess, it was alcohol to go in New York. It may be back but there are rules.

No one is saying that COVID wasn’t rough. We were locked in our houses, afraid to talk to or see anyone, and we were ordering food all of the time since grocery shopping was tough. The only plus side to the whole situation was that we at least could get alcohol delivered to our house or we could pick it up to take home.

Alcohol to go went away, until recently. It’s still pretty easy but there are technically some rules you still have to follow. First, the new law will go into review after three years. Second, in order to have alcohol to go, you must purchase a “substantial” order of food.

According to New York Upstate, “all takeout alcohol must be sold in sealed containers, wine and liquor can’t be sold by the bottle, and the price must be the same as for dining in.”

The State Liquor Authority says: “A substantial food item is defined as sandwiches, soups or other foods, whether fresh, processed, precooked or frozen,” the guidance reads. “Other foods are foods which are similar in quality and substance to sandwiches and soups; for example, salads, wings, or hotdogs would be of that quality and substance; however, a bag of chips, bowl of nuts, or candy alone are not.”

“Obvious efforts to circumvent the law, for example an unreasonably small portion of soup, a serving of canned beans, a handful of lettuce, or charging a small extra fee for an alcoholic beverage in lieu of a food item not actually ordered or delivered will be treated as a violation of the law.”