Some bars, wineries, distilleries and breweries across the state will be able to sell alcohol to-go during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
Businesses that primarily sell alcohol and do not have their own kitchens will now be allowed to sell beverages to-go in sealed containers as long as they partner with a food-providing business and sell alcoholic beverages in conjunction with a meal.
Since mid-March, the ABC has relaxed several state regulations on the sale of alcoholic beverages in support of the state’s roughly 50,000 small and large alcohol-selling businesses that have been affected by the pandemic.
“We know businesses have suffered as they continue fighting to lower the spread of COVID-19,” ABC Director Jacob Appelsmith said in a statement Friday. “We have heard directly from these businesses that the notices of regulatory relief can give them a boost and help bring more people back to work.”
The ABC has also allowed alcohol-selling businesses to expand their footprints to areas like parking lots and sidewalks to promote physical distancing, offer free delivery and complete transactions for alcohol via walk-up windows and slide-out trays.