March 22, 2021

Alcohol To-Go Bill Getting Closer To Law in Oklahoma

In light of the ongoing pandemic, a bill that makes it easier to buy and sell alcohol to-go is getting closer to law according to a KFOR article from March 18th. In it they say:

“Buying alcohol on the go could soon be possible for Oklahomans.  Three bills passed in the Oklahoma House of Representatives recently and restaurant owners say this is the push that could help them continue to recover from the pandemic.

‘This time last year was super emotional and hard. We had to lay off all of our staff with maybe the exception of two or three people,’ said Jamie Winteroth, the owner of Aurora and Social Deck and Dining.

House Bill 2122 would create the ‘Oklahoma Cocktails To-Go Act of 2021’ and would allow restaurants to sell drinks to-go.

Winteroth says her restaurants sold cocktails to-go when the pandemic forced the shutdown. She says the ability to do this permanently would help her business.”

More than that, a separate bill that allows drive-thru windows at liquor stores is also making its way to law according to a KRMG article from March 19th. In it they say:

“A bill making its way through the state legislature would legalize drive-thru windows in Oklahoma liquor stores.

House Bill 2868 would allow the sale of alcohol including beer, wine and spirits, in sealed original containers to consumers 21 and older, with a valid state- or government-issued ID, via a drive-thru window.”

Both bills are attempts to bring alcohol sales under the “new normal” of this ongoing global health crisis.