Delivery and takeout alcohol beverage sales are now allowed in Virginia for longer.
Gov. Northam signed the law to support small businesses, his office's press release said.
The legislation allows for delivery and take-out of alcoholic beverages until July 1, 2022. The legislation also directs the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to broadly study the issue and provide a report to the General Assembly by November 1, 2021.
Additionally, the bill calls to "defer for 90 days the collection of any renewal fees for any license or permit issued by ABC that expired or will expire on or after March 31, 2020, and before the later of (i) July 1, 2020, or (ii) 30 days following the expiration or rescission of Executive Order 51."
“With the extension of cocktails to-go, Virginia hospitality businesses will continue to have a vital economic lifeline during the pandemic,” said David Wojnar, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States Senior Vice President and Head of State Public Policy. “Virginia restaurants, bars and distilleries have been some of the hardest hit during COVID-19, and cocktails to-go have allowed many of them to survive. We thank Governor Northam for extending cocktails to-go and for supporting local businesses as they struggle to cope with the harsh economic impacts of the pandemic.”
Back in March of 2020, alcoholic beverages were first made available for to-go or delivery, in response to the growing coronavirus pandemic at the time.