Oregon’s Hospitality Industry Reacts to the Passage of To-Go Cocktail Sales

Get ready to bring your premixed mai tais home.

The Oregon Legislature today passed a bill allowing the sale of cocktails to go, answering the call of thousands of restaurant and bar owners who say it's a much-needed lifeline to get through the pandemic.

A majority of lawmakers in both the House and the Senate voted in favor of the change.

News that it is now finally legal in Oregon to purchase mixed drinks for takeout or delivery—as it already is in a number of states, including neighboring Washington—immediately drew praise from the hospitality industry.

"We recognize to-go cocktails will not completely solve the crushing economic impact the pandemic, the shutdowns and the limited ability to seat customers and conduct business are having on bars and restaurants," said Greg Astley, Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association director of government affairs, in a press release, "but it will help."

A second portion of the bill establishes a temporary cap on commissions paid by restaurants to third-party delivery platforms. Those fees already rankled business owners before the pandemic, but with in-person service severely limited, more are trying to stay afloat with door-dropped meals.

But apps like DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats tend to be the go-to for most to get their food, which means less money stays with local vendors. The bill offers the industry relief from that, at least for now.

Oregon’s Hospitality Industry Reacts to the Passage of To-Go Cocktail Sales

“We recognize to-go cocktails will not completely solve the crushing economic impact the pandemic…but it will help.”