Ever wanted to order an alcoholic beverage delivered to your home? Under a proposed new law, you could.
If approved, a bill from Rep. Jessica Grill, a Manchester Democrat, would authorize restaurants to deliver cocktails and mixed drinks to customers’ homes. The legislation also would allow a later last call at bars and permit the sale of refillable beer containers.
Citing studies showing decreased social interaction and increasing loneliness in Americans, Grill said fostering more nightlife and socializing culture could help.
“Definitely, going out to the bar with your friends is not a replacement for a good therapist or medical attention,” Grill said. “However, creating an environment where people can come together and enjoy a night out and contribute to the local economy can definitely have a positive impact.”
She said House Bill 529 is aimed at creating a more lively social scene in New Hampshire and attracting young people to the state. She also hopes to help local restaurants and breweries navigate a popular transition — taking the pandemic-era precaution of ordering drinks to-go and making it a long-term business model. That’s already the case in 27 states, including several New England neighbors.
After researching other states’ laws, Grill said later last calls and to-go alcoholic beverages don’t correlate with greater risks to public safety. She did say she was open to amending the bill’s language or adding more law enforcement funding to accommodate it.
Mike Somers, president of the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association, said he has mixed feelings about the bill. He said restaurants may not have enough staff to stay open for a later last call, although the bill doesn’t require them to extend their hours. He also said he wants the legislation to make clear how containers would have to be sealed for delivery.
The bill makes one notable exception, in that restaurants are the only ones certified to deliver their alcoholic beverages. The bill would not open that option to food delivery services such as Doordash or UberEats.
Charlotte Matherly is the statehouse reporter for the Concord Monitor and Monadnock Ledger-Transcript in partnership with Report for America. Follow her on X at @charmatherly, subscribe to her Capital Beat newsletter and send her an email at cmatherly@cmonitor.com.
