JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri bars and restaurants can continue to sell mixed drinks to go through the end of the year thanks to recent executive action taken by Gov. Mike Parson.
The Missouri Department of Public Safety (DPS) waived restrictions in April on the sale of mixed drinks to go by restaurants and bars amid the coronavirus pandemic that left businesses shuttered or reinventing their service. Parson announced plans to “fully reopen” the state by June 16 but left some regulations suspended.
State law permits the sale of alcohol in its original packaging from companies with a valid liquor license, but it does not allow for the sale of mixed drinks for patrons to take away. An original waiver was set to expire in May but has twice been extended.
Parson’s executive order Thursday further extended the waiver through Dec. 30, a DPS spokesperson told The Missouri Times.
DPS Director Sandy Karsten previously said the waived requirements would allow for the sale of alcohol in containers that are durable, leak-proof, sealable, and meet the minimum size requirements laid out in state statute.
Requirements include:
- Customers must purchase a meal alongside the alcohol purchase
- Alcohol must be placed in a one-time use, tamper-proof, and transparent bag that is properly sealed, or the container must be sealed with tamper-proof tape
- Open container laws across Missouri remain in place
“This change is being done to assist restaurant owners as well as their employers during this time of unprecedented restrictions,” Karsten had said.
NEW: Per a DPS spox, Gov. Parson's orders today mean the mixed drinks to-go waiver is extended through Dec. 30. #moleg #mogov
Earlier story –> https://t.co/oC8PnXw2dj https://t.co/Hk5NWbGCaH
— Kaitlyn Schallhorn (@K_Schallhorn) June 11, 2020
EDITOR’S NOTE: For up-to-date information on coronavirus, check with the CDC and DHSS.
Kaitlyn Schallhorn was the editor in chief of The Missouri Times from 2020-2022. She joined the newspaper in early 2019 after working as a reporter for Fox News in New York City.
Throughout her career, Kaitlyn has covered political campaigns across the U.S., including the 2016 presidential election, and humanitarian aid efforts in Africa and the Middle East.
She is a native of Missouri who studied journalism at Winthrop University in South Carolina. She is also an alumna of the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C.
Contact Kaitlyn at kaitlyn@themissouritimes.com.
