Booze at brunch, two hours earlier
Restaurants will be able serve alcohol two hours earlier during Sunday brunch as part of an agreement on new state legislation announced today by the governor and the state legislative leaders. From a Cuomo admin press release:
Expand Sunday Sales: The [Alcoholic Beverage Control] Law includes provisions strictly prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages at on-premises establishments (restaurants, bars, taverns) before noon on Sunday. The agreement expands Sunday sales at restaurants and bars by changing the statewide opening hours from noon to 10 am. In addition, the agreement enables these licensees to apply for a permit, limited to twelve per year, to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises on Sundays between 8 a.m. and the new 10 a.m. opening hour in areas outside New York City.
Earlier this year a Cuomo admin working group released a report with recommendations on how to modernize New York's many (and complicated) laws related to alcohol sales. In addition to citing "the common practice of consuming alcoholic beverages during Sunday 'brunch'," the report also mentioned how bars showing NFL games played in Europe -- as well as European league soccer matches -- were an example of how the soon-to-be-old rules clashed with what people wanted to do. So it looks like the 12-times-a-year exemption pushing back the time to 8 am is a nod to those situations.
The agreement announced today also includes provisions for licensing craft beverage producers, wholesalers, and even the sale of wine in growlers.
It also includes a small provision that in some way really seems to highlight the tangled mess of rules here: The new legislation also will allow liquor stores to sell... gift wrapping and gift bags.
photo: Lauren Hittinger Hodgson
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Comments
Great, we can drink earlier on Sunday....But still no ethics reform.
... said Fred on Jun 14, 2016 at 3:36 PM | link
What Fred said, plus you'll not be able to get a Lyft or Uber afterward.
... said Andy Gregory on Jun 15, 2016 at 9:27 AM | link