Kane County Reporter

Illinois State Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, told constituents in a July 3 Facebook post that the state law allowing cocktails and wine to be served to go has been extended through August 2028.

"We are happy that the Illinois hospitality industry can continue to receive the economic benefits of cocktails to-go, however, we want to ensure retailers and consumers are able to easily comply with the requirements of the law," Lisa Gardner, Executive Director of the Illinois Liquor Control Commission, said in a news release from Gov. J.B. Pritzker's office. "It is the ILCC's responsibility to safeguard the public by ensuring that to-go cocktails are safely transported."

Pritzker, D-IL, signed the cocktails-to-go bill, SB 0089, into law on June 9, 2023. The original bill, which allowed sales of cocktails and mixed beverages in sealed containers to go to people 21 years old or older, was made law during the COVID-19 pandemic, the press release from Pritzker's office said. The law was set to expire on January 3, 2024.

SB 0089 was filed on January 20 by Sen. Napoleon Harris, III, D-Dixmoor, and moved to the House on March 23. It moved back to the Senate for consideration of House Amendments on May 19. The Senate concurred with amendments on May 24, and the bill passed both houses that day.

WGN reported that the passage of the bill does not mean that open containers can be transported by passengers or drivers in vehicles. The news outlet also noted that there are communities with rules on open containers in public spaces. The WGN report pointed out requirements under the law which include: drinks “must be packaged in a sealed, tamper-evident container; the container must be labeled with information that includes the cocktail or mixed drink name and ingredients, the name(s) of the alcohol in the drink, and that the sealed container was filled less than seven days before the date of sale.” These drinks must be transported in the trunk or rear compartment of a vehicle, and may not be easily accessible by passengers.