Massachusetts Restaurants Can Now Sell Alcohol with Takeout/Delivery

Early last week, it was reported that the Baker administration had introduced a proposal that would let restaurants sell beer and wine with takeout and delivery orders. Now we have learned that this has finally become reality.

According to both a source and a tweet from @statehousenews Governor Charlie Baker has signed the bill allowing dining spots to offer beer and wine with food orders, with the ruling stating (as mentioned earlier) that the alcohol has to be in unopened containers. Unlike some states, the ruling does indeed include delivery orders in addition to takeout, and as also indicated earlier, spirits and cocktails are not part of this.

Restaurants in Massachusetts continue to deal with restrictions where customers cannot eat or drink in dining rooms or bars, and at least a couple of communities are not allowing people to go physically into establishments at all for takeout.

[April 8 update: A comment from a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page clarifies that while wine can only be sold in its original unsealed container, beer only needs to be in a sealed container, though not necessarily its original container. This may have been done in order to allow restaurants and bars to transfer their beer in kegs to crowlers, growlers, or other containers, though it is not known for sure that this was indeed the reason.]

[Earlier Article]
Baker Administration Proposes Letting Massachusetts Restaurants Sell Alcohol with Takeout/Delivery

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Baker Administration Proposes Letting Massachusetts Restaurants Sell Alcohol with Takeout/Delivery

It appears that Massachusetts could start allowing restaurants to offer alcohol with to-go orders, joining four other New England states that have already done this.

According to an article from CBS Boston, Governor Charlie Baker said in a press conference today that his administration has introduced a proposal that would let dining spots sell beer and wine with takeout and delivery orders, as long as the alcohol is in their original unopened containers. If passed, the state would join Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont in allowing this, with Maine being the only holdout, at least for now.

The ruling would be a way to help restaurants in the Commonwealth, as they are currently only allowed to offer takeout and/or delivery due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

[March 26 update: A check on the bill proposing that restaurants be allowed to sell beer and wine shows that it has been "Referred to the committee on House Ways and Means," which--according to a message from The Passionate Foodie--means that it has not yet passed and is simply in committee.]

[March 31 update: According to a source earlier in the day, the bill proposing that restaurants be allowed to sell alcohol might not be signed until next Tuesday at the earliest because the Senate needs to look at it again and they likely won't be in session until then, though another source tells us this afternoon that a Senator is saying the bill could actually be on Governor Baker's desk by tomorrow (stay tuned).]

[April 2 update: Our source now tells us that the bill appears to be going back and forth between the Senate and the House, so for now, the bill has not yet been signed by Governor Baker, and it is not known when it might be signed.]

[Earlier Article]
Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont Allow Beer, Wine Sales with Takeout Orders
New Hampshire Allows Beer, Wine Sales with Takeout/Delivery

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Liquor Stores, Breweries Allowed to Remain Open in Massachusetts

Yesterday we reported that Governor Charlie Baker is ordering all non-essential businesses to shut down at noon today in response to the Coronavirus crisis. We have now learned however, that not only are liquor stores allowed to stay open, but breweries are also able to remain in operation as well.

As mentioned in an earlier article, liquor stores are considered an essential business in the state and are given the option to remain open, and based on a few sources--and checks on social media pages--breweries are also apparently considered essential businesses and can continue to sell beer via takeout, curbside pickup, and/or delivery. Because this continues to be a fluid situation, it is best to check the websites and social media pages of both the liquor stores and the breweries to find out their exact status, as it is very likely that not all of them remain open.

[Earlier Articles]
Governor Baker Orders All Non-Essential Businesses to Close; Restaurants Not Affected
Some Boston-Area Breweries Are Now Doing Delivery/Takeout

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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A First Look at Short Path Distillery in Everett [Photos]

A brand new distillery has just opened in Everett, and we had the chance to look at the place over the weekend.

As reported earlier, Short Path Distillery opened its doors in Everett on Saturday, June 27, with the Kelvin Street spot featuring gin and rum that are made by "combining old-world distilling techniques with a new-world, chemistry-based approach to spirit development." The distillery is located in an old rubber factory just west of Main Street and just north of the Revere Beach Parkway, with one room including a bar area for tasting along with a few tables, and the other room being the manufacturing area where the spirits are made. We took a tour over the weekend and participated in some tastings, and also got to see the equipment used and how the gin and rum are made. A few pictures of the place can be seen below. (For those interesting in visiting Short Path, it is located at 71 Kelvin Street, with its website being at http://shortpathdistillery.com/).

Damnation Alley Distillery Has Opened in Belmont

A small-batch distillery has opened in a suburb of Boston that, until fairly recently, was not known for selling alcohol of any kind.

According to its website, Damnation Alley Distillery is now open in Belmont, featuring locally-crafted vodkas and whiskeys using grains, produce, fruits, and herbs from Massachusetts farms. The Brighton Street distillery has a retail store, with hours being 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM on Fridays, 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Saturdays, and 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Sundays.

The address for this distillery in Belmont is: Damnation Alley Distillery, 7 Brighton Street, Belmont, MA, 02478. Its website can be found at http://www.damnationalleydistillery.com/

Thanks to a poster on the Chowhound site for bringing this to our attention.

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[New article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Comfort Food Items from Boston-Area Restaurants]

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Somerville Licensing Officials Question Burger Dive's Plan for Spiked Milkshakes, Wine and Beer

A fast-casual burger restaurant in Somerville is planning to serve alcohol, and while the city has given its approval, it apparently isn't too happy about it.

The Somerville Journal reports that the Licensing Commission approved an all-forms liquor license for Burger Dive in a 3-1 vote last week, though two of the officials questioned giving such a license to what they see as a family-friendly fast-food burger joint. The article quotes licensing commissioner John McKenna as saying "I'm disappointed that we've come into 2013 with this promised development and it's come down to giving a burger joint an all-forms," with commissioner Vito Vaccaro (who voted against it) comparing the Assembly Row eatery to McDonald's and Burger King.

In addition to wine and beer, Burger Dive also wants to offer spiked milkshakes.

Burger Dive is part of the Legendary Restaurant Group, which includes such spots as Papagayo, Max and Dylans, Sip, and Avery Provision. The website for the restaurant can be found at http://www.burgerdive.com/

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Needham Looks to Lift Its "Dry Town" Status

A western suburb of Boston that has basically been a dry town since Prohibition may be getting ready to consider loosening the rules a bit.

According to The Boston Globe, folks in Needham could soon be voting on whether to allow alcohol to be sold in stores, and if so, whether package stores could sell all types of alcohol or just beer and wine, and whether supermarkets could sell beer and wine in addition to wine and cheese shops doing so. (The article mentions that there may be other options as well.)

Currently, Needham is mostly--though not completely--dry, with one bar in town (inside the Sheraton hotel) and restaurants with capacities of over 100 being allowed full liquor licenses (smaller restaurants can get beer and wine licenses, but not full liquor licenses).

[November 8 update: The Boston Globe is reporting that Needham voters have supported--by a wide margin--a ballot question allowing the retail sale of ­alcohol. The article states that a total of six liquor licenses will be available to stores, with two more licenses coming in 2018.]

For more information on this story, please go to the Boston Globe link below.

Needham considers store sales of alcohol

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New Study: Boston Is the Drunkest City in America

The Daily Beast has just come out with their list of America's drunkest cities, and guess which city sits at the very top of the list?

According to The Daily Beast's second annual poll, Boston came in at number 1 out of 25 cities mentioned, with 15.5 drinks consumed each month by the average Bostonian, 7.4 percent of all folks in the city being classified as heavy drinkers, and 20.1 percent being seen as binge drinkers. The data for the survey comes from the market-research firm Experian Simmons, which looked at drinking habits of people in more than 200 cities across the United States, as well as information from the Centers for Disease Control.

Other New England cities on the Daily Beast list include Springfield, MA, which came in at number 2, Burlington, VT (number 11), and Providence, RI (number 21).

For a complete list of cities on the list, please go to The Daily Beast link below:

America's Drunkest Cities of 2011, From Las Vegas to Boston

Thanks to The Boston Globe and Grub Street Boston for bringing this to our attention.

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Today (December 5) Is Repeal Day

As many of you probably know, today is "Repeal Day," a day to celebrate the repealing of Prohibition, which occurred on December 5, 1933, when the 21st Amendment was passed. Parties, events, and specials related to Repeal Day will be happening all over the Boston area today, including a special menu at Church in Boston's Fenway neighborhood (see Boston Globe article), a party at Storyville in the Back Bay that is hosted by Boston Magazine (see Somerville Patch article), and a Repeal Day Rum Dinner at Rowes Wharf Sea Grille on the Boston waterfront (see Boston Globe post).

What are you doing to celebrate Repeal Day? If you know of any events, please post comments about them below, thanks!

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