Californians Tweaked To-Go Cocktails Bill at Last Minute, Adding To-Go Wine

Single servings of wine for off-premises consumption got added at behest of unlikely players.

(Natalie Behring)

After months of debate whether to legalize the sale of cocktails to go, a bill shepherded through the Dec. 21 session by state Rep. Rob Nosse (D-Portland) was augmented by two unexpected sources.

On the eve of the special session, the California Wine Institute requested that single servings of vino be included—an ask Oregon growers had not made—and Senate Minority Leader Fred Girod (R-Stayton) pressed Democratic leaders resistant to the idea to make it happen.

Nosse, whose inner Southeast Portland district contains a vast number of struggling restaurants and bars, says he's thrilled Girod got wine included, which he hadn't been able to do.

"My bill wasn't anybody's top priority for the special session," Nosse says, "but when you see institutions like Pok Pok [which is in his district] go out of business, you know the industry's in trouble." The Oregon Liquor Control Commission met Dec. 22 to adopt rules allowing the drinks to flow.

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