RESTAURANTS; LIQUOR; LEGISLATION;

RESTAURANTS; LIQUOR;

You asked if other states have “doggie bag” laws that permit restaurant patrons to take home unfinished bottles of wine.

Ten state Wine and Spirit Wholesalers representatives responded to our survey indicating that they have such laws. These states are: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia.

Connecticut’s proposal for a doggie bag law, sHB 6588, was favorably reported by the General Law Committee. It would allow a restaurant patron to take from the premises one open wine bottle if he bought and drank part of it with a full course meal he ate at the restaurant. It defines a “full course meal” as a diversified selection of food that ordinarily cannot be consumed without using tableware and which cannot be conveniently consumed while standing or walking. Current law permits on-premises consumption only (CGS § 30-22).

SP-L: eh