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New York's Liquor Laws Are About to Get a Lot Chiller

Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York announced this week that he is supporting legislation that will finally allow New Yorkers to have a completely legal boozy brunch in bars and restaurants before noon on Sundays.
Photo via Flickr user serotonein

Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York announced this week that he is supporting legislation that will finally allow New Yorkers to have a completely legal boozy brunch in bars and restaurants before noon on Sundays.

New York State's blue laws—those antiquated laws intended to limit alcohol consumption on Sundays because it is the day of the Lord—are keeping businesses from burgeoning in his state, says the governor. And so, it's time to update things.

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Right now, New York law prohibits alcohol sales on Sundays between 4 AM and noon in bars and restaurants. The most significant proposed change—at least from the perspective of those of us who appreciate a mimosa or five on a lazy Sunday morning—would be to allow the sale of alcohol in restaurants and bars between 8 AM and noon on Sundays.

READ MORE: Is It Manslaughter to Serve Someone 56 Shots of Liquor?

New York's blue laws, like those of the other states, date back to the 1930s, the post-Prohibition era. These laws are now so out-of-date that many restaurants and bars in New York City just ignore them. "It's shocking how many places I run into that have Sunday brunches with Mimosas before noon," Scott Wexler of the Empire State Restaurant and Tavern Association and a member of Cuomo's panel said. If the proposed legislation passes, serving a loaded Bloody Mary at 11 AM in a restaurant on a Sunday would no longer mean breaking the law.

A panel convened to update the blue laws made other recommendations as well: streamlining the process for bars and taverns to obtain a liquor license—a notoriously laborious and labyrinthine nightmare—and allowing the state discretion when licensing liquor sales in establishments that fall within 200 feet of a school of place of worship.

The proposed laws would also reduce licensing paperwork for small craft breweries. As it turns out, promoting the craft beverage industry within New York State provided much of the impetus for amending the blue laws.

READ MORE: Canada's Booze Laws Might Be Unconstitutional

The craft beer business is booming in New York according to Cuomo, and he'd like to see it do even better. He says, "New York's investments in the craft beverage industry have driven growth, created hundreds of jobs, and unleashed a new optimism and energy… across the state." The new law would "cut through the red tape and removing artificial barriers to growth," says the Governor. The legislation would actually amend the Craft New York Act, a state law that has implemented reforms and expanded programs to promote the craft beverage industry.

The Finger Lakes Region of New York has seen a 248 percent increase in microbreweries since 2010. Cuomo announced his support of the new legislation at the Three Heads Brewing in Rochester, NY, a $4 million project with a 15,000 square-foot space for brewing.

So New Yorkers, listen up: You can thank these upstate breweries if, in the very near future, you are legally being served booze in a restaurant in the early morn on a blessed Sabbath Day.