Beer To Go? You Can in Idaho!

"Hey bartender, I'll take a large beer."

"For here, or to-go?"

When I turned 21 in California, I started drinking on a more regular basis.  I bar-hopped and had a lot of fun.  However, I was always a little sad when it was time to leave the bar, because I could never get a drink to go.

Who knew all I had to do to solve this problem was move 900 miles to Idaho?

Yes, in Idaho, you can get your beer to go.

 My girlfriend and I were getting back in town last week and decided to eat at Applebees instead of cook.  When we went in, we had to laugh a little.

Apparently 2 Wednesdays a month they have a jewelry seller in there, peddling her Pampered-Chef-esque cheap-ass jewelry.  Today was a Wednesday, so we were harassed a little while we ate about the special necklaces and earrings they had.

Usually I tend to separate my jewelry shopping and my meals.  Just sayin.  But not at Applebees.  You stay classy...

Anyway we arrived about 20 minutes before the jewelry chick packed up and left.  As she was leaving,  she went to the bar and asked for a Bud Light in a large to go cup.  Much to my surprise, they obliged. The lady finished packing, loaded up her car, and drove away, sipping on her brewski.

At that point I didn't know if it was legal or not.  I sent an email to the Idaho State Police (they issue the liquor licenses in this state) and asked.  Their response?

"The basic license is that retailers have is a beer to go license. All licensees can sell beer to go. In this case, after the customer left the establishment it would be an open container issue that the city or county would have to address with their local ordinances since state law does not cover this. If they were to get in a car or other passenger type vehicle, it would be illegally transporting alcohol."

So technically the restaurant didn't break the law, but the chick with the beer did...

But bottom line, you can order beer to go in Idaho.  This is fantastic news for people who want to keep drinking but don't want to stay in one place.

There is a 'bad news' part of it, which some people might not mind... When the beer was put in the to-go container, it came with a straw.

If you don't mind drinking beer through a straw I guess this isn't a big deal (HELLO, WISCONSIN!) but I myself think it's a bit odd.

Oh well, you win some you lose some.

Do they have alcohol 'to go' in your state?  Do you like drinking beer through a straw?  Please let me know in a comment below!

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