West Virginia alcohol law liberalization gets support from business group, free-market group

(The Center Square) – A law that provides greater flexibility for on-premise and off-premise sales of alcohol in West Virginia have gone into effect this week, which has received praise from certain interest groups.

“Businesses are very happy with these changes,” Steve Roberts, the president of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, told The Center Square. “More sales and more convenience and no problems reported thus far.”

Restaurants and bars will be allowed to sell beer and wine for on-premise or off-premise consumption between the hours of 6 a.m. and 2 a.m. daily. This applies to businesses with Class A on-premise licenses and Class B off-premises licenses, which include restaurants, bars, clubs, hotels and other businesses.

Retail liquor outlets will be allowed to sell from 8 a.m. until midnight on Monday through Saturday and from 1 p.m. until 12 a.m. on Sundays. Private clubs can open an hour earlier: from 6 a.m. until 3 a.m. daily.

A business can also offer curbside, to-go and delivery options for alcohol if the purchase also includes a meal.

“The [West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration] has been very busy working to educate licensees and the public regarding HB 2025,” WVABCA Commissioner Fred Wooton said in a statement. “I would like to encourage businesses and licensees to visit our website to learn more about the news laws and remind everyone to please drink responsibly.”

Restaurants, bars and hotels were among the hardest hit businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic restrictions. Capacity restrictions and other lockdown measures caused these businesses to lose a substantial amount of revenue.

“Allowing for a liberalization of alcohol laws is a much needed life-line for an industry that has struggled to survive for the past 14 months and has done so by innovating,” Amanda Kieffer, the communications director for the free-market Cardinal Institute, told The Center Square. “Put simply, many of the changes to alcoholic beverage regulations in West Virginia are just making permanent the innovations that we have seen in the service industry over the last year.”

HB 2025 took effect Monday.

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