Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Goughnour introduces bill to allow premixed cocktails on tap

Goughnour introduces bill to allow premixed cocktails on tap

HB 1702 helps businesses and modernizes liquor laws

Rep. Dan Goughnour    July 18, 2025 | 9:47 AM

HARRISBURG, July 18 – As the liquor industry makes new advancements in distributing and preserving drinks, state Rep. Dan Goughnour, D-Allegheny, has introduced legislation that would allow businesses with liquor licenses to store premixed cocktails on tap, just like beer.

Current law prevents licensees from storing premixed cocktails, such as margaritas and mojitos, for more than 24 hours, a requirement that was put in place for health and safety reasons. However, a new product stores these ingredients safely in kegs, which can be kept on tap, and only require the alcohol to be added by the licensee.

“These products have become popular across the nation and can safely hold ingredients for an extended period of time,” Goughnour said. “Adopting these new innovations would allow Pennsylvania businesses, from our world-class sports venues to our local taverns, to stay competitive in the alcohol industry.”

House Bill 1702 would define these new products in law and make them available for Pennsylvania consumers. They are unavailable now in the Commonwealth, as they would need to be disposed of in 24 hours under the current law, despite their longer and safer shelf life.

Goughnour said other benefits of his legislation include a uniform amount of alcohol in each drink and a higher level of sanitation than drinks poured by hand. His bill would also make life easier on businesses in several says, such as training new employees to pour drinks.

Thirty-six other states, including all states that border Pennsylvania apart from Delaware, currently permit premixed cocktail kegs, so they are commonly seen on tap nationwide.

Goughnour’s bill has been approved by the House Liquor Control Committee and is now under consideration in the Rules Committee.