Restaurants, bars and other eligible businesses in New Jersey can now permanently sell and deliver certain alcoholic beverages for off-premises consumption after Governor Mikie Sherrill signed legislation making the COVID-era rules permanent.

The law, Senate Bill 4384, allows businesses with retail consumption licenses, including restaurants, hotels and bars, to sell alcoholic beverages in their original containers, as well as mixed cocktails in closed and sealed containers for customers to take home.

Eligible businesses can also deliver mixed cocktails in closed and sealed containers, as well as beer, hard seltzers and other malted beverages in their original, sealed containers. Deliveries can be made by the licensed business or a licensed third-party delivery service.

The legislation also provides additional options for craft distilleries. Distilleries can sell mixed drinks made with distilled alcoholic beverages manufactured on their premises for on-premises consumption.

For off-premises consumption, craft distilleries can sell those mixed drinks in containers with tamper-evident seals. They can also sell their distilled alcoholic beverages in original containers when accompanied by nonalcoholic beverages or food products that can be combined to make a mixed drink.

The provisions had been scheduled to expire September 1 but are now permanent under the new law.