Drinking in Public Likely to be Legal Soon in Parts of Denver
The city of Denver will most likely be changing its laws regarding drinking alcohol in public soon.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Denver was planning on making it legal to openly carry and consume alcoholic beverages in certain designated parts of the city. However, the plan was put on hold because of restrictions placed on bars and restaurants related to the pandemic.
Now, as more and more people are being vaccinated and restrictions are being lifted, the city is moving forward with its original plan.
The plan, called the 'common consumption plan,' was approved by Denver City Council in late 2019 but was put on hold because of COVID-19 restrictions.
Eric Escudero of Denver Excise & Licenses had this to say about the plan:
We didn’t plan for a pandemic. Common consumption could be the boost everyone needs. This could actually be a great thing. In that designated area someone could go purchase a drink at the Italian restaurant and walk over to the area where someone could purchase a margarita from the Mexican restaurant. You won’t have to separate anymore.
The area Escudero is referring to is The Dairy Block in Denver's RINO district, which is where the city plans on first implementing the common consumption plan. The area is a popular destination in the city, located in an alley with many different vendors.
At first, the plan is set to be implemented in areas like this, with designated areas for open alcohol consumption but if successful, more and more open-alcohol areas could be implemented.