The Milton City Council has approved a major rewrite of its alcohol ordinance, relaxing the alcohol-to-food ratio for restaurants and allowing drinking on the premises of craft beer and wine markets, among other changes.

According to a city announcement, the revisions seek "to streamline Milton's existing alcohol-related ordinance to make it easier for business owners, city staff and citizens to understand; to allow for new opportunities for different types of viable businesses in Milton; (and) to create new revenue streams for the city."

A restaurant can now derive up to 70% of its sales from alcohol vs. 50% previously. The change effectively makes possible craft cocktail establishments in the city, officials said.

Allowing on-premise wine and craft beer sales is intended to encourage breweries and distilleries to locate in Milton. The city also provided a way for any business to serve beer and wine once a year for a special event, and extended the term of a server’s pouring permit to two years from one year.

Information: https://bit.ly/2Xwis8m