North Carolina
North Carolina Permanently Legalizes Cocktails To-Go – Fred Minnick
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper yesterday signed SB 527 into law, lowering the tax rate for spirits ready-to-drink cocktails (RTDs), allowing cocktails to-go and delivery of mixed beverages, and permitting alcohol sales on some holidays.
North Carolina is the 29th state to permanently allow cocktails to-go.
“The signing of SB 527 is a win for North Carolina’s spirits consumers,” Andy Deloney, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States senior vice president and head of state public policy, said. “With Governor Cooper’s signature, North Carolinians will be able to take a delicious cocktail to-go from their favorite restaurant and pick up a special spirits bottle even on some big holidays.
“Additionally, restaurants will see lower taxes on highly popular ready-to-drink cocktails. We are grateful to see both the legislature and the governor support these market modernizations. Cheers to increased convenience and consumer choice in North Carolina.”
Read more: North Carolina, Pennsylvania Pass RTDs-Friendly Bills
Spirits-based RTDs
Despite many spirits RTDs having the same or lower alcohol-by-volume (ABV) than their beer- and wine-based counterparts, they are currently taxed at a much higher rate. SB 527 defines a “pre-mixed cocktail” and sets a maximum ABV of 13%. It exempts these low-ABV products from the state’s mixed beverage tax of $20 per four liters that is paid by the on-premise “mixed beverage permit” holders.
Read more: Southern Distilling Leads the Way in North Carolina
Cocktails To-Go
SB 527 authorizes cocktails to-go and delivery by mixed beverage permittees or delivery service permittees. Cocktails to-go orders must be made with a food purchase and placed in tamper-evident containers. Current law did not authorize cocktails to-go as a previous, temporary cocktails to-go measure sunset in June 2021.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 29 states, including North Carolina, and the District of Columbia have enacted laws to permanently allow cocktails to-go.
SB 527 also authorizes local ABC stores to sell on New Year’s Day, July 4 and Labor Day.
For more information, visit https://www.distilledspirits.org/.
After flopping in their first two major non-conference games, the Cats get the chance to knock off a top-25 team at home. However, they will apparently be doing so without two of their starters.
According to Mark Pope during his Monday call-in radio show, Jaland Lowe and Mo Dioubate are both not expected to play Tuesday night against the Tar Heels.
“Those guys are coming along. They’re doing the best they can. I’m not sure that they’re going to be available tomorrow, but they’re making progress. We can’t wait till they get back,” said Pope.
Dioubate is recovering from an ankle injury, while Lowe is still working his way back from the latest shoulder injury he suffered in a recent practice, ironically while trying to box out Dioubate.
We should note that North Carolina is also dealing with the injury bug. Starting point guard Seth Trimble is currently sidelined due to a hand fracture. On Monday, head coach Hubert Davis said Trimble is “progressing fast.” However, the senior is not expected to return until later in December, so he’s out Tuesday night.
The Cats will have to look to knock off the Heels in a major top-25 showdown. Let’s hope they can get the job done.
Finally, after a long wait, Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats are preparing for another marquee game, with this one coming against the North Carolina Tar Heels. This game is a part of the SEC/ACC Challenge, where the Wildcats will look to represent the conference with a win.
While the Wildcats are 0-2 in a ranked game this season, they have yet to play one in Rupp Arena, and this will change on Tuesday night when Pope’s team hosts North Carolina. The tip for this game is set for 9:30 on Tuesday night, which will be a bit weird, but Rupp Arena will be hectic.
With this being such an important game, let’s take a look at three reasons why the Wildcats will beat North Carolina.
One common theme in both of the Wildcats’ losses so far this season has been getting out to a slow start. In both of these games, the Wildcats faced a daunting halftime deficit, and it was too much to overcome. With this game being at home in front of the best fans in college basketball, the Wildcats need to flip the script and get out to a hot start.
North Carolina, like Michigan State, has two elite bigs, and this means Malachi Moreno will need to have a big game. If Moreno is able to get an efficient double-double for the Wildcats, it will go a long way to helping Pope’s team win this game. Kentucky was dominated down low by the Spartans with their elite frontcourt, and Pope needs to make sure that history does not repeat itself when the Tar Heels come to town.
Both Kentucky and North Carolina are good rebounding teams, with the Wildcats in the top five and UNC inside the top 20. In the loss to Michigan State, the Wildcats were dominated on the boards, losing this battle 42-28. If Kentucky gets dominated on the glass in this game, it will be hard to win. Like the Wildcats, the Tar Heels lost the rebounding battle to Michigan State but by a smaller margin. Who wins on the glass in this basketball game will have a direct correlation to who ends up with more points on the scoreboard when the final buzzer sounds.
Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats have not enjoyed a fairytale start to their season, but Tuesday evening’s matchup against North Carolina presents an opportunity to redirect their trajectory. Currently sitting at 6-2, this game could provide crucial insights into where Kentucky stands in the broader landscape of college basketball.
The Wildcats faced a setback against Michigan State, suffering an 83-66 defeat that raised questions about their ability to compete with top-tier teams. However, they rebounded impressively with a decisive 88-46 victory over Loyola Maryland, followed by a dominant performance against Tennessee Tech, winning 104-54 just days ago.
Despite their storied history of finding ways to win, the challenge remains: can Kentucky consistently triumph over elite opponents? Losses to Louisville on the road and Michigan State exposed vulnerabilities in their defense and tempo control. In both games, Kentucky struggled with interior defense and depth issues.
Looking ahead, there is still plenty of basketball left in the season, including Tuesday’s late-night showdown at Rupp Arena—a clash between two blue blood programs from the ACC and SEC. Historically, North Carolina leads the series against Kentucky 25-18. This year’s Tar Heels roster features some of the most lethal players in college basketball. If Kentucky allows North Carolina to dictate the pace of play, they risk facing another long night and missing out on a significant opportunity.
For Kentucky to succeed, controlling tempo will be paramount as they confront this talented Tar Heels squad. Mark Pope’s team must focus on containing North Carolina’s “Big Three”: freshman forward Caleb Wilson (averaging 19.9 points per game), junior center Henri Veesaar (15.9 PPG), and freshman guard Luka Bogavac (a key scorer adept at navigating ball screens). Collectively, these three players contribute significantly to UNC’s offensive output.
Limiting Wilson, Veesaar, and Bogavac is essential if Kentucky hopes to avoid another loss. Should they fail to do so, North Carolina will likely capitalize on second-chance scoring opportunities.
The Tar Heels currently shoot 46.8% from the field but struggle from beyond the arc at just 31.8%. This presents a potential opening for Kentucky; if they can restrict UNC’s effectiveness inside the three-point line, they may have a chance to stifle one of their primary sources of offense.
However, North Carolina boasts depth with multiple capable shooters. The Wildcats must prioritize protecting the paint and preventing any easy scoring chances—an area where they faltered against larger opponents like Louisville and Michigan State.
Another vulnerability for UNC lies in turnovers; they average 11.6 per game—a statistic that could allow Kentucky to seize control of the game’s direction if exploited effectively. Despite recent struggles, Kentucky possesses athleticism on the perimeter that could be advantageous in setting an early tempo against UNC.
Tuesday presents a significant opportunity for the Wildcats to demonstrate their ability to compete against formidable opponents like the University of North Carolina. A victory in this matchup could alter the trajectory of Mark Pope’s team. Despite some recent missteps, analytics platforms such as KenPom project a favorable outcome for Kentucky, predicting a score of 84-75 over UNC.
The Tar Heels will undoubtedly present numerous challenges, and Coach Pope will need to carefully assess his roster based on player availability leading up to the game. Nevertheless, Kentucky has the potential to redefine its season. It is important to remember that it is still early in the basketball calendar; any sense of urgency to push the PANIC button just yet on this team’s performance may be premature.
Tip-off is scheduled for 9:30 PM ET at Rupp Arena.
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