Gov. Polis Extends 'Last Call For Alcohol' Until 11 p.m.

Alcohol sales at Colorado bars and restaurants will be required to stop at 11 p.m. rather than the previous cutoff of 10 p.m., Gov. Jared Polis announced Friday. The mandate is set to begin Saturday.

Bars and restaurants can remain open later than 11 p.m. — it's only the alcohol sales that must be halted, Polis said. Liquor is known to lower people's inhibitions and cause lapses in judgement, which can lead to crowding and the spread of the virus, the governor said.

The state's standard last call regulation requires alcohol sales to stop at 2 a.m.

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In July, Polis issued a 'last call for alcohol' order of 10 p.m. amid a spike in coronavirus cases.

Many restaurants and bars said they rely on late night drink orders for a large portion of their revenue, and a Denver bar filed a lawsuit against the state over the 10 p.m. cutoff order. The bar asked for a temporary restraining order that would allow the bar to serve alcohol after 10 p.m. while the lawsuit moves forward. The judge ruled against the request.