Sunday Beer Sales In PA Slower Than Forecasted
 

http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive...05dnews-05.asp

I am sure the holiday season will pick up for them.
--
Jason Alstrom
--
BeerAdvocate.com New England Beer Fest - October 29th 2005
http://beeradvocate.com/fests/
--

Is PA one of those states where you have to
go to a separate "state run" store to buy beer & wine
and anything alcoholic?


J. Alstrom wrote:
> http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive...05dnews-05.asp
>
> I am sure the holiday season will pick up for them.
> --
> Jason Alstrom
> --
> BeerAdvocate.com New England Beer Fest - October 29th 2005
> http://beeradvocate.com/fests/
> --

wrote:

> Is PA one of those states where you have to
> go to a separate "state run" store to buy beer & wine
> and anything alcoholic?

No for beer, (and businesses with names like "W.R. Hickey Beer
Distributor Inc." and "Pletcher's Beer Distributor" is kinda a
give-away) but yes for wine and liquor http://www.lcb.state.pa.us/ .

Basically, beer is sold retail only by the case (no less) by "beer
distributors", lesser quantities by bars and other shops ("6 pack shops"
that usually sell prepared food, as well), usually at much higher prices
(do they still limit the amount that can be sold at one time to one
person to 2 six-packs?). It's pretty much a system unique to PA (and,
I've always felt was one of the reasons that more of PA's small
breweries survived than most every other states, in the pre-microbrewery
era).

I can't think of ANY state that only allows *beer* sales from "state
stores". (Even Ontario's "Beer Stores" are a privately-owned, tho' a
state-sanctioned monopoly, right?).

OK, I guess I meant, "do you have to
go to a separate store to buy beer & wine?"

As opposed to like here in California,
where you can buy any alcoholic beverage
in the grocery store, along with your bread & butter,
meat and potatos, etc.

I remember visiting British Columbia (Canada) once,
and you had to buy your beer a a separate store,
and it turned out they weren't open on Sundays.

I thought it was a "state run" store,
because it had all the ambiance of
your basic government owned establishment.




wrote:
> wrote:
>
> > Is PA one of those states where you have to
> > go to a separate "state run" store to buy beer & wine
> > and anything alcoholic?
>
> No for beer, (and businesses with names like "W.R. Hickey Beer
> Distributor Inc." and "Pletcher's Beer Distributor" is kinda a
> give-away) but yes for wine and liquor http://www.lcb.state.pa.us/ .
>
> Basically, beer is sold retail only by the case (no less) by "beer
> distributors", lesser quantities by bars and other shops ("6 pack shops"
> that usually sell prepared food, as well), usually at much higher prices
> (do they still limit the amount that can be sold at one time to one
> person to 2 six-packs?). It's pretty much a system unique to PA (and,
> I've always felt was one of the reasons that more of PA's small
> breweries survived than most every other states, in the pre-microbrewery
> era).
>
> I can't think of ANY state that only allows *beer* sales from "state
> stores". (Even Ontario's "Beer Stores" are a privately-owned, tho' a
> state-sanctioned monopoly, right?).

wrote:

> OK, I guess I meant, "do you have to
> go to a separate store to buy beer & wine?"
>
> As opposed to like here in California,
> where you can buy any alcoholic beverage
> in the grocery store, along with your bread & butter,
> meat and potatos, etc.

Yeah, from state to state, alcohol sales laws do differ quite a bit.
I'm in New Jersey, where we have separate "liquor stores" and all
alcoholic "package goods" are sold in them for the most part- altho'
there are exceptions- some grocery stores and drug stores have licenses
and sell alcohol along side their other goods. I'd always thought that
these were older licenses, grandfathered into current laws, until towns
started giving new big box "club" stores licenses for the same sort of
sales.

Some states treat all alcoholic beverage sales the same, some separate
beer from wine & liquor, others beer & wine from liquor. Sometimes
makes it difficult for sake, cider, "wine cooler" & "malt alternative"
marketers.

A state-by-state list of where, when and how alcoholic beverages are
sold would make a good website. (I'd do it, but I'd rather sit on the
back deck and drink beer...).

> I remember visiting British Columbia (Canada) once,
> and you had to buy your beer a a separate store,
> and it turned out they weren't open on Sundays.
>
> I thought it was a "state run" store,
> because it had all the ambiance of
> your basic government owned establishment.

Yeah, I used to think the same about Ontario's beer stores, but
apparently they're owned by the two big brewers (Molson and Labatt).

http://www.thebeerstore.ca/

>
>
>
> wrote:
>
wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Is PA one of those states where you have to
>>>go to a separate "state run" store to buy beer & wine
>>>and anything alcoholic?
>>
>>No for beer, (and businesses with names like "W.R. Hickey Beer
>>Distributor Inc." and "Pletcher's Beer Distributor" is kinda a
>>give-away) but yes for wine and liquor http://www.lcb.state.pa.us/ .
>>
>>Basically, beer is sold retail only by the case (no less) by "beer
>>distributors", lesser quantities by bars and other shops ("6 pack shops"
>>that usually sell prepared food, as well), usually at much higher prices
>>(do they still limit the amount that can be sold at one time to one
>>person to 2 six-packs?). It's pretty much a system unique to PA (and,
>>I've always felt was one of the reasons that more of PA's small
>>breweries survived than most every other states, in the pre-microbrewery
>>era).
>>
>>I can't think of ANY state that only allows *beer* sales from "state
>>stores". (Even Ontario's "Beer Stores" are a privately-owned, tho' a
>>state-sanctioned monopoly, right?).
>
>

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> OK, I guess I meant, "do you have to
> go to a separate store to buy beer & wine?"
>
> As opposed to like here in California,
> where you can buy any alcoholic beverage
> in the grocery store, along with your bread & butter,
> meat and potatos, etc.

Even that question ends up being a bit broad. I don't know of anywhere that
has stores that sell beer and wine and absolutely nothing else. There are
states, however, that don't allow any alcohol sales in groceries. Minnesota
and Oklahoma come immediately to mind. You have to go to a liquor store
there, where they sell beer, wine and hard alcohol, and no real food to
speak of (some pretzels and jerkey and the like, at least in Minnesota).

I'd say that states that allow full alcohol sales at groceries and drug
stores are in the minority, although the last three I've lived in
(California, Illinois and Indiana) all allow it. But a lot of places keep
hard liquor out of groceries and drug stores, even if they allow beer and
wine (places like New York and Washington; Wisconsin, too, IIRC).

As for the original question, PA requires beer to be bought from beer
distributors (or whatever the rigth term is - stores that sell beer by the
case) or by the 6-pack from bars. I don't believe grocery or drug store
sales are allowed.

-Steve

"Steve Jackson" > wrote in message
news:EJ01f.1094
> As for the original question, PA requires beer to be bought from beer
> distributors (or whatever the rigth term is - stores that sell beer by the
> case) or by the 6-pack from bars. I don't believe grocery or drug store
> sales are allowed.

Pretty much correct, although there are workarounds. Major one is that you
can buy a bar/tavern license for your deli or pizza place and use it just to
sell beer to go.

--
Lew Bryson

"As for talking shit in this NG, Lew, you're the undisputed king, and
that's no SHITE." -- Bob Skilnik, 1/31/02

www.lewbryson.com

On Thu, 06 Oct 2005 03:20:04 GMT, "Steve Jackson"
> wrote:


>Even that question ends up being a bit broad. I don't know of anywhere that
>has stores that sell beer and wine and absolutely nothing else. There are
>states, however, that don't allow any alcohol sales in groceries. Minnesota
>and Oklahoma come immediately to mind. You have to go to a liquor store
>there, where they sell beer, wine and hard alcohol, and no real food to
>speak of (some pretzels and jerkey and the like, at least in Minnesota).
>
>I'd say that states that allow full alcohol sales at groceries and drug
>stores are in the minority, although the last three I've lived in
>(California, Illinois and Indiana) all allow it. But a lot of places keep
>hard liquor out of groceries and drug stores, even if they allow beer and
>wine (places like New York and Washington; Wisconsin, too, IIRC).
>
>As for the original question, PA requires beer to be bought from beer
>distributors (or whatever the rigth term is - stores that sell beer by the
>case) or by the 6-pack from bars. I don't believe grocery or drug store
>sales are allowed.
>

Here in Kansas, you can only buy 3.2% beer in grocery and convenience
stores. When I was 18, you were allowed to buy the 3.2 beer. There
were bars that sold only sold the 3.2 beer that 18 year olds could go
to. The drinking age was changed to 21 across the board, but the 3.2
beer still survives.

All liquor, wine, and beer must be sold in liquor stores. The liquor
stores can sell nothing else, no mixers, ice, corkscrews, etc. Many
liquor stores have shops right next door that sell mixers, ice,
tobacco, etc. They have to have separate entrances, as well as being a
separate company. Within the last year or so, Sunday sales were
allowed. It started with areas near the Missouri state line, because
the stores claimed they were losing business.

In Missouri, grocery, convenience and drug stores can sell anything.
They have decent selections, but for beer, you really need to go to a
liquor store. It's very similar to California.



-----------------------------------------------------
Pete Clouston
Lawrence (KS) Brewers Guild
http://www.lawrencebrewers.org