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Pennsylvania Beer

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pennsylvania
Today in 1787, Pennsylvania became the 2nd state.

Pennsylvania
State_Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Breweries

Pennsylvania Brewery Guides

Guild: Brewers of Pennsylvania

State Agency: Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board

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  • Capital: Harrisburg
  • Largest Cities: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, Upper Darby Twp, Reading
  • Population: 12,281,054; 6th
  • Area: 46058 sq. mi., 33rd
  • Nickname: Keystone State
  • Statehood: 2nd, December 12, 1787

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  • Alcohol Legalized: May 5, 1933
  • Number of Breweries: 88
  • Rank: 7th
  • Beer Production: 8,963,292
  • Production Rank: 6th
  • Beer Per Capita: 22.3 Gallons

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Package Mix:

  • Bottles: 37.7%
  • Cans: 44.6%
  • Kegs: 17.3%

Beer Taxes:

  • Per Gallon: $0.11
  • Per Case: $0.24
  • Tax Per Barrel (24/12 Case): $3.31
  • Draught Tax Per Barrel (in Kegs): $2.48

Economic Impact (2010):

  • From Brewing: $532,012,580
  • Direct Impact: $2,947,491,286
  • Supplier Impact: $1,542,608,438
  • Induced Economic Impact: $2,449,763,837
  • Total Impact: $6,939,863,561

Legal Restrictions:

  • Control State: No
  • Sale Hours: On Premises: Sunday sales at hotels and restaurants are permitted from 11:00 a.m. ET until 2:00 a.m. ET Monday only with a special annual permit and whose sales of food and non-alcoholic beverages are at least 30% of total sales. Private clubs can serve alcohol from 7:00 a.m. till 3:00 a.m. Sales of alcohol have to stop at 3:00 a.m.
    Off Premises: State stores hours vary from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Mon–Sat and always noon until 5:00 p.m. Sunday
  • Grocery Store Sales: No
  • Notes: Wine and spirits can only be sold at State-operated stores. All persons must be at least 21 years of age to enter a state-operated liquor store alone. Beer is not sold at state-operated liquor stores.

    Beer can be purchased at beverage outlets (cases only), or restaurants (6-packs/restricted quantities) with Liquor Control Board–issued licenses, but not supermarkets. Non-alcoholic beer is an exception, and may be sold in supermarkets, but persons buying it still must be at least 21 years of age.

    Sunday sales were prohibited in LCB stores until 2003 (selected locations) and beverage outlets (owner’s option) until 2005.

    There are currently seven state liquor stores located within supermarkets. In 2010, a trial was initiated to test selling wine in grocery stores using vending machines. The buyer must present identification, look into a camera to allow an offsite PLCB employee to verify the identification, and blow into a breathalyzer to authorize the sale. (See US Wine Vending Machines) This practice was ended in September 2011.

    As of 2007, some convenience stores and grocery stores were trying to fight Pennsylvania’s strict laws on the sale of alcohol, for example Sheetz Weis Markets and Wegman’s. Since 2009, beer sales have been approved in multiple Western Pennsylvania locations of the grocery chain Giant Eagle. In addition, wine kiosks have also recently become available at multiple Giant Eagle locations in the Pittsburgh area.

    Special permits may be purchased for certain organizations for fundraisers once per calendar year, and are valid for a total of six days under the same rules governing restaurants.

    Grain alcohol prohibited as a beverage.

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Data complied, in part, from the Beer Institute’s Brewer’s Almanac 2010, Beer Serves America, the Brewers Association, Wikipedia and my World Factbook. If you see I’m missing a brewery link, please be so kind as to drop me a note or simply comment on this post. Thanks.

For the remaining states, see Brewing Links: United States.



Comments

  1. Nice! A few updates:

    After some controversy and little success, wine kiosks are gone, and beer is now sold in many grocery store “cafes,” including Wegmans, Whole Foods and Weis. Sheetz still has had no luck as far as I know.

    While they produce Reading Premium, Ruckus is a NY/NJ brewery.

  2. The only reasonably-priced alcohol to buy in PA is beer – but to get the best price, you gotta buy case+ quantities – ABSURD! When in the hell is PA gonna match most of the rest of the US for sixer sales? Their laws regarding wine & booze are insane as well & prices there are outrageous! If they ever get sane, all the “just across the line” liquor stores in MD, NJ & NY will suffer – don’t know enuf about WV & OH to know if the same would hold true there.