Strange Liquor Laws Make Buying Alcohol in Pennsylvania an Adventure

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Image via Michael Bryant, Philadelphia Inquirer.

If you are looking to buy beer, wine, or liquor, Pennsylvania’s frustrating and restrictive liquor laws do not make it easy, writes Nick Vadala for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

This confusion over what beverages are sold where has existed since 1933, when then-Gov. Gifford Pinchot established the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board and the state liquor store system.

Laws have been relaxed somewhat recently, however, making alcohol purchases a bit more convenient. But not altogether clear.

Beer and other malt beverages are the easiest to buy. They are sold by beer distributors, bottle shops, bars, grocery stores, and breweries. The license of each of these establishments determines how much they can sell you.

Wine is also no longer sold just in State Stores. All the sites that sell beer can now also offer wine, if they have the appropriate permit.

Liquor options are more limited. State Stores and Pennsylvania distilleries both sell liquor on-premises and can ship it to your home. Meanwhile, cocktails-to-go, which were legal during the pandemic, are once again banned.

Read more about Pennsylvania’s liquor laws in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in July 2021.

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