I’ve been put into a weeklong training class for my job for the week April 3-7, in Boyers PA, about 60 miles north of Pittsburgh. The last time I was there, for my initial training 18 months ago, I could not find a drink for the life of me. Eventually stumbled across a State Store in a shopping center and got a small bottle of vodka (and a nice xenophobic diatribe by the salesman that he’d never buy Grey Goose because he doesn’t want to support those anti-American Frenchie bastards). But I digress…
Now that I’m going back, I’d like to have a six-pack of beer to sip during the weeknights, after my training classes are complete.
But I’m still not quite clear on PA’s truly bizarre liquor laws. As I roughly understand it through some general googling and common knowledge:
There are three types of places to buy alcohol of some sort:
-State Stores. Liquor and wine (?). No beer of any kind.
-Beer Distributors. Only beer in cases. No six-packs; no liquor or wine.
-Bars and (licensed) delis. Smaller amounts of beer. No cases; no liquor or wine. Bit of a price markup since you’re buying to take home what they’d like you to drink in the bar itself.
There’s that pesky section 2 of the 21st Amendment, which forbids interstate transport of alcohol, even for personal use. So bringing a little beer of my own is out.
So, PA dopers, what are my options for wanting to have six-pack of beer for my week in PA? And I’m talking decent beer. At least Yuengling or Sam Adams quality. No Bud. Nothing with “Lite” in the name.
OK, here’s the deal. You can buy six-packs, but you have to get them at bars and the like (at a considerable markup). You can only buy liquor (in bulk, for yourself) at state stores. Wine is a bit trickier, because I personally know of a place in one of the local shopping malls where you can get wine, so it’s apparent that you don’t have to go to a state store for that, although it’s still your best bet due to selection.
As far as bringing booze across state lines goes, yes, it’s illegal, but it’s not enforced unless it’s Smokey and the Bandit type rumrunning or the police are trying to make a point, as they did years ago with people trying to bring Everclear (banned in this state) up from Maryland. When I come back from Texas I regularly bring a few six-packs of Shiner Bock home.
So yeah, you’re pretty close. If you want a sixer of Yuengling, bite the bullet and go to a bar. It should be around $8-10 depending upon where you go. Or bring it with you. They won’t care about a sixer.
You have it right. I would suggest googling to find a bar near where you are going to be and call to see if they sell take out.
Or you can find a distributer. They will most likely have a better selection…you will have to buy a whole case though. Drink up!
^^These guys got it right. Things do get even trickier if you look into things like Sunday sale of beer by bars (only if they do a certain percentage of their business on food sales). I have a friend who owns two bars in PA and even he admits to not fully understanding the states liquor laws.
As my move gets closer, I’m getting more excited about FINALLY having a place to set up my bottles and such (Cider, not beer. I just don’t like beer.).
Am I going to be able to locate a homebrew store, or will I have to order yeast and such on the internet?
If I’m brewing 5 gallon batches of Cider, am I gonna have to worry about the revnoors coming for me?
Where does it say that you can’t transport alcohol across state lines for personal use? It seems to me that all it’s saying is that you can’t transport alcohol if such transport has been made illegal. I don’t think transport of alcohol for personal use has been made illegal in any state of the union.
BTW, Tristan, I’ve never heard of anyone being prosecuted for anything having to do with homebrewing for personal consumption. Was just passin’ along a little tidbit I picked up in my travels. Don’t even remember the source, though it may have been Proulx & Nichols’ Sweet and Hard Cider.
People bring alcohol in from other states (and countries; think about it, I can fly Paris to Philadelphia with my US Customs max wine purchase without problem) all of the time. Not a problem unless you’re carrying so much it’s assumed you intend to set yourself up for resale. People drive to Jersey on this side of the state for liquor stores all of the time.
FYI, you can get two six packs for take out from a bar max at time. So if you want 4 you & a friend need to buy them or you need to enter the bar twice. Silly, but true.
There’s also some weirdness with being allowed to keep a pitcher physically on the bar (as opposed to at a table away from the bar), although I’ve only ever seen a couple of bars who had some trouble with the PLCB actually enforce this in order to dot their i’s & cross their t’s.
I’ve got a co-worker here in Pittsburgh who brews his own beer. I believe he orders all of the stuff off the internet, though I couldn’t tell you if it’s because he just finds it easier to do it that way or what. I do know of at least one wine shop in the area that sells homebrewing supplies, so they are around.
I never heard of the weirdness about pitchers having to be on the bar.
As others have said, your best bet is to just go to a bar and get a six-pack. Of course, it’d be nearly as cheap to just buy a case, ice what you want in your hotel sink and take the rest home. But that’s up to you.
Section 2:
The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof [said state], is hereby prohibited.
Bolding and bracketing mine.
If Pennsylvania has a restriction in place on transportation or importation of alcohol, then Section 2 of the 14th Amendment applies.
And I found the cite to prove that it does have such a restriction: Pennsylvania Liquor Code, Section 491-(2): (2) For any person, except a manufacturer or the board or the holder of a sacramental wine license or of an importer’s license, to possess or transport any liquor or alcohol within this Commonwealth which…has not been purchased from a Pennsylvania Liquor Store or a licensed limited winery in Pennsylvania, except miniatures totaling less than one gallon purchased by a collector of the same in another state or foreign country, or in accordance with the board’s regulations.
Since I assume 12oz beer bottles do not count as “miniatures,” importation into PA is technically illegal (though admittedly pretty irrelevant if we’re just talking a sixer, as many have pointed out).
Incidentally, I read on to Section 492-(1), and found the following:
*It shall be unlawful -
(1) Manufacturing Without License. Except as provided herein, for any person, to manufacture malt or brewed beverages, unless such person holds a valid manufacturer’s license for such purpose issued by the board. Malt or brewed beverages may be produced by any person without a license, if such malt or brewed beverages are produced not for sale and total production does not exceed two hundred gallons per calendar year.*
Bolding mine.
So unless you’re looking at over 200 gallons of that cider in a year, you’re safe, Tristan.
Another option would be to hit one of PA’s fantastic local brewers (or brewpubs), where you can pick up a six-pack or growler of your favorite style. Depending on where you’ll be staying, some of us Penciltuckians might be able to give you a heads up.
As I’d said in the OP, Boyers. Last time, my hotel was a town over in Grove City, right across from the giant outlet mall that’s there. And Google Earth tells me it’s about 55 miles north of Pittsburgh. Appears pretty nearly due north. So anything in that area, I’d definitely be grateful for recommendations. If I was staying over the weekend, I might be looking at city activities in Pittsburgh or Cleveland, but I’m not going to have time this trip.
North Country Brewing is in nearby Slippery Rock, PA, probably about 10 miles from Grove City. Very good beers all around, including a handpump. In addition, if you want a bit of a trip, probably about 35-40 miles north is Titusville, and the inexplicably good Four Sons Brewing (not inexplicable because of the beer, but because the town isn’t exactly a micro paradise). Finally, down at the PA Turnpike junction in Cranberry Township (exit 78), there’s the new Hereford and Hops, a brewpub with an Irish pub feel (and nice, nice steaks).
It’s probably going to be hard to find a lot of bars up in that area, mostly because a lot of the area is dry (a lot of Amish/Mennonites in the area, though I can’t say that’s the reason why), but hope those help!
