Howdy fellow BA's , Just a quick question .. *While cruising through PA on the way to and from Maine I had some slightly confusing beer buying experiences . While in Wilkes-Barre I stopped by a Wegmans and was able to pick up bombers and or six packs or 12 oz singles , While in South Philly (Geno's and Pats Subs Rock !) I was able to go into a place called The Bottle Shop and pick up a bottle and had growler fill options but while in other parts (Harrisburg PA -( Beer Zoo ) everything was sold by case only and was told singles are only sold in Bars ! My question is how is it some are only able to sell beers in bars and others are able to sell in bottle shops and or grocery stores ? Cheers !
PA laws are crazy. Beer distributors are only allowed to sell cases. While restaurants are able to sell single bottles, six packs, and twelve packs. It all comes down to the type of license the establishment has. If there is a restaurant attached to the building they can sell singles, six packs, and twelve packs. Furthermore, you can only walk out with so many ounces of beer at a time from these locations. If you want to buy two twelve packs you have to leave with one and then come back and walk out with the second one! I think it is a limit of 170 ounces or so. Pretty odd laws we have here in PA.
Because our laws are archaic and antiquated. Distributors sell by the case, and only the case. Bottle shops/"six pack shops", bars, restaurants, and grocery stores with separate eateries (like Wegmans) can get licenses to sell in smaller quantities, usually at a wallet-****** markup. These stores have a 192 ounce per transaction limit - you can walk to your car, walk in to buy more, walk out again, walk right back in, etc, all day long. You just can't buy 193 ounces or more in one transaction. *cough* Keep driving...if you're headed away from PA, you're headed in the right direction.
This information is pretty much right on. If they serve beer on premises you can buy smaller quantities only, cases can be purchased by beer distributors only. To further complicate things, beer and liquor/wine are not sold together. If you want a bottle of wine or some Banker's club gin, you have to visit the "state" store. All this being said, life's pretty good for beer drinkers in PA - we get more options than most other states.
For you out of towners . Please if you come to my state (PA) do your research first in looking for buying beer. Any of us PA BA members will guide you to the right place. In PA beside bars we have bottle shops that sell single bottle beers up to 192oz which is under a half a case of beer. You want a case of beer then you have to go to a beer distributor. This is a old and worthless topic. As of right now the laws are changing rather slowly. So to add piece of mind and stop your venting about PA sucky beer laws. When plan on driving through my beloved state just contact a BAer from PA or just post your question on where to buy bottles in PA and we will be glad to help. It's that simple. :-) ..
192 oz. is more than half a standard (12 X 24 oz.) case. The law was amended (I think in the '50's) to allow the sale of 12 16oz. bottles or 6 quarts (two bottle sizes once popular for returnable/refillable "deposit" bottles from PA brewers). Up to 1949 the limit was 72 oz. - one standard 6 X 12oz. sixpack - so the oft-repeated belief that the "case law has not been changed since Prohibition" is incorrect. The law (which obviously dates from the Repeal Era, not "Prohibition") was enacted in 1935.
Here this also explains a little bit better. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_laws_of_Pennsylvania
