Will this legislation harm PLCB sales?
No. It will simply expand where consumers can buy canned cocktails, while also opening additional avenues to import Ready-To-Drink products (RTDs) into Pennsylvania. 

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Is beer sold in grocery and convenience stores in Pennsylvania?
The legislation that allowed for the sale of beer in grocery stores in Pennsylvania in 2016 was House Bill 1690, also known as Act 39. The legislation that expanded beer sales in grocery stores in 2019 was House Bill 97, also known as Act 21. This law allowed grocery stores with seating areas and restaurant licenses to sell up to 3,000 square feet of beer and cider. 

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Pennsylvania's grocery stores also sell malt-based RTDs like Truly Hard Seltzer, while spirits-based RTDs with similar compositions or flavors are prohibited.

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How long has it been this way?
Pennsylvania has had state-owned liquor stores since 1933. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board was created that year after the repeal of prohibition, and it has been responsible for regulating the sale of wine and spirits in the state ever since. 

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What is the economic impact of the liquor industry in PA?

The liquor industry has a significant economic impact on Pennsylvania. According to a report published by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, the spirits industry in Pennsylvania generates $6.3 billion in economic activity annually and supports more than 20,000 jobs across the state. The report also found that the state's spirits industry contributes $1.9 billion in wages and $350 million in tax revenue to Pennsylvania's economy each year.

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Is it possible that the popularity of the product among youth could result in an increase in underage drinking?

It is important to note that canned cocktail sales would still be restricted to legal age drinkers, just as with the sale of beer and other alcoholic beverages. Furthermore, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has strict regulations in place to prevent alcohol sales to underage individuals, and retailers who violate these regulations face significant penalties.

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Why can I buy malt-based canned cocktails, like Truly, at the grocery store, but I have to go to a liquor store to get a canned cocktail, like High Noon?

Malt-based beverages, such as beer and hard seltzers, are regulated differently and can be sold in grocery and convenience stores. Spirit-based beverages, like canned cocktails, are classified under the same category as liquors, and so they can only be sold in state-controlled liquor stores, also known as Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores in Pennsylvania, even though these products have a similar or lower ABV than beer and hard seltzers. 

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Are you trying to influence the privatization system in Pennsylvania? 

No, our coalition is not aiming to change the entire privatization system in Pennsylvania. Coalition for Convenient Sales aims to allow the sale of new products like spirit-based canned cocktails in the same locations where beer and other malt-based beverages are currently sold. We are advocating for this change to streamline the shopping process for consumers, making it possible to find all these types of beverages in the same aisle for greater convenience.