Why do Pennsylvania citizens put up with their alcohol laws! (York: closing, tax)

[pcity]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

Pardon me Drover, I did not mean to sound "apathetic" but I'll take that label if it means I don't care about how one goes about getting alcohol. It's true - I care more that there is no Trader Joe's and Costco in my county then I do about how my husband has to go to our (very nice) beer distributor. A six-pack would not last long anyway when we're having friends over to watch a game.

Given that Trader Joe's stores in most states feature wine heavily (and beer to a lesser extent), the two topics may be more related than you think. PA would have a better chance of getting stores like Trader Joes if the state would let them sell some of their most profitable items.

That's great that you found a nice distributor, but wouldn't it be nice to have a bit of variety when you had friends over to watch the game? Don't people get sick of always having the same beer?

It always annoyed me that, when I lived in PA, these were my options:

1) Get a case of something I know I like, and have everyone drink the same thing all night long.

2) Get a bunch of different way overpriced sixpacks from a pizza place with almost no selection.

3) Drive a long way for a better selection of overpriced sixpacks.

Pennsylvania's laws don't discourage drinking beer. They only discourage trying new beer, so everyone just keeps on drinking their Buds and Millers. In a state with a number of standout microbreweries (Victory, Troegs, Sly Fox, etc.), it's amazing that legislators don't get that the beer laws are only hurting growing PA businesses.

Living in VA, I can drive 5 minutes and get to a store that'll sell me sixpacks, or even singles, of every Yuengling variety, and a bunch of Victory and Troegs varieties, for a very fair price. Why is it that none of that is possible in these breweries' home state of PA?

Here's another thing I never got about PA laws: If PA wants to discourage drinking, why do they make buying beer in cases so cheap and buying sixpacks so expensive? Doesn't that just make people buy and drink more beer? Certainly, in all states, buying in bulk gets you a better deal, but PA features the starkest difference between per bottle prices of sixpacks and cases.

[pcity]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Just to throw in having lived in both states. MD has beer sales at convenience and some grocery stores (that's under a special tourist license) and package stores that carry beer, spirits and wine. These would all generally be non-union jobs. I find no lower prices here and, in fact, the prices are generally higher across the board for all alcohols. I doubt that you all pay $8 for a six pack of Rolling Rock (considered a gourmet beer).

VA has beer/wine in all grocery stores and Rolling Rock is 5.49 for a 6-pack, 9.49 for a 12-pack. It's possible MD has some ridiculous beer taxes, but there's no doubt that the competition in VA really does bring down prices.

[Drover]

Rolling Rock is considered a gourmet beer? By whom, and why? It certainly isn't regarded or priced as a "gourmet" beer in SWPA where it originates. And even so, good luck finding a six-pack of it for anywhere close to $8.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by Drover

Rolling Rock is considered a gourmet beer? By whom, and why? It certainly isn't regarded or priced as a "gourmet" beer in SWPA where it originates. And even so, good luck finding a six-pack of it for anywhere close to $8.

Gourmet beer by people in MD. Don't know why. Sixpacks of it here start at $7 and top out at just under $10 depending on which non-union, supposedly cheaper because of competition, convenience store you go to.


I used to pick up a case of it for a friend when I'd go to PA and the first time I did he gave me a 50. I looked at him and asked how many cases he wanted and the reply was, "Just one, that's why I only gave you $50." I just laughed and told him he'd get back quite a bit of change.

[Drover]

But the problem as pertains to beer isn't the price of a case, but that the only way to get beer at prices that aren't completely outrageous is to buy it by the case.

[North Beach Person]

My point in my couple of responses is that PA isn't necessarily more expensive than other states, in my experience it's actually cheaper across the board. Mrs. NBP likes a particular wine that she can get in either PA or MD. She (or I) will usually get it when we're in PA since it's 25% cheaper there at the State Store or wine outlet at the DuBois Mall than here at any of the stores. Not a special trip for it, we're there anyway.

[toobusytoday]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

Probably because those states had less stringent and/or less illogical liquor laws that served the people of those states, instead of serving the state itself.

Well, gee that's funny, I believe I'm talking about our priorities, not yours, and I can assure you that jobs and schools were the top ones, not liquor. Truly, would our liquor laws really stop someone from moving here??

from Drover

Part of "taking action if it matters" is explaining why it matters -- or in your parlance, "complaining." Where do you figure that they're mutually exclusive?

Point taken. Explain away.

and from pcity

Given that Trader Joe's stores in most states feature wine heavily (and beer to a lesser extent), the two topics may be more related than you think. PA would have a better chance of getting stores like Trader Joes if the state would let them sell some of their most profitable items.

There are TJ's in PA, just not in my county. Delaware's also does not have wine in it's TJ's.

I think I will bow out of this discussion and leave it to those of you that really do care. Good luck with the changes.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

My point in my couple of responses is that PA isn't necessarily more expensive than other states, in my experience it's actually cheaper across the board. Mrs. NBP likes a particular wine that she can get in either PA or MD. She (or I) will usually get it when we're in PA since it's 25% cheaper there at the State Store or wine outlet at the DuBois Mall than here at any of the stores. Not a special trip for it, we're there anyway.

I'm not keen on wine prices (I'm not a wine drinker) but I do know that buying any microbrew or import beer is ALWAYS more expensive here in PA. Here's a good example. Check out the price of Troeg's Dreamweaver in Virginia at a chain called Total Wine, it's $8 bucks:

http://www.wineaccess.com/file/store...-chantilly.pdf

I've seen the same six pack here go for $13 bucks. Now why on Earth would a beer that's brewed in the state of Pennsylvania be cheaper outside the state? Don't even get me started on imports (you can get a bottle of Delirium Tremens for $10 bucks on that PDF and here you'll pay around $16).

[pcity]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

There are TJ's in PA, just not in my county. Delaware's also does not have wine in it's TJ's.

I'm not saying TJ's are avoiding PA completely, just that there might be more of them if they could sell more of their products there.

[pcity]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

I'm not keen on wine prices (I'm not a wine drinker) but I do know that buying any microbrew or import beer is ALWAYS more expensive here in PA. Here's a good example. Check out the price of Troeg's Dreamweaver in Virginia at a chain called Total Wine, it's $8 bucks

Exactly. They even have a few good microbrews priced at 6.99. And they're constantly sending out $1 off coupons, bringing the price to 5.99. Can you even get a sixer of Natty Light for 5.99 in PA?