Pennsylvania has long been home of some of the most restrictive alcohol laws in the country.
The Keystone State has made it harder to get a drink than just about any state but Utah. While other states had effortless mechanisms to pick up their beer and wine, Pennsylvanians had to explain to out-of-town visitors why you couldn’t pick up a six-pack at the grocery store.
While there has been progress in this area in recent years, it has been with largely inexplicable caveats. Yes, you can buy a bottle of wine at some convenience stores, but only if you come to the right register. You can pick up that six-pack now, but you have to go to a special corner of the grocery store and pretend it’s an entirely different shop.
We have made alcohol more accessible, but only if we agree to a fantasy that it’s not. It all comes back to the state asserting control over what other states allow to be done more freely.
Now the state is trying again.
During the coronavirus pandemic, as restaurants or bars were struggling to stay open with takeout sales in the face of in-person restrictions, the state allowed mixed drinks to be taken to go. That measure was meant to be temporary, but Wednesday, the Senate passed legislation that would make it permanent.
On Thursday, the Senate added another provision that would allow ready-to-drink cocktails — sealed, prepackaged drinks, known as “RTDs” in the trade — to be sold by grocery stores, convenience stores and distributors. That provision goes back to the House for approval since it was an addition to the House bill.
Gov. Tom Wolf has indicated he will sign the bill if approved. Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland, has called it a step toward normalcy that could “jump-start the economy.”
But will it really?
Will restaurants and bars really see an increase in business over mixing up margaritas to go? After a year of being unable to socialize in public, people are far more thirsty for the ability to mingle with friends and strangers in the convivial confines of a watering hole. Isn’t everyone tired of takeout by now?
How do the RTDs help restaurants and bars? Grocery stores and beer distributors haven’t been hurting during the pandemic. These are the businesses that have flourished — some barely able to keep up with demand.
If the state wants to approve new products or procedures to improve revenue streams, that’s fine. But let’s be honest about it.
Pennsylvania’s alcohol accessibility definitely has improved during the past 20 to 30 years. The LCB stores have been spiffed up, offering a wider selection with competitive prices and, hard to imagine, the occasional wine tasting. The system offers more ease for special orders from out of state.
But the primacy of the LCB has been maintained throughout, whether because it’s perceived as a cash cow for the state budget — or whether somewhere in the depths of Pennsylvania, some people still believe demon rum has to be under the thumb of the state. If someone is under the illusion the state has less control, that’s probably just the liquor talking.
