Pennsylvania Staggers into the Twentieth Century

Pennsylvania Staggers into the Twentieth Century

The State Liquor Control Board has approved licenses for two local grocery stores to begin beer sales. While this is certainly a positive step for the Commonwealth, it does not exactly shatter the beer distributor system or bring this state on par with others who allow beer sales in supermarkets.

The licenses come with strict stipulations. The stores are only allowed to sell the equivalent of two six packs and the sales must come from café style areas separated from the rest of the store. It amounts to allowing a beer store to operate within a store and does not offer the complete freedom and convenience customers in other states enjoy. But it is a step in the right direction.

Of course this decision is not without its opposition. The Malt Beverage Distributors Association has challenged a similar license granted to a supermarket elsewhere in the state. This challenge has reached the state Supreme Court and is expected to be heard in the spring. Whether or not Pennsylvania’s beer and liquor sales are allowed to enter the twentieth century will hinge on their decision.