Pennsylvania’s Alcohol Laws: Where to Buy and Views from an Outsider

This Blog was contributed by our Food Innovation Lab Graduate Student, Jared Greenberg.

I walk into a Binny’s in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood only to be greeted by huge aisles of wine designated by style and region. There’s a giant “wine cave” in the back, piled high with premium bottles. Amongst the wine is also beer and liquor, but this Binny’s, located in one of Chicago’s wealthier neighborhoods, is focused on wine. It is a particularly warm spring day, and the moms are in full force buying white wine. The college students are also out in waves shopping for all the things you need for a day party. I head to the back corner where the vermouth is. Binny’s Beverage Depot is the most convenient place to pick up the Spanish vermouth I like. I often buy it before I head back to Pittsburgh where it is virtually impossible to get. I don’t need to pick up any beer since I already bought it on my trip to the grocery store earlier today.

Binny’s are a wondrous refuge whenever I return to my home state of Illinois. After living in Illinois and Indiana for most of my adult life, moving to Pennsylvania was shocking when it came to purchasing alcohol. What was usually a part of my typical grocery store visit was now restricted unless I shopped at the Market District in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood. I once tried to buy a 12 pack and 6 pack of beer at the same time only to be told that wasn’t allowed. Before Pennsylvania I had never seen a beer distributor with a drive-through. As an avid cocktail enthusiast, I sometimes purchased harder-to-find spirits from online distributors but was no longer allowed to, and the state-run Fine Wines and Good Spirits are almost always disappointing in their selection.

Pennsylvania’s complicated alcohol laws can be traced back to the American prohibition. Even after it was repealed, Pennsylvania maintained a dry stance on alcohol until the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board was formed in 1933. Its job was and is to give out licenses and control the sale of alcohol. Today the sale of liquor is strictly controlled by the state and only sold for off-site consumption at the state-run stores and direct from Pennsylvania distilleries. There are arguments against Pennsylvania remaining an alcoholic beverage control state, but its proponents stand by the large amount of money raised for the state. In the 2020-21 fiscal year, the general fund brought in over $700 million through the sale of alcohol and the alcohol tax. This money goes towards funding Pennsylvania’s schools, health and human services programs, law enforcement, and other public services. In 2021, $29.2 million went to the Pennsylvania State Police for liquor control enforcement efforts and $5.3 million went to the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. Other arguments include how privatizing alcohol sales would hurt the union jobs dedicated to working the state stores and that selection would decrease. While my anecdotal dreams of Binny’s and other massive beverage depots prove otherwise it appears that things are unlikely to change.

While I believe that Pennsylvania’s alcohol sales should be privatized, I’ve still found some hidden benefits in the current system through my time living in Pittsburgh. The restricted selection of wine, beer, and spirits puts an emphasis on buying from smaller, local shops who have created great places to buy alcohol. Pittsburgh has a blossoming natural wine scene with restaurants and bars like Apteka and Tina’s importing and selling a curated selection of incredible natural wines. Pennsylvania Libations, one of the few other stores to buy liquor from, has expanded with a new location in Shadyside. They only sell spirits made locally in Pennsylvania and bring the state’s great distillers to the light. Because distilleries and wineries may open up to 5 satellite locations, producers across the state can designate Pennsylvania Libations as a satellite location. For Pittsburghers, it’s a great one-stop-shop for spirits being made in the city like Maggie’s Farm Rum and Wiggle Whiskey. I also recommend trying new products from across the state. MLH distillery in Grove City makes an old-school, barrel-rested Gin definitely worth trying. While stores like these exist in every state, they are particularly important here in Pennsylvania. Much of America’s consumerism is dominated by massive assortments and endless choices, but in my personal shopping, I’ve found myself gravitating toward smaller stores with thoughtfully curated selections. It is a trend that I both hope and expect to grow as consumers seek stronger connections and dialogues behind the food and drink they consume.