Your Pennsylvania Tax Dollars at work

[89Hen]

When I buy beer in NY, NJ, MD, etc. I am always disappointed by the selection.

You just need to know where to go.

[andy7171]

Baltimore County where I live...
Beer, Wine, Liquor same store. 90% Closed on Sundays. Have to go to a special bar with carryout and package goods licence. (There are three all within a mile of my house) Or I can drive over the Patapsco into Howard County where their B, W, L stores are open on Sundays.
Nothing in Baltimore Co/Ci or Howard is sold in grocery stores or convienence stores.

[Franks Tanks]

When I buy beer in NY, NJ, MD, etc. I am always disappointed by the selection.

You just need to know where to go.

Understood, but I have never found a great selection of craft brews in NJ/NY. I am sure the stores exist, but it seems nearly every non-redneck beer store in PA has very good selection.

[kalm]

Until last years fucked up referendum fully funded by Costco and Walmart, in Washington, you could only buy spirits in liquor stores, half of which were state owned. You could buy wine and beer in liquor stores, grocery stores, convenience stores, and a few big box retailers. Now you can buy liquor in grocery and retail stores over a certain size.

Since the change, the distribution and selection of spirits has sucked and the prices have gone up. It was a perfectly fine system before.

Direct democracy sucks. Buying democracy sucks even worse. The people are too stupid and gullible to be making these type of decisions on their own.

[grizzaholic]

Lots of dumb laws out there. Glad I live where I do.

[YoUDeeMan]

PA Laws are a bit strange, but you can get everything you want at good price and selection.

This is 100% accurate about PA.

The 3 most annoying things-

1- You have to go to 2 different places to buy beer/liquor.

2- There is a place I go regularly where you can only walk out of the store with 12 beers at a time. So if you buy 2 cases worth - you technically have to make 4 trips & they actually enforce this.

3- DE is cheaper across the board than PA. And then MD is across the board cheaper than DE.

100% except for the price...which is 100% of the reason I don't buy alcohol in PA. With Total Wine and Liquors (DE) within 6 miles from my house (and it happens to be on the way to my mother's house), and State Line Liquors (MD) about 2 miles from my house, I am set. Both have HUGE inventory of wines, beers, and spirits at far better prices than PA. Heck, in a pinch, BJ's is a mile or so from the sailing club....although their selection isn't great.

Life is good.

On the other hand, I am headed up to Canada for Race Week and the prices there absolutely SUCK. $50 for a case of beer.

[GannonFan]

This is 100% accurate about PA.

The 3 most annoying things-

1- You have to go to 2 different places to buy beer/liquor.

2- There is a place I go regularly where you can only walk out of the store with 12 beers at a time. So if you buy 2 cases worth - you technically have to make 4 trips & they actually enforce this.

3- DE is cheaper across the board than PA. And then MD is across the board cheaper than DE.

100% except for the price...which is 100% of the reason I don't buy alcohol in PA. With Total Wine and Liquors (DE) within 6 miles from my house (and it happens to be on the way to my mother's house), and State Line Liquors (MD) about 2 miles from my house, I am set. Both have HUGE inventory of wines, beers, and spirits at far better prices than PA. Heck, in a pinch, BJ's is a mile or so from the sailing club....although their selection isn't great.

Life is good.

On the other hand, I am headed up to Canada for Race Week and the prices there absolutely SUCK. $50 for a case of beer.

I actually liked when they called it "Liquor World", but yes, they have a fabulous selection of really everything.

[BDKJMU]

Pennsylvania wastes more tax dollars by being one of the few states to have state-run liquor stores. Vermont has them, too, and there may be one or two others.

Damn public employee unions!

North Carolina has state run liquor stores. And no public employee unions.

As does VA. State run liquor stores are a relic.

[BDKJMU]

Pennsylvania wastes more tax dollars by being one of the few states to have state-run liquor stores. Vermont has them, too, and there may be one or two others.

Damn public employee unions!

PA Laws are a bit strange, but you can get everything you want at good price and selection.

Beer is only restricted by the amount sold. Bars/Deli's can sell take out beer by the 12 pack or less, and they need a "bar" license. To buy a case or kegs a distributor license is needed. PA Beer distributors have a great selection and usually good prices, because selling beer is their only business. When I buy beer in NY, NJ, MD, etc. I am always disappointed by the selection. The state of PA controls the distribution of wine and liquor through their state run stores. The only thing annoying about the PA system is going to two different places to get beer and wine.

Other states also have some weird rules. In Maine I believe one cannot buy liquor or kegs of beer retail, but cans and bottles of beer are available in super markets

PA beer distributers never have good prices. You can always get for less in DE. That is because PA has the 18% Johnston flood tax, plus 6% multiplied on top of that at BOTH wholesale and retail. DE has none of that.

[BDKJMU]

PA Laws are a bit strange, but you can get everything you want at good price and selection.

Beer is only restricted by the amount sold. Bars/Deli's can sell take out beer by the 12 pack or less, and they need a "bar" license. To buy a case or kegs a distributor license is needed. PA Beer distributors have a great selection and usually good prices, because selling beer is their only business. When I buy beer in NY, NJ, MD, etc. I am always disappointed by the selection. The state of PA controls the distribution of wine and liquor through their state run stores. The only thing annoying about the PA system is going to two different places to get beer and wine.

Other states also have some weird rules. In Maine I believe one cannot buy liquor or kegs of beer retail, but cans and bottles of beer are available in super markets

This is 100% accurate about PA.

The 3 most annoying things-

1- You have to go to 2 different places to buy beer/liquor.

2- There is a place I go regularly where you can only walk out of the store with 12 beers at a time. So if you buy 2 cases worth - you technically have to make 4 trips & they actually enforce this.

3- DE is cheaper across the board than PA. And then MD is across the board cheaper than DE.

Yep, PA is the worst in terms of buying booze.
-As already noted, it is inconvenient to buy beer (VA and south and most other states I have been to out west you can buy it in every gas station, grocery store, convenience store)
-state run licquor stores.
-18% Johnstown flood tax and 6% PA sales tax applied at both the wholesale and retail (and 8% if you are in Philly or Pittsburgh). I know when I buy booze at a bar/restaurant in Philly the sales tax is 10%.

Why when I am passing through DE I usually stop at the Total Wine and More just over the PA/DE line and stock up on beer & liquor. Or I buy in in VA. I rarely buy it in PA.

[Franks Tanks]

This is 100% accurate about PA.

The 3 most annoying things-

1- You have to go to 2 different places to buy beer/liquor.

2- There is a place I go regularly where you can only walk out of the store with 12 beers at a time. So if you buy 2 cases worth - you technically have to make 4 trips & they actually enforce this.

3- DE is cheaper across the board than PA. And then MD is across the board cheaper than DE.

Yep, PA is the worst in terms of buying booze.
-As already noted, it is inconvenient to buy beer (VA and south and most other states I have been to out west you can buy it in every gas station, grocery store, convenience store)
-state run licquor stores.
-18% Johnstown flood tax and 6% PA sales tax applied at both the wholesale and retail (and 8% if you are in Philly or Pittsburgh). I know when I buy booze at a bar/restaurant in Philly the sales tax is 10%.

Why when I am passing through DE I usually stop at the Total Wine and More just over the PA/DE line and stock up on beer & liquor. Or I buy in in VA. I rarely buy it in PA.

That is true, but every gas station, grocery store etc. that I have been to in other states has a crappy selection. I understand their many be better places to purchase that I was not aware of, but virtually any PA Beer Store has a tremendous selection. If you want Bud Light lime of Natty you are in luck, but I stopped at impressive looking beer stores down south and they didnt have staples like Sam Seasonal or Sierra Nevada. I am aware this may be outside the norm, but every beer store i've been to in PA in years has stuff like that.

[andy7171]

Patriot League Alums - Worst of the Beer Snobs!

[Franks Tanks]

Patriot League Alums - Worst of the Beer Snobs!

I'm not that bad. I do only drink once per week typically so I want something good.

[Grizalltheway]

Patriot League Alums - Worst of the Beer Snobs!

Say what? Pols is a UM grad.

[alvin kayak]

Protecting the statue of Joe Paterno 24/7 with uniformed police.


The **** couldn't protect the kids, but now they are protecting the statue of the accomplice to child rape.

Penn State needs to be shut down.

Give them a blue shirt and the authorization of violence is perfectly ethical

[grizzaholic]

Patriot League Alums - Worst of the Beer Snobs!

Say what? Pols is a UM grad.

YUP. It doesn't matter how many BL drinkers Montana has, they will always claim the BEER SNOB title.

[ODUsmitty]

I know it would never be shut down - wouldn't be fair to 99.99%.

But the BOT needs to go. Any reference to Paterno needs to go. Spanier et al need to be in jail.

No disagreement here. Reprehensible behavior and coverup. 14 years of abuse could have been avoided with "one adult in the room".

IN New Hampshire for a business meeting. Jim Beam at $18.99 for 1.75 litres. Much better than the $30 price in the Virginia state-run stores.

Life free or die....NH rocks

[Grizalltheway]

I know it would never be shut down - wouldn't be fair to 99.99%.

But the BOT needs to go. Any reference to Paterno needs to go. Spanier et al need to be in jail.

No disagreement here. Reprehensible behavior and coverup. 14 years of abuse could have been avoided with "one adult in the room".

IN New Hampshire for a business meeting. Jim Beam at $18.99 for 1.75 litres. Much better than the $30 price in the Virginia state-run stores.

Life free or die....NH rocks

New Hampshire: the Montana of the EC.