Enjoying a cold beer in a Central Pa. bar may be harder to do this summer. Here's why
Angel AlbringA crisis is brewing in Central Pennsylvania as beer deliveries are slowing.
"Simply put, the flow of beer to Pennsylvania's bars, taverns, and licensed restaurants is slowing as distributors are having problems finding drivers and state laws prevent establishments from picking up their own supplies," executive director of Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association Chuck Moran said in an email. "It appears that the epicenter for this problem is southcentral PA with many complaints coming from owners in York County."
In a letter sent Wednesday to the State House Liquor Control Committee and Senate Law & Justice Committee, the association said that while reports have come in from all areas of the state about the supply chain issues, "the epicenter appears to be in the southcentral section, where with little warning, Ace Beer Distributors informed bars, taverns, and clubs that they were cutting back deliveries to only twice per month."
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On its website, Ace says it represents “more than 350 brands ... from over 130 supplier partners and services over 1,400 direct retail partners across Lancaster, York, Adams, Franklin, Fulton, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon, Perry, Mifflin, and Juniata counties.”
In the letter sent to the committee, the Tavern Association said their sources have said that "a labor crisis is to blame, specifically a lack of drivers."
In a recent letter to the Pennsylvania House Liquor Control Committee and the Pennsylvania Senate Law & Justice Committee, Moran said “the decision by Ace is quite problematic for small businesses that rely on the wholesaler" and added that many of the smaller businesses "do not have enough storage space to handle 2 or 3 weeks of malt beverage supplies.”
According to the association, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board will not allow bars, clubs and taverns to pick up their own supplies or go out of a wholesaler’s territory to purchase supplies.
"The only options offered were 1) to attempt to get a delivery from a smaller distributor (if they would even do so) within the wholesaler’s territory or 2) swap out popular more affordable national brands with local brands from breweries that deliver," the Tavern Association wrote.
In a statement sent Friday, the Liquor Control Board said their role "is to administer the Pennsylvania Liquor Code and relay information about existing liquor laws to licensees. Changes to the law are generally within the purview of the state Legislature and Governor."
The association said delivery problems are not new, but the problems that were experienced before the pandemic are now "being amplified" and they are being compounded by outdated liquor laws.
"While licensed bars, taverns and clubs can purchase liquors at a state store and personally deliver the supply to their bar or tavern, current law does not allow them to pick up and personally deliver malt beverages to their own establishment," the association wrote in the letter to the liquor committee.
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In September 2021, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board began rationing sales on certain types of liquor, limiting customers to two-bottles-per-day at state stores, as well as well for bars, restaurants and other license holders.
At that time, the board said “sustained supply chain disruptions and product shortages” prompted the restrictions.
PLCB spokesman Shawn Kelly said the rationing is still in place, but that some of the limited items have been taken off the restricion list and only 38 remain.
When the restrictions were announced, the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association said the move would make it more difficult for members to run their businesses.