Net income for the year totaled $260.8 million, which the liquor control board said was 21% less than the prior fiscal year. Gross wine and spirits sales in Pennsylvania topped $3 billion for the first time last year. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, which regulates the distribution of alcohol in Pennsylvania and operates 600 wine and spirits stores statewide, said sales completed in the 2022-23 fiscal year totaled $3.15 billion, $133 million or 4.5% more than last year. 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.PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Pennsylvania's wine and spirits sales topped $3.15 billion in the past fiscal year, according to new numbers released by the state on Wednesday. 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. While stores like these exist in every state, they are particularly important here in Pennsylvania. MLH distillery in Grove City makes an old-school, barrel-rested Gin definitely worth trying. I also recommend trying new products from across the state. For Pittsburghers, it’s a great one-stop-shop for spirits being made in the city like Maggie’s Farm Rum and Wiggle Whiskey. Because distilleries and wineries may open up to 5 satellite locations, producers across the state can designate Pennsylvania Libations as a satellite location. They only sell spirits made locally in Pennsylvania and bring the state’s great distillers to the light. Pennsylvania Libations, one of the few other stores to buy liquor from, has expanded with a new location in Shadyside. 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. 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. 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. While my anecdotal dreams of Binny’s and other massive beverage depots prove otherwise it appears that things are unlikely to change. Other arguments include how privatizing alcohol sales would hurt the union jobs dedicated to working the state stores and that selection would decrease. 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. This money goes towards funding Pennsylvania’s schools, health and human services programs, law enforcement, and other public services. In the 2020-21 fiscal year, the general fund brought in over $700 million through the sale of alcohol and the alcohol tax. 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. 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. Its job was and is to give out licenses and control the sale of alcohol. Even after it was repealed, Pennsylvania maintained a dry stance on alcohol until the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board was formed in 1933. Pennsylvania’s complicated alcohol laws can be traced back to the American prohibition. 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. Before Pennsylvania I had never seen a beer distributor with a drive-through. 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. 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. After living in Illinois and Indiana for most of my adult life, moving to Pennsylvania was shocking when it came to purchasing alcohol. Binny’s are a wondrous refuge whenever I return to my home state of Illinois.
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