The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board recently provided a legal advisory to representatives of Pennsylvania-based Yuengling on a planned sweepstakes sponsored by the company that could impact PLBA-Member establishments involved with the promotion.

The advisory opinion also serves as an educational opportunity for PLBA Members who have questions about promotions such as sweepstakes.

According to the official rules, the “Yuengling Tailgate Sweepstakes” promotion should begin on September 1, and end on September 30, 2018. Interested individuals may enter the sweepstakes by texting “TAILGATE” to 55755 and completing an entry form with their name, date of birth, state, telephone number, and e-mail address. Interested individuals have another option to enter the sweepstakes by visiting the sweepstakes website at www.TailgateWithYuengling.com and following the instructions for entry.

Three winners will be randomly selected to receive a Tailgate Party Pack which includes a Yuengling tailgate table, a Yuengling fire pit, and a Yuengling folding chair. Each Tailgate Party Pack has an approximate retail value of $198.00. No purchase is necessary to enter the sweepstakes, and alcoholic beverages are not included in any of the prizes.

The sweepstakes is only open to adults who are at least twenty-one years of age at the time of entry.

PLCB OPINION: Section 5.32(h) of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s (“PLCB”) Regulations states that a manufacturer or licensee may sponsor sweepstakes promotions subject to the following conditions:

1. No purchase is necessary to enter.
2. Entrants shall be twenty-one years of age or older.
3. Retail licensed premises may only be involved as pick-up or drop-off points for entry forms and not for the conducting of drawings or the awarding of prizes.
4. Alcoholic beverages may not be part of the prize.

To read the full opinion, click here.

Pennsylvania’s premier deep carved logo barware company joins with statewide tavern owners to give bar patrons distinctive experience

(Harrisburg, Pa. – 7/25/18) The Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association (PLBA) is pleased to announce that Crystal Imagery Inc., a leading barware company that provides deep carved logo glasses and growlers to bars and restaurants, is the PLBA’s newest Associate Member.

“Crystal Imagery is a quality, Pennsylvania-based company that provides distinctive glass products to taverns and restaurants nationally,” said Chuck Moran, executive director for the PLBA. “We are excited that this new relationship will benefit our members.”

According to Moran, members who place logo orders with Crystal Imagery will receive 15 percent off.

Current clients of Crystal Imagery include the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, CIA, and dozens of high-end resorts throughout the country. The company is based in York Springs, Pa.

According to Eric Schuchart, CEO and founder of Crystal Imagery, there are advantages of deep carved logo barware that could save PLBA members money in the long run. For example, he says, screen printed pint glasses can eventually wash off and would need to be replaced sooner. Barware that is laser engraved can be difficult to see and not provide that extra attention to brand building.

“There’s an advantage to deep carved barware, whether it’s a mason jar, beer mug, or a champagne flute,” said Schuchart. “Our products provide a customer experience unlike any other barware product while building brand awareness,” said Schuchart.

PLBA members should visit the preferred vendors section at www.pataverns.com to learn how to take advantage of this new relationship.

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The Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage Association represents retail licensees in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Association formed after Prohibition in 1941 to ensure the legality, protection, and prosperity of the state’s liquor and beer retail licensed businesses. From corner bars, delis and neighborhood taverns to five-star restaurants and resorts, PLBA’s industry supports more than 100,000 Commonwealth jobs, and remains an established, important part of our communities. To learn more about the PLBA, visit www.pataverns.com.  The PLBA can be followed via Twitter @TavernPA. PLBA Executive Director Chuck Moran can be followed on Twitter via @ChuckMoran7.

Crystal Imagery Inc. has been in business since 2000 with their corporate offices and production facility located in York Springs, Pa.  Their unique method of deep sand carving logos and designs in barware sets them apart from the general screen print, laser, and engraving industry.  Please visit them at www.crystalimagery.com or call (888) 440-6073.

 

A story in a recent edition of the Centre Daily Times suggests the possibility of a poured tax coming to State College due to issues associated with drinking.

However, according to the story, the local borough shifted to talking more about a retail tax since many issues of concern are not being driven by alcohol sales via bars and restaurants. Instead, problematic areas stem from stores and private parties at residences.

“With Penn State located within a short walk or drive to stores and distributors, you can anticipate plenty of unsupervised house parties happening,” says Chuck Moran, executive director for the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association. “Bar and restaurant employees go through RAMP training to learn how to serve responsibly.  It’s not right to compare local taverns and house parties.  Burdening such bars and restaurants with a poured tax would be unfair.”

The article is a multi-part series taking a looking at alcohol use in the college town.

In response to questions about a poured tax for the CDT article, Moran stated the organization’s opposition. “These types of taxes typically result in increased prices being absorbed by customers and decreasing sales at establishments. That’s not a good situation. For those reasons, the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association opposes such taxes. We are especially concerned for lower income individuals and mom-and-pop establishments,” he was quoted in the article.

Multiple studies on the recent Philadelphia beverage tax on soda show sales have decreased under the tax and prices have risen.

 

In early July, CNN Money reported that more Americans are opting for wine, liquor, Corona, and Michelob, while not choosing Buds and Coors as much as they once did.

Citing information from The Beer Institute, shipments of beer from US breweries are down 3.5 percent as of mid-year. Bud Light, Miller Lite, Coors Light, and Budweiser have been hardest hit.

“This is an important trend for tavern owners to keep their eyes on,” said Chuck Moran, executive director for the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association. “A changing marketplace could be a sign to some establishments that they’ll have to take a close look at their own business and determine if they too need to change.”

Why is this happening? Innovative new brands and creative concepts emerging from craft breweries, vineyards, and distilleries offer drinkers a newer taste. In addition to a greater selection from which to choose, new establishment concepts including brewpubs, taprooms, gaming bars, and festivals are giving drinkers more-than-ever-before options when they go out on the town.

“There’s plenty of consumer options out there today,” Moran says.

More customers are also enjoying a drink with meals when they eat out or order take-out.

With all that said, while the number of craft beers continue to grow, the pace of growth is slowing, indicating possible market saturation. Meanwhile, growth in wine and spirits has been positive, particularly among those in their 20s. Wine and spirits sales combined now make up the majority of the liquor market as beer’s share has fallen below 50 percent.

However, while the beer market share has decreased, higher-end beers seem to be selling fine and in some cases are seeing sales growth.

Earlier this year, Governor Tom Wolf signed a bill into law that allows the PLCB to immediately take away a licensed establishment’s ability to sell and serve alcohol when the PLCB finds certain requirements are not met.

This complaint law — Act 44 of 2017 — addresses violations related to health licenses, use of unlicensed areas, seating, and food issues. Cases are handled on a case-by-case basis. Residents and community members concerned about an establishment could file complaints about a licensee by sending an email to the PLCB.

According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the authority expansion was developed to allow the PLCB “to tackle so-called ‘Stop-n-Go’ stores in the Philadelphia area, where bottles of beer are sold without the food or seating their restaurant or eating-place licenses required.”

A licensee compliance program was developed by the PLCB and can be helpful to establishments to stay in compliance.

In January 2018, the PLCB began unannounced on-site investigations of licensees based upon complaints received.

When the PLCB finds a deficiency as a result of an on-site inspection, the investigator will notify the licensee of the deficiency or problem and suspend operating privileges. The licensee will then have the opportunity to resolve the issue to regain operating privileges upon re-inspection. In cases where the PLCB refuses to reinstate operating privileges because of a continued or unaddressed deficiency, the licensee may request a hearing before Commonwealth Court.

In the past, the PLCB could only challenge an establishment’s license when it was up for renewal.

 

 

When the state decided five years ago to allow bars and taverns to expand the number of games of chance in their establishments, it was estimated that about two thousand bars and taverns would seek licenses to offer games such as pull tabs, raffles and daily drawings.

Those games would return an estimated $93 million to state coffers each year.  Instead, fewer than 50 bars and taverns have licenses and only about one and a half million dollars goes back to the state annually.  What happened?

Well, you can find out by listening to Smart Talk on WITF FM, Harrisburg’s NPR station. PLBA Board Member Jim DeLisio and Executive Director Chuck Moran sat down with host Scott Lamar.  The interview was an opportunity for tavern owners to speak up in Harrisburg.

Listen to the show by clicking here.

During a recent news conference, Pennsylvania Senator John Rafferty said about one-third of all drivers arrested or convicted of drunk driving have done it before. His bill, SB 961, would toughen the state’s DUI laws, and has already passed in the state senate by a wide margin.

The bill currently sits in state house Judiciary Committee.

If passed, Rafferty’s bill creates the first-ever felony DUI in Pennsylvania for a person convicted of DUI a third time with a BAC of .16 or higher as well as anyone convicted of a fourth DUI.

Penalties for killing someone while driving under the influence would also be increased regardless of the driver’s DUI history.

Members of the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association should make sure all of their employees are properly trained to serve responsibly and flag patrons when needed. Designated drivers, taxi services, and Uber/Lyft arrangements should be sought.

As a benefit of belonging to the association, Chuck Moran, executive director, encourages members to take advantage of discounts for RAMP training.

“The Tavern Association is always working through member education to be a part of the solution,” said Moran. “No one should ever get behind a wheel of a car after drinking too much, whether they do so at a bar, house party, sporting event, or other activity.”

The current business model for tavern games in the Commonwealth isn’t working for bar owners statewide, and that’s one reason why the state’s revenue isn’t as high as it once hoped. That’s what the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association told the Harrisburg Patriot-News during a recent sit down with reporter Jan Murphy.

Sparked by a recent report from the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee, the article says the number of establishments offering approved games including pull tabs, daily drawings, and raffles was only 51 statewide as of April 2018. That’s five fewer than one year earlier.

While the situation is complex after factoring in other related issues adding pressure to establishments, tavern owners want to be a part of the solution to correct problems on this matter and others, and are interested in working with the state to create win-win scenarios.

To read the full story, click here.

A joint committee meeting including the House Liquor Control and Senate Law and Justice was held on May 31 at the Capitol to discuss the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s report on pricing. The report was distributed on March 30 and can be found here.

The PLCB’s testimony can be found here. In a nutshell, the PLCB is happy with the progress they’ve made since Act 39 of 2016 in regards to negotiating with suppliers. And, they do feel like Pennsylvania has seen some improved pricing on retail compared to other states.

Outside of the testimony, questions were asked about ecommerce. It was reported that ecommerce is expected to grow significantly. The PLCB plans to roll out a new website in October and should have a new facility later this year that would create opportunities for consumers to more easily make purchases and have those purchases delivered more quickly. It was noted that a new customer relationship management program that the PLCB is working on should provide significant marketing data on consumers. This data will not be available outside the PLCB.

Video of the hearing is available via Sen. Chuck McIlhinney here.