Saturday, October 13, 2012

Next month: beer law forum at Yards Brewing

If you're in the Philly metro area, you ought to join us at Yards Brewing on November 8, at 7 PM for another Beer Laws Forum, put on by Philly Beer Scene. Here's the scoop:
Join us for the 2nd of our Beer Laws Forums. Last February we had an open forum discussing the different beer laws affecting Pennsylvania. Senator Chuck McIlhinney who writes our Beer Laws column and Lew Bryson answered questions and Tom Kehoe of Yards moderated.
For this forum, Tom, Lew and the Senator have all generously agreed to once again sit on the panel, and this time will be joined by Bill Covaleski, of Victory Brewing Co who will be representing the Brewers of Pennsylvania, and Mike Gretz Sr. of Gretz Beer Distributors, who will be representing things from the wholesalers point of view. The forum is open to the public and we will do our best to answer everyone's questions.
The event will be held at the Yards Brewing Co. tasting room and the bar will be open for the event. 
You should come, because this is a chance to find out what's really going on with liquor law in the Keystone State. We are in an activist phase in the legislature with regards to the Liquor Code; things ARE changing...but not the case law, and not its even more ridiculous corollary, the "only 2 sixpacks law" that says if you want to buy more than 192 oz. of beer to go at a bar...you have to buy two sixers, step outside, then come back in and buy more. 

I want at least one of you to ask the Senator what the chances are of killing or even significantly changing the case law by this time next year. He'll say it's not going to happen this year...then I'll do my bit and ask him "Why not?" Then, most importantly, I'll ask Tom, Bill, and Mike what their position is on the case law. 

We all want sixpack sales. We'd really like beer sales of any volume at grocery stores (and convenience stores and gas stations and drugstores; you know, like they do in other states?), although we know that's not likely. But why can't we get sixpack sales? You need to ask the Senator, then go home and ask your legislator the same question. And don't settle for "No." Ask why

And while you're at Yards, do what I do: drink plenty of Brawler. It's my debating beer of choice.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

hmmm , no comments?

i wonder why...maybe beacuase you are an insincere blowhard who has no desire for change and just wants to puff his chest up and look important?

Lew Bryson said...

I suspect there are two reasons. First, what's to comment? It's a notice of an event. Second, I haven't been posting much and readership fell off.

As for puffing up my chest...I didn't apply to be on the panel; they asked me. The last one was a success. That's how this works.

I don't censor; I edit. And if you're really this angry...like I said, Blogger's free.

Anonymous said...

Ask him how many times the Republicans believe people (sheep) will fall for the "vote for me I'll privatize" campaign lie.

It worked for Thornburg, Ridge and Corbett.

The Republican leadership has no intention on killing the cash and patronage cow. Sure, they will campaign on it and propose bills, but they will never bring it to a vote....

Kevin

Lew Bryson said...

Ah, Kevin...you're parroting the union line of Wendell W. "President For Life" Young, the Fourth of his Line. Young said a bill would never be written: it was. He said it would never make it out of committee: it did. The thing that kills privatization is legislators who don't want to piss off the source of their campaign money: organized labor.

Anonymous said...

How about calling BS on America's oldest and largest brewer's opposition to changes in the case law? Dick keeps playing the big bad boogie man card, saying sixpacks at distributors will lead to Walmart and ABInbev hurting PAens. Huh? Dick just uses this so he can be the boogie man. He keeps growing and growing at our expense.

Lew Bryson said...

Got a link for that?

We probably won't get into that, if only because Dick won't be there. I'm curious to see what Victory and Yards have to say about it; and Gretz as well, for that matter.

I'm not really sure what you mean by "He keeps growing and growing at our expense," either. How is Yuengling's growth costing me anything? Even if Dick is opposed to sixpack sales, that's not the factor that's keeping it from happening. It's the tavern owners.

Anonymous said...

Latest opposition to change:
http://www.sungazette.com/page/content.detail/id/583352/Liquor-law-solutions.html?nav=5011

From the past:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aAIyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HqIFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3762,4108405&dq=yuengling+six-pack+distributor&hl=en

Yuengling is one piece, as are the distributors and the taverns. Y's growth and effort to keep me from buying in reasonable packages at reasonable prices costs me, and the state. (again, it's also the taverns and distributors wanting to maintain status quo).

Lew Bryson said...

Got a moment and went and looked at that story -- in which I'm 'quoted' at length, even though I never gave an interview -- and Casinelli never said a word about sixpacks. He just wants to tweak the law, and to be honest...so does everyone else. The article noted that there were 200-some amendments to HB11; you want to pillory Dick Yuengling for language about 18-packs? I mean, I think it's BS -- I don't see 18-packs in other states -- but he's not holding up the bill, not on his own.