tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-591881213265091346.post1276505915708429892..comments2024-03-13T11:10:25.333-04:00Comments on Why The PLCB Should Be Abolished: Reason #15: The Case Law is StupidLew Brysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04084380741402026573noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-591881213265091346.post-63726249882382070402009-02-18T11:58:00.000-05:002009-02-18T11:58:00.000-05:00I'm thinking the case law may have had its origins...I'm thinking the case law may have had its origins in the singular post-Prohibition packaging system that was available in 1933.<BR/><BR/>We had no 12 or 6 packs, nor even any non-returnable bottles or cans at the end of Prohibition. We only had the traditional case of 24 returnable bottles (in every state), which was an inherent holdover from the early days.<BR/><BR/>If you wanted a sixer, you went to your local, and they'd put six returnable bottles in a little paper shopping bag with handles (many times with a brewery name printed on it) and hand them to you over the bar. I assume you paid the deposit on the bottles, too (two cents each, or a nickel for a quart).<BR/><BR/>I'm not saying that we shouldn't have advanced past this since then (many states have), just giving some historical perspective on the origins.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-591881213265091346.post-52139514861871454002009-02-17T16:08:00.000-05:002009-02-17T16:08:00.000-05:00To be fair, Chris, we also have a lot less problem...To be fair, Chris, we also have a lot less problem with light-struck beers; they're usually inside a light-tight case. <BR/><BR/>But...I'd rather have the choice!Lew Brysonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084380741402026573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-591881213265091346.post-92037547661528349162009-02-17T16:03:00.000-05:002009-02-17T16:03:00.000-05:00There is one thing that is good about the case law...There is one thing that is good about the case law - being able to get a case worth of beer without paying the 6 or 12 pack (or god forbid single) markup. I think we should be able to buy any amount of beer that we want, but buying an actual case where I live now (Northern Virginia) is very difficult.<BR/><BR/>Just thought I'd add a little perspective to how the case law could be a good thing for beer consumers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-591881213265091346.post-59393359598702858612009-02-17T14:01:00.000-05:002009-02-17T14:01:00.000-05:00Ah, I'm home. You finally blog about the one of t...Ah, I'm home. You finally blog about the one of the laws I hate the most. You might say that it is NOT a PLCB issue per se, and I agree, but the PLCB does enforce this law, so therefore...abolish the PLCB and the law goes away, right? Maybe not so easy, but as you mention, the law is tweakable without and outright abolition of the PLCB...that's my speed. And if that happened I'd stop reading your blog and go happily to my bottle shop and purge the store of all worthy beer. No longer would I be a prisoner to the case...I could try a beer before I was forced to buy 24 of them, thus eliminating the possibility of having to throw away 23 beers, or give them away if I didn't like it. Imagine the novelty. Ah, to dream...to be a "normal" state.Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06900534233446433658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-591881213265091346.post-31367983106556744182009-02-17T10:32:00.000-05:002009-02-17T10:32:00.000-05:00Yeah, Justin, I asked my legislature contact about...Yeah, Justin, I asked my legislature contact about it: nothing's happening. Nothing happened, and nothing's happening. They hope to bring it up again, but it's looking like it's going to get watered down to a 12-pack law. Which, to borrow the immortal words of John Nance Gardner, isn't worth a pitcher of warm spit.Lew Brysonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084380741402026573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-591881213265091346.post-43847873188067075252009-02-17T10:07:00.000-05:002009-02-17T10:07:00.000-05:00Lew,Wasn't there an effort in the legislature to r...Lew,<BR/><BR/>Wasn't there an effort in the legislature to reform the case law about a year ago? I'm pretty sure I recall writing to my representatives about it and urging them to support the initiative. I haven't heard anything about it lately. A quick google search showed this BA forum post: http://beeradvocate.com/forum/read/1167086<BR/><BR/>Do you know whats up with this?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-591881213265091346.post-44080861140658983492009-02-17T09:43:00.000-05:002009-02-17T09:43:00.000-05:00The funny thing, Rob, is that the wholesalers put ...The funny thing, Rob, is that the wholesalers put the law in there, and now they'd just as soon it went away. Careful what you wish for...<BR/><BR/>But yeah, the middle tier, wholesalers, exist mainly because the law says they must exist. I'm sure they would still be around if the three tier laws went away -- there are food wholesalers and brokers after all, clothing wholesalers, and so on -- but they wouldn't be the same at all. <BR/><BR/>As three-tier weakens, smart wholesalers are working at building relationships with suppliers and retailers, and making solid connections to craft and specialty brands. That's the smart way to do it, because if the legal bottom drops out, you'll want a solid record of value.Lew Brysonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084380741402026573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-591881213265091346.post-78092782748516235862009-02-17T09:30:00.000-05:002009-02-17T09:30:00.000-05:00When you see stupid anti-consumer laws like this, ...When you see stupid anti-consumer laws like this, you can usually follow the money right to the wholesaler's door. When Indiana passed the law against direct shipments by out of state wineries, it was pretty easy to follow the origin of the law to the wholesalers, who were pushing the lie of kids ordering wine on the internet.Rob Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15604826633798229422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-591881213265091346.post-39636946447597936802009-02-17T09:01:00.000-05:002009-02-17T09:01:00.000-05:00I'd guess that almost everyone in Pennsylvania ass...I'd guess that almost everyone in Pennsylvania assumes that the case law is based in temperance thought somehow... But I read about the origins of the case law in a state legislature report on the PLCB, coming from model legislation written by the beer wholesalers. Couple years later, I had that confirmed by the guy who was then the executive secretary of the state malt beverage distributors association. His old boss had been the clerk of the lawyer who'd written up the model law for Pennsylvania. <BR/><BR/>So...no desire for temperance, just a desire for easy sales. But the genever thing's interesting.Lew Brysonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084380741402026573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-591881213265091346.post-56204488536387440592009-02-17T08:49:00.000-05:002009-02-17T08:49:00.000-05:00Lew, 'round about the time England was going to wr...Lew, 'round about the time England was going to wrack and ruin because of the popularity of "Mother Gin," the area that is now Belgium had a law limiting sales of genever to case-loads. The idea, which actually proved quite effective, was to restrict consumption by the poor (ie: laboring) class by making the purchase of genever prohibitively expensive. <BR/><BR/>I've often wondered if part of the PA case law was grounded in the same theory.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com