Starting on Tuesday, businesses in Pennsylvania have been able to start applying for the ability to sell ready-to-drink cocktails. NBC10’s Leah Uko reports on the new law signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro.
Grab a cocktail to go in the Keystone State.
Weeks after beer distributors, supermarkets and other businesses with retail liquor licenses were allowed to apply for permits to sell ready-to-drink cocktails, the booze is now for sale in Pennsylvania.
Starting on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, licensed retailers can begin selling RTDCs -- that's how the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (a.k.a. the PLCB) describes the drinks with alcohol by volume ranging from 0.5% to 12.5%.
Act 86, which allowed for the RTDC sales was signed by Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro back in July.
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Under the bill, about 12,000 restaurants, bars, beer distributors, grocery stores and convenience stores that are already licensed to sell alcohol can get the special permit to sell the canned drinks. Under the previous law, only the state-owned wine and liquor stores were allowed to sell the canned drinks.
There are some stipulations on when the drinks can be sold.
"Restaurant, hotel, distributor and importing distributor licensees may apply for and obtain RTDC permits, which allow them to sell RTDC-to-go on Mondays through Saturdays until 11:00 p.m.," the PLCB wrote. "Restaurant and hotel licensees with a Sunday sales permit may sell RTDC until 11:00 p.m. on Sundays."
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The PLCB began accepting RTDC sales applications on Aug. 27, 2024. Each permit costs $2,500 per establishment and there will be an annual renewal fee of 2% of the RTDCs sold to be consumed elsewhere.
Ready-to-drink canned cocktails have boomed in popularity in recent years. Legislative analysts project the growing sales will bring in about $35 million a year in state revenue by the fiscal year of 2028-2029.
Giant announced that it would be selling ready-to-drink cocktails at nearly all of its Giant and Martin's stores with operating beer and wine departments in the state.
“Our stores have been a destination for beer and wine since 2011 and 2016, respectively, and we have heard from our customers about the convenience of being able to grab ready-to-drink cocktails while grocery shopping too,” Rebecca Lupfer, senior vice president and chief merchant, The GIANT Company, said in a statement the company released.
Shapiro called the boozy drink sales a win.
“Thanks to our bipartisan budget, you will soon be able to go get ready-to-drink cocktails – some made right here in Pennsylvania – at places like grocery stores and gas stations,” Shapiro said in an August news release. “...This is what real freedom looks like, and we did it in a way that protects taxpayers and supports our state workers.”
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