Bill would let beer distributors sell smaller quantities of brews
Tony Mirisciotta has a simple response to a bill on Gov. Tom Wolf’s desk that, among other things, would allow beer distributors to sell brews in quantities smaller than 24 units.
“(The state has) given distributors everything,” said the co-owner of West End Bottle Shop in Washington.
“If they’re getting to sell six-packs, I should be able to sell cases like they do. Then we would be on an even keel.”
Mirisciotta and his wife, Teresa, sell beer in six- and 12-packs – and by the glass, of course, to customers sitting inside and outside their Cumberland Avenue store. The 24-bottle/can case? No bottle/can do.
The Pennsylvania House and Senate approved legislation on Wednesday that would revise laws related to alcohol sales. Not only would the bill enable distributors to sell smaller packages, it would allow bars to sell alcohol starting at 9 a.m. Sundays – hello, Steelers fans – without serving food; sports venues to sell mixed drinks; and consumers to have up to 192 ounces (six quarts) of beer a month shipped directly to their residences from out-of-state wholesalers or retailers.
Wolf’s signature may follow. That prospect doesn’t please Mirisciotta.
“This is probably going to impact our business tremendously,” he said. “Everyday sales are my thing.”
Those sales, Mirisciotta explained, are fueled by public demand. He said a number of people prefer buying six- and 12-packs to a case because it eliminates a concerning temptation.
“If people take a case, they will want to drink it all,” he said. “People may go for a six- or 12-(pack) because their mindset is ‘I have to work the next day.'”
To some consumers, the option of purchasing a smaller quantity makes West End Bottle Shop and stores of that ilk attractive.
At least one Greene County distributor was all-in on the change.
John Brodak, who owns the Carmichaels Beer Distributor on Route 88 in Cumberland Township, applauded the legislation and thought consumers would be pleased with the variety.
“We get people coming in from all parts of the country, and they can’t believe they can’t buy a six-pack,” Brodak said. “They just want a few bottles. Whatever they want, we’ll have.”
He opened the store about eight years ago, and the biggest drawback has been the quantity in which they had to sell high-end beer.
Brodak said he will stock a wide selection of craft beer from small breweries, which will give customers a chance to sample different products.
“One thing about our distributor compared to a regular (grocery) store is we handle every brand made,” he said.