Beer Raid Part II
Posted by Foobooz on March 9th, 2010
Joe Sixpack has the latest on the PLCB’s crackdown on unregistered beer. Last night, Bureau of Liquor Enforcement agents and the State Police arrived at Origlio Beverage, the wholesale distributor that supplied some of the beer confiscated at Local 44, Memphis Taproom and Resurrection Ale House last week. They showed excellent taste in only confiscating the rare Russian River Supplication. They were unprepared to confiscate the amounts of the other beers but have ordered beer bar staples like Duvel not be shipped.
The beer raid fiasco continued [Beer Radar]
March 9th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
Let us keep this in mind -
Anyone remotely condoning the actions of the State police here remember this whole thing is over a $75 fee. Any violation that occurred could easily have been rectified in a VERY simple manner, without taking any beer or causing any hassle.
Absolutley ridiculous!
Laws are laws and stupid laws are stupid laws…let’s help our legislature figure it out!
March 9th, 2010 at 7:48 pm
They’re gonna bring in the sledgehammers and start bustin’ up kegs any second now. It’s just hostile towards a segment of the local economy that’s still healthy these days – bars & beer drinkers. WTF is wrong with these people????
March 10th, 2010 at 10:07 am
I guess the real question is why they seize beer that is on the allowed list???
Are the PLCB enforcement officers illiterate? Perhaps they can read but the words are too hard for them.
March 10th, 2010 at 10:47 am
I will tell you why brands that are actually registered are being deemed unregistered and thus confiscated. The Application for Malt or Brewed Beverage Brand Registration that the manufacturer must submit to register a brand is unclear. The form requests the name of the manufacturer and the “brand name.” Then the PLCB plugs that information into their registered-brands list. Unfortunately, the PLCB does not define “brand name” on its form so manufacturers are not always providing the information that will allow PLCB to readily identify the registered beers.
This is PLCB’s fault for not clearly delineating the information they want and the intended use of that information. Regardless, none of these errors should occur because the manufacturer must submit a copy of the label with its application. PLCB should have a catalogue of these labels that it can refer to when it conducts these raids so that it can match up the label on the bottle with its catalogues should discrepancies arise.
March 10th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
Hi Jared,
You seem to know a lot about PLCB procedure, do you work with/ for the PLCB?
Can you forward or link your resources?
March 10th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
Josh: I do not work with or for the PLCB. Like most people concerned about this situation, I am a craft beer junkie and care very much about the success of the industry. I also happen to be a lawyer in town, and I regularly have to try to figure problems similar to these (although never before involving the liquor laws). So when the news broke about the raids, I did some research and tried to figure out what went on here, why it all went so wrong, and who is responsible for the unregistered beers. I passed on what I learned. My only sources are the PLCB website (where you can download the application to register a brand, http://www.lcb.state.pa.us/), the list of registered beers (which was made available through FooBooz and can be found at http://www.lcbapps.lcb.state.pa.us/webapp/registered_brands.asp), and Title 47 (Liquor) of the Pennsylvania Statutes. I feel bad about what happened to Brendan and Leigh. I am sure that they would much rather be spending their time running their businesses, instead of dealing with these distractions, so I am trying to help out in any way I can.
March 10th, 2010 at 7:12 pm
Josh A., most people versed in this matter are self-educated through researching the PLCB. It seems your information illiteracy is comparable to the functional illiteracy you alleged is possessed by PLCB personnel.
March 12th, 2010 at 11:09 am
Pointer Obvious continuing the proud tradition of internet e-thuggery. Stay classy, anonymous internet poster!
March 12th, 2010 at 11:17 am
Hi Jared,
Thanks! My google-fu isn’t up to par apperently, thanks for the links. I’ve been reading about other states mostly and trying to find if there is anything like a registration free in other states.
Hi Pointer,
Informational illiteracy is a great phrase, totally stealing. I’m sorry you found my question to be so lacking, I was just trying to learn. To get rid of my information illiteracy. It also occurred to me Jared might have been a brewer who had been through the process before. But thanks for being a dick! I was beginning to worry no one had noticed me =(. I hope you have fun day of correcting grammar in comment sections.
March 12th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Josh: Not sure what your search has turned up, but I ran a quick search on a database that contains state statutes and the following states, in addition to PA, have a brand registration fee: Connecticut ($200 out-of-state and $15 in-state, every 3 years); Florida ($30); Kansas ($25); Minnesota ($40 for first 3 years, then $30 for 3-year renewal); NY ($150-even brand registration is more expensive in NY); Oklahoma ($200; in-state exempt); and Rhode Island ($40). There may be more, but my quick search turned up these.
March 12th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
Hi Jared,
Like I said, I’ve been using the google, and I’m not positive of all this but….
New Jersey has a $23 fee per brand, but doesn’t charge for changing the label or name. South Dakota has a flat $25 fee per brand. Conneticut is expensive at $200. Utah requires $5 per brand, and an extra $5 if you want to change the label. Virginia has a $30 per label fee.
It’s part of the general application for importing anything into South Carolina, but they don’t seem to charge for individual brands. Beer isn’t even a category on the application. Michigan requires registration of liquor and wine of more than 7 %, but nothing for beer.
Like i said, this is only paging through Google results, and only for brand registration. There are tons of fees and liscencing required to just import beer from another state already. A majority of results brought up stories about the raids here Philly, and its interesting to read people writing from an outsiders perspective. At least someone from outside the region.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
Josh A.,
“Do you work for the PLCB?” in an obvious anti-PLCB thread is not coming across as earnest intellectual inquiry. It’s being a tool, a challenge at best.
Yes, Rory, I’m sorry my screen name is such a mystery. I mean, you’re identity is positively transparent. I suppose you thought your were coming across a moral voice, but rather about a tad less self aware than Josh.
March 13th, 2010 at 9:09 am
Hi Pointer,
I’m really glad you have the Web 3.0 update that can tell you the tone of my comments! Is that a special new plug in you get with Windows 7? I am so glad you’ve been commenting and letting me know the real motivations behind my questions. Maybe you can follow me around the internet and let me know what my other comments actually mean.