Here’s Why You Might Have to Pay More for Your Favorite Liquor
Get ready to shell a little more dough from your pocket at the liquor store.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board announced Wednesday that it will increase the cost of 422 wines and spirits. The changes will go into effect on August 28th.
Most prices will rise by about $1 per bottle, or less than 10 percent. About 30 items will see jumps ranging from $2 to $100, depending on the item, according to PennLive. The PLCB hasn’t said which wine and spirits will be affected, but the increases account for about 5 percent of its total products.
The board blames the hikes on suppliers’ refusal to lower their product’s prices despite months of negotiations. The organization first warned of suppliers of possible price jumps on July 20th, when it threatened to increase the cost of 496 items. Suppliers and the PLCB were able to comprise on 74 products.
The organization hasn’t increased its retail prices since the 1990s. Act 39, a major state liquor reform law passed last year, gives the PLCB the authority to do so.
The hikes are opposed by House Republicans, who debate the intent of the 2016 legislation. The Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association and the Distilled Spirits Council, a national trade association representing producers and marketers of distilled spirits, also dispute the increases and call for more privatization of the state’s liquor system.
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