Pennsylvania Grocers Can Now Sell Ready-to-Drink Cocktails
Pennsylvania consumers will soon be able to buy liquor-based alcohol at their local grocery and convenience stores. The state’s Gov. Josh Shapiro recently signed Senate Bill 688, allowing low alcohol-by-volume (ABV) spirits-based ready-to-drink cocktails (RTDs) to be sold from certain retail outlets that already sell beer and wine products with the same or lower alcohol contents. The bill takes effect on Sept. 15.
“We are putting a product on the shelves that is similar in ABV and very similar in look and concept to malt-based canned cocktails that consumers can already access at their local retailers,” said Sen. Mike Regan, R-31, who championed the legislation. “We are not putting high-alcohol-content products on the shelves of grocery and convenience stores.”
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The bill will add more than 10,000 new retail outlets that can sell spirits RTDs by allowing these products to be sold from r-license and hotel-license holders that already sell beer and wine products. These retailers will be able to sell RTD canned cocktails made with spirits, such as vodka and tequila, with an ABV of 12.5% or less.
“For the first time ever, Pennsylvania’s adult consumers can find their favorite spirits ready-to-drink cocktails alongside beer and wine products in grocery and convenience stores,” added Andy Deloney, SVP of state government relations at the Washington, D.C.-based Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. “There is no difference between the alcohol found in a spirits ready-to-drink cocktail and a beer or wine seltzer. We thank the legislature and Gov. Shapiro for their support of Pennsylvania consumers and look forward to seeing the continued market growth of spirits RTDs in the commonwealth.”
A survey from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States showed that consumers support greater access to these products, including in grocery and convenience stores, with 86% agreeing that spirits RTDs should be sold where beer and wine are available for purchase.
