HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania state-run alcohol system will begin rationing sales of a few dozen products on Friday in response to what it describes as supply shortages beyond its control.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board on Thursday informed licensees that the two-bottle-per-day purchase limits for customers in state stores, as well as bars, restaurants and other licensees, will remain in place indefinitely. .
The PLCB said that “long-lasting supply chain disruptions and product shortages” have resulted in restrictions on certain types of alcohol.
The 43 items on the Restricted Product List will also not be available via store-to-store transfers starting Friday.
The list of rationed alcoholic beverages – a small fraction of the vast array of items sold by the state’s alcohol system – contains specific types of champagne, bourbon, tequila, brandy, and whiskey. The rationing will remain in place “for the foreseeable future” and until the supply chain becomes more reliable, the PLCB said.
The Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association said it would be more difficult for members to run their businesses.
“Supply and labor issues are not contributing to the resumption” of the pandemic, the business association said in a statement. “We hope the legislature will take all of this into consideration when they return to Harrisburg. The industry still needs help moving forward.
PLCB spokesman Shawn Kelly said Thursday that bars, restaurants and other customers have been made aware of the buying restrictions.
“If you take a look at the stories that have come out across the country because of COVID-19, supply chains have been disrupted, production has been disrupted,†Kelly said. “In some cases there have been shortages of cans and bottles. “
Supply shortages in North Carolina have driven restaurants and bars to scramble to find popular brands, with supply shortages even more acute due to increased customer demand in the age of the pandemic.
