Merry Sour New Year - Thanks Philly - RR Consecration!

Just got back from Christmas vacation near Philly. I found Russian River Consecration. Yahoo. I think Philly is the only place to get it this side of the Mississippi. It was very expensive by the bottle, but I'm happy just to get some.

Man, PA has some weird alcohol laws. You can't buy alcohol in grocery stores, distributors only sell by the case. AFAIK there are no craft beer stores. I bought these from a bar in Paoli (TJ's).

Mmmm.. that picture is making my salivary glands kick into overdrive.

There are a couple of craft brew stores in Philly, even though the state's alcohol laws make very little sense. If you're back in this area again check out the Foodery, Hawthorne's Cafe or the Bottle Shop. Oddly enough you can get some decent craft brew in pizza shops from time to time.

I did read that they (PA) have vending machines that dispense bottles of wine. Swipe credit card, then you have to breath into a breathalyzer, then your bottle of wine is dispensed. Funny. I guess them malfunction a lot, so the state liquor board was shutting them down until the problems were fixed.

I never used one myself, but I live/work near state stores so never had to find one, but from what I heard they were pretty horrible. You'd go through the entire process, pay, and then not get your bottle. Seemed like a stupid idea to me, wish they'd just allow alcohol to be sold in store like most other states.

To much money to be made by the state. The bottle shops are always attached to some type of resterants. That being said Philly for some reason is a mecca on the east coast for beer disterbution. You can find Russian River (no pliny in bottles but on tap), Lost Abbey, Cascade, Cigar City, and other rgional brews that only destribute to philly. I love living close enough to get this stuff. Supplication and Consecration are two of the best sours made.