This... AB can't stand patrons drinking anything other than their swill.
Philly Beer Bar Raided....
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This... AB can't stand patrons drinking anything other than their swill.
bonzombiekitty
Well-Known Member
I doubt it. Philly is filled with bars that sell a large variety of craft beers and many of the beers seized are available at many places in the city. If it was an AB distributor with a grudge, there's bigger bars to hit. I think this was more likely someone with some sort of personal vendetta against the owners.
Personally, I'm putting my money on this guy.
I stand corrected, that DEFINITELY seems more likely to be the person who did this, it seems like they did enough digging and I bet some lawyer gave them the idea about the beer...
Is it me or is this country entirely too "sue happy"???!!!
Having been a victim of food poisoning years ago, that is spot on. Also, rarely does just one person wind up with food poisoning. If the restaurant had a problem that night, there'd likely be dozens of complaints. Since this person was probably the only one, they couldn't get an attorney to take their case, so maybe they resorted to other means. It's plausible.
BTW: HTF did you find that?
I concur with these statements, I had salmonella from undercooked chicken when I was 12. I stopped counting how many times I threw up within the first 12 hours at 25 times.
bonzombiekitty
Well-Known Member
I live in Philadelphia and post on (well, read) that board. I usually just read the section pertaining to my neighborhood, but occasionally pop over to the food section. Like others in that thread, it struck us as odd that there'd be a thread about the supposed food poisoning there by someone who seems to have some sort of weird grudge against the owners and then a few days later there's a raid.
Personally, I've never been to Local 44 or Resurrection, but I've been to Memphis Taproom a couple times. Food was..meh.. but they do have a good beer selection.
Someone in the original article in the newspaper, someone said that it was the people at Philadelphia Brewing Co that caused this. But that doesn't make a bit of sense since Memphis Taproom is right down the street from PBC and sells PBC beer.
brewt00l
Well-Known Member
There is someone else on philly speaks & commenting on related blogs that has been hate-stalking the owners and these three establishments right before this happened and not the person in that thread.
Either way, who ever this is will expose themselves sooner or later but it really doesn't matter; the more important element of this situation is to re-evaluate the way the registered brand list is maintained for retailers and to ask why this raid happened in the first place?
Either way, who ever this is will expose themselves sooner or later but it really doesn't matter; the more important element of this situation is to re-evaluate the way the registered brand list is maintained for retailers and to ask why this raid happened in the first place?
bonzombiekitty
Well-Known Member
At the very least they should change who they target. If the bar owners bought the beer from a licensed distributor, then I'd say they bought it in good faith and the bar shouldn't be punished for the mistake the distributor made. They should go after the distributor, not the bars. Of course, as Joe Sixpack says, the whole list concept is outdated. There's too many craft brewers producing too many different varieties of beer too often to really keep a list like that.
A bit of a side note, apparently the owners in question have brought illegal beer into the state before. They had at some point brought in a couple kegs from across state lines that weren't available in the state. They used the kegs for some special event or something. It's something they admit to having had done, but I think they did that like a year ago.
brewt00l
Well-Known Member
1 time, for the opening of Resurrection Ale House, they had a keg of Resurrection Ale from Brewers Art in MD that was donated as a gift. They were warned by the PALCB for that.
Jaysus
Well-Known Member
a) why is Commonwealth in quotes?
b) what does the latest Commonwealth gubernatorial election have to do with the PA Liquor Code?
c) brewt00l has some great insight on this topic.
d) so does Jack Curtain (and his commenters): http://jackcurtin.com/ldo/?p=1489
bonzombiekitty
Well-Known Member
Some fallout from this:
- Flying Fish has rescheduled the launch of their Exit 16 beer due to delays in getting it on the list.
- Bars aren't getting deliveries of Duvel Belgian Golden Ale
- Flying Fish has rescheduled the launch of their Exit 16 beer due to delays in getting it on the list.
- Bars aren't getting deliveries of Duvel Belgian Golden Ale
firebird77
Well-Known Member
Phuckin' Philly.
klyph
Well-Known Member
If you don't realize by now that government "law enforcement" agencies are merely for-profit tax collection agencies, then you are truly blind. (not directed at anyone in particular)
They could give a crap less about serving and protecting the public. They are a tool to keep you in line and pay your dues. Like it was said, murder, rape, and steal all you want, but if you don't pay your taxes, you will be hunted down like a dog.
They could give a crap less about serving and protecting the public. They are a tool to keep you in line and pay your dues. Like it was said, murder, rape, and steal all you want, but if you don't pay your taxes, you will be hunted down like a dog.
flyerwire
Well-Known Member
actually.... PLCB officers are a unit of the PA State Police, so the officers that raided the bar were actually doing their job, albeit poorly
XXguy
Well-Known Member
I was out & about at lunch time enjoying the sunshine & the local Philly sports talk station WIP was discussing this story. The bar owners are getting a pretty good spin out of this story & coming out looking a whole lot better than the law enforcement officers who apprehended 60 gallons of unarmed beer.
PanzerBanana
Well-Known Member
I find two things troubling. How incredibly inept the Philly police are and that beer was sold for $25 a glass.
Anyhoo, I do hope there will be law suits that's a fiasco.
Anyhoo, I do hope there will be law suits that's a fiasco.
flyerwire
Well-Known Member
the $25 was a Haiti benefit where proceeds went to the relief effort
jturie
Well-Known Member
Just makes me proud to be a citizen of this glorious Commonwealth. At least out here in the Western burbs of Philly we have Victory brewing...although if PA had its way, the PLCB would shut them down and make us all go to distributors for our MBC beer.
To paraphrase James Carville: "Pennsylvania consists of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Alabama in between." With apologies to the good people of Alabama, of course.
To paraphrase James Carville: "Pennsylvania consists of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Alabama in between." With apologies to the good people of Alabama, of course.
IceFisherChris
Well-Known Member
For the most part that is true. Anyone under 21 can drink, as long as they have parent/guardian/spouse (aged 21 or older) with them. It's entirely up to the bar to decide if they want to allow this, but I have only been to one bar that doesn't provide this awesome experience.
I love Wisconsin.
bonzombiekitty
Well-Known Member
To be fair, it has nothing to do with Philly really. It's a state thing.
bonzombiekitty
Well-Known Member
It wasn't Philly police. It was state police - the ones responsible for enforcing this sort of thing.
It was for a benefit.
bonzombiekitty
Well-Known Member
oooo... Despite the general outcry of "how stupid is this?!", the PLCB is continuing with the raids. This time on one of the distributors that supplied the beer.
http://joesixpack.net/blog/archives/601
evsjeep527
Active Member
Has anyone written to their State legislators yet?
bonzombiekitty
Well-Known Member
Hopefully, that's the upside to this. It might lead to an overhaul of the beer regulations.
brewt00l
Well-Known Member
Raiding Origlio? Talk about chasing down a bad decision
Every resident of PA should contact their state legislators:
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/find.cfm
and contact the PALCB and tell them how proud of your home state you are:
http://www.lcb.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/contact_us/18704
Every resident of PA should contact their state legislators:
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/find.cfm
and contact the PALCB and tell them how proud of your home state you are:
http://www.lcb.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/contact_us/18704
evsjeep527
Active Member
I really doubt we will see an "overhaul" anytime soon.
The only chance we have is that the distributors are smelling change in the wind. The same distributors who rallied against a law that would allow them to sell 6-packs are now behind changes that involve them being able to sell 6-packs. The difference? Now they are scared that grocery/convenience stores could get that right and they want to keep their piece of the pie.
I'm sure you have seen this site by now:
http://www.freemybeer.com/
Maybe we could get this outdated registering practice thrown into that legislation as well?
bonzombiekitty
Well-Known Member
I don't even so much mind the registration list. I mean, yeah, it's stupid, but really it's not that big of a deal in and of itself. What IS a big deal, however is how the PLCB is handling it. They went in guns-a-blazing (almost literally) instead of trying to take some time to sit down and work a small clerical issue out in a reasonable manner.
Beernik
Well-Known Member
Three comments:
1. I wonder who the dip**** that complained is. That's a pretty criptic bit of state alcohol law the average person on the street isn't going to know. Probably another bar owner who is losing business to them.
2. If the state accepted tax payment on unpermitted beer, did the state break the law too?
3. $7200 for 61 gallons of beer? That an average price of $11 per 12 oz bottle. I'm guilty of drinking some expensive ****, but what the hell are they serving? That ain't the average micro brew or Orval.
1. I wonder who the dip**** that complained is. That's a pretty criptic bit of state alcohol law the average person on the street isn't going to know. Probably another bar owner who is losing business to them.
2. If the state accepted tax payment on unpermitted beer, did the state break the law too?
3. $7200 for 61 gallons of beer? That an average price of $11 per 12 oz bottle. I'm guilty of drinking some expensive ****, but what the hell are they serving? That ain't the average micro brew or Orval.
I suppose if it was my job to kill puppies, I would. Luckily I don't need to kill puppies to feel good about myself.
ArtVandelay
Well-Known Member
The local place by me that I assume is comparable to this bar serves Orval for about $10/ 12ozish bottle. Doesn't seem that crazy.
So they're hitting distributors with Duvel now? I just bought a 4 pack at one of the few grocery stores that sells in less than case quantities. I should alert the distributor I buy my cases from about this, but I'm sure they heard about it already.
Weezknight
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This story is amazing with its twists, turns, and accusations. The registration system in Pennsylvania is obviously broken, and it goes further than just beer.
I do a lot of work with the PA Dept. of Transportation and they also have products that must be "registered" before they are used in state construction jobs. On the surface it seems like a good way to protect people by using "approved" products, but the same problems exist here, too. We've had products denied because the State's registry has the company name spelled wrong, abbreviated improperly, or they entered a part number incorrectly (all errors that they created). Once this happens you have to go through the whole process again, usually creating delays and costing people money.
Pennsylvania's bureaucracy has become a monster that no one can tame. I feel bad for everyone involved in this.
I do a lot of work with the PA Dept. of Transportation and they also have products that must be "registered" before they are used in state construction jobs. On the surface it seems like a good way to protect people by using "approved" products, but the same problems exist here, too. We've had products denied because the State's registry has the company name spelled wrong, abbreviated improperly, or they entered a part number incorrectly (all errors that they created). Once this happens you have to go through the whole process again, usually creating delays and costing people money.
Pennsylvania's bureaucracy has become a monster that no one can tame. I feel bad for everyone involved in this.
johnnyc
Well-Known Member
If it hasn't been posted, I found this in that troll's thread.
EDIT: And here's a blog about the PLCB http://noplcb.blogspot.com/
EDIT: And here's a blog about the PLCB http://noplcb.blogspot.com/
Weezknight
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One of the blogs had a link to the "list" of approved beers. I noticed immediately that while Trois Pistoles was listed, Le Fin du Monde was not. I just bought some of this no more than a week ago. It's very obvious that this list is not kept properly.
Our wonderful state legislature is at work trying to change this.
Well I sent a message and a link about the story to an employee. That way if they don't know they do now. I should volunteer to keep the "unregistered" beer at my house for a small fee. 
I am sure they have a LOT of unregistered stuff considering the amount of strange and obscure things they carry (Westy's Beer Distributor in Mechanisburg).
I am sure they have a LOT of unregistered stuff considering the amount of strange and obscure things they carry (Westy's Beer Distributor in Mechanisburg).
flyerwire
Well-Known Member
think of the children!
I find it funny that they are going to distributors to look for Monks Cafe Flemish but havent gone to... Monks Cafe. Thats where i see the follow up story being a bit wrong. I think they are taking leaps saying they are trying to pick up Duvel and Monks where they may have moved on to just getting unregistered beers
A local bar was going to put one of my kegs on tap as a free thing to see how it goes, but now all this **** makes me leery.
Assuming the only risk is losing a $30 corny and a day's work of brewing, I say go for it. I'd love to see my beer on tap at a bar.
firebird77
Well-Known Member
I can't see why any bar would want to do this. If they gave these away as comp drinks, it would save them whatever they would have given away. But then if a customer orders another, they either have to give them a second free drink (not the point of comping a drink) or tell them "no, you can't have what you want because I cannot sell it to you and we can only give away one drink per person."
I called my rep's office and sent a decently long email. He's a reasonable guy and has responded to me personally in the past, not just canned responses. I doubt he has even heard about this happening in Philly. I made sure to tell him I bought some Duvel locally but not where and questioned how this fiasco applies to beer but not wine. I also gave him a little beer education in an as tactful way as I could. I'll want and see what he says they're in session so it might be a bit till he gets back to me.
