Philly Beer Bar Raided....

[jakead]

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/20100308_Troopers_raid_popular_bars_for_unlicensed_beers__Dozens_of_gallons_seized_after__citizen_complaint_.html

Just saw this, pretty interesting.

 

[NorCalAngler]

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/20100308_Troopers_raid_popular_bars_for_unlicensed_beers__Dozens_of_gallons_seized_after__citizen_complaint_.html

Just saw this, pretty interesting.

That's a shame. An officer thought this would be his ticket to a promotion so they invested tens (hundreds?) of thousands of dollars in resources hoping they would uncover a "bootleg" type scheme. Meanwhile, down the street somebody was ruining a teenager's life selling them E or meth.

 

[Praiodan]

Intersting yet sad article. A better approach would have been some undercover investigation, gather compelling evidence, do some research and then proceed with some sort of action..A 'raid' is a little over the top IMHO.

Classic example of law enforcement shooting first and asking questions later.

 

[Pick]

1. Name a beer Pliny the ____________(fill in the blank)
2. Say it's only made once a year and charge $25 a glass
3. Profit!

 

[Airborneguy]

Alcohol laws in this nation are ridiculous and onerous.

 

[evsjeep527]

Alcohol laws in this nation are ridiculous and onerous.

I'm going to clarify your statement just slightly.

Alcohol laws in the state or "Commonwealth" of Pennsylvania are just plain insane.

I bet if you look into it the bar owners didn't vote for Fast Eddie in the last election...

 

[Airborneguy]

You definitely seem to have it particularly bad, but they are ridiculous in almost every state to varying degrees.

 

[gtpro]

not true, someone was just saying how in WI, kids can drink at the bar underage as long as theyre with a parent.

 

[evsjeep527]

You definitely seem to have it particularly bad, but they are ridiculous in almost every state to varying degrees.

Fair enough, I'll agree to that. As long as you aren't a Yankees fan...

 

[Greyhound]

At least nothing like that can happen in the USA. Oh wait, that WAS in the US???!!!

 

[ChshreCat]

The cops confiscated hundreds of bottles of expensive ales and lagers, now in State Police custody at an undisclosed location.

Police, when questioned about this location and would would become of the beer, were quoted as saying "Dude... it's gonna be a TOTAL RAGER!!!!"

 

[azscoob]

OK, after reading that I envision a scene similar to a Benny Hill chase, how sad is it that this is a prime example of your government at work on your dime?

 

[Airborneguy]

not true, someone was just saying how in WI, kids can drink at the bar underage as long as theyre with a parent.

From the Wisconsin Dept of Revenue Site:

What is the legal drinking age in Wisconsin?
Twenty-one years of age. This is also the age at which a person can be on licensed premises. There are some exceptions, which we will discuss below.

http://www.revenue.wi.gov/faqs/ise/atundrg.html

Maybe this "someone" was referring to kids being able to BE in a bar with parents.

Fair enough, I'll agree to that. As long as you aren't a Yankees fan...

Not sure what it has to do with agreeing that Alcohol laws are crazy, but, you better believe I am a Yankees fan. Was there to see them beat the Phillies in Game 2 last year also! (The only MLB player I have ever personally known was on the Phillies btw..)

 

[Scooby_Brew]

Oh jeez. This is McCarthyism alive and well.

The alleged offense: Although the bar owners had bought the beer legally from licensed Pennsylvania distributors and had paid all the necessary taxes, the police claimed that nobody had registered the precise names of the beers with the state Liquor Control Board - a process that requires the brewers or their importers to pay a $75 registration fee for each product they want to sell in Pennsylvania

Oh no! That's a horrible crime! Thank God we live in a such a save society that our police can waste their resources on a "$75 registration fee".
"More than a dozen armed State Police officers" had recovered a $75 registration fee. Excuse me, but since when is Philadelphia governed by a Christian Al-Qaeda? Tomorrow: a public stoning of a woman who ate a slice of bacon without wearing a burka.

 

[Edcculus]

Man, **** like this makes my blood boil. Its sad when the worst laws to break involve not letting Uncle Sam get his cut of alcohol taxes.

 

[JefeTheVol]

Sounds like the annonymous tipster was local competition.

 

[arturo7]

Monk's Cafe Flemish Red kicks arse.

Probably the local AB distributor made the call.

 

[lunchbox]

Wow, nice show of force by our government overlords. I'm glad those armed troopers made us all safer by going in guns drawn and taking down these obvious menaces to society.

Don't forget to thank your nearest officer for all of their hard work...

 

[lunchbox]

I'm going to clarify your statement just slightly.

Alcohol laws in the state or "Commonwealth" of Pennsylvania are just plain insane.

I bet if you look into it the bar owners didn't vote for Fast Eddie in the last election...

He had it correct the first time. I read on this forum that the manual on federal regulations on beer LABELS is an inch thick. This is hardly the land of the free anymore.

 

[HarkinBanks]

It was most likely another bar owner calling in a favor with a friend on the force. Luckily I got me some Younger before it all went down!

 

[klyph]

From my cold, dead hands!

 

[GregR]

I often wonder how anyone, in our current state, thinks to them self that law enforcement is an honorable profession; let alone devote a career to it. run in guns-a-blazing stealing legal, purchased, and taxed beer because of a 75 dollar registration fee who's responsibility to pay falls solely on the brewery and not the bar owner. wouldn't a simple fine or citation to said brewery suffice?

shoot first ask questions later. nothing to see here folks, move along....

 

[brewt00l]

1. Name a beer Pliny the ____________(fill in the blank)
2. Say it's only made once a year and charge $25 a glass
3. Profit!

FWIW, The 25 buck event is an upcoming (and still scheduled) benefit event for Haiti relief and an animal rescue fund. It generally pours arround the same basic prices of any big IIPA...it just kicks in no time flat.

The more info that has come out about this, the more it looks like another bar tried to screw the owners of Local44/Res/SPTR through the PALCB.

 

[DilvishTheDamned]

Tomorrow: a public stoning of a woman who ate a slice of bacon without wearing a burka.

Wow! What will our realty TV overlords think of next? I'll buy that for a buck!

 

[joety]

From the Wisconsin Dept of Revenue Site:



http://www.revenue.wi.gov/faqs/ise/atundrg.html

Maybe this "someone" was referring to kids being able to BE in a bar with parents.

No, he was correct. Kids and spouses can drink at home and in bars while accompanied by a parent or spouse of legal drinking age. The nannies are trying to change this right now, even though there is not one documented example of a problem it's created. My first wife was 20 when we got married (I was 23), so I've taken advantage of it.

 

[joety]

Intersting yet sad article. A better approach would have been some undercover investigation, gather compelling evidence, do some research and then proceed with some sort of action..A 'raid' is a little over the top IMHO.

Classic example of law enforcement shooting first and asking questions later.

How about we recognize that in the age of craft breweries, brew pubs and expanded global trading, these laws are archaic? Just one bureaucracy washing the back of another. Can't wait until these ass clowns control our health care.

 

[flyerwire]

http://joesixpack.net/blog/archives/596

http://noplcb.blogspot.com/2010/03/memphis-44-resurrection-raids-and-why.html

http://www.brewlounge.com/2010/03/shut-up-about-your-pliny-younger.html

more info for anyone interested in reading up on it

How about we recognize that in the age of craft breweries, brew pubs and expanded global trading, these laws are archaic? Just one bureaucracy washing the back of another. Can't wait until these ass clowns control our health care.

yay, here comes the idiocy... keep your **** to the debate forum please

 

[crimelabguy]

BAH!

This sucks....the PLCB needs to go. I used to live outside of Philly and we used to go to Delaware for all our alcohol needs (Total Wine and More FTW!!).
The real problem is that the PLCB officers are now state police officers. A couple of years ago they were integrated, this caused the PLCB to have some actual "muscle" to do their job. Unfortunately, crap like this is more likely to happen.

 

[flyerwire]

i live south of philly and definitely go to Total Wine to do all my shopping... Alcohol prices are actually pretty similar now, and you can get some real good pricing on some wines in PA , but the selection is much better in DE, and the wine deals are not the norm... they are initially out $7200 in stock, but i dont think you can spend $7200 in advertising and get as much out of it as this will.

 

[crimelabguy]

agreed. any publicity is good publicity.

I think what burns me most is that somehow the idea that an anonymous claim of unregistered beers triggered this type of response. I understand having to investigate all complaints and conduct an investigation, that's what police do, but this seems a bit out of control.