Prohibition Hangover Cure for Keystone State Brewers

Reform to Outdated Three-Tier Beer Distribution System Will Help Small Businesses and Increase Consumer Choice

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Pennsylvania could lead the nation in reforming anti-competitive, Prohibition-era restrictions on beer distribution, and the benefits would flow to brewers large and small as well as small businesses and consumers, says CEI consumer policy expert Michelle Minton in this CEI WebMemo, Prohibition Hangover Cure for Keystone State Brewers.

The legislature is considering (as of December, 2013) a plan by State Rep. Mike Tobash (R-Pottsville) to end a longstanding system that locks brewers into contracts for life with their distributors. If approved, brewers in Pennsylvania finally would have a way to change from one distributor to another.