Buying PA Beer at Farmer’s Markets & Festivals

Last month was a huge win for breweries, wineries, distilleries and those that have tap rooms throughout Pennsylvania. In early August 2016, House Bill 1690 took effect which further modernizes alcohol sales in our keystone state. Among the many revisions, the two most interesting advances to us are those allowing breweries to sell their beer at special events and farmers markets – very much like what Vermont allows in their progressive, brewery-friendly state. We’ve actually been quite vocal over the past two years with our plea to legalize the sale of beer at farmers markets. In fact, I think we started to sound like a broken record to some folks who had to listen to our banter on social media and in person!

HOW IT WORKS

Farmer’s Market Permits can be obtained for $250 and does not limit the amount of markets a brewery can sell to in a year. Once the permit is secured, a brewery can sell the following at a farmer’s market:

Bottles – any size

Cans – 12 oz, 16 oz, or 32 oz – aka ‘Crowler’

Growlers – 64 oz minimum (that means no 1 L or 32 oz small growlers)

A customer can purchase up to 192 ozs. That’s 6 crowlers if the brewery is selling their beers in that type of canned packaging or 2 six packs if sold in 12 oz bottles. You can do the math on the many possible packaging options to reach your 192 ozs allotment.

Note, that the beer can NOT be consumed on premise. It’s strictly take out beer. That means no pint sales, folks. (Maybe some day!)

Samples can be given to customers at no charge in 4 oz pours. Super convenient for customers. We particularly like that you can ‘try before you buy.’ That way you know if you’ll like the beer you’re about to drop some coins on. Now, breweries don’t have to offer samples but if they do kudos to them.

Forest & Main Brewing Co. was the first brewery in PA that we saw jump on this opportunity.

It really works for their business since the Brewpub in Ambler, PA has limited space and can be quite crowded at times. Just another venue to spread the beer love. Read about our visit to Forest & Main Brewing Co.

Sometimes the Ambler Farmer’s Market is the first place you can buy one of their new brews – even before their Brewpub taps it. You can be in the know by following Forest & Main’s Facebook page.

Special Event Permits are a little different but similar. At $30 per event, breweries can sell their beer at special events in PA (outside of their taproom). Only 100 event permits can be issued to a brewery per year. A special event was not defined in the new laws – Think city festivals, art gallery openings, small town first Fridays. It’s very much open to interpretation. It’ll be interesting to see how all the breweries take advantage of this flexibility!

Oh! And, pints of beer CAN be purchased and consumed on premise. Up to 192 ozs per customer can be sold. Goodness. I hope that someone would get cut off way before 12 pints of beer was consumed. I’m sure they probably meant that a maximum of 192 ozs of take home beer plus on premise combined.

Zeroday Brewing Co. will be looking to take advantage of this new sales venue option. They recently set up a Biergarten in downtown Harrisburg, PA during the annual Kipona fest. But note it was through the catering permit that breweries once had to use for this type of sales. “With Kipona, we used that route since it needed filing in more time than the new permitting options would allow. However, the ability to use the new special occasion permits really does open up a whole new revenue stream. It also helps set a culture change in motion,” says Brandalynn Armstrong, co-owner of Zeroday Brewing Co.

Every day of the 3 day fest spanning Labor Day weekend, Zeroday posted social media status updates on what was available and how sales were going. Check out this photo of the staggering amount of kegs that were kicked in just one day!

Brandalynn also notes “For a long time the only way for breweries to participate easily in events or markets was to give product away. It became something that created what I call the ‘never-ending Tap’ mentality. The thought that this liquid [beer] is abundant and never-ending is an easy expectation to have – ‘to just give it away’ – when in fact, it is the result of a lot of hard work and dedication. Supporting causes with beer is one of the greatest things about being in the business of beer, but it’s also good to be able to sell your art.”

“These new privileges allow us to participate in festivals and markets, show our art and adds another revenue stream which helps growth.” – Brandalynn Armstrong

Shawnee Craft Brewery seized the opportunity and set up at The Pocono Garlic Festival over Labor Day weekend.

Molly Pitcher Brewing Co. in Carlisle, PA is also looking for similar events to sell their brew. “We’re looking to take advantage of the new laws which allow us to sell beer at events like art festivals, food expos, music events, etc. I have already contacted and received approval from our local borough management regarding the local open container ordinances, and am now coordinating efforts with event promoters in the region to find creative avenues to set up Beer Gardens during events where it previously would have been much more difficult to obtain PLCB approval.” – Mike Moll, Co-Owner of Molly Pitcher Brewing Company

A NEW BUSINESS MODEL OPTION FOR BREWERIES-TO-BE

With Derek being a homebrewer, we often day dream about opening our own brewery. Especially the idea of mimicking the model that Lawson’s Finest Liquids started with – as a production brewery. They self-distributed to various bars and bottle shops as well as sold at farmer’s markets. There is no taproom to visit or imbibe at. The simplicity and small scale of this type of brewery is appealing to us.

On one of our Vermont trips, we hit up the Waitsfield Farmer’s Market and waited a staggering 5 hours just to get our hands on some limited offerings from the brewery. Folks show up way before the market opens to secure their deli style ticket guaranteeing them a chance to buy Lawson’s brew. If you make great beer, beer hunters will do what it takes to snag their allotment.

With all the possibilities now available, who will be the next PA brewery to take advantage of these options? Time will tell. We’ll keep you posted.