The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) is an independent government agency that manages the beverage alcohol industry in Pennsylvania. It is responsible for licensing the possession, sale, storage, transportation, importation, and manufacture of wine, spirits, and malt or brewed beverages in the Commonwealth, as well as operating a system of liquor distribution (retailing) and providing education about the harmful effects of alcohol consumption. The PLCB was established in conjunction with the 21st Amendment and the repeal of prohibition. In 1933, just four days before the sale of alcohol became legal in Pennsylvania, the Board was officially organized. Upon its creation, Governor Gifford Pinchot stated that the purpose of the Board was to "discourage the purchase of alcoholic beverages by making it as inconvenient and expensive as possible."
The Board is composed of three Governor-appointed members and one CEO. They are appointed to staggered four-year terms ending the third Tuesday in May, and are subject to a two-thirds confirmation vote in the commonwealth Senate. It has its headquarters in the Northwest Office Building in Harrisburg.
On-premise retail licenses and off-premise wholesale licenses are distributed via a quota system. Under this structure there is one retail license granted for every 3,000 inhabitants and one wholesale license granted for every 30,000 inhabitants within a given county. There are over 20,000 businesses in Pennsylvania which are licensed by the PLCB to handle alcoholic beverages. Restaurants and food operations that are licensed to serve or sell drinks in Pennsylvania must purchase their liquor from the PLCB, which operates 600 "Wine & Spirits Shoppes" statewide. If a wine or spirit is not on the list of registered brands, then it cannot be bought or sold in Pennsylvania.
Read more about Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board: Board Members, Programs To Deter Underage Drinking, New Initiatives Under “PLCB 75", Efforts To Privatize
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