A recent vote by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) to create a new fee on wine and spirits will result in higher prices at state stores, restaurants, bars, taverns and grocery stores across the state, according to a press release from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.

The PLCB’s vote created a $1 per case bailment fee on all spirits and wine sold through state stores, effective January 1, 2026. The fee will cost alcohol producers between $15 and $17 million annually according to economic analysis conducted by a coalition of industry organizations.

The fee is assessed by shipping package, meaning a four-pack of ready-to-drink cocktails will be subject to the same fee as a 12-bottle case of wine and spirits.

The vote took place on Wednesday, July 16—two days after the proposal was first made public—and received opposition from the coalition which includes the Pennsylvania Wine and Spirits Association (PWSA), Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), American Distilled Spirits Alliance (ADSA) and Wine Institute (WI).

“As representatives of the world’s wine and spirits producers, we strongly opposed this new fee that will undoubtedly increase prices for Pennsylvania consumers,” the coalition said in a statement. “Further, this fee was imposed with barely any notice and no opportunity for producers to discuss its consequences, ask questions or propose alternatives. Now is not the time to impose new fees on wine and spirits in Pennsylvania. PLCB’s business partners and the public deserve a transparent accounting of agency operations before facing new fees that will raise consumer prices on alcohol.”

PLCB denied that the agency would have any role in adjusting consumer prices as a result of the fee. 

“The PLCB has no plans to raise prices for consumers or licensees on the products it currently sells because of imposing this $1 per case fee on bailment suppliers – unless a price increase is requested by those suppliers,” the spokesperson said. 

The Board also said in its statement that bailment fees are a common practice within control jurisdictions such as Pennsylvania.

“In fact, eight control states charge bailment fees,” the PLCB said. “A $1-per-case fee — which works out to just over 8 cents per bottle in a standard 12-bottle case — is comparable to the bailment fees charged by eight other control jurisdictions.”

The PLCB meeting’s agenda is below:

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