The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States said allowing the sale of distilled spirits from certain r-license holders already able to sell beer and wine could generate $86 million in new taxes and profits for the state of Pennsylvania in the first year. This assertion is based on an economic analysis the organization conducted.

DISCUS stated that expanding spirits outlets in such a way would be a more effective revenue boost and would also be more consumer friendly than a current budget proposal to increase income tax in the state, per a news release.

Pennsylvania currently has 0.65 spirits outlets per 10,000 people, versus a national average of 3.27 spirits outlets per 10,000 people. Pennsylvania also falls short of other control states which average 2.59 spirits outlets per 10,000 people.

“Increasing access to distilled spirits will result in more consumer convenience and additional state revenue without increasing taxes on hard-working Pennsylvanians,”  David Wojnar, DISCUS Senior Vice President and Head of State Public Policy, said. “The budget deficit created by the COVID-19 pandemic, and in part by the lost revenue from PLCB closures last March, has put a strain on the Pennsylvania economy. Allowing r-license holders that already sell beer and wine to sell distilled spirits is a commonsense solution to generate much-needed revenue in the commonwealth. We urge Governor Wolf and the legislature to expand spirits outlets in Pennsylvania.”