HARRISBURG, Pa. - Pennsylvania’s beer and wine industry is getting a boost.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) is doling out nearly $2 million in support grants to ramp up booze production and sales.
The money is aimed at increasing the production of Pennsylvania-made beer, wine and cider. It’ll also be used to market those products.
There are more than 20 breweries and more than 30 wineries in the Lehigh Valley. That’s more than 230-acres of vineyards in the region.
The Pennsylvania Winery Association (PWA) is among the list of grant recipients. It will get more than $500,000 to work on advertising campaigns aimed at attracting people to tasting rooms.
Another $900,000 plus will go to “beer-related projects,” like a Penn State University study focused on beer quality and shelf life.
Other monies will go to the Pennsylvania Cider Guild to raise awareness about cider-making and cider beer.
The funding stems from PLCB’s Act 39, which created the Pennsylvania Malt and Brewed Beverages Industry Promotion Board. The board is able to authorize up to $1 million annually for development of the state’s beer industry. The act also authorizes the state Wine Marketing and Research Board to approve up to $1 million annually for wine research and promotion.
Since the first beer and wine grants were approved in 2017, more than $5.8 million in grants have been approved to support the state beer industry and $4.9 million to support the state wine industry.
