As the highest-ranking government official in Pennsylvania, Governor Josh Shapiro (D) encountered an unexpected situation when he attempted to purchase an alcoholic beverage at a convenience store, only to be refused service. The denial was attributed to his lack of proper identification, as reported by The Hill. During his visit to a Rutter’s convenience store in Central Pennsylvania, the 51-year-old governor sought to buy Surfside tea and vodka, a product from Philadelphia.
However, without his ID, he was unable to complete the transaction. This incident is a result of a recent Pennsylvania law regulating access to canned cocktails. Visual documentation of the event captured Shapiro leaving the store without his intended purchase. Following the carding process, the governor’s office confirmed that he returned the item to the shelf, and no one else procured the alcohol on his behalf.
Pennsylvania is known for having stringent regulations regarding alcohol sales; historically, convenience and grocery stores were prohibited from selling ready-to-drink beverages due to a Prohibition-era law that mandated hard liquor be sold exclusively through state-operated stores, allowing local retailers to sell only beer and wine. The new legislation permits the sale of 16-ounce canned drinks, although stores must obtain new permits to do so. Additionally, Shapiro has expressed interest in the legalization of cannabis within the state.
“There are Pennsylvanians who may be traveling out of state to purchase cannabis, and that’s, I think, something that we want to be focused on doing here in our commonwealth,” he said.
Earlier this year, Shapiro enacted a bipartisan liquor legislation that broadened the sale of canned beverages with an alcohol by volume (ABV) of up to 12.5 percent. This new law permits restaurants, hotels, and various other establishments to sell drinks intended for consumption off the premises.
“This is what real freedom looks like, and we did it in a way that protects taxpayers and supports our state workers,” Shapiro said in August.
