In the land of the stupid, the most stupid of all are very stupid indeed.
I’d heard that there was some sort of LCB issue at Opening Tap, the official opening event of Philly Beer Week, but have seen nothing in print about it. If I missed it, I’m pretty sure someone will correct me in caustic fashion, but until then…
What I’ve learned this weekend is that the issue was homebrews which were to be poured by Home Sweet Homebrew and Keystone Homebrew Supply, two of the region’s top homebrew suppliers and that the full story will see print in a story by George Hummel in the forthcoming issue of Mid-Atlantic Brewing News.
Given that, I am offering a precise of the story here just to brighten up Lew Bryson’s day. A good week for him always involves getting started with a rant and this should surely inspire that at a minimum.
The LCB was on hand to check that every beer was registered. The homebrews clearly were not. Even though state law says that homebrews may legally be poured at, among other things, “organized affairs and exhibitions,” the agents were “using their discretion” (as the PLCB said while later sheepishly avoiding responsibility) and the homebrews were pulled.
Bad enough? Not hardly. Home Sweet Homebrew set up a keg of homemade root beer and the teenage son of one of the policemen who was a member of the bagpipe band hired for the event, after asking to make sure it contained no alcohol, had a glass and was seized by undercover enforcement agents for drinking it because he was underage!
Yes, those guys were there as well and equally misinformed or uninformed. Is there anybody who doubts that state alcohol regulators just might be pissed about how dumb they’ve been made to look by those raids earlier this year and are just chomping at the bit to get even any way they can? Thankfully, their thugs would-be heroes were prevented from hauling the kid off in shackles only by the intervention of his father and Mayor Michael Nutter.
This is so stupid—beyond stupid, outright insane—that it’s hard to believe. And there’s lots more to the story, which Hummel will have in detail, including some history of Home Sweet Homebrew with the PLCB which will blow your minds. It’s an absolute Must Read so seek out MABN when it shows up early August.*
Big Fella, the floor is yours…
*If enough people miss it and let me know. I’ll ask George’s permission to post his whole story here later in the month after the magazine has been out for a reasonable amount of time.
