How Does PA’s New Curbside Pickup of Wine and Liquor Work?

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the mandated shutdown of the state’s wine and liquor stores, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has introduced a new option that allows for the safe sale of spirits on a limited basis: curbside pickup.

The new option officially debuted Monday and is only available at select Fine Wine & Good Spirits shops, two of which are located in the Saucon Valley area. One of the stores is in the Creekside Marketplace (Giant) shopping center on Leithsville Road in Lower Saucon Township (P: 610-838-5683), while the other is in the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley on Center Valley Parkway in Upper Saucon Township (P: 610-871-4304).

According to an April 20 news release from the PLCB, an order may be placed by calling one’s local store between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

“Each store has its own unique inventory and will guide callers through the products available for purchase before finalizing each order and taking payment by phone,” the release said.

Initially, each store is accepting only the first 50 to 100 orders it receives each day, on a first-come, first-served basis, and orders are only accepted over the phone.

Curbside pickups at the stores are scheduled between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. “within a few days of order placement,” the news release indicated. At pickup, customers must present an employee with identification before their order is delivered.

Curbside pickup orders are limited to up to six bottles per order, and credit cards are the only accepted form of payment. There is also a limit of one order per caller, per store, per day, and all curbside pickup sales are final.

“We believe offering curbside pickup service in a controlled, limited manner will allow us to maintain public health best practices while growing our ability to serve customers who want access to wines and spirits,” said PLCB chairman Tim Holden, in the news release.

“We’re making strides in expanding service to Fine Wine & Good Spirits customers, but we know we’re facing pent-up demand for wine and spirits,” he added. “Once again, we ask customers to remain patient as we embark on this new process, since we expect many who call may not get through right away.”

Of the state’s approximately 600 stores, about 175 are participating in the curbside pickup program. Their addresses and phone numbers are available in a list published on the PLCB’s website. A total of nine Lehigh Valley stores are offering curbside pickup.

Online ordering from a select catalog of wine and spirits–with limitations–is available at FineWineAndGoodSpirits.com, however access to the site is restricted via randomization to avoid overwhelming it with high traffic, prevent order abuse and prolong access throughout the day so order availability isn’t exhausted in seconds or minutes each day.

If you’re not in the mood to to wait a while before your order arrives or is available, there are other options for purchasing wine and beer in Pennsylvania amid the shutdown.

Beer distributors remain open, wine is available for direct purchase from local vineyards and licensed restaurants and eating places–including supermarkets can sell you beer and/or wine to go. There is a 192 ounce limit–which generally equates to two six packs–on those transactions. For wine sales in restaurants and grocery stores there is a three liter transactional limit. Lastly, wine is available for purchase online from a number of websites.