The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) has approved grants totaling $791,412 for 12 projects to increase the production of Pennsylvania-made malt and brewed beverages and enhance the Pennsylvania beer industry through promotion, marketing and research-based programs and projects.
“Increasing the quality, production and sale of malt and brewed beverages produced in Pennsylvania is vital not only to our growing beer industry, but these improvements also enhance agricultural and tourism opportunities in the Commonwealth,” said Gov. Tom Wolf. “These grants will explore how agriculture can better support brewers, give new tools and resources to beer makers and ultimately help improve the craft beer experience for Pennsylvania consumers.”
Act 39 of 2016 created the Pennsylvania Malt and Brewed Beverages Industry Promotion Board and authorized the PLCB to approve up to $1 million annually for development and marketing of the Pennsylvania beer industry.
“The craft beer and brewing industry continues to grow and thrive in Pennsylvania, and these grants will fund projects focused on agricultural research, industry training, product development, economic development and consumer engagement to advance production and marketing of Pennsylvania beers,” said Board Chairman Tim Holden. “The PLCB is proud to support the continued development of the commonwealth’s beer industry through these grants.”
“Craft brewing has grown exponentially in Pennsylvania,” said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. “This investment in research will support our brewers’ efforts to produce quality and variety and stay No. 1 in the nation.”
The following grant projects were recommended for approval by the Pennsylvania Malt and Brewed Beverages Industry Promotion Board:
- Beer Tourism Grant for the Craft Beer Trail of Greater Philadelphia
- Pennsylvania Craft Brew Festival
- Improving the Agricultural Value Chain for the Craft Fermented Beverage Industry
- Maintaining a Research and Educational Hop Yard in Southwest Pennsylvania
- Educational Outreach for the Brewing Industry
- Pennsylvania’s Brewer’s Yeast Library
- The Story of Beer in Pennsylvania
- Critical Success Factors for Advancing Beer Tourism in Pennsylvania
- Measuring Amylase Activity in Non-Barley Malts for Gluten-Free Beer
- Educating Hops Growers to Enhance and Promote the Pennsylvania Microbrewing Industry
The PLCB awarded the inaugural round of grants supporting Pennsylvania’s beer industry in February 2018, with grants for 13 projects totaling nearly $705,000. In June 2018, the PLCB awarded $1 million in grants to enhance the Pennsylvania wine industry and increase production of Pennsylvania-made wines, bringing PLCB wine-grant funding to nearly $3 million since the first wine grants were approved in 2017.
The PLCB regulates the distribution of beverage alcohol in Pennsylvania, operates more than 600 wine and spirits stores statewide and licenses 20,000 alcohol producers, retailers and handlers.
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