HARRISBURG - That Skinnygirl Margarita may soon cost you more. Same goes for your favorite Malbec and Chardonnay, not to mention your choice of vodka, scotch and liqueur.
The state Liquor Control Board is scheduled to vote Wednesday on whether to approve an increase in prices on more than 450 wines and hard liquor brands. The increases, requested by the vendors of the alcoholic beverages, are usually proposed for either $1 and $2, but go as low as 50 cents and as high as $5.
If the board votes in favor of the increase, it would mark the first time in a year and a half that wine and liquor prices have gone up. In that time, the board has rejected requests for hikes, given the bad economy.
The board's three members were giving no clues Tuesday as to how they might vote on the proposed increases.Generally, vendors have the ability four times a year to ask the LCB to raise prices on their products, said Stacey Witalec, the board's spokeswoman. The price hikes now being requested would generate a $5 million annual return for the state, state officials added.
Some products on the hike list include various Columbia Crest wines (the Two Vines Chardonnay and the Two Vines Cabernet Sauvignon, both of which would go from $16.99 to $17.99); and The Glenlivet scotch (the 12-year single malt would go from $39.99 to $44.99. The changes would add $1 to the current $21.99 price of a bottle of Kahlua Coffee liqueur; $5 to Dom Pérignon champagne, now sold for $139.99; and $1 to Skinnygirl Margarita, now sold for $13.99.
The threat of a price increase comes against the backdrop of an attempt by a number of high-profile Republicans to privatize the LCB.
The move to auction off the agency's wine and liquor stores has been championed by Gov. Corbett and House Majority Leader Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny), and has helped push the door open to modernizing liquor laws that date back to the end of Prohibition.
Just recently, the LCB quietly rolled out a pilot program allowing customers to select from a limited list of products and, for a fee, have them shipped directly to their homes. Before, customers could order only from the LCB's online catalog and have the liquor shipped to the nearest state liquor store for pickup.
Over the last few years, the agency has also made a concerted effort to spiff up stores, increase selection, and open higher-end retail locations.
Contact staff writer Angela Couloumbis at 717-787-5934 or acouloumbis@phillynews.com.
