LOCK HAVEN, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Liquor Board control released its annual report, and one county in our area is extra thirsty. Clinton County saw a major increase from 2022.
According to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board's 2022-2023 wine and spirits report, the Commonwealth had more than $2.9 billion in sales, up 4.5 percent from the year before.
Clinton County saw the biggest jump in alcohol sales of any county in the state last year, up more than 11 percent.
Bill Hanlon says he noticed this trend when he used to work at a bar years ago.
"Every time things got hard—and back then they got hard—people always found a buck for a beer or whatever it was. They're looking for an escape and it's cheaper than buying a ticket to Rio or someplace," Hanlon said.
"That surprised me, 11 percent, that's kind of a chunk," said Tim Snyder of Mill Hall. "I don't know about that."
People we spoke with say moving the Fine Wine and Food Spirits store from downtown Lock Haven to the Clinton Plaza is more convenient.
"I have a candle shop, so I have to buy vodka and all of that to break down my oils, so to get like a lot, I had to park two blocks away, so I would have to go every week just to get different stuff," said Dawn Herlocher from Loganton.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board moved the store two years ago. Officials say the store has sold more than 500,000 additional units since then.
"Because of the parking over on Main Street at the time, and they got a lot here, people just didn't want to go in, have to pay," Snyder added. "I think a lot of that has to do with that."