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All hopped up: State approves $791K in grants to help beer industry
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board approved nearly $800,00 in new grants aimed at growing the beer industry in Pennsylvania. Those funds will support 12 projects, including two in Central Pennsylvania, that are focused on tourism initiatives, agricultural research and training programs.
The funding comes from the liquor reform legislation passed in 2016, known as Act 39. That legislation created a Pennsylvania Malt and Brewed Beverages Industry Promotion Board through which the PLCB is authorized to spend up to $1 million annually for development and marketing of Pennsylvania beer.
The following midstate projects received grant funding this year:
- Shippensburg University: $71,701 for educational outreach for the brewing industry. The funding will support development of education, training and technical assistance to build a skilled workforce for the brewed beverage industry.
- Cumberland Area Economic Development Corp.: $50,000 to boost promotion of the Cumberland Valley Beer Trail. The funding will support new photography and videography, as well as expanded marketing campaigns to increase visitation at local breweries.
Other grants were awarded to support a craft beer trail in Philadelphia and craft brew festival in Somerset County, establish a research and educational hop yard in southwest Pennsylvania and create a beer exhibit in Pittsburgh, among others. The full list is available here.
