Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board's "Chairman" Credits His Success to the Public Library

We have our library stories. Pennsylvania has theirs.

Tastings: Latest 'Chairman' picks combine price, quality. (Pittsburgh Press-Gazette, 4/19/2012)

Excerpt:   Since 2009, Steve Pollack, a 25-year veteran of the liquor control agency, has selected these wines. He said he developed a passion for wine while managing a store in Lackawanna County where he educated himself at the public library. He is now the sole buyer for the Chairman's Selection program.

Pennsylvania's wine connoisseurs can thank the

SIDEBAR:  In Pennsylvania, wine and spirits may be purchased  at a "State Store".  It's the only game in town, a monopoly enshrined in state law.

As for beer, "distributors", such as Mangione Beverage in Warren PA, sell kegs and cases.

Smaller quantities of beer may be purchased at bars, restaurants, and licensed beer sellers.  

I grew up in Pennsylvania, but after living in Wisconsin for 34 years, I'm always taken aback by the restrictive alcohol laws whenever I return to Warren for a visit.