Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board To Offer Liquor Lottery

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board plans to offer a lottery so customers will have a fairer shot at buying pricey, limited-quantity liquors.

The first such lottery will occur Oct. 13 featuring two dozen bottles from the Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Monday.

Two varieties of the Kentucky bourbon will be available, 12 bottles of 100-proof French Oak Barrel Aged Bourbon and 12 bottles of French Oak Barrel Head Aged Bourbon. The 375 ml bottles, half the size of a standard liquor bottle, will sell for $48.49 each.

The LCB has tried to sell limited-quantity brands online, but last year a sale of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon caused the website to crash. LCB Chairman Tim Holden said limited quantities sold online are often gone in minutes, making it hard for some customers to get them.

"In recent years, certain products have become very popular among aficionados, enthusiasts and collectors," Holden said. "In order to ensure that all consumers interested in a particular high-demand product have a fair chance to purchase the product, we have developed a lottery system for our most limited products."

Pennsylvania residents only can register at FineWineAndGoodSpirits.com. They must put billing information on file and then opt into the lottery between Monday at 8 a.m. and Saturday at 11 p.m.

"We have a responsibility to make sure the process of selling those products is equitable, and the lottery process levels the playing field for our customers," said Dale Horst, the director of marketing and merchandising for the LCB.