Ready To Drink Cocktails Approved For Sale At Doylestown ACME

DOYLESTOWN BOROUGH, PA — Ready to Drink Cocktails are coming to ACME Markets in the Doylestown Center.

On Monday night, the Doylestown Borough Council unanimously approved a request by the grocery store chain to begin selling the Ready To Drink Cocktails (RTDC) at its borough store under an amended state law that took effect in September.

Under the new law, stores holding a retail liquor license are allowed to sell liquor-based Ready to Drink Cocktails for both on and off premises consumption provided they acquire a permit.

Up until the amendment took effect in September, retail stores holding a liquor license were only allowed to sell malt and brewed beverages and wine.

Before it can begin selling the product, ACME was required to obtain the borough's written permission under a 2o14 Conditional License Agreement between ACME and the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. ACME will also need to acquire a permit from the PLCB to begin selling the cocktails.

“This is a very narrowly-defined product - a pre-mixed liquor drink. It’s a canned product,” explained borough manager John Davis. “Rather than having a malt beverage as its base, it typically uses a vodka base."

The new RTDC permit allows businesses holding a liquor license to sell spirits-based RTDCs ranging from 0.5 percent alcohol beverage by volume (ABV) to 12.5 percent ABV in original containers up to 16 ounces.

“It’s a new trend,” said Davis, who noted that other than the canned cocktails, liquor will still only be sold at the state-owned Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores. “You’re not going to be able to buy bourbon, whiskey or gin at ACME," he said.