I was going to write a post about Newt, but that made my head hurt. So instead I thought it would be a good idea to write a post about another thing that makes my head hurt: Gin!
Last week, the PA state legislature passed a bill, that the governor is expected to sign, which will allow distilleries to sell their product on site. Breweries and wineries already have this right. This bill was pushed for by Philadelphia Distilling, makers of the oh-so-delicious Bluecoat Gin.
Philadelphia magazine has a good profile of the company’s founder, Robert Cassell, which is well worth your reading if you are interested in craft booze or local Philly products. More importantly, though, the piece serves to highlight the importance of involvement in government. Money quote:
[Cassell] got the bug for political engagement last year, while volunteering at a polling place in Chester County. “That day, there was, like, seven or eight percent voter turnout,” he remembers. “And I realized that if I got everyone from one block in that town to come out and vote one way, I could swing the election.”
I suspect that this is a bit of an exaggeration, though not by much. Voter turnout in local elections is often very abysmal, which means a small group of committed people really can accomplish a lot. Organizing on the local level is how changes like this one come about. Anyone who has attempted to enjoy a drink in Pennsylvania can tell you that the liquor laws are arbitrary and confusing. There was a lot of excitement over the past year around the potential abolition of the PA Liquor Control Board, but it looks like that won’t be happening.
Which is all the long way of saying this: If you want things to change, get to work.
520 Chestnut 
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