Mar. 19, 2019
HARRISBURG – Rep. Torren Ecker (R-Adams/Cumberland) praised the House passage of legislation authored by Rep. Barry Jozwiak (R-Berks), that amends the Pennsylvania Liquor Code’s definition of “Alcoholic Cider” to be a beverage made only through alcoholic fermentation of apples or pears. Currently, the definition permits products to be made through alcoholic fermentation of any fruit or fruit juice.
“I am a proud co-sponsor of
House Bill 131, which would bring our outdated regulations on hard cider in line with world-wide industry standards,” said Ecker. “I look forward to future reforms to our regulatory code that will help our local cider farms in Adams and Cumberland counties be better able to compete.”
The Pennsylvania Cider Guild has stated in the past that this legislation was next on its list of priorities after regulations were updated in 2016 to amend the legal definition of cider in the state liquor code to identify alcoholic cider as an individual product and raising the permissible Alcohol by Volume (ABV) to 8.5 percent.
As of 2018, Pennsylvania has around 50 cider producers and is ranked sixth nationally in production. The cider industry in the United States is relatively new with almost 70 percent of cideries open since 2008.
Representative Torren Ecker
193rd District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Alison Basley
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