Oh, the irony. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, fresh off a victory lap for expanding access to canned cocktails, ended up getting served—just not in the way he planned.
Picture this: the 51-year-old governor, grinning like a kid in a candy store, waltzed into a Rutter’s convenience store in central Pennsylvania, ready to celebrate the new law he just signed. The law expands the sale of ready-to-drink cocktails, finally letting Pennsylvanians buy a little joy in a can at restaurants and certain stores. Seems like a small win for the land of overly strict liquor laws, right? Well, not so fast.
Shapiro, thinking he’s the man of the hour, confidently strolled into the cooler, grabbed his drink of choice—a few cases of Surfside Lemonade & Vodka (made right here in the Keystone State, of course)—and proclaimed that the drinks were on him. I mean, what better way to celebrate cutting a little red tape than throwing back some local booze?
But here’s where the plot thickens. In an all-too-familiar tale of government overreach biting back, Shapiro’s victory celebration came to a screeching halt when the governor—who, mind you, just signed the law—realized he forgot one little thing: his ID.
Sure….thecorrupt state will need ID for alcoholic beverage but not a vote in the election 🫤🥴https://t.co/gzw6vQ1NnT pic.twitter.com/33f6ZWcfQR
— My Name Is Nobody (@godswaythebest) September 19, 2024
Yep. The guy who helped change the rules couldn’t even buy the fruits of his labor because he didn’t bring the proper identification. Let’s just say the state’s notoriously tight liquor laws don’t care if you’re the governor or the guy who just moved in next door. No ID, no booze, no exceptions.
A local reporter caught the whole thing on video—Shapiro, beaming as he shook hands, walked to the cooler, and made his selection. But instead of leaving with those cases of canned cocktails, he walked out empty-handed, probably reconsidering just how “loosened” these laws really are. Maybe next time, Governor, you should slip your driver’s license into your suit pocket before trying to lead by example.
This might be the best story of the week that we didn’t get to. PA Gov. Josh Shapiro tried to buy Surfsides without an ID, got carded, got denied. Absolutely glorious. https://t.co/yXNq0DcmFz
— Nick Kayal (@NickKayal) September 20, 2024
But hey, let’s give the guy some credit. At least he got a firsthand reminder of how frustrating Pennsylvania’s liquor laws can be, even when you’re the one who signs them into law. Looks like no one’s immune from the state’s Byzantine liquor regulations—not even the guy in charge.
