An Open Letter About Open Containers

Erin Phillips

Erie has long enjoyed a lack of open container law, lending a special character to events throughout our city from random live music nights to farmers markets. At the City Council meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 18, a new ordinance could derail this component of Erie's vibe. One local brewer weighs in the proposed ordinance and urges City Council to think twice about enacting the proposed legislation.

Hello Erie City Council members. I'd like to touch on a few points regarding the ongoing conversation around open containers in our fair town — a feature that few communities across the country enjoy.

Throughout the warmer months you'll frequently see an Erie Ale Works canopy out and about at area events. Erie's lack of open container rules are beneficial to us and our business of bringing locally made beer to the people. So obviously I'm an advocate for the current lack of rules. Our company's revenue and consequently, jobs, are directly tied to our mobile bartending business.

I certainly understand that bad actors are out there daily abusing their privileges (open container is definitely a privilege, not a human right we're all owed somehow) and ruining it for the rest of our community. And we all know alcohol has a rather bumpy history of enabling bad decisions in otherwise very well-behaved humans when abused.

I urge our city council to consider absolutely every angle of any proposed changes because any prohibition of the open container privilege has potential negative impacts on our business along with others in the food and beverage industry. Under the current arrangement I can take my official City of Erie vending permit coupled with my Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board exposition permit and pop open my canopy at any public location I wish, just like a craft vendor or food truck.

I understand part of the new set of rules includes exceptions at obvious events like CelebrateErie and the Erie Blues & Jazz Fest. Regulatory efforts would relax and we'd all go about our lives. For non-obvious events (LEAF's Open Market, PorchFest, and The Downtown Partnership's Thursday night concert series among many, many others) I would hope there would be some sort of quick approval process, online preferably, that won't hamper the remote part of anyone's business. EAW isn't the only company out and about doing pop-up gigs, but we've certainly operated our fair share over the last 10 years.

Clamping down on open containers has the potential to cause some serious economic challenges for those in the alcohol service industry, and with the consumer spending rollercoaster we've been on, I'd prefer more critical concerns occupy council's time for now.

Jeff McCullor is the co-owner of Erie Ale Works. He can be reached at jeff@eriealeworks.com