Ohio brewery sues Pennsylvania over discriminatory beer laws 

Cincinnati; July 17, 2024: Pennsylvania’s beer regulations unfairly disadvantage out-of-state breweries in favor of protecting local ones from competition. Today, Urban Artifact, a brewery based in Cincinnati, has filed a federal lawsuit contesting these discriminatory laws that infringe upon its right to sell to Pennsylvania customers.  

“Pennsylvania’s antiquated beer regulations kneecap out-of-state breweries to protect in-state breweries from competition,” said Jeff Jennings, an attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation. “Subjecting small businesses like Urban Artifact to additional, burdensome regulation simply because of their geographic location is discriminatory and does nothing to advance public health, safety, or welfare.”  

Urban Artifact has become the “largest dedicated fruit brewery in the world” by constantly innovating new ways to combine fruit and beer. The entrepreneurial brewers have created more than 100 different beers and use more than one million pounds of fruit each year in their beer creations. But Pennsylvania customers cannot enjoy these delicious products, because of restrictions that render a direct-to-consumer business cost-prohibitive for out-of-state businesses. 

The case is Urban Artifact v. Col. Christopher Paris, filed in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Urban Artifact is represented by Pacific Legal Foundation free of charge.