Pennsylvania Craft Distillers Contribute $385 Million to State’s Economy

In a new economic impact study undertaken on behalf of the Pennsylvania Distillers Guild, it was found that the industry supports more than 3,000 employees and provides more than $75 million in taxes to the state. Pennsylvania ranks fourth in the nation in craft distilling with more than 200 craft distillers, five times the number there were just ten years ago.

Executive Summary

This study estimates the contribution of the craft distilled spirits industry to the economy of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The economic impact and benefits derived from producing and marketing distilled spirits are generated by the value of industry output and expenditures for goods and services to produce spirits.

The popularity of craft distilled spirits has grown significantly in recent years as consumers have shown a willingness to increase spending on premium, hand-crafted food and beverage products. The American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA) reports that industry volume has increased at an annual rate of 6.1 percent over the last five years while the value of sales is growing at an annual rate of more than 5 percent. Pennsylvania has participated in this growth. According to ACSA Pennsylvania is the nation’s fourth largest craft distiller.

Pennsylvania craft distillers reported a value of output measured by gross sales of $204.3 million in mid-2024, as shown in Table ES1. Most of these sales (nearly 60 percent) were from the production and sale of distilled spirits. The remainder of output was derived from tourism-related activities including tasting rooms that provided on-site sales of beverages, related non-beverage retail, tours and entertainment, and other events. This analysis captures the economic impact for Pennsylvania from these activities.

For access to the complete study, please contact the Guild directly.