Pennsylvania residents will soon have a chance to purchase rare bottles of Pappy Van Winkle, according to a Penn Live article published on Monday. Residents must enter a lottery held by the state’s liquor control board, which will randomly select applicants and then allow winners to purchase the coveted whiskey.
For those who need a quick Pappy primer: The Van Winkle lineup comprises six different bottles, of which three are technically considered “Pappy” Van Winkle (the 15, 20, and 23 years). For the past two decades, all of the bottles containing the Van Winkle name have become increasingly hard to find — and if you do spot one in the wild, it’s likely the retailer will have added a hefty markup to its MSRP.
The good news for Pennsylvania residents is that all six expressions will be available in the Pennsylvania lottery. Die-hard fans will surely be looking to get a hold of one of the nearly two dozen bottles of the 23 year old Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Straight Bourbon, which will retail for $399.99.
The lottery is only open to Pennsylvania residents aged 21 and over. And anyone hoping to snag one will need to register online by 5 p.m. on January 8 to enter the lottery.
This lottery is not the first of its kind, with Ohio having already held two versions of the event by 2017.
While lotteries typically award large sums to winners, rather than requiring them to pay out of pocket, for Pennsylvania whiskey lovers, this is a truly golden opportunity.