Bob McCafferty

SLIPPERY ROCK — Membership renewal for North Country Brewing’s “mug club” has been suspended indefinitely.

Owner Bob McCafferty said the company initially delayed membership renewal because it was looking to buy new beer mugs.

However, in May, McCafferty and other craft beer brewers in the state first heard about the state Liquor Control Board cracking down on the Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant in the Philadelphia area. The LCB cited problems with the restaurant’s mug club.

The LCB said in a statement that Iron Hill’s club violated liquor codes because it gave members points for spending money and let members buy 24 ounces of beer for the price of 16 ounces.

At North Country, members pay $45 per year and get a numbered mug, which stays at the bar. Members get discounts on food and beer.

The club had 450 members. Because all of the mugs stay in the bar, McCafferty said the number of members is limited by the amount of space at the bar.

McCafferty and other microbrewers with similar programs are waiting until the Brewers of Pennsylvania, a lobbying group for microbrewers, talks to the LCB and legislators to see what can be done.

“We’re kind of waiting,” McCafferty said.

When he gets information from the lobbying group, McCafferty said he will renew memberships and take on new members. If changes need to be made, he will make changes.

“We just want to make sure that we offer the members something they want to join,” McCafferty said.

He said he has not been contacted by the LCB about the club.

He said that he and other brewers were not aware of the codes the LCB enforced at Iron Hill.

Additionally, McCafferty feels that some incentive programs offered by microbreweries are no different than LCB-operated liquor stores offering coupons for its products.

“You can’t argue with the machine,” McCafferty said.