Lang
12/11/20
Between intermittent bar closures and people spending more time at home, the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be having an effect on Iowans’ drinking habits, including a record-high in hard liquor sales.
According to the annual report released by the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division on Friday, purchases of beer and wine dropped statewide in Fiscal Year 2020. Beer sales were down 29.8%, while wine consumption decreased 30.9% from the previous year.
However, sales of hard liquor are on the rise. Sales of brandy have increased 23.6%, tequila increased 10.9%, whiskey is up 8.7%, and vodka rose 1.2%. Overall sales of hard liquor were up 8.1% to $367.3 million…a new state record.
The top-selling brand of hard liquor in Iowa was Black Velvet Canadian Whiskey, followed by Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Rounding out the top five were Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, Hawkeye Vodka and Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey.
Johnson County had the fourth-most liquor sold with 327,649 gallons. That’s up 2.9% from last year.
The full 52-page report can be found online at abd.iowa.gov.