Spirituous liquor sales in Ohio have set a record high for the eighth consecutive year, according to the Ohio Department of Commerce. Total sales for the calendar year of 2006 increased by $44.2 million from last year.
“Ohio has seen a steady increase in liquor sales over the past eight years mostly due to increases in product prices, a continuation of the trend of consumers buying more premium priced products and a rise in the level of consumption,” said Rae Ann Estep, superintendent of the Ohio Department of Commerce.
What the state calls “spirituous liquor” is any beverage that contains more than 21 percent alcohol by volume.
While many people are shelling out big bucks for bottles of top shelf products such as Jack Daniels, Jagermeister and Crown Royal, the top seller in Ohio is not-so-classy Kamchatka Vodka.
“I can understand why people are buying Jack, it’s delicious,” said Paul Eichenseer, a recent Ohio State graduate. “But some of that stuff (on the top 10 list) is garbage.”
Garbage to some, treasure for the government. The tax revenues associated with the sale of spirituous liquor are used to help fund state services. In fiscal year 2006, $139 million in sales revenue went into the state’s general revenue fund, $49.3 million went to prevention programs, and paying off economic development and Clean Ohio revitalization bonds. In addition, $65.5 million in state sales and gallonage taxes on spirituous liquor was deposited into the state’s treasury.
Bradley Lusenhop can be reached at [email protected].
