(Radio Iowa) – State liquor sales set records dollar sales in each of the last two fiscal years during the pandemic. Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division spokesman, Jake Holmes, says the sales since the end of the last fiscal year. “The fiscal year ended June 30th — so from July 1st through the end of November is the start of fiscal year ’22. And those numbers are up five-point-seven percent from the fiscal ’21 numbers,” Holmes says. Sales increased 13 percent and eight percent in the last two fiscal years — each setting a sales record. “That five-point-seven percent is a lot more similar to what we saw prior to the pandemic. We’ll just have to keep tracking those numbers to see where it ends up,” he says. Holmes says they are in their busiest time of the year.

(Image from IABD website)

“Traditionally, October, November, and December is definitely the busiest time of the year, the higher sales numbers. We have seen recently there are spikes in other times of the year too — but traditionally those October, December, November months are the highest,” Holmes says. He says while the sales have set records in the last two fiscal years — the favorite brands haven’t really seen much change. “The most popular item is still Black Velvet. It’s been at the top of the list for a number of years,” according to Holmes. “One product in particular — Tito’s Vodka — has really been increasing in popularity of the last several years…five years ago it was number 12 on our list and now it is number two. Other than that, Captain Morgan, Fireball, those are always near the top of the list. As far as Iowa products — Blue Ox Vodka is the top-selling Iowa product for the third year in a row now.”

Holmes says they always kept a good supply of the most popular items in stock and that helped them overcome any shortages.