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Iowa set a new record for liquor sales in fiscal year 2021.
Iowa liquor sales exceeded $400 million for the first time in fiscal year 2021, the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division reported Tuesday.
“The outcomes within this year’s annual report reflect good government planning and execution,” ABD Administrator Stephen Larson said in a news release.
Liquor sales between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021 totaled $415.8 million — a 13.2 percent increase from the previous fiscal year, which also saw record-setting sales. The trend continues, according the ABD, with sales from July to November of this year up 5 percent.
Beyond just “good government planning,” ABD analysts noted that the uptick in sales may be partially explained by “buying habits formed due to the pandemic and consumers purchasing more spirits for home consumption.” National data during COVID-19 show sales of alcohol increased during the early months of the pandemic.
ABD is the sole wholesaler of liquor in Iowa. Revenues from liquor sales are either returned to the state’s general fund or used for substance abuse education and outreach programs. In fiscal year 2021, ABD transferred $120.6 million to the general fund and $29 million to the Iowa Department of Public Health for programming.
