Jack Daniel’s is the new top-seller in Ohio


2013 Top-Selling Liquor Brands

1. Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey – 351,125 gallons

2. Kamchatka Vodka – 294,168 gallons

3. Crown Royal Canadian Whiskey – 286,451 gallons

4. Captain Morgan Spiced Rum – 283,000 gallons

5. Absolut Vodka – 277,729 gallons

6. Bacardi Superior Light Rum – 276,365 gallons

7. Smirnoff Vodka – 266,801 gallons

8. Jagermeister – 247,078 gallons

9. Black Velvet Canadian Whiskey – 230,164 gallons

10. Korski Vodka – 222,357 gallons

Source: Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Liquor Control

Ohioans spent more on liquor in 2013 than ever before, and they bought more Jack Daniel’s Whiskey than any other kind of booze, according to an Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Liquor Control report released Thursday.

Annual sales reached $898 million in 2013, up $49 million, or 5.8 percent, from the previous year. Volume sales also rose, although at a slightly lower pace than dollar sales, suggesting consumers are “trading up” in some brands and drinking higher-quality spirits. Volume sales reached 12 million gallons, up 3 percent.

And for the first time, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey was the top-selling brand in the state, unseating the long-time leader, Kamchatka Vodka. At $6.82 a bottle (750 ml) prior to countywide sales taxes, Kamchatka sells for less than one-third the price of Jack Daniel’s, at $21.62 before taxes. And the inexpensive vodka had been the number-one volume brand in Ohio since at least the late 1990s, a liquor control division spokesman said.

“Ohioans continue to trade up buying more of the premium products as consumer tastes become more sophisticated,” said Bruce Stevenson, superintendent of the division.

Retail dollar sales reached $635 million, an increase of 7.4 percent. Wholesale dollar sales — liquor purchased by restaurants, bars and clubs — also rose, reaching $264 million, up 2.5 percent. Liquor-control officials say strong wholesale sales indicate growth in Ohio’s economy.

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