Despite a year marked by COVID-19 restrictions on bars and restaurants, the State of Iowa saw record liquor sales in fiscal year 2020.
Liquor sales from the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division to retailers grew to $367.3 million for the fiscal year that ended June 30, an âunprecedentedâ increase of 8.2% over the prior fiscal year, according to the divisionâs annual report.
While liquor sales have generally been rising in the state, officials attributed a particularly large spike in the 2020 fiscal year at least in part to the COVID-19 pandemic.
âIn (fiscal year 2019), there was a 6% increase, which was a little bit more than what weâve seen, but this year is definitely larger than recent years,â said Jake Holmes, spokesman for the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division.