In perhaps another indication of how 2020 has been a year most people want to forget, Iowans spent a record amount of money on liquor this past year.
The increase came during the 2020 state fiscal year, which ran from July 1, 2019, through the end of June this year â a period that includes the first four months of the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in stores, bars and taverns operating under tight restrictions.
Despite the pandemic, or perhaps because of it, total liquor sales in Iowa during the 2020 fiscal year were $367.3 million, an increase of 8.2 percent over the previous year, according to the new annual report from the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division.
Iowa liquor sales hit record in fiscal 2020 and Black Velvet whiskey is still No 1 siouxcityjournal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from siouxcityjournal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
However, liquor sales increased by nearly 190,000 gallons in FY2020, with more Iowans preferring whiskey overall.
Iowans spent more on whiskey than other spirits, spending more than $120 million in FY2020. Vodka came in second, but it only brought in $74 million.
Iowans purchased more Black Velvet Canadian Whiskey than any other spirit. More than 400,000 gallons were sold, according to the report.
Tito s Handmade Vodka came in second with more than 289,000 gallons sold.
Overall, more than six million gallons of spirits were sold from July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020.
A line graph shows liquor sales went up when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March. The ABD reported more than $31 million in sales that month. June brought in even more dough. Iowans spent more than $42 million that month alone.