Idahoans drink less but still set a new liquor spending record. One brand is #1 by a mile

If you made a trip to the liquor store recently, you were in good company.

The Idaho State Liquor Division enjoyed a record 12 months during fiscal year 2023, which ended June 30. After passing $300 million in sales for the first time ever fiscal year 2022, Idahoans drank their way to another record — with purchases reaching just under $320 million, said Tony Faraca, CFO of the Liquor Division.

Simultaneously, the overall volume of liquor purchased went down for the second straight year — by a little less than 1%.

“Basically, people are drinking less but drinking better,” Faraca said.

“I think this is kind of going on nationwide,” he explained. “People are just getting out of the bigger sizes, like the half-gallons, of the lower-tier stuff, and they’re buying fifths of higher-quality products.”

Continuing a massive growth trend in recent years, Tito’s Vodka dominated the Gem State. After boosting dollar sales by 25% in fiscal year 2021, Tito’s jumped 17% in 2022 — then another 15% in 2023. Idahoans spent nearly twice as much on Tito’s as they did on any other brand.

“I don’t even know what to say about it anymore,” Faraca said. “They’ve figured out how to touch the nerve of their consumer. They have a lot of different things that resonate with consumers. They do a lot of things at the local level. They sponsor a lot of different types of events.

“It all works together.”

Dollar sales leaders

Here are Idaho’s best-selling liquors during fiscal year 2023 based on dollar sales.

1. Tito’s Handmade Vodka: $15,596,890

2. Pendleton Canadian Whisky: $8,828,247

3. Fireball Cinnamon Whisky: $7,386,975

4. Crown Royal Canadian Whisky: $6,682,626

5. Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7: $6,604,715

6. Jameson Irish Whiskey: $5,930,624

7. Smirnoff Vodka: $4,782,144

8. Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum: $4,396,642

9. Black Velvet Blended Canadian Whiskey: $4,030,900

10. Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky: $3,594,294

That top 10 looks similar to last year’s. One key difference? Maker’s Mark sneaked in by bumping Crown Royal Regal Apple off the list. “Maker’s Mark actually just decreased less than Crown Apple,” Faraca said. “It entered the top 10 because it didn’t shrink as much.”

Volume leaders

Here are Idaho’s most popular liquors based on overall volume — total ounces sold — in fiscal year 2023.

1. Tito’s Handmade Vodka: 65,142 nine-liter cases sold

2. Stroika Vodka: 43,660

3. Fireball Cinnamon Whisky: 43,256

4. Black Velvet Blended Canadian Whiskey: 37,033

5. Smirnoff Vodka: 34,179

6. Platinum 7x Vodka: 33,298

7. Pendleton Canadian Whisky: 31,214

8. Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7: 25,411

9. Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum: 25,094

10. Crown Royal Canadian Whisky: 22,838

So with overall liquor sales zooming to nearly $320 million during the past year, what does it all mean?

Faraca thinks it indicates that Idaho’s economy is humming.

“If you want to look at some sort of the barometer of the economy — and we’re worried about recession and that sort of thing — we’re not seeing any evidence of that in Idaho,” he said.

The downtown Boise liquor store’s dollar sales to bars increased 11% in fiscal year 2023, Faraca said. “That’s a pretty big jump for them.”

And even if it’s become spendier to go out for drinks, “people are going to bars and restaurants,” Faraca said. “Still.”