7:33 AM
Posted: Wednesday, July 1, 2009 12:00 am
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Despite tough times in the retail industry, Iowa's alcohol sales are setting records.
The Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division generated $104 million in the last year, the first time the division has broken the $100-million mark. Division administrator Lynn Walding says Iowans in their 20s are turning more to liquor than beer, driving up the market for distilled spirits.
Walding says retailers hit by the 2008 floods were forced to entirely restock, adding to the sales numbers.
The sales numbers are up 18.4 percent from the previous 12 months. The total for that period was $88.3 million.