Utah shoppers love a bargain, whether they are buying milk for the kids or wine, beer and liquor for themselves.
New sales numbers for Utah’s state-run liquor system show that consumers leaned toward low-cost beer, cheap vodka, and affordable box and sparkling wines.
Tastes, however, are maturing in the Beehive state, with consumers buying more up-scale products, like craft beer and premium spirits, officials with the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control noted when releasing the annual sales numbers recently.
The sales figures include purchases made by consumers, as well as restaurants and bars, at the 45 state-run liquor stores and 100-plus package agencies in places like ski resorts and small towns.
While a large portion of Utah’s residents and lawmakers are members of the Mormon church, which teaches members to avoid alcohol, liquor still is big business in Utah.
During the past year, the DABC collected more than $427 million in alcohol sales, an increase of $21.3 million or 5.3 percent from the previous year.
Here’s a snapshot of the most popular liquor choices from July 2016 through June 2017.
Spirits
Barton Vodka remains the top-selling spirit in Utah, in the number of bottles sold and dollars collected. State liquor stores sold 588,586 bottles (in three sizes), which brought in nearly $4.3 million.
Jack Daniels Black Label whiskey brought in $2.37 million in sales; Patron Silver tequila, $2.2 million; and Smirnoff Vodka, $2 million.
The DABC said generally, sales of flavored whiskeys are up, while “candylike” spirits are down. The exception might be Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey, which sold 112,000 bottles and brought in more than $1.7 million during the year.
Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune Stocked shelves at Utah's newest liquor store in West Valley City.
TOP 10 SPIRITS BY NUMBER SOLD<br>1. Barton Vodka (375ml) • 248,717<br>2. Barton Vodka (1750ml) • 246,264<br>3. Taaka Vodka (375ml • 170,971<br>4. Taaka Vodka (750ml) • 145,585<br>5. Kamchatka Vodka & Liqueur (375ml) • 113,699<br>6. Fireball Cinnamon Whisky (750ml) • 111,976<br>7. Barton Vodka (750ml) • 93,605<br>8. Baron Rothschild Vodka (375ml) • 87,727<br>9. Smirnoff Vodka (1750ml) • 85,237<br>10. Titos Handmade Vodka (750ml) • 82,660
TOP 10 SPIRITS BY SALES DOLLARS<br>1. Barton Vodka (1750ml • $2,921,470<br>2. Jack Daniels Black Label (1000ml) • $2,372,077<br>3. Patron Silver Tequila (750ml) • $2,204,749<br>4. Smirnoff Vodka (1750ml) • $2,045,391<br>5. Jack Daniels Black Label (1750ml) • $2,017,299<br>6. Jameson Irish Whiskey (750ml) • $1,997,414<br>7. Crown Royal (750ml) • $1,799,033<br>8. Fireball Cinnamon Whisky (750ml) • $1,727,514<br>9. Crown Royal (1750ml) • $1,699,347<br>10. Jameson Irish Whiskey (1000ml) • $1,695,266<br>
Wine
Cooks Brut Sparkling Wine, an alternative to Champagne that costs $7 a bottle, remains Utah’s top-selling wine, with more than 79,000 bottles sold.
Black Box Cabernet, however, brought in the most money. The state sold 41,734 of the 3,000 milliliter boxes, equal to $952,557.
Kendall Jackson Chardonnay was second, selling more than 56,000 bottles and bringing in $937,889. Bota Box Pinot Grigio was third, selling 44,603 (3,000 milliliter) boxes and bringing in $928,313.
“Prosecco and other sparkling wines are showing an uptrend in Utah as they are in much of the country and Europe,” the DABC noted. A good example is the $17 Lamarca prosecco that made the Top 10 list. Consumers purchased 50,420 bottles during the year, bringing in more than $731,000.
Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune Sparkling wine on the shelves of Utah's newest liquor store in West Valley City.
TOP 10 WINES BY NUMBER SOLD<br>1. Cooks Brut Sparkling Wine (750ml) • 79,443<br>2. Vendange Chardonnay (500ml) • 64,974<br>3. Vendange Pinot Grigio (500ml) • 64,615<br>4. Kendall Jackson Chardonnay Vintne (750ml) • 56,277<br>5. Menage A Trois Red (750ml) • 55,965<br>6. Franzia Sunset Blush House Wine (5000ml) • 52,536<br>7. Cooks Extra Dry Sparkling Wine (750ml) • 51,321<br>8. Lamarca Prosecco (750ml) • 50,420<br>9. Franzia Chillable Red House Wine (5000ml) • 47,472<br>10. Bota Box Pinot Grigio (3000ml) • 44,603
TOP 10 WINES BY SALES DOLLARS<br>1. Black Box Cabernet (3000ml ) • $952,557<br>2. Kendall Jackson Chardonnay Vintne (750ml) • $937,889<br>3. Bota Box Pinot Grigio (3000ml) • $928,312<br>4. Black Box Chardonnay California (3000ml) • $829,349<br>5. Meiomi Pinot Noir (750ml) • $816,392<br>6. Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label (750ml) • $801,820<br>7. Franzia Sunset Blush House Wine (5000ml) • $797,615<br>8. Lamarca Prosecco (750ml) • $731,087<br>9. Franzia Chillable Red House Wine (5000ml) • $718,593<br>10. Franzia Chardonnay Australian (5000ml) • $648,129
Beer
Icehouse beer, which costs more than $1 a bottle, also remains the most popular beer or cider in Utah, with about 1.1 million bottles sold and $1.3 million in sales.
Squatters Hop Rising Double IPA was second, selling 895,132 bottles. Because the craft brew made in Salt Lake City is $1.99 per bottle, it brought in more revenue, $1.7 million.
Two other Utah-made brews, Red Rock Brewery’s Elephino IPA and Squatters’ Hop Rising in a can, also made the Top 10 sales list, a positive trend for local brewers.
Overall, the trend is toward craft beers, with hop and standard beers preferred over fruit-flavored options, the DABC said.
TOP 10 BEERS, CIDERS AND FLAVORED MALT BEVERAGES BY NUMBER SOLD<br>1. Icehouse Beer (355ml) • 1,313,825<br>2. Squatters Hop Rising Double IPA (355ml can) • 895,132<br>3. Busch Ice Lager (355ml) • 724,992<br>4. Stella Artois (330ml) • 542,911<br>5. Pacifico Lager Mexico (355ml) • 541,629<br>6. Squatters Hop Rising Double IPA (355ml bottle) • 383,799<br>7. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (355ml bottle) • 330,952<br>8. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (355ml can) • 324,291<br>9. Mickeys Malt Liquor (355ml) • 297,487<br>10. Angry Orchard Crisp Apple Hard Cider (355ml) • 250,188
TOP 10 BEERS, CIDERS AND FLAVORED MALT BEVERAGES BY SALES DOLLARS<br>1. Squatters Hop Rising Double IPA (355ml bottle) • $1,714,985<br>2. Icehouse Beer (355ml) • $1,300,311<br>3. Stella Artois (330ml) • $1,212,920<br>4. Pacifico Lager Mexico (355ml) • $1,039,014<br>5. Red Rock Elephino IPA (500ml) • $747,451<br>6. Squatters Hop Rising Double IPA (355ml bottle) • $736,222<br>7. Busch Ice Lager (355ml) • $717,742<br>8. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (355ml bottle) • $612,262<br>9. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (355ml can) • $599,938<br>10. Lagunitas Little Sumpin Sumpin (355ml) • $521,094
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