COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) – Data from the Ohio Department of Commerce reveals how much hard liquor residents bought last year and what brands were the most popular.
In 2024, Ohioans bought 16.4 million gallons of liquor, which marks a 2.6% decrease from 16.8 million gallons in 2023.
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While last year was the third year in a row of declined sales, the department — which oversees the state’s liquor agency Ohio Liquor (OHLQ) — noted the number of gallons sold in 2021 (17.3 million) amid the COVID-19 pandemic was higher than the norm. The number of gallons sold in 2024 still surpasses the 15.2 million gallons that were sold in 2019 before the pandemic.
In 2024, about 4 million gallons were sold to restaurants, bars and others who buy wholesale — a 3.4% decrease from the previous year. About 12.4 million gallons were bought from retailers such as grocery and liquor stores, which is down 2.3% compared with 2023…