Austin Liquor Revenue Grows Thanks to Downtown Drinking

Austin-area liquor sales rose slightly in September, increasing 2.7 percent per license from August to $28,935, according to the Austin Business Journal. Compared to September 2013, there was a 16 percent increase, according to the paper.    

The 2015 year has been a liquor revenue gift for Austin-area bars, which have seen average per-bar liquor receipts rise fiercely compared to the same time in 2014, according to the newspaper. June was the only month to have average per-bar liquor receipts drop below 2014 numbers - average liquor sales per-license was 1.65 percent lower than June 2014 - and four months have clocked double-digit per-bar liquor revenue growth, according to the paper.

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According to the paper, there could be two viable reasons behind the growth. Austin’s consistent population growth - which is expected to continue moving up - continues to boost bar tabs. With new restaurants and drinking establishments popping up weekly around downtown, it’s no surprise that downtown bar tabs continue to rise, according to the paper. The Business Journal also attributes the increase to the JW Marriott Hotel Austin at 110 E 2nd Street, which has held its place amongst the regions tops 10 liquor sellers in the city since its opening in the spring of 2014. The hotel sells its liquors at a majority of the events they host and cater, according to the paper.

To see how much alcohol your zip code consumes, check out this list here.