20091226

Why a $5.79 case of vodka costs $61.92

Shannan Bowen of the Wilmington (NC) Star News has traced a bottle of Aristocrat Supreme 80-proof vodka –- the state's top-selling brand of liquor -– from its distillery in Bardstown, KY, to when it is purchased at a government-run N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control store.

Her story details how the initial cost/value of the vodka skyrockets as it goes through the various layers of government-mandated steps before reaching the consumer.

"The state's ABC Commission sets prices on liquor uniformly throughout the state, as governed by state statute," Bowen writes. "And, on every delivered case of spirituous liquor approved for sale, there is an 80.8% markup from the distiller's price, in addition to other charges."

You can get the full story by clicking here.

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Who would want a $5.79 or a $61.92 case of vodka for that matter ...it's composed of all the fractions that should have been thrown away from one of the whiskey makers in Bardstown!