2014-10-24 07:00:00
It is Friday, which means it is an excellent day for a whiskey drink. Inspired by The Awl’s quest to catalog the cost of cigarettes in every state, we decided to hunt down the price of a bottle of liquor in every state so you can know exactly how much more or less that stiff pour is costing you than neighboring imbibers.
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I chose Jack Daniels because it is the most American of spirits. I chose a fifth (750 ML) because it is the most common size for a bottle of liquor.
The cheapest I found: You can score a fifth of Jack for $15.99 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The most expensive I found: For some reason a fifth of Jack costs $35.00 from a liquor store in Juneau, Alaska. That is even more than Canadian prices! (A bottle of JD costs $33.95 CDN at LCBOs in Toronto. That’s approximately $30.27 USD.)
Here’s the complete list, arranged by price:
New Mexico: $15.99 (Quarter’s Discount Liquors, Albuquerque)
Arizona: $16.99 (Total Wine and More, Phoenix)
Florida: $17.99 (Wine and More, Daytona Beach)
Texas: $17.99 (Wine and More, Dallas)
California: $17.99 (BevMo, Culver City)
Washington: $17.99 (BevMo, Bellingham)
Oklahoma: $18.53 (Byron’s Liquor Warehouse, Oklahoma City)
Nevada: $19.99 (Lee’s Discount Liquor, Las Vegas)
Louisiana: $19.99 (Prytania Liquor Store, New Orleans)
Wisconsin: $19.99 (WI Discount Liquor, Milwaukee)
Kansas: $19.99 (Lukas Liquor, Overland Park)
Missouri: $19.99 (Luke Liquors, Kansas City)
Minnesota: $19.99 (Zipp’s Liquor, Minneapolis)
Illinois: $19.99 (Binny’s, Chicago)
Maine: $19.99 (Lou’s Beverage Barn, Augusta)
Wyoming: $20.99 (Dell Range Liquor Store, Cheyenne)
Delaware: $21.99 (Tri-State Liquors, Claymont)
Georgia: $21.99 (Midtown Liquor, Atlanta)
South Carolina: $22.90 (Burris Liquor Store, Charleston)
Colorado: $22.99 (Colorado Liquor Mart, Denver)
Pennsylvania: $22.99 (Wine and Spirits Store, Philadelphia)
Mississippi: $23.32 (Stanley’s Liquor and Wine, Jackson)
Idaho: $23.95 (State Run Liquor Store, 17th and State, Boise)
South Dakota: $23.94 (Capital City Wine & Spirits, Pierre)
Indiana: $23.99 (Nick’s Liquor Store, Hammond)
Maryland: $23.99 (Eastport Liquors, Annapolis)
Nebraska: $23.99 (The Still, Lincoln)
Alabama: $23.99 (ABC Liquors, statewide)
Vermont: $24.00 (Beverage Warehouse, Winooski)
Ohio: $24.25 (Campus State Liquor Store, Columbus)
Arkansas: $24.52 (Lake Liquors, Maumelle)
Virginia: $24.90 (ABC Store, Richmond)
Oregon: $24.95 (Northside Liquor Store, Eugene)
Tennessee: $24.99 (Frugal MacDoogal Liquor Warehouse, Nashville)
Connecticut: $24.99 (BevMax, Stamford)
New Jersey: $24.99 (Super Buy Rite, Jersey City)
North Dakota: $24.99 (Empire Liquors, Fargo)
Utah: $25.49 (State Liquor Store, Salt Lake City)
New Hampshire: $25.99 (Liquor and Wine Outlet, New London)
Kentucky: $25.99 (Old Town Wine and Spirits, Louisville)
Montana: $26.75 (Bottle and Shots West Liquor Store Billings)
North Carolina: $26.95 (ABC Store, Raleigh)
Rhode Island: $28.00 (City Liquors, Providence)
Michigan: $28.62 (Calumet Market and Spirits, Detroit)
New York: $28.99 (Warehouse Wine and Spirits, New York)
Iowa: $28.99 (Liquor House, Iowa City)
Massachusetts: Charles Street Liquors: $28.99
Hawaii: $29.99 (The Liquor Collection, Honolulu)
West Virginia: $32.99 (Liquor Co, Charleston)
Alaska: $35.00 (Percy’s Liquor Store, Juneau)
Update: I didn’t include Washington, D.C., which was unfair to my brethren chilling in our nation’s capitol. My esteemed colleague Mario did the dirty work for me: A 750 mL bottle of Jack Daniels costs $24 at Tenley Wine & Spirits.
(Disclaimer: This is not a scientific survey, but I tried to call basic, non-fancy liquor store for the price check. It’s not clear how much of the discrepancy from state to state is caused by cost of living, tax rates, regulations, or just good ole fashioned price gouging. If you know of a liquor store in your state that sells 750 ML bottles of Jack Daniels’ Old No. 7 for a cheaper price than I dug up, please let me know, with proof, and I will update our ranking.)
Image: Robert Hensley/Flickr
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