Yes, I know I can buy Becks anywhere but I was referring to the recent tax, the price went up considerably (almost 2.00 per 6 pack).

Booze prices here are more expensive, hands down to CA and NV. not a lot initially but the sales, and other discount offerings like Bev Mo and Costco are quite a bit cheaper (at least that is my experience).

I think what 4Salt is saying is that there are three components of the total price you pay for your booze...the wholesale price + markup + taxes = total price.

Even if the wholesale price plus markup here in Washington becomes exactly the same as it is in CA, or Timbuktu, it's still going to cost more here because the alcohol tax is so high...going privatized will not necessarily do anything to the price you pay.

Fish on...

Todd

http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/245.html

Jeasus Criste we pay a metric load for booze taxes..

But you make up for it with relatively low cost beer and wine. I wonder if the absence of distillery lobbyists compared to all the vinters and craft brewers in OR have anything to do with that. Nah.

yes, this is absoluely correct. the Wa. tax on hard booze is the killer!!!

I understand, taxes are taxes, there is nothing to be done about that but there are a few reasons Liquor is cheaper in non-regulated states.

The state does not have to compete for sales so they can retain a consistent markup without fear of driving customers to another store.

Competition drives markup down, many grocery, drug, big box stores will take pennies in profit on a sale item to get people in the door as they know that 90% will buy more than just the sale item when the store sells more than just alcohol.

I am not sure how WA state quantities compare to something like Safeway but I would guess Safeway pulls a pretty hefty quantity discount from distributors allowing for even more savings.

Thanks Todd... you summed it up well.

And you are right too Marz.

I favor the privatization of liquor sales in WA. I'm just not sure how much cheaper it's gonna make booze here?

Even if it is a couple bucks here and there, being able to buy bloody mary fixins at one store, on Sunday morning, it would be worth it.

Booze price wars amongst the major grocery chains.....I'd enjoy seeing that happen.
That might actually cause me to visit a Wallymart someday.

Taxes aside... my personal opinion is that the state is screwing themselves out of tax revenue by not privatizing it...

For me personally... I would have a fully stocked liquour cabinet at home if I didn't have to go to a separate store to purchase booze (especially one that closes before I even get home from work). We go to a grocery store a couple of times a week; my wife and I wouldn't bat an eye at throwing in a bottle of this or a bottle of that each time in order to make whatever foo-foo drink we felt like that night.

The only time we buy hard alchohol now is for camping trips... Its hard to beat a bloody mary breakfast to cure the hangover from the night before.

Fixed

fixed again not too sure about the salmon flavored vodka in the other thread though.

just got back from costco - close yours eyes JG, patron silver is $79.99 for 1.75 litres.

i really think todd should bring suit against the state for providing the alcohol that has killed untold thousands. do mod powers extend that far?

Cheers to that ... While my limited experience is usually a blurry saturday morning after an all night drive, set up camp and mass quanitities of beer around a campfire till the wee hours of a the morning. I could definately see getting my daily vegetable intake via bloody mary's any day of the week... Hell its an hour and a half comute to seattle from my house! plenty of time to sober up before work

Damn, that's cheap for SIlver, we almost pay that much for a friggen fifth here!

Looking at that state tax website makes me want to puke!

I'm hoping the bill passes as well, and that we see at least a 10-15% break from what we pay today. We deserve it after being bent over for so many years...

well, at least you guys have cheaper gas, so i guess you actually come out ahead. unless you you use jack daniels for your flex fuel vehicle

My personal belief is that prices won't change. We pay more than many places and less than some others. I quit bitching as much when I started hanging out in Canada more. Damn, they are getting it in a BAD way! We can get Canadian beer in Washington FAR cheaper than they get Canadian beer in Canada.

Iffin I wanted flavored Vodka I'd drink Gin.

Patron

the beer brewed in canda and what is sold south of the boarder here in the u.s. is not the same. canada gets taxed hard for the Alc.gravity. so to dodge the huge tax on it they brewer a much lighter Alc. gravity beer.

Whether the price of alcohol goes up or down is irrelevant. The state should no more be in the business of selling us liquor than it should be selling us our groceries, gas, or hardware and dry goods, - or our fishing tackle. The WSLCB is a stupid relic anachronism left over from prohibition, which was damn near a century ago! About f'n time to shift over to having private business sell booze. 'Tis the 21st century after all.

Sg