News Summary
In 2024, Michigan reported liquor purchases totaling nearly $2 billion, with Wayne County leading in spending. The Michigan Liquor Control Commission revealed stable sales trends across the state, with significant contributions from both on- and off-premises establishments. Notable locations include Total Wine in Novi and Little Caesars Arena. The report underscores diverse spending patterns among counties, highlighting both large urban areas and smaller rural regions.
Detroit – In 2024, Michigan’s bars, restaurants, and stores purchased nearly $2 billion worth of wholesale distilled spirits, with total spending reaching $1.9 billion. This figure represents purchases made by over 12,000 businesses across the state, maintaining a stable level of spending since 2020, with similar totals reported in 2023.
Wayne County led all counties in liquor spending, surpassing $440 million in purchases. Notable establishments included Total Wine in Novi, which emerged as the largest individual purchaser, with expenditures amounting to $12,446,447 on liquor in 2024. Oakland County followed as the second highest spender, with over $272 million in liquor sales.
The Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) reported these figures in their 2024 financial report, highlighting that more than $8 million in refunds were issued, adjusting the final sales tally to $1.895 billion. Most liquor sales occurred in off-premises establishments, where the top 260 retailers accounted for the majority of sales. Additionally, the list of top liquor purchasing locations primarily featured businesses situated in Metro Detroit, Grand Rapids, East Lansing, and Ann Arbor.
Little Caesars Arena, home to the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons, secured its position as the top on-premises location for liquor sales for the third consecutive year, recording $1.03 million in purchases. The second-largest on-premises location, Brass Rail in Detroit, also reported significant sales of just over $915,000.
According to the most recent census data from 2020, Wayne County is the most populated county in the state, with a population of 1,820,584. This high concentration of residents translates to a per capita spending of $338.91 on liquor for those aged 21 and older. In contrast, counties with smaller populations such as Mackinac and Emmet exhibited the highest per capita spending figures in the state, each exceeding $400 per resident.
Gratiot, Tuscola, and Menominee counties were at the bottom of the rankings, generating less than $100 in liquor sales per resident. The statistics illustrate a diverse spending pattern across Michigan, where larger counties contribute substantially to overall sales, while less populous areas have a high per capita expenditure.
The MLCC categorizes Michigan as a control state, meaning that all distilled spirits are sold to retailers through their regulatory framework. This structure ensures that transactions are managed and monitored, contributing to the systematic tracking of liquor sales throughout the state.
As Michigan continues to reflect stable liquor sales, the landscape appears influenced by a variety of factors, including the state’s population dynamics, economic conditions, and the popularity of different establishments. The data revealing county-by-county sales will help inform future trends and potential adjustments within the liquor control framework in the state.
For further analysis, a static county-by-county map provides detailed information on total liquor sales and the leading establishments for each county.
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Additional Resources
- MLive: The 25 Michigan Bars with the Highest Liquor Sales in 2024
- Wikipedia: Liquor Control in the United States
- Detroit Free Press: Top Counties Retailers Michigan Spirit Purchases 2024 List
- Google Search: Michigan Distilled Spirits Market
- MSN: Michigan Wholesale Liquor Sales Topped $1.9 Billion in 2024
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Alcohol
- WWMT: Michigan Audit Liquor Control Commission Failed Spirits Distribution
- Google Scholar: Michigan Liquor Sales
- WGRD: Is It Legal or Illegal to Distill Alcohol in a Michigan Home?
- Google News: Michigan Liquor Control Commission
