Contents
Is moonshine legal in Alaska?
States That Allow Home Distilling – Alabama: In Alabama there are ‘dry counties’ in which it is illegal to own a still no matter what you plan to do with it. There are also ‘wet’ counties where you can own a still if you do not plan to make spirits with it.
(1) 200 gallons per calendar year if there are two or more adults residing in the household, or (2) 100 gallons per calendar year if there is only one adult residing in the household.
However, the sale or transportation of moonshine remains illegal. Arizona: In Arizona it is legal to own a still if you register it. You can produce spirits for private home use if you have a permit, If you do not register your still it can be seized by the state along with any wash found on the premises.
- Arizona also requires you to have a bond which entails keeping detailed records, providing adequate equipment and a separate dwelling in order to produce your shine in.
- In Arizona is it legal to give away your moonshine to anyone over 21.
- California : In California, you must register your still by contacting the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
The state laws in California are a little muddy, whereas your still can be seized even if there is no moonshine present. This seems to be the case for stills that are not registered with the state. Colorado : In Colorado there are no laws prohibiting the possession of a still.
A. A holder of a distillery license may distill, rectify, blend and bottle more than 50,000 gallons of spirits per year. B. A holder of a small distillery license may distill, rectify, blend and bottle not more than 50,000 gallons of spirits per year. (1) The small distillery off-premises license fee is $100. (2) Upon application by a holder of a small distillery license whose distillery has produced spirits in an amount that exceeds 50,000 gallons in one year, the bureau may renew that holder’s small distillery license for only one additional year.
Massachusetts: In Massachusetts you are able to not only own a still, but also produce spirits for personal use. There doesn’t seem to be a limit on the amount produced by an individual. However, the production or transportation of moonshine for the purposes of selling is illegal.
Missouri: In Missouri you can legally own a still and produce up to 200 liters of moonshine per household (if two or more adults are living in the home), While the production of moonshine is legal, the sale of such moonshine is not. The fine for selling moonshine is $10,000 dollars for the first offense, $25,000 for the second, and $50,000 for the third offense.
Ohio: In Ohio it is legal to own a still, but only if what you produce has 0.05% alcohol or lower. This means you can make perfume but not moonshine. It is unclear what the laws are surrounding making ethanol for fuel. Rhode Island: In Rhode Island it is legal to own a still for purposes outside of the manufacturing of spirits.
Is it legal to distill alcohol in Alaska?
Where is it Legal to Distill Your Own Alcohol? – Distilling your own alcohol for commercial purposes at home is illegal in the United States at a federal level. No matter what a state’s law may say, you cannot manufacture your own alcohol if you plan to make it available for sale.
- Federal law does allow private citizens to own a still to make non-alcohol products, such as perfume and fuel, as long as they have the correct license.
- Many states have their own laws regarding distilling alcohol for personal use.
- It is legal to distill alcohol in Alaska, Arizona, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, and Rhode Island,
Iowa has no laws about distilling homemade alcohol, so it isn’t explicitly illegal there. Because homemade alcohol is not available for commercial use, it generally must be consumed at the residence where it is produced. Twenty-nine states allow individuals to transport their homemade alcohol products to a contest, such as at a fair, to be judged.
How much is a bottle of whiskey in Alaska?
Credello: New Study Reveals the Best and Worst States to Buy Whiskey NEW YORK, June 7, 2023 (Newswire.com) – Credello: Did you know that California has the cheapest whiskey in the country? On the other hand, if you live in North Carolina and love Old Fashioned cocktails, you’ll be spending more.
A new – and the results may surprise you. Credello analyzed data from wine-searcher.com and www.totalwine.com to find the best price for a bottle of Jack Daniel’s Old No.7 Black Label 750ml in each state. For states under liquor control laws, Credello looked at the official government price of a bottle.
Jack Daniel’s Old No.7 Black Label is one of the most popular whiskey choices in the U.S., and it turns out that Americans pay wildly different prices for it. Top 10 most expensive states to buy whiskey At $32 a bottle, Alaska is the most expensive state for buying whiskey.
Alaska: $32.00 North Carolina: $28.95 Nebraska: $27.99 North Dakota: $27.49 Vermont: $26.99 Utah: $26.99 Alabama: $26.99 Montana: $26.20 New Jersey: $26.09 Pennsylvania: $25.99
Top 10 cheapest states to buy whiskey The Golden State not only has a lot of beautiful coastlines, but it also has the cheapest whiskey in the U.S. – you can purchase a 750 ml bottle of Jack Daniel’s Old No.7 Black Label for as little as $14.95 in California. Here are the 10 least expensive states for purchasing whiskey:
California: $14.95 Colorado: $16.99 Texas: $18.49 Arizona: $18.99 Maryland: $18.99 New Mexico: $18.99 Washington: $18.99 Florida: $19.99 Mississippi: $19.99 South Carolina: $19.99
From cost of living differences to government regulations, there are various factors that affect the price of whiskey across the country.The same bottle of Jack Daniel’s Old No.7 Black Label 750ml can cost $17 less if you’re in California instead of Alaska, which is a notable difference.
Depending on where you live, it may be worth stocking up somewhere else About Credello Credello is a financial tech company offering a personal finance tool that simplifies financial decisions through personalized, on-demand recommendations — so users can borrow, save, or invest with confidence. Credello believes that finding the right financial product should be as easy and interactive as online shopping, and we are on a mission to make that possible.
For more information, please visit, Source: Credello : Credello: New Study Reveals the Best and Worst States to Buy Whiskey
Is Alaska an alcohol free state?
1899 – 1918 –
Licensed liquor sales are legal in Alaska. The number of saloons decrease by about 80 percent. 50 to 80 percent of local revenue stem from liquor licenses. The license fees are used to build court houses, jails and schools.
Why is alcohol illegal in Alaska?
A short history of alcohol and bars in Alaska Juneau Empire By Doug Vandegraft December 14, 2017 FOR THE CAPITAL CITY WEEKLY Alcohol has long been a part of Alaskan culture, and Alaskans have a legendary thirst for alcoholic beverages. The remoteness of Alaska, seasonal darkness, isolation, and loneliness creates a tremendous need to socialize, which provides a unique niche for bars to prosper.
Russian Period: 1741–1867 The Russians introduced liquor to the Aleuts (indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands, Alaska Natives) as early as 1741. The Russian-American Company, which operated out of Sitka beginning in 1808, sold its wares, including liquor, to whalers, fur traders, fish processors and prospectors.
During the 1830s, rum, vodka, and brandy were routinely traded with the indigenous people for labor, furs, ivory, and physical affections. First Prohibition: 1868–1899 The United States bought Alaska from Russia in 1867, and the US Army was assigned jurisdiction over the new “territory.” The Alaska Act of 1868 made it illegal to import liquor, and in 1873, Alaska was classified as “Indian Country,” which made it illegal to give or sell alcohol to any “Indian,” or Alaska Native.
Violators were to be brought before a judge within five days, which was next to impossible as the nearest civilian judge was in Oregon. Instead of enforcing the laws, the soldiers at Sitka taught Alaska Natives how to give a kick to a traditional beverage made of bark and berries by adding molasses and yeast for fermentation and then distilling the results.
The first batch of this mind-numbing concoction known as “hoochinoo” (or simply “hooch”) was reportedly made at the Tlingit village of Hootchenoo near present-day Angoon. The word “hooch” is Alaska’s contribution to the American vernacular, a term which is still in use today.
- Because the liquor laws were not being enforced, saloons were operating in Sitka as early as 1869.
- The Sitka Saloon, Caplan & Co., G.W.
- Brady’s, and the One Bit House advertised openly and were probably some of the very first bars in Alaska.
- The Organic Act of 1884 established a civil government for Alaska.
The legislation provided Alaska with a governor, district judge, district attorney, one U.S. marshal, and just four deputy marshals. The Act prohibited all alcohol except for medicinal and scientific purposes. Enforcement of the law was extremely challenging due to the lack of marshals, funding, and transportation.
This absence of resources reflects the political influence of commercial interests, most notably the Alaska Commercial Company, which had twenty-three trading posts along the coast, and used liquor for trade with the Alaska Native and white populations. The discovery of gold near present-day Juneau in 1880 and the Klondike gold rush of 1898 introduced Alaska to people all over the world.
Thousands were coming via ships from Seattle and San Francisco to seek their fortunes. Newcomers found that saloons were operating openly, more or less, in Wrangell, Juneau and Skagway. By this time, Congress finally realized that it was impossible to keep liquor out of Alaska.
- Liquor Becomes Legal: 1899–1917 In 1899, Congress repealed Alaska’s prohibition laws.
- Territorial Governor John G.
- Brady established a system of local option, licensed liquor sales.
- The licensee had to gain the approval of the majority of men and women living within two miles of the saloon.
- This is one of the first known examples of women being allowed to vote in the United States.
Annual liquor license fees cost between five hundred dollars and two thousand dollars, depending on the population of the town. The license fees were used to support schools and build court houses and jails. In some towns, the license fees funded the entire local government.
- The legality of liquor applied only to white residents; it remained illegal to supply liquor to Alaska Natives in or outside of a saloon.
- In fact, prohibition for Alaska Natives was not repealed until 1953.
- On June 5, 1899, Peter Nelson received the very first “Bar-room license” for his establishment at Sourdough Flats, a now-abandoned village on Unimak Island.
The following year, W.Y. Egan received license No.1 for his “Bar Room” in Tanana. The price for drinks varied by location, but in general, draught beer sold for ten cents a glass while whiskey and mixed drinks sold for twenty-five cents a glass. The only women allowed in the saloons, other than prostitutes, were entertainers and “percentage girls.” The latter encouraged a customer to buy what were usually watered-down drinks for her and the patron.
The bartender would give the woman a percentage of the cost of the drinks, usually 25 percent. Respectable women who actually enjoyed an occasional drink were allowed to enter a saloon through the “family entrance” where they could take away their beer in a bucket and their whiskey in a bottle. By 1908, however, licenses were being revoked to saloons allowing gambling and service to women.
Alaska became a US Territory in 1912, and in 1913 women received the right to vote. Soon after, some of the more established Alaska communities began voting to prohibit the sale of alcohol. The evils of alcohol and the saloon atmosphere were being written about in Alaska newspapers and many lawmakers believed that most, if not all, of Alaska’s woes could be traced to people trying to obtain alcohol or acting under its influence.
Led by the Women’s Christian Temperance Union of Alaska, and Territorial Governor John F.A. Strong, the Territorial Legislature voted to once again ban all alcohol. Congressional Delegate (and former Judge) James Wickersham wrote the Alaska “Bone Dry” law which took effect January 1, 1918. This was a whole two years before the eighteenth amendment to the US Constitution was ratified and the entire nation became dry.
The “bone dry” law was exactly as it sounded: it prohibited the manufacture and sale of any and all alcohol. This was so extreme that physicians complained that many people died of influenza because they were not allowed to prescribe medicine containing alcohol.
- Second Prohibition: 1918–1933 “Last Days of Frontier Pass Away,” the Juneau Alaska Daily Empire reported January 1, 1918.
- Describing the party in Juneau the night before, “Several of the bars in the city were completely out of liquor or ‘suds’ early in the afternoon, but the Alaskan, Gastineau, Grotto, Tucks Place, Montana, Circle City, and New York Exchange had plenty to supply the demand and until the last minute were dishing it out over the bar to the belated revelers.
Promptly at the stroke of twelve the patrons of all these places were turned out into the street and the key turned in the locks for the last time.” Alaskans, however, were never really without alcohol. The location of Alaska, the lack of funding for effective law enforcement, and a general apathy toward prohibition by many Alaskans, created a situation where bootlegging and moonshining were extremely lucrative.
The proximity of the Southeastern towns to Canada (which had no prohibition) allowed fleets of fishing boats to smuggle in thousands of gallons of “liquid sunshine.” Stills were set up all over the Alaska Panhandle, and certain towns in other areas were known hotbeds of moonshining: McCarthy, Anchorage, Wasilla, Chickaloon, Nenana, Fairbanks, Tanana, and, of course, Nome.
Speakeasies were also common in many towns. These places operated under the guise of “soft drink” parlors, pool halls, and cigar stores. Anchorage, with a population of about 1,900, supported thirty to forty such establishments where liquor was served.
- Boats would deliver cargo to Bootleggers Cove from where it was transported to the speakeasies.
- Booze was moved from one place to another via a system of underground tunnels — away from the eyes of the territorial police.
- End of the ‘Bone Dry’ Law: 1933 Territorial Governor George A.
- Parks signed the bill repealing the bone dry law and it took effect April 7, 1933.
A sense of jubilation rippled through the territory. An editorial in the Anchorage Daily Times compared the end of prohibition as “equivalent almost to the delivery of the children of Israel out of the wilderness where for years they wandered famished and athirst.” At first, only beer and wine were allowed but neither was readily available.
- Beer arrived in Juneau on Friday, May 5, 1933.
- It would be weeks later until deliveries occurred in places like Fairbanks and Nome.
- Licenses under the new law ranged from $25 for a retail store to $175 for a beverage dispensary license.
- License No.40 was issued to Joseph J.
- Stocker May 16, 1933, for his dispensary, “The Imperial” in Juneau.
The Imperial is probably the oldest bar in continuous operation in Alaska. Dispensaries to Cocktail Bars: 1934–1940 All liquor became legal in Alaska May 1, 1934. However, Alaskans would have to wait until July 1, 1939, when the law allowed them to drink liquor inside a bar.
All communities had to vote whether to allow the local dispensaries to serve hard alcohol or not. Dispensaries that did became known as “cocktail bars.” The cost of a cocktail license went for five hundred dollars to one thousand dollars, depending on the population of the town. A condition of the law was that no female could tend bar unless her name was on the license; this was finally repealed in 1971.
It was after the advent of cocktail bars that the “percentage girls” reappeared, but now they were known as “Bar Girls” or “B-Girls,” and were allowed to encourage customers to buy drinks at Alaska bars, usually at inflated prices, until a measure outlawing the practice was passed in 1959.
- WWII and Statehood: 1941–1959 World War II changed Alaska more than the gold rushes or the future construction of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline.
- The potential for war in the Pacific was a huge concern for the United States in the late 1930s.
- Military build-up in the form of air bases, ship harbors, and fortifications were constructed all over the territory.
A highway connecting Alaska to the Lower 48 states was punched through the Canadian wilderness in 1942. The increasing number of people residing in Alaska provided fuel to the talk of statehood and also increased the number of bars, particularly in towns like Anchorage and Fairbanks.
In 1951, Anchorage had 32 bars, 21 liquor stores and a population of 39,242. In 1954, a staggering 3,132,586 gallons of liquor was shipped into Alaska. More than 2.5 million gallons of the total was beer, but almost half a million gallons were classed as hard liquor. This amounted to 17 gallons of intoxicating beverages for every man, woman, child, and infant living in the territory.
Alaska became a state January 3, 1959, and the first Alaska State Legislature created a three-member Alcoholic Beverage Control Board appointed by the Governor. Oil, Areas of Prohibition, and Tourism: 1960–Present Day The discovery of a vast oil field on the North Slope of Alaska in 1968 prompted another rush of people to the state, lured north by the promise of high-paying jobs.
- The construction of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline prompted many new bars to open in Anchorage and Fairbanks.
- The economic boom for Alaskans lasted until 1986, when oil prices crashed.
- However, this increased prosperity highlighted the continuing problem of alcohol and Alaska Natives.
- In 1979, the State Legislature allowed communities to prohibit the sale and importation of alcoholic beverages.
In 1986, the laws were amended to allow communities to prohibit possession of alcohol, and in 1995, Barrow became the largest city in Alaska to ban possession of alcoholic beverages. Barrow, now Utqiagvik, has since voted itself “damp,” which allows the importation of alcohol for personal consumption.
- Since the early 1970s, the tourism industry has transformed towns that could no longer depend on fishing, logging, or the military for steady income.
- In particular, cruise ships now bring thousands of visitors to coastal towns, where they are more than willing to purchase clothes, souvenirs, and a drink at a real Alaskan bar.
With the increased national interest in Alaska, the next chapter of Alaska’s history with alcohol and its impacts on the population and economy is still being written. The recent glut of reality television shows that are set in Alaska has highlighted not only the uniqueness of the state, but the undeniable role that bars play in its culture.
Doug Vandegraft is the author of “A Guide to the Notorious Bars of Alaska.” Find out more at https://www.notoriousbarsofak.com/
What is the alcohol limit in Alaska?
When is a Driver Considered to be Legally Drunk in Alaska? –
Non-commercial drivers age 21+ are considered legally drunk when their blood alcohol level is,08 or more. Drivers of commercial vehicles are legally drunk when their blood alcohol level is,04 percent or greater. Drivers under 21 are legally drunk when a chemical test reveals any alcohol concentration in their blood or breath.
Why is alcohol so expensive in Alaska?
Alaskans drank more despite higher alcohol tax, drink prices When the Alaska Legislature approved the biggest alcohol tax increase in state history, many hoped the added cost would convince Alaskans to drink less. That was 11 years ago. Sure enough, bars and liquor stores across the state raised prices to pay the new tax – often boosting them at least twice as much as necessary on popular brands, university researchers later discovered.
- Then a funny thing happened, according to state tax records.
- Instead of cutting back because of the extra cost, Alaskans kept right on drinking.
- The tax on hard liquor doubled, yet sales of whiskey, vodka and other spirits have grown 41 percent since the increase.
- Alaska’s population, rose just 13 percent during the period.) The tax on wine tripled, yet wine sales have gone up 56 percent.
Only beer receipts dipped slightly in the face of the 2002 “dime a drink” tax championed in Juneau by U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who was then a state House member from Anchorage. Before the increase, the state collected the equivalent of 3 to 4 cents for every bottle of beer, glass of wine or shot of liquor sold in Alaska.
- The new rate raised the tax to 10 cents per drink.
- Today, a review of the unprecedented increase reveals it failed to fully deliver on the hopes of supporters in important ways.
- In a state that continues to wrestle with alcohol-fueled crime, abuse and neglect and fetal alcohol syndrome rates are the highest in America, treatment providers report a chronic lack of facilities to help people get sober.
That was also the case in 2002, when Murkowski told her fellow lawmakers that on any given day there were 300 Alaskans waiting to get into treatment and recovery programs statewide. When they passed the 2002 tax, legislators planned to spend at least half of the alcohol money on substance abuse rehabilitation and prevention.
- Instead, state spending on alcohol and drug programs plummeted the year after the increased rates took hold.
- Over the next six years, the state made more money on alcohol taxes than the Division of Behavioral Health spent from state coffers on drug and alcohol programs.
- Treatment funding began to rebound by 2009, but the governor and health commissioner have resisted efforts to spend significantly more of the alcohol tax on treatment without evidence that existing programs are working.
“They’re skeptical,” Health Commissioner William Streur said of state legislators, who cut $2.6 million from his Division of Behavioral Health spending plan for 2014 and diverted another $6 million away from alcohol treatment. “We can’t go around just saying, ‘We’re doing good, trust us.” ‘100-PROOF RESISTANCE’ A chain of tragedies in 2000 added urgency to the push for the biggest-ever increase in Alaska’s alcohol tax.
A driver with a blood-alcohol level twice the legal limit ran down three state workers that spring on the Seward Highway, killing two. He later admitted to driving drunk dozens of times before the deadly accident. That summer, a driver with seven prior DUI convictions killed a 20-year-old woman as she rode her bicycle on an Anchorage sidewalk.
Two boys, ages 11 and 15, died on their way to a family fishing trip Whittier, killed by another drunken driver. “There was just this huge outrage from the community,” said former state Rep. Andrew Halcro, an Anchorage Republican who now heads the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the state Health Department approached Murkowski about proposing the tax, recalled Halcro, who became a co-sponsor. At the same time, the state was broke. Low oil prices were draining savings and there was talk of a sales or income tax. A billion dollar deficit loomed.
“The (Health Department) budget, with regard to what alcohol was costing communities, was rising dramatically,” Halcro said. A change in the alcohol tax, at the time among the lowest in the nation, was overdue. The rates had remained flat since 1983, with any increase facing what Murkowski called “100-proof” resistance from the liquor industry.
Pitching the tax increase to her colleagues, she said Alaska had the highest rate of alcohol-related deaths in the U.S. and the extra revenue could be used to dent the hundreds of millions of dollars a year that alcohol woes cost the state. Armies lined up on both sides of the debate. Wearing “dime-a-drink” buttons, nurses, rehab providers and teacher parent-teacher associations supported the increase, saying it would pay for treatment and stop some kids from drinking.
Hotel owners, bartenders and liquor store owners said it would kill sales and encourage people to steal. Both sides talked about how people would drink less. “Almost all the research shows the higher the price, the less people drink,” said Matt Felix, who recently retired as director for the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence in Juneau and pushed for the higher taxes.
“Even people who are addicted drink a little bit less, but especially the fixed income groups: Elderly and underage, teen drinkers.” Halcro, thinking of his own social drinking habits, said he wasn’t so sure. “I don’t ask for the price when I go to the bar,” he said. “If you order a beer you order a beer.
It’s not a price driven commodity.” DIME A DRINK The increased launched in October 2002 wasn’t as steep as supporters had hoped and called for dedicating half of tax revenue to treatment and prevention programs rather than the full amount. But suddenly Alaska had the highest excise taxes on alcohol in the country.
- The tax on beer rose from 35 cents a gallon to $1.07.
- The wine tax increased from 85 cents a gallon to $2.50.
- The tax on hard liquor – the drink most associated with public drunkenness and bootlegging – jumped from $5.60 to $12.80 a gallon.
- Of the 32 states that do not directly control liquor sales through a monopoly of state-run stores, Alaska’s taxes on distilled spirits remains the highest in the country today, according to the Federation of Tax Administrators.
Murkowski argued in 2002 that those rates only tell part of the story, because drinkers in many other states also pay a mix of sales taxes and other special alcohol taxes absent in Alaska. Excise taxes are collected at the wholesale level, before customers pay for the drink at the bar or register.
Retailers generally pass the extra cost on to buyers. In a joint study by Cornell University and the National Bureau of Economic Research, researchers called hundreds of Alaska bars and liquor stores just before the tax took effect and a year after to find out if retailers raised drink prices to account for the tax boost.
They did, the study found. And then some. While the new tax amounted to 7 cents more per bottle of Budweiser, bars reported raising prices 15 cents, according to results published in 2005 and paid for by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Beer sales increased anyway in the two years after the tax took effect. By 2012, the last year for which figures are available, overall beer sales had inched upward about 6 percent over the decade. That’s slightly below the state population growth, meaning beer consumption appeared to be flat or reduced.
Supporters of the tax took this as an encouraging sign. “The belief is that the reduction in beer consumption probably indicated a reduction in under-age drinking,” said Jeff Jessee, director of the Mental Health Trust Authority and a supporter of the tax increase.
- Ids are more price sensitive.” Alaska’s stagnant beer sales could also reflect a national trend.
- A Gallup survey released in August found that U.S.
- Drinkers are generally buying less beer and more wine with liquor sales largely unchanged.
- At the Howling Dog Saloon in Fox, a bluesy cauldron of bikers, businessmen and college kids, sales stayed steady despite the rising prices, said manager Larry Hackenmiller.
For buyers, alcohol is like any other must-have commodity, he said. “You’re not going to stop people from driving because gas is up to $4 a gallon.” ‘LIKE THEY WERE PANCAKES’ Alaska wine and liquor sales have far outpaced population growth in the past decade.
- Last year enough alcohol was sold in Alaska to fill a small bathtub for every adult in the state.
- It’s unclear how much of those sales are imbibed by tourists.) Some liquor stores found that people started buying cheaper brands, but didn’t necessarily reduce the amount of alcohol they purchased, said Dale Fox, president of the Alaska Cabaret, Hotel, Restaurant & Retailers Association.
As the head of the state liquor lobby, he made a point of tracking alcohol sales after the tax increase took effect. “What I saw in those charts was that consumption was up.” Meanwhile, the lines of Alaskans waiting for treatment and rehabilitation are as long as ever, said Felix, the Juneau tax advocate.
In addition to successfully proposing a 3 percent local alcohol tax in Juneau, Felix served as a former director for the now defunct state Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Asked why there appears to be no dramatic drop in alcohol consumption following the tax increase, he said state regulators fail to restrict the flow of alcohol by dishing out too many liquor licenses and permits.
“Like they were pancakes,” Felix said. Despite a state law that limits the number of bars and liquor stores available in a given city or town, various alternative liquor licenses awarded to places like bowling alleys and hunting lodges and have increased the availability of booze, he said.
“You’ve got licenses all over the goddamn place,” he said. “They just keep issuing more licenses to get around the intent of cutting those off.” ABC Board Director Shirley Cote disputes that the number of liquor licenses and special permits awarded has increased over the past decade, saying the figure remained steady over that time.
Her agency is unable to show how many liquor licenses were active each year over the past decade because of a deficiency in the record-keeping process, Cote said. Still, she said, the available data shows there were about 1,800 total liquor licenses in 2001, and about the same number today.
- In response to questions about the records, Cote said the ABC Board will now start making a snapshot of the total number of active licenses and permits twice a year, for record-keeping.
- The Daily News asked a spokesman for Sen.
- Lisa Murkowski if the increased alcohol tax delivered on her original intentions.
He said he was researching the issue but as of Sunday had not provided an answer.
- RELUCTANT TO SPEND
- While the Alaska Constitution forbids any law that dedicates any tax revenue to be spent in a specific way, state law encourages the Legislature to use 50 percent of alcohol tax revenue to pay for alcohol and drug abuse programs by placing the money in a special fund.
- State budget writers could still spend that money how they pleased, but the intent was clear: Alcohol taxes ought to help defray the $250 million to nearly $500 million that alcohol abuse was estimated to be costing the state annually, Murkowski said at the time.
In the first full year after the state started collecting the new tax – which amounted to more than $10 million in revenue – state spending on drug and alcohol programs plummeted. Frank Murkowski, Lisa’s father, had become governor and was slashing programs to ward off the looming budget crisis.
- Among the controversial cuts, such as ending a cash payment to Alaska seniors and fewer jobs for rural cops, the deepest reductions were to the Department of Health and Social Services, which funds treatment and prevention.
- For a number of years they decreased the budget for those exact things that (Lisa Murkowski) said were going to get an increase,” said Fox, the liquor association president.
More recently, Division of Behavioral Health funding for alcohol and drug programs increased. By 2010 spending topped $40 million a year, outpacing the total amount received in alcohol taxes. Millions more are spent by the Department of Corrections. “We’ve come closer to achieving the intent (of the tax),” said Kate Burkhart, director for the state Advisory Board for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.
It’s a source of revenue that we couldn’t live without,” she said. For now, Gov. Sean Parnell and many lawmakers are reluctant to spend more. At current levels, the Division of Behavioral Health spends about $60 per Alaskan on alcohol and drug programs. If all of the state alcohol tax revenue were injected into treatment, it would amount to about $19 million more per year to help people recover from alcohol and drug addiction.
When the Legislature sought to add another $19 million from the alcohol tax into the spending plan that covers part of 2012 and 2013, Parnell vetoed $10 million. “In adding money to this area, the Legislature did not provide detailed backup on the how appropriation was to be spent,” he wrote.
The following year, lawmakers carved another $6 million from the alcohol treatment funding and cut the overall Division of Behavioral Health budget by $2.6 million, Streur said. Health commissioner for the past three years, Streur said his Behavioral Health Division failed to make tracking the success or failure of rehab treatment a priority.
He’s now asking treatment agencies to provide that information, he said. “Are people still clean and sober after six months? One year? Pick our time frame,” Streur said. “We have not gotten our arms around that. “Like so many things that we’re doing with health care, do we put more money into it or do we try to fix the system?” he said.
- Sen. Johnny Ellis, D-Anchorage, says he wants both, provided the state is prepared to spend the money efficiently.
- Ellis has called for all of the alcohol tax revenue to be spent on treatment and prevention.
- The liquor lobby, eager to avoid another rate increase, supports the plan.
- They’re taxing the industry,” said Fox, the liquor association president.
“Lets solve these problems.” Fox said the industry had raised more than $40,000 as of last week to battle a proposed 5 percent local liquor tax for the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. The Mat-Su Health Foundation plans to spend about $50,000 in support of the increase, which goes before voters Oct.1.
- Twitter updates:,
- Call Kyle Hopkins at 257-4334 or email him at,
- About this story Reporting for this story, part of ongoing coverage of the impact of alcohol in Alaska, was supported by the Recover Alaska Media Project fund at the Alaska Community Foundation.
- Contributors to the fund are Alaska Children’s Trust, Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, Bristol Bay Native Corp., Providence Health & Services Alaska, Mat-Su Health Foundation, Wells Fargo and Rasmuson Foundation.
The Daily News has sole responsibility for the selection and execution of the stories in this series. Alaska’s statewide alcohol tax In 2002 the state Legislature increased the state excise tax on alcohol for the first time in 18 years. Here’s how much Alaskans are paying today, compared to the old rate.
- By KYLE HOPKINS
- Alaska Dispatch Publishing
: Alaskans drank more despite higher alcohol tax, drink prices
Does Walmart sell alcohol in Alaska?
FAQs on Buying Beer, Wine & Liquor in Alaska –
- What is the alcohol sales tax rate in Alaska?
- A sales tax rate of 5% applies to all alcohol purchases made in the state of Alaska.
- Can you buy liquor in grocery stores in AK?
- No, you cannot buy alcohol in grocery stores in Alaska.
- Can you buy alcohol at Walmart in Alaska?
- No, you cannot buy any alcohol at any Walmart in the state of Alaska.
- ( Data Sources – Visit the following pages for further information:,,, )
- Some other state data worth checking out:
Here at Park Street, we provide various that allow you to focus on marketing and brand building. We handle everything else! If you’re interested in learning more about the services at Park Street Companies, then please feel free to complete the form below. : Alaska Alcohol Laws, Sales Trends and More (2023) –
Can I drink in public in Alaska?
Fast Facts in Alaska | Frommer’s Alaskan Scheduled Flying Services – Companies include Air Excursions (www.airexcursions.com), Bering Air (www.beringair.com), Era Alaska (www.flyera.com), Promech Air (www.promechair.com), and Wings of Alaska (www.ichoosewings.com).
- Area Codes – All of Alaska is in area code 907.
- In the Yukon Territory, the area code is 867.
- When placing a toll call within the state, you must dial 1, the area code, and the number.
- Automobile Organizations – Motor clubs will supply maps, suggested routes, guidebooks, accident and bail-bond insurance, and emergency road service.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) is the major auto club in the United States. If you belong to a motor club in your home country, inquire about AAA reciprocity before you leave. You may be able to join AAA even if you’re not a member of a reciprocal club; to inquire, call AAA (tel.800/222-4357; www.aaa.com).
AAA has a nationwide emergency road service telephone number (tel.800/AAA-HELP ). Business Hours – In the larger cities, major grocery stores are open until late at night and carry a wide range of products (even fishing gear) in addition to food. At a minimum, stores are open Monday through Friday from 10am to 6pm and on Saturday afternoon, and are closed on Sunday, but many are open much longer hours, especially in summer.
Banks may close an hour earlier, and if open on Saturday, hours may be short. Car Rentals – Some small towns have only local car-rental agencies. Drinking Laws – The minimum drinking age in Alaska is 21; ID is often checked, even for the elderly, and in many places every single customer making a purchase in a liquor store must show identification.
- Most restaurants sell beer and wine, while some have full bars that serve hard liquor as well.
- Packaged alcohol, beer, and wine are sold only in licensed stores, not in grocery stores, but these are common and are open long hours every day.
- Under state law, bars don’t have to close until 5am, but many communities have an earlier closing, generally around 2am.
Open containers of alcohol are not allowed in your car or, with few exceptions, in any public place outside a bar or restaurant. Don’t even think about driving while intoxicated, which in Alaska carries mandatory 3-day jail time for the first offense.
- More than 100 rural communities have laws prohibiting the importation and possession of alcohol (this is known as being “dry”) or prohibiting the sale but not possession of alcohol (known as being “damp”).
- Before flying into a Native village with alcohol, ask about the law or check a list online (go to www.dps.state.ak.us/abc and click on “Dry/Damp Communities”).
Bootlegging is a serious crime, and serious bad manners, in Alaska Native communities that are trying to address the damage of alcohol abuse. Electricity – As in Canada, the United States uses 110-120 volts AC (60 cycles), compared to 220-240 volts AC (50 cycles) in most of Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
Downward converters that change 220-240 volts to 110-120 volts are difficult to find in the United States, so bring one with you. Embassies & Consulates – The following nations have consulates in Anchorage: Canada, 310 K St., Ste.220 (tel.907/264-6734; www.anchorage.gc.ca); Japan, 3601 C St., Ste.1300 (tel.907/562-8424; www.anchorage.us.emb-japan.go.jp); Korea, 800 E.
Dimond Blvd., Ste.3-695 (tel.907/339-7955; http://usa-anchorage.mofat.go.kr/eng/am/usa-anchorage/main/index.jsp); and Mexico, 610 C St., Ste. A 7 (tel.907/334-9573 ). All embassies are in the nation’s capital. If your country isn’t listed below, call for directory information in Washington, D.C.
- Tel.202/555-1212 ), or check www.embassy.org/embassies,
- The embassy of Australia is at 1601 Massachusetts Ave.
- NW, Washington, DC 20036 (tel.202/797-3000; http://australia.visahq.com).
- Consulates are in New York, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
- The embassy of Canada is at 501 Pennsylvania Ave.
NW, Washington, DC 20001 (tel.202/682-1740; www.canadainternational.gc.ca/washington). Other Canadian consulates are in Buffalo (New York), Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle. The embassy of Ireland is at 2234 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel.202/462-3939; www.embassyofireland.org).
- Irish consulates are in Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and other cities.
- See website for complete listing.
- The embassy of New Zealand is at 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel.202/328-4800; www.nzembassy.com).
- New Zealand consulates are in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Seattle.
The embassy of the United Kingdom is at 3100 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel.202/588-6500; http://ukinusa.fco.gov.uk). Other British consulates are in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle.
Emergencies – Generally, you can call tel.911 for medical, police, or fire emergencies. On remote highways, there sometimes are gaps in 911 coverage. If you can find a phone, dialing 0 will generally get an operator who can connect you to emergency services. Gasoline – The cost of gasoline changes too quickly to list in this guide.
You can find national and state price averages updated online daily at www.fuelgaugereport.com. Prices in Alaska range from a bit over the national average in Anchorage to much higher in rural areas, where they could be double or more. As elsewhere in the U.S., taxes are already included in the price quoted or on the pump.
- One U.S. gallon equals 3.8 liters or,85 imperial gallons.
- Fill-up locations are known as gas or service stations.
- Legal Aid – If you are “pulled over” for a minor infraction (such as speeding), never attempt to pay the fine directly to a police officer; this could be construed as attempted bribery, a much more serious crime.
Pay fines by mail or directly into the hands of the clerk of the court. If accused of a more serious offense, say and do nothing before consulting a lawyer; tell the police you want an attorney. Here the burden is on the state to prove a person’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and everyone has the right to remain silent, whether he or she is suspected of a crime or actually arrested.
- Once arrested, a person can make one telephone call to a party of his or her choice.
- International visitors should call your embassy or consulate.
- Mail – At press time, domestic postage rates were 28¢ for a postcard and 44¢ for a letter.
- For international mail, a first-class letter of up to 1 ounce costs 98¢ (75¢ to Canada and 79¢ to Mexico); a first-class postcard costs the same as a letter.
For more information, go to www.usps.com and click on “Calculate Postage.” You can receive mail addressed to you at “General Delivery” at the post office. Always include zip codes when mailing items in the U.S. If you don’t know your zip code, visit www.usps.com/zip4.
- Maps – For most of the popular areas, there are excellent trail maps published by Trails Illustrated, part of National Geographic (tel.800/962-1643; www.natgeomaps.com).
- They’re sold in park visitor centers, too.
- The maps are printed on plastic, so they don’t get spoiled by rain; however, they don’t cover the whole state.
For detailed topographic maps covering all of Alaska, the U.S. Geological Service is still the only place to go. Their map sales office in Anchorage (a fascinating place for anyone interested in cartography) is on the campus of Alaska Pacific University, the Earth Science Information Center, at 4230 University Dr.
- Tel.907/786-7011; http://alaska.usgs.gov/science/esic/index.php).
- Newspapers & Magazines – The state’s largest newspaper is the Anchorage Daily News; you can find its content and a lot of information useful for visitors at www.adn.com.
- Seattle newspapers and USA Today are often available.
- Police – Dial tel.911 in an emergency.
Nonemergency phone numbers for local police departments are listed throughout the guide. Smoking – In Alaska’s cities, smoking is prohibited in most indoor public places. In Anchorage and Juneau, smoking is prohibited even in bars. Smoking is more common in small towns, where rules are usually less strict, but virtually all hotels and B&Bs are smoke-free, so ask about smoking areas when you book your room if this is a concern.
- Taxes – Alaska imposes no state sales tax, but most local governments have a sales tax and a bed tax on accommodations.
- All prices and rates are listed without tax unless otherwise noted.
- The United States has no value-added tax (VAT) or other indirect tax at the national level.
- Time – Although the state naturally spans five time zones, in the 1980s, Alaska’s middle time zone was stretched so almost the entire state would lie all in one zone, known as Alaska Standard Time (AST).
It’s 1 hour earlier than the U.S. West Coast’s Pacific Time, 4 hours earlier than Eastern Standard Time. Crossing over the border from Alaska to Canada adds an hour and puts you at the same time as the West Coast. The balance of the continental United States is divided into four time zones: Eastern Standard Time (EST), Central Standard Time (CST), Mountain Standard Time (MST), and Pacific Standard Time (PST).
- When it’s 8am in Anchorage, it is 9am in Los Angeles (PST), 10am in Denver (MST), 11am in Chicago (CST), noon in New York City (EST), 5pm in London (GMT), and 2am the next day in Sydney.
- As with almost everywhere else in the United States, daylight saving time is in effect from 1am on the second Sunday in March (turn your clocks ahead 1 hr.) until 1am on the first Sunday in November (turn clocks back again).
Tipping – Tips make up a major part of the compensation for many service workers. To leave no tip in a restaurant is socially unacceptable and leaves your server unpaid. To leave a small tip is a powerful indication of displeasure for bad service; to leave no tip suggests you don’t know any better.
In restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, tip your server 15% to 20% of the check, depending on the quality of service. Tip checkroom attendants $1 per garment, and tip valet-parking attendants $1 each time you get your car. Tipping is not expected in cafeterias or fast-food restaurants where you order at a counter.
In hotels, tip bellhops $1 per bag and tip the housekeeper at least $1 to $2 per day. Tip cab drivers 15% of the fare, and tip hairdressers and barbers 15% to 20%. Do not tip gas-station attendants and ushers at movies and theaters. Toilets – You won’t find public toilets, or “restrooms,” on the streets in most U.S.
cities, but they can be found in hotel lobbies, bars, restaurants, museums, department stores, railway and bus stations, and service stations. Large hotels and fast-food restaurants are often the best bet for clean facilities. It can be a long way between any toilets on rural Alaskan highways. Note : This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice.
Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip. : Fast Facts in Alaska | Frommer’s
Can Alaskans drink alcohol?
LEGAL DRINKING AGE The legal age to purchase, possess, control, and/or consume alcoholic beverages in the State of Alaska is 21.
Can you drink tap in Alaska?
📉 Who Regulates Anchborage Drinking Water? – The drinking water in Anchorage is managed by the Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility and is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Almost every single public water utility in the US is regulated by the EPA.
To ensure compliance with the EPA’s guidelines, utilities must test and monitor their water supplies throughout the year. The EPA has enforced National Primary Drinking Water Regulations, produced under the Safe Drinking Water Act, which shares the contaminants that must be regulated in water based on research into their potential health effects.
Like all other Cities, Anchorage must reduce concentrations of these contaminants to below EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels – and publicly share its testing data as proof to customers who drink tap water in the City.
Is it legal to make moonshine in Hawaii?
Posession stills & moonshine It is illegal to transport distilling equipment or distilled moonshine or be in possession of it even in your own home or property.281-101 Manufacture or sale without license penalty.
What is Alaska legal alcohol limit?
When is a Driver Considered to be Legally Drunk in Alaska? –
Non-commercial drivers age 21+ are considered legally drunk when their blood alcohol level is,08 or more. Drivers of commercial vehicles are legally drunk when their blood alcohol level is,04 percent or greater. Drivers under 21 are legally drunk when a chemical test reveals any alcohol concentration in their blood or breath.