Prices For Booze In Maine Are Going Up…In Some Cases, WAY Up

If you've been enjoying the comparable prices of booze in Maine to other states, specifically New Hampshire, then you better stock up while you can. According to Scott Thistle of the Portland Press Herald, prices in Maine are about to go way up.

As the Press Herald initially reported, the liquor commission was set to vote on a plan that would raise prices on dozens of different brands of alcohol. The most notable of those brands for Maine consumers could be "Fireball", the extremely popular cinnamon whisky. Nips of Fireball have been priced at 99 cents but with the approved price hike, they'll now cost $1.49, a 50% increase.

The state plans to raise the prices for most of the "value brands", including Orloff Vodka. Initially, the proposed price increases could have soared to as much as $15.99 for the largest bottle of Orloff, while stores in New Hampshire could be selling the same bottle for as little as $8.99. But after significant pushback, the state decided to cap price increases on value brans at $1.

So why the price hike? The state is hoping to capture more profits from alcohol sales. Maine has been making roughly $50 million dollars per year in alcohol sales profits, but wants to see that number grow.