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Tag: virginia abc

  • Virginia’s obsession with this particular spirit continued in 2025 – WTOP News

    Tito’s vodka sales more than doubled the second-most popular spirit this year, according to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority.

    Many Virginians had plenty of reasons to drink this year. And in 2025, there was one bottle shoppers reached for more than any other.

    Tito’s vodka sales more than doubled the second-most popular spirit this year, according to the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority. Virginians bought $75 million of Tito’s in various sizes.

    Next on the list? Hennessy totaled $32.2 million in sales, followed by Jack Daniel’s whiskey at $27.4 million, Jim Beam bourbon at $22 million and Patrón Silver tequila at $20.3 million.

    It was a year of growth for tequila. Six of the top 10 fastest growing brands were tequilas. Don Julio added $10 million compared with 2024 and led sales growth at Virginia ABC.

    Hennessy saw the largest overall decline of $6 million.

    When it comes to Virginians’ favorite types of spirit, vodka led the way on the back of Tito’s sales, with 1.6 million cases of Vodka sold. Tequila remained in second place at 1.1 million cases and bourbon whiskey was the third-most popular, with about 800,000 cases sold.

    Some new products made their way onto Virginia ABC shelves and quickly found favor with shoppers. Buzzballz ready-to-drink cocktails sold $2.4 million. Virginia was also a launch market for Fireball’s apple whisky, which totaled $1.2 million in sales.

    As a reminder, Virginia ABC stores will remain open until 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, two hours later than previous years. Stores will be open noon to 6 p.m. on New Year’s Day.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Thomas Robertson

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  • Virginia-run ABC liquor stores get security upgrades after $80K in thefts – WTOP News

    Virginia-run ABC liquor stores get security upgrades after $80K in thefts – WTOP News

    State-run liquor stores operated by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) have been losing thousands of dollars in Northern Virginia due to theft. Now, they are rolling out security upgrades as a result.

    State-run liquor stores operated by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) have been losing tens of thousands of dollars in Northern Virginia due to theft, and they are rolling out security upgrades as a result, police announced Thursday.

    Locks are being installed to restrict access to stockroom areas, security cameras are being enhanced and a new shoplifting safety training program is being implemented for employees.

    “Our retail staff are being trained to gather usable suspect information and leads for law enforcement,” said Barbara Storm, special agent in charge at ABC.

    Multiple stores have been ripped off in recent months in and around Fairfax County. In all, suspects have gotten away with more than $80,000 worth of merchandise, which is taken from the stores and subsequently sold on the street.

    Storm said the new store policies would help to “better deter and detect retail theft.”

    “Some of the suspects go into the backroom of the stores and steal the high-end liquor that’s there, or they grab stuff that they can get easily so they can make a quick getaway and get out of the store,” said Fairfax County Deputy Police Chief Gregory Fried.

    While police have made a handful of arrests, multiple investigations are still open as work to track down additional suspects continues. So far, the Fairfax County Police Department has released photos of 10 people caught on security footage who they are hoping to identify soon.

    “We have suspects from all around the DMV,” Storm said.

    One suspect who was arrested was identified as Lonnell Jennings, 26, who was charged with grand larceny and possession of stolen property with intent to sell. Jomarice Evans, 27, was also arrested and charged with robbery, grand larceny and organized retail theft.

    Detectives said three more suspects, all under the age of 18, were also charged.

    Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis called retail theft “serious business.”

    “People tend to gloss over it as a victimless property crime, and it is anything but a victimless crime,” Davis said. “The retailers certainly are victimized by it. Consumers are victimized by it as well, with rising prices and other distractions and changes to their shopping experiences.”

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    © 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Nick Iannelli

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