State alcohol sales were running at just over 5% ahead of last year as the month of May wrapped up. But Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division Chief Deputy Administrator, Rick Swizdor, says that number will likely come down a bit as the fiscal year ends in June. Swizdor expects sales to finish around 4% as he says May was a very large month for sales.

He says they decided to make deliveries to retailers before the Memorial Day holiday this year instead of after as they did last year. Those pre-holiday deliveries added around $1 million to May sales. The division had predicted a 3% increase in sales at the start of the fiscal year.

Swizdor says while sales are up, people are paying more attention to what they spend. He says the gallon sales are up just over 4%, while the number of bottles sold are up just about 3%, so consumers are buying larger size bottles.

Swizdor says people are still looking for the best value. He says the economies of scale dictate that you always get your best value in the larger size.

The state has sold nearly $200 million in alcohol in the first 11 months of this fiscal year. That’s $9.5 million more than last year for the same months.