# Local alcohol price comparison **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 30, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-alcohol-price-comparison/216080 "2003-11-30T18:03:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-alcohol-price-comparison/216080/1 "2003-11-30T18:03:04Z")
An assertion’s been made in **Johnny L.A.**'s [Weird stuff about Washington](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=226118) thread that Washington’s higher alcohol prices (eg. $32 in CA v. $53 in WA) are due in some part to the absence of a state income tax. It certainly seems possible that booze would be one of the first things to pick up an extra tax burden. That made me wonder about booze prices elsewhere. Texas has no state income tax, and prices here are what I’m familiar with. It’s Sunday and the liquor stores are closed, so I can’t do any research today, but I will tomorrow. Off the top of my head I can supply a few that are likely popular in many locales: 175 ml Smirnoff vodka (red label - 80 proof) - $20.99 750 ml Crown Royal Canadian whiskey - $21 750 ml Cruzan light rum - $10.99 I’ll check what’s been posted tomorrow and try to find comparable prices for the same stuff here. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-alcohol-price-comparison/216080/2 "2003-11-30T18:30:28Z")
That’s pretty close to around here. Maybe a dollar or two more each. ---
**Author:** ![Macrophage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/87869e/32.png) [@Macrophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macrophage)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-alcohol-price-comparison/216080/3 "2003-11-30T19:39:57Z")
Mexico: smirnoff vodka (imported from U.S.) 90 dls Jose Cuervo 1800 Tequila: 50 dls Any decent whiskey: 40dls or more ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-alcohol-price-comparison/216080/4 "2003-11-30T19:46:05Z")
**Macrophage** , thanks for the reply. Are you using dls to mean U.S. dollars? ---
**Author:** ![akennett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee59a6/32.png) [@akennett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akennett)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-alcohol-price-comparison/216080/5 "2003-12-01T02:49:02Z")
I just \ happen to have Pennsylvania’s Offical Wine & Spirits Quaterly sitting around so here goes… 175 ml Smirnoff vodka (red label - 80 proof) - $22.99 (assuming you meant 1.75L) 750 ml Crown Royal Canadian whiskey - $20.99 750 ml Cruzan light rum - $11.99 (price for flavored rums, Rum Cream 13.99, light rum not listed) The best thing our wonderful state does is post their monthly specials on-line in advance so you can always stock up and save! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-alcohol-price-comparison/216080/6 "2003-12-01T07:09:26Z")
If I recall rightly at my local liquor store a 750 ml bottle of Crown Royal is 22.99 The Smirnoff pricing falls along the same lines too; not seen Cruzan available here, but a regular bottle of Cuervo is $21. Bombay Sapphire is $23.99. \ ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-alcohol-price-comparison/216080/7 "2003-12-01T07:27:24Z")
So without a state income tax, where does the majority of the cash for running things come from in Texas? ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-alcohol-price-comparison/216080/8 "2003-12-01T12:22:30Z")
Oh, we’ve got taxes. Sales tax is a hefty 8.25% in Houston, gasoline tax is, I believe, 38.5¢/galloon, etc. ---
**Author:** ![UselessGit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/74df32/32.png) [@UselessGit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UselessGit)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-alcohol-price-comparison/216080/9 "2003-12-01T14:11:20Z")
Hah! I laugh at your inferior Houstonite taxes! I pay 40$ for a bottle (750ml) of Smirnoff and over a dollar per liter of gasoline. Well, I don´t actually have a car and I don’t actually drink anymore but… you know… ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-alcohol-price-comparison/216080/10 "2003-12-01T18:19:16Z")
Checking the prices online at Chicago’s popular Sam’s Wine and Spirits store, I find that the Smirnoff is $19.99 (again assuming 1.75 l), the Crown Royal is $21.79, and the Cruzan is $10.99. I’d heard that we had high “sin” taxes on alcohol and cigarettes (built into the prices), but either we don’t, or they’re comparable to other places. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-alcohol-price-comparison/216080/11 "2003-12-01T19:15:20Z")
It really sucks buying beer in Pennsylvania, between prices and selling laws (distributors and such). Example: 28-pack, Molson Canadian, 12-oz bottles. PA: $19.99. NY: $12.99 (or cheaper if you are lucky). ---
**Author:** ![Hecubis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ec9cab/32.png) [@Hecubis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hecubis)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-alcohol-price-comparison/216080/12 "2003-12-01T23:46:37Z")
Slightly off topic but as a Canadian I’m intrigued that you’re using metric, is liquor special? Also I find it amusing that that same bottle of rye would cost me around of $35 CD. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-alcohol-price-comparison/216080/13 "2003-12-02T00:02:59Z")
Ehile the conversion to metric stalled out in the U.S., a few things did become “metricized,” some beverages amongst them. ---
**Author:** ![Chavardz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@Chavardz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chavardz)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-alcohol-price-comparison/216080/14 "2003-12-07T02:07:06Z")
**Ringo** , Macrophage was using the dls of US Dollars. However, Smirnoff is not $90, it’s $9, and that’s a 750ml bottle.