Ohio Alcoholic Beverage Market: Regulations, Statistics, Trends, and Wholesalers

As a control state, Ohio has a history of evolving beverage alcohol regulations and policies dating back to the post-Prohibition era that have helped the Buckeye State develop a distinct system that impacts suppliers, retailers, and consumers alike. With its legal drinking age population nearing 9 million, Ohio also offers a strong base for emerging beverage alcohol suppliers.

We’ve prepared a guide to the Ohio market which covers the following topics:

• Consumption trends
• The most popular alcohol categories
• Local guidelines

If you need help establishing your presence in Ohio, provide your information below, and we’ll contact you to share more on how we can help.

At Park Street, we can help anyone looking to enter the market or expand their services in Ohio.

Consumption Trends In Ohio

Ohio is one of the largest control state markets in the United States. In 2022, 104 million 9L cases of beer were sold, followed by 9.8 million cases of wine, and 7.2 million cases of spirits. Below you will find some charts displaying the volume growth for beer, wine, and spirits over a five-year period.

Ohio Spirits Consumption from 2018-2022 by 9-Liter Cases

Ohio Wine Consumption from 2018-2022 by 9-Liter Cases

Ohio Beer Consumption from 2018-2022 by 9-Liter Cases

Ohio State Alcohol Listings & Licensing

As of 2022,  there were over 150 licensed distillers and bottlers, according to the TTB, more than 430 breweries with active licenses, and over 320 wineries in Ohio.

In-State Permits

A-3 Permit— This permit may be issued to a manufacturer to manufacture alcohol and spirituous liquor and sell such products to the division of liquor control, to the holders of a similar permit, or to the holders of A-4 permits for blending or manufacturing purposes.

A-3A— Manufacturer of less than 100,000 gallons of spirituous liquor and sale to a personal consumer.

A-4 Permit— Allows the manufacture and sale of certain prepared and bottled drinks, imported for blended purposes.

Out of State Permits

S-3 Permit— Those who which to sell spirits in Ohio from out of state must submit a Supplier Application to the Ohio Division of Commerce’s Divison on Liquor Control to sell to the control board.

Liquor licenses in Ohio must be renewed annually, and the deadlines are dependent on where in Ohio the business is located.

Ohio State Alcohol Regulations

Ohio is a control state and sales are overseen by the Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ), with state liquor agencies generating $1.74 billion in high-proof liquor sales in 2022.

Retail and wholesale liquor sales rights are overseen by JobsOhio, an economic development organization. Franchise provisions are also in effect for the distribution of beer and wine.

Meanwhile, private businesses called agencies operate retail outlets for beer, wine, and low-proof mixed beverages. OHLQ sets the price of products and where they are allocated for sale.

Shipping and Selling to Consumers

Ohio does not allow direct shipments of spirits to consumers. Sales can occur to consumers only via retail shops or distillery restaurants.

Direct Sales and Shipments of Beer and Wine

Direct shipping of beer and wine is allowed in Ohio, but manufacturers must register as an out-of-state supplier  ship wine or beer to Ohio consumers or retailers.

Delivery by Retailers

Holders of specified on-premises retail permits may sell individual alcoholic beverages to customers to-go or for delivery to a customer’s location. These sales may be made only to consumers over the age of twenty-one (21) years for their own personal consumption and must include a meal.

Consumer Personal Importation

Ohio residents may apply—using forms prescribed by the OHLQ — to import wine, malt beverages, or “low-proof mixed beverages” into Ohio. Consent may be granted if the request fits certain conditions, including:

• S. law allows the shipment of alcoholic beverage into the country.
• The product is not registered for sale in the state of Ohio.
• All taxes due must be paid at the time that the consent is requested from the Division.

Required Procedures for Alcohol Suppliers Selling in Ohio

In Ohio, special order and full listing submissions are handled in accordance with state law in a unique manner.

Special Orders

A “special order Item” or SOI refers to when a single retail account is interested in a single purchase to test whether the product will sell well. This process allows the sale of the product on a per-order basis. All SOIs must be in case quantities, and are not automatically reordered, the agency must reorder or restock on an as-needed basis.

In Ohio, these orders require essential documents such as an OH Listing Requests Document, a Marketing document, a Bottle and UPC Image, a Complete product specification, and a Wholesale commitment letter showing listed accounts committed to purchasing the brand’s product.

Full Listings

If the product does well enough through special orders, and other retail customers in the state request the product, the next step is to try to get fully listed. A full listing will typically gain the product an allotment in the bailment warehouse or shelf presence in off-premise locations.

In Ohio, if brands choose the full listing route, they must submit the same set of documents as special orders.

Deadlines for Listing Submissions

Ohio has specific quarterly deadlines for all submissions. To apply for eligibility, brands must submit their listing requests by:

September 30 to be listed on January 1

December 31 to be listed on April 1

March 31 to be listed on July 1

June 30 to be listed on October 1

Excise Tax Rates

Distilled Spirits: Rather than applying a per-gallon tax rate, the OHLQ uses a mark-up formula to determine the selling prices for all products sold through the state system.

Wine(4 to 14% ABV): $0.30/Gallon

Wine(14 to 21% ABV): $0.98/Gallon

Vermouth: $1.08/Gallon

Sparkling and Carbonated Wine and Champagne: $1.48/Gallon

Bottled highballs, cocktails, cordials, and other mixed beverages: $1.20/Gallon

Cider: $0.24/Gallon

Beer: $5.58/31 gallon barrel

Ohio Beer Volume Sales By Category – 2022 Data

Beer trends in Ohio by volume sales in 2022

Ohio Wine Volume Sales By Category – 2022 Data

Wine trends in Ohio by volume sales in 2022

Ohio Spirits Volume Sales By Category – 2022 Data

Spirits trends in Ohio by volume sales in 2022

Beer Distributors

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