Liquor sales are on the rise for the sixth straight year, according to the Distilled Spirits Council.
Overall sales reached nearly $72 billion in the United States.
Whiskey sales in particular jumped nearly eight percent. That category includes drinks like bourbon, Tennessee whiskey and rye whiskey.
The Distilled Spirits Council attributes the boom to a myriad of factors, including renewed consumer interest in specialized drinks and the growth of micro-distilleries.
Kentucky Distillers' Association President Eric Gregory says the commonwealth’s bourbon industry is a part of that success, producing 95 percent of the world’s supply.
“We’re currently sitting on about nearly 6 million barrels, which means there are more barrels of bourbon in Kentucky than there are people living in Kentucky," Gregory said. "And we’re in this for the long haul, think it’s got a bright future.”
Gregory says looking forward, the KDA plans to lobby the state legislature to address what he describes as "antiquated laws" - among them, about 60 percent in taxes for each bottle of spirits sold. Kentucky’s bourbon industry brings in roughly $3 billion each year.
In addition to the statewide and national growth, the international demand for spirits rose as well. Overall exports rose 3.4 percent in 2015, to a total of $1.56 billion in sales.