TAYLORSVILLE, Utah — Pappy Van Winkle, the rare and highly-coveted bourbon, will be returning to Utah next month.
Utah's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services announced on Thursday it will hold an "opportunity drawing" for the chance to purchase Pappy Van Winkle and the Sazerac Antique Collection. What makes the bourbon so rare is not only how few bottles are available in the state, but a quirk of Utah's liquor laws.
Under state-controlled liquor in Utah, alcohol products are sold at cost plus 88% markup. That sets a price cap on the bottles that is well below what the free market would value it at. A bottle of Pappy that sells for more than $1,000 in another state can sell for a little over $100 in Utah. That has helped fuel the demand for Pappy Van Winkle and contributed to its air of exclusivity in Utah.
In 2019, the DABS created an "opportunity drawing" (they can't call it a lottery because lotteries are illegal in Utah) where people can register to win a chance to purchase a bottle of a rare liquor. It was designed to stop mad dashes to state-run liquor stores with a lot of people leaving empty handed.
The Pappy Van Winkle and Sazerac Antique Collection drawings will open on Sept. 12 and end on Sept. 22. People can register at the Utah DABS website.
