As private liquor stores open, prices could go up
You might want to stock up on tequila and rum if margaritas or mojitos are on your summer menu, because prices are likely going up at many local retailers this week - and prices are just one of several big changes in store when Washington state abandons its long-held place in the liquor business.
Voters approved Initiative 1183 last fall, allowing stores larger than 10,000 square feet and some smaller stores to sell liquor. Supporters touted the initiative, backed by warehouse giant Costco Wholesale Corp., as a free-market reform for an industry monopolized by the state since the end of Prohibition.
Under the measure, restaurants and bars were allowed to begin buying liquor directly from distributors March 1, and they can begin buying directly from retail stores June 1.