Mississippians could see shortage of their favorite alcohol due to shipment delays

RIDGELAND, Miss. (WLBT) - Your favorite adult beverage may be harder to come by these days but liquor store owners say it’s not their fault. They say they are not getting your drink of choice because of shipment delays.

“Why are they not getting our merchandise to us?” asked Calistoga Wine and Spirits owner Sean Summers. He is among store owners with the same question.

The Ridgeland business owner said wine and liquor shipments from Alcohol Beverage Control are delayed up to two weeks.

Summers said there is no longer panic buying and sales are back to their normal summer levels. His business is reduced 50-percent since December.

“It’s not because of the COVID,” said Summers. “I wish the state would fund the ABC division enough money so they can have some people and load the trucks and get it done.”

According to the merchant, orders to ABC are limited to 100 cases per day making it difficult for businesses to provide customers the merchandise they are seeking.

“We could order three to four to 500 cases whenever we wanted to. Now we’re being handcuffed to ordered limited supply,” said Summers.

Last month, ABC officials said alcohol demand had risen 29-percent and they were considering suspending new orders from liquor stores to catch up with demand.

Summers said some store owners are coming together to look to the legislature for a solution.

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