John Akins

Collections of the state’s 3% excise tax on liquor sales rose 25.4% during the 12-month period of March 2020 through February 2021, while beer excise tax collections grew 16.5%. read more >

A state Senate committee approves a bill that would allow liquor stores to deliver alcohol to customers. read more >

The Arkansas liquor industry will likely be asking the state Legislature to pass a bill permanently allowing the delivery of alcohol. read more >

The coronavirus pandemic will likely cause permanent changes in how businesses in Arkansas operate. One of those may be alcoholic beverage retailers. read more >

The voices of small-business owners in Arkansas betray their anxiety, even anguish approaching grief, as they fight for their future — and a future for their employees — in a world upended by a deadly pandemic. read more >

The Arkansas General Assembly can be a busy place when it’s in session, and sometimes new laws can get overlooked. One such is Act 571 of 2019. read more >

The online wine clubs’ come-ons are seductive: Shop at home, discover hard-to-find wines, open the box deposited at your door. Unfortunately, that delicious wine may be illegal. read more >

Expanded wine offerings have taken a toll on sales at the state’s package liquor stores. read more >

The successful push by big grocers like Wal-Mart and Kroger to expand the selection of wine they sell in Arkansas wasn’t the first such effort and it won’t be the last. read more >

Liquor store owners say a bill to let Wal-Mart and grocery stores sell a larger assortment of wine fundamentally changes their business model and will lead to the closure of hundreds of package stores in the state. read more >