Kansas Alcoholic Beverage Market: Regulations, Statistics, Trends, and Wholesalers

Kansas’s alcohol market reflects its unique history of prohibition, with regulations that are more restrictive than many neighboring states. Unlike Missouri, where strong beer, wine, and liquor are widely available in grocery stores and gas stations, Kansas restricts these sales almost exclusively to liquor stores. In a nod to its prohibitionist roots, Kansas once enforced laws so strictly that airlines were prohibited from serving alcohol while flying through its airspace.

Kansas had an approximate population of 2.9 million people in 2023, with 2.1 million within the legal drinking age bracket. The state ranks 34th in distilled spirits consumption, with annual sales of approximately 2.2 million cases. The state’s alcohol industry features a diverse production landscape with over 35 distilleries, 50 wineries, and 70 breweries contributing to the market’s vibrancy and variety.

We’ve prepared a guide to the Kansas market which covers the following topics:

• Consumption trends
• The most popular alcohol categories
• Local guidelines

If you need help establishing your presence in Kansas, provide your information below, and we’ll contact you to discuss how we can help.

Consumption Trends In Kansas

Over the years, Kansas has seen significant growth in the spirits category and some growth in wine, as well. As these categories gained share, beer has seen a dip in the state. In the five-year period from 2019-2023, spirits sales have grown at a CAGR of over 6.5%, while wine sales have seen a 2.2% CAGR, and beer volumes have dropped by nearly -2.3% CAGR.

Kansas Spirits Consumption from 2019-2023 by 9-Liter Cases

Kansas Wine Consumption from 2019-2023 by 9-Liter Cases

Kansas Beer Consumption from 2019-2023 by 9-Liter Cases

Kansas State Alcohol Licensing

Kansas operates as an open state, meaning private entities handle the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages under state regulation. The Kansas Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) oversees all aspects of the industry, including licensing, enforcement, and regulatory compliance. Kansas is also a franchise state, providing certain protections for distributors in their relationships with suppliers.

Common Licenses for Manufacturers in Kansas

Spirits

• Distilled Spirit Plant— This license is for the distilling equipment and distillery.
• Microdistillery License— Allows manufacturing and storage of up to 50,000 gallons of spirits per year, selling spirits in unopened containers for off-premise consumption, and providing free samples.
• Microdistillery Packaging and Warehousing Facility License—This is an Optional license that allows existing microdistillery licensees to move products to a separate facility for packaging, storage, and delivery to licensed distributors.

Wine

• Farm Winery License— Allows the licensee to manufacture and store domestic table wine and domestic fortified wine, with production not exceeding 100,000 gallons per year.
• Manufacturer’s License for Wine— Permits manufacturing and storage of alcoholic liquor and cereal malt beverages with sales to authorized licensees. The licensee may also serve free samples of manufactured liquor on the licensed premises.
• Producer License— Available to individuals engaged in business as a vineyard with at least 100 vines of sound, ripe grapes; an agricultural producer with an annual harvest of at least 1,000 pounds of other sound, ripe fruits or berries; or an agricultural producer with an annual harvest of at least 100 pounds of honey.

Beer

• Microbrewery License – Allows for the production of up to 60,000 barrels of beer annually, as well as its storage and sale. Beer can be sold to licensed distributors or directly to consumers on the premises.

Kansas State Alcohol Regulations

The state maintains specific requirements for brand registration. The label for each size and vintage of the same product brand/type must be registered separately, along with a required $25.00 fee. If changes are made to a previously approved label, the new label must be re-submitted for approval.

Price Posting in Kansas

There are no statutory or regulatory provisions regarding price posting; however, statutes require suppliers to provide distributors with at least 45 days’ written notice before changing the current price of any spirits or wine they sell to the distributor.

Direct-to-Consumer Sales and Delivery

Kansas has established guidelines for direct-to-consumer sales and delivery. These vary by product category.

Wine Shipping and Sales

• Special Order Shipping License: In-state and out-of-state wineries holding a valid federal basic wine manufacturing permit may make direct shipments of wine to consumers in Kansas for personal use. Licensees may ship no more than 12 standard cases of wine to any one consumer or address per calendar year.
• On-Site Sales: Wineries located in Kansas or in another state may ship wine directly to a Kansas resident whether or not the winery has a Kansas Special-Order Shipping License under the following conditions:
  • The wine was purchased by the consumer while physically present at the premises of the winery
  • The consumer was of legal age and purchased the wine for personal consumption only

Beer and Spirits Sales

• Direct-to-consumer sales options are limited for spirits and beer
• Microbreweries can sell directly to consumers on their premises

Retailer Delivery

• Delivery of alcoholic beverages to a customer must take place on the licensed premises
• Retailers may deliver alcoholic beverages to the licensed premises of a club, public venue, or drinking establishment only if that establishment’s licensed premises are located within the same county or a county adjacent to the county where the retail liquor store is located

Kansas Spirits Volume Sales By Category – 2023 Data

Spirit trends in Kansas by volume and dollar sales in 2023.

Source: Beverage Information Group

Kansas Wine Volume Sales By Category – 2023 Data

See below for the wine trends in Kansas by volume sales in 2023.

Source: Beverage Information Group

Kansas Beer Volume Sales By Category – 2023 Data

See below for the beer trends in Kansas by volume sales in 2023.

Source: Beverage Information Group

Alcoholic Beverage Distributors Located In Kansas

A three-tiered structure governs the sale of all alcoholic beverages in the US. Wholesalers or importers, who make up the “middle layer” of the sector, receive goods from producers and suppliers. They then sell them to distributors, who use internal teams to deliver them to retail locations like pubs, restaurants, liquor stores, and so forth. All alcohol sales in the US must follow this three-tier structure.

Below you will find an updated list of the top distributors located in the state of Kansas. Need more info on all the alcohol distributors throughout the US? Check out the full list of distributors or fill out the contact form provided.

Wine & Spirits Distributors

Selling Alcohol In Kansas

Below you will find some of the most common questions that we’re asked about selling alcohol in the state of Kansas. Should you have any additional questions, please let us know and we’ll do our best to answer them.

FAQs on Kansas Beer, Wine & Spirits Sales

Buying Alcohol In Kansas – Hours, Locations & Taxes

In the state of Kansas, there are some pretty strict laws regarding the purchase of alcohol. The questions and answers below will help you better understand all the rules before attempting to purchase.

FAQs on Buying Beer, Wine & Liquor in Kansas