Montgomery County’s Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) will open registration on Sunday, April 7, for its annual limited availability whiskey lotteries that provide opportunities to purchase highly sought spirits. The lotteries are free to enter but have residency requirements.
ABS expects to release more than 1,000 bottles for purchase in the lotteries. Among the spirits that County residents will have an opportunity to purchase are Michter’s 25 Year Old and two bottles of Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year Old. Maryland residents selected in the lottery will have an opportunity to purchase bottles of Mister Sam Tribute and Old Forester Birthday Bourbon (2023 edition).
The first lottery will be open to Maryland residents 21 and over. The second lottery will be open only to County residents 21 and over. Each lottery includes a wide range of spirits bottles, with some overlap. County residents will be able to enter both the State and the County lotteries.
Registration for the lotteries begins at 12:01 p.m. on Sunday, April 7, and closes at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, April 13. After the lotteries close, a random drawing will be conducted. The winning numbers will be posted on the ABS website at noon on Monday, April 22.
Winners will be able to purchase their bottle from a designated store from Friday, April 26, through Friday, May 24. No alternative dates will be provided. All bottles not picked up by close of business on May 24 will be forfeited.
Each resident entering the lotteries will be able to select their top preferences from the list of bottles available. Bottle counts are listed on the registration forms. Details on how to enter the lottery, including an entry form, are available on the ABS website at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/abs/lottery.
A third lottery will be open to Montgomery County alcohol license holders who are authorized to sell spirits on their premises. The licensee lottery will run at the same time as the resident lotteries and will boost availability of allocated items available by the glass. Licensees can enter at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/abs/lottery.
“We’re pleased to have so many highly allocated products for this year’s lottery.” said ABS Retail Chief Sean Peters. “Montgomery County is a great place to be for people who love whiskey or other fine spirits as this program is designed to offer fair pricing and equitable access.”
ABS is the alcohol wholesaler of beer, wine and spirits for Montgomery County. It operates 27 retail stores throughout the County. In addition, ABS manages alcohol licensing, enforcement and education for more than 1,000 businesses. Generating more than $35 million in net income annually, its profits are used to pay down County debt with a large portion deposited in the general fund to pay for resident services that would otherwise be funded by County tax dollars.
