Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Services
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | July 1, 1951 |
| Superseding agency |
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| Jurisdiction | Montgomery County, Maryland |
| Headquarters | 201 Edison Park Drive, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, U.S. 39°06′47″N 77°13′58″W / 39.113087°N 77.232878°W |
| Employees | 442 |
| Annual budget | $264 million (2021) |
| Agency executive |
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| Website | www |
Alcohol Beverage Services, previously known as the Department of Liquor Control is a government agency within the County of Montgomery, Maryland, and is the wholesaler of beer, wine and spirits alcoholic beverage throughout the county's 507-square-mile (1,310 km2) area. Montgomery County Department of Liquor Control also exercises control over retail sales for off-premises consumption, either through government-operated package stores or designated agents.
Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) distributes beer, wine and spirits to approximately 1,100 licensed businesses and sells alcohol to go through its 25 owned and operated retail stores throughout the county. ABS is the only authorized seller of spirits for off-premises consumption in the county. Revenue generated from the sale of alcohol, about 30-35 million dollars annually, is deposited in the Montgomery County General Fund for the county to use on projects and services. The Public Health community, including the CDC, has identified the control model as a public safety initiative because it limits alcohol outlet density and associated issues.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, Montgomery County recognized $304 million of revenue from alcohol, and it incurred $264 million of operating expenses from alcohol, resulting in a net gain of $40 million.