Ohioans spent a record amount to gulp hard liquor last year.Sales hit a high of $793.7 million in the state, topping the previous year by 5.3 percent, according to the Ohio Department of Commerce, which oversees the Division of Liquor Control.State leaders and others attribute the increase to the popularity and availability of new and premium products, including flavored liquors. Unlike a few years ago, vodkas, for example, now come in flavors ranging from the mundane lemon to the exotic whipped cream.“The flavored stuff appeals to more people,” said Dano, the one-named owner of Dano’s Lakeside Pub in Green.The more sophisticated marketing of liquor also has helped and has taken a bite out of beer sales, he said.Barb Movens, who manages Lakes Beverage in Green, added another reason: “When people are upset, they drink. When they are happy, they drink.”Wholesale liquor sales to restaurants, bars and clubs climbed 4.7 percent, pleasing state leaders, who believe it’s a sign the economy is getting better. Those sales had dropped in three of the previous four years.“The economic downturn definitely affected wine and liquor,” said Jarrod Clabaugh, spokesman for the Ohio Restaurant Association in Columbus.Restaurants have seen liquor sales rebound the past year by offering extended happy hours and because of the interest in the flavored liquors, he said.Not all restaurants saw an uptick, though. Liquor sales are still depressed in the Akron area, said Steve Burroughs, owner of the Olde Harbor Inn in Coventry Township.“I don’t think any restaurant in the area has seen increased bar sales,” he said. “Our perception is that people are buying retail and taking it home.”The Division of Liquor Control reported that it sold 11.4 million gallons of liquor last year at its contracted retail stores, an increase of 3.9 percent.Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com.