Since 2018, Tito's Handmade Vodka has been the top-selling spirit in Virginia. But here in the Old Dominion, drinkers appear to pay more for a bottle than in nearly any other state in the nation, according to an informal survey of liquor prices by Axios Local correspondents.

What's happening: Virginians pay $39.99 for a 1.75 liter bottle, or a handle, of Tito's, the sixth-highest price in the country, according to our survey.

• Our findings suggest Indiana pays the least: A handle of Tito's can be found at Total Wine there for $19.69.
• Oregon, where the state operates liquor store monopolies just as in Virginia, pays the most at $49.95.

Why it matters: Booze is big business in Virginia. Revenue from liquor sales fills the state coffers.

What we did: We and our Axios Local colleagues checked prices in a major city in 49 states to see how much a handle costs in state-run vs. privately operated liquor markets.

Zoom in: Virginia's high prices extend beyond Tito's, per our informal survey.

• For Jack Daniel's No. 7 — the third top seller in the Old Dominion — we pay $51.99, the third-highest price in the country, even among other states with state-run stores.
• Among state-run liquor markets, only Alabama is more expensive: $52.49.

Yes, but: While mass-produced, popular liquors tend to be priced higher here than in states with private stores, limited-edition spirits, like Pappy Van Winkle, tend to be priced far lower because Virginia ABC has to stick to one pricing formula for everything.

How it works: "The [Virginia ABC] board has responsibility for markups," Virginia ABC CEO Travis Hill tells Axios.

• And Virginia ABC hasn't changed the markup since 2015, which means Virginians have been paying the same price for a bottle of Jack or Tito's for nearly a decade.

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Virginia's largest craft breweries saw sales rebound in 2021, a year after the pandemic crippled the industry.

The big picture: The craft beer industry grew by 8% in 2021 from the previous year, while the overall market moved up 1%, according to an analysis by Axios' John Frank.

Zoom in: Virginia's biggest craft brewer is Northern Virginia’s Aslin Beer Company, according to the data.

• Richmond's Hardywood came in at No. 2.

Worth noting: The data doesn't break out beer brewed in Richmond by San Diego-based Stone Brewing, which pumped out a total of 326,000 barrels of beer last year between its West Coast and East Coast operations, making it the ninth-largest craft brewer in the country.

🌋 An extinct volcano contaminated a major carbon dioxide producer in Mississippi, exacerbating a national CO2 shortage that has breweries worried they won't be able to buy enough of the gas to get their products to market. (Axios)

• So far, breweries in Richmond tell Axios supply issues haven't impacted their operations.

⚖️ One of the men Richmond police accused of plotting a mass shooting is arguing in court that officers searched his home illegally. (Times-Dispatch)

🏗️ With a developer for the Diamond District lined up, city officials are planning a new effort for similar projects downtown surrounding the shuttered Richmond Coliseum. (BizSense)

Richmond's beloved yacht rock cover band has a new gig — a canned wine side hustle, officially out this month and now available here.

What's happening: Three Sheets to the Wind — the local band dedicated to playing AM hits from the 70s and 80s — partnered with some California wineries to create Steely Can Wine — a wine label with three varietals to start, named after some of the band members' favorite artists.

• The wines: Rosé Darling, Kid Chardonnay, Deacon Red.

Details: For now, the wines are available online only, but delivery is free within 10 miles of Scott's Addition with a $35 minimum — and they’re quietly rolling out at some retail shops and local restaurants this month (check Insta for the latest).

• Cans are $5.95 (375ml, so half a wine bottle) and $21.95 for a four-pack.

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👋 Karri here. A few weeks ago, a coworker — whom I won't name out of respect for his privacy (OK, fine, it was Ned) — had a hangover, and I shared with him my secret, go-to hangover cure: a McDonald's vanilla milkshake and fries.

🗣 OK, Ned jumping in and taking over here.

• So, I made a series of bad decisions a few weeks ago, and, long story short, I woke up vaguely hungover on a work day.

Why it matters: I learned that my go-to hangover comfort food — fried chicken livers from Lee's — got cut from the menu at some point.

• Fried chicken livers — weird, I know. But it always struck me as logical to soothe a mistreated liver with more liver. And I like them.

💀 Threat level: This menu change felt tragic in the moment, and as I was caught off guard in the drive-thru, I ended up ordering a full chicken dinner at 10:30 in the morning, with two sides and a biscuit.

• It was delicious, but didn't quite do the trick in terms of the hangover.

The bottom line: Anyway, this brings us back to Karri, who suggested I get a milkshake and fries.

• Ingesting a large amount of dairy didn't strike me as particularly appealing, but I ended up deciding to give it a go for my second lunch, and I think it actually kind of helped.

🤢 Karri again. Yeah, no s--t it worked. It's magic. And maybe science. And definitely has to be better than ingesting liver, for any reason.

Anyway, this is just a long-winded way to ask you what your go-to hangover cures are, especially if any Richmond-specific dining institutions are involved.

• Hit reply and tell us.