The Washington State Liquor Control Board voted this morning to raise its "mark up" on the price for a bottle of booze from 39.2 percent of the wholesale cost to 51.9 percent of the wholesale cost.

The increase will take effect on Aug. 1 and will remain in effect at least through the end of the 2009-11 biennium, or June 30, 2011.

Liquor Board spokesman Brian Smith said only 2 of 3 liquor board members were present at the meeting in Lacey this morning, but the vote was unanimous.

The move was necessitated by the Legislature's taking nearly $80 million from the Liquor Board's revolving fund to help balance the state operating budget. The higher liquor prices are expected to replenish the fund, Smith said.

Board members decided for an across-the-board percentage increase rather than a flat $1.05-per-liter increase that had been proposed to the board, Smith said. That way, the increase will have a lesser impact on customers who purchase "value" liquor and a bigger impact on the high-end products, he said.

I've asked Smith to get back to me with a couple specific examples -- on Monarch Vodka and Cutty Sark Scotch -- just because the pricing for booze it so complicated -- for me, at least. I'll update this post when he gets back to me.

UPDATE: Cutty Sark Scotch (750 ml) would rise from $23.95 to $26, while Monarch Vodka (750 ml) would rise from $9.95 to $10.75. Monarch Vodka is the most popular product at state liquor stores.

In other news, the state budget authorizes the Liquor Board to open 5 more state-operated stores and to contract with private operators for 10 additional stores. The governor is expected to sign the budget May 18 or 19.

Smith said this upcoming year, many more liquor stores will be open on holidays, except for Christmas.