For those looking for signs of an economic recovery, one indicator may be how much consumers are spending on their New Year’s Eve revelry.

Area merchants specializing in liquor and party supply sales are seeing gains not only for the holiday season, but also for the year.

Total gross sales of spirits in Ohio grew to $825 million in fiscal year 2012, according to the Ohio Division of Liquor Control.

That is a 7.1 percent increase from $770 million in 2011. Sales of spirits are projected to increase to $869 million for fiscal year 2013.

Cheryl Mueller, who purchased items at Party City in Fairfield Twp. on Wednesday, said she planned to stock up on beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, for use during a New Year’s Eve party she is throwing at her Liberty Twp. home.

Mueller, an account manager at a Cincinnati-area employee benefits consulting firm, said the party will be the first one she’s thrown for the occasion in 10 years.

“We had a pretty good year at work so we just wanted to celebrate and kick off 2013,” she said. “I’m going to maybe have it catered.”

Total gross sales for the 19 control states, which handle the wholesaling and retailing of some or all categories of alcoholic beverages, such as beer, wine, and distilled spirits, grew to $9.5 billion in fiscal year 2012. That’s a 5.3 percent gain from $9.02 billion in 2011 compared to a 3.5 percent gain the previous year.

“If the beverage alcohol business in the control states were a barometer of the entire U.S. economy, then we’d be well on the way to a thriving economic environment with healthy growth complemented by decreasing costs, the seemingly magical ingredients that every community worldwide is striving for these days,” according to recently release report by Stateways, a publication of the Beverage Information Group.

Sales of wine, beer and spirits typically double or triple this time of year, said Ed Vincent, operation manager of the beer and wine department at Jungle Jim’s International Market, which offers 1,000 different liquors, nearly 1,600 brands of beer and 15,000 kinds of wine.

“This time of year, especially for New Year’s, it’s … a lot of champagnes and they also purchase a lot of beer,” Vincent said. “High-proof liquor is very strong (in terms of sales). Jack Daniels and Jim Beam types of things probably double this time of year.”

Each of those department saw a gain of between 5 percent and 10 percent in sales in 2012, Vincent said.

The store’s liquor department starts seeing its biggest increase in sales from the day after Christmas all the way up until its 8 p.m. early closing time on New Year’s Eve, he said.

“Two days before New Year’s it gets very, very busy,” Vincent said.

The alcohol industry isn’t the only segment of the economy reaping the benefits at this time of year.

During her Party City visit Wednesday, Mueller scored gold-and-black party hats with the words “Happy New Year” emblazoned across the front. Other items she came in search of included plastic Margarita cups, utensils and plates.

Party City locations in southwest Ohio and nationwide are doing a brisk business in New Year’s Eve items, including costume accessories and serving items for parties, according to spokeswoman Julia Darrenkamp.

“If you’re just coming off the holiday season you might have stretched your budget a little thin throughout December, but when it comes to New Year’s you don’t want to drop the ball,” Darrenkamp said. “What we’ve seen as really popular are party kits, which have hats, tiaras, noise makers … all that New Year’s Eve flair that everyone likes to dress up in.”