(1) As to beverages containing 17.259 percent or more of alcohol by volume and not more than 55.780 percent of alcohol by volume, except wines, there shall be paid by every manufacturer and distributor a tax at the rate of $6.50 per gallon. As to beverages containing less than 17.259 percent of alcohol by volume, there shall be paid by every manufacturer and distributor a tax at the rate provided in chapter 564.
(2) As to beverages containing more than 55.780 percent of alcohol by volume, there shall be paid by every manufacturer and distributor a tax at the rate of $9.53 per gallon.
(3) The excise taxes required to be paid by this section are not required to be paid upon any alcoholic beverage sold to a post exchange, ship service store, or base exchange located in a military, naval, or air force reservation within this state.
(4) The department is authorized to adopt rules to effectuate the provisions of this section.