Beer’s Diminished Dominance Sparks Rise of Drink Alternatives
The drinking scene in America is changing. Beer used to be a more dominant drink favorite. But it’s losing its top spot. Instead, people are now trying out different types of alcoholic drinks.
Roughly 62% of Americans consume alcohol, whether that means beer, wine, or spirits, as revealed by a recent Gallup survey. The analytics database polled 1,015 adults from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., to determine people’s drinking habits and preferences. Regarding preferences, the site inquired about the choice of alcoholic beverage. Beer remained the top pick, with 37% of surveyors saying it’s their most frequent choice, followed by liquor at 31% and wine at 29%. They also found that men were more inclined towards beer (53% compared to 22% of women), while women favored wine more than men (44% compared to 15%).
The youngest age group (18 to 34) reported higher consumption of beer and liquor compared to the other two age brackets, which leaned more towards wine.
Beer’s decline in dominance
Since 1992, Gallup has been asking drinkers about their preferred alcoholic beverages. Beer has usually been more popular than liquor and wine, except for five instances. Currently, 37% prefer beer, 31% prefer liquor, and 29% prefer wine.
Beer is still the top choice, but it’s not as dominant as it was in the 1990s and early 2000s when nearly half preferred it. Between 2011 and 2013, wine briefly became as popular as beer.
Liquor has usually been less popular than beer and wine, with about 20% preferring it from 1992 to 2018. Recently, about 30% say they prefer liquor, putting it up there with wine. The current 31% of liquor enthusiasts is the highest ever recorded.
More drink findings
Among the respondents who admitted to drinking alcohol, the majority (69%) affirmed having consumed at least one alcoholic drink within the past week. Of these, 32% reported having a drink in the last 24 hours, while 37% said their most recent alcoholic beverage was consumed within the last two to seven days. On average, U.S. drinkers reported consuming four drinks within the past week, according to their findings.
Respondents abstaining from alcohol were asked about their reasons for doing so. The leading response, at 24%, was a lack of desire or willingness. Other common explanations included dislike of alcoholic beverages, concerns about health implications or existing health conditions, fear of consequences based on past experiences, or religious beliefs.
Check out the full study here.
