IT’S BEER by a BUBBLE

AFTER A
RATHER DISCOURAGING
couple of years, beer
has something to cheer about. The annual Gallup Poll
recently reported that beer edged out wine as the adult
beverage of choice in the US. The percentage of Americans
who drink any type of alcohol is stable, though the poll
shows that more Americans are regular drinkers than a decade
ago. The 64 percent of Americans who say that they consume
alcohol show a slight preference for beer (4O percent) over
wine (34 percent) as their alcoholic beverage of choice,
with liquor the favorite of 22 percent. Beer is the favored
beverage among male drinkers and younger drinkers, while
wine is the top choice among female drinkers and older
drinkers. Beer has typically enjoyed an advantage over
wine throughout the years, but that advantage narrowed
recently, as a greater proportion of American drinkers say
they drink wine most often and a lesser proportion say they
drink beer. A 2OO5 poll showed the two were essentially
tied, but beer has maintained a slight edge over wine in the
past two polls. The percentage who rate liquor as their
beverage of choice has been fairly stable over time. Because
of the increase in regular drinking, the average number of
weekly drinks Americans consume has increased significantly.
According to the latest poll, the average drinker consumed
4.8 alcoholic beverages in the past week. Prior to 2OO1, the
average number of weekly drinks had always been below four
drinks, but has been above that mark since then. The rise in
regular drinking has occurred at about the same time some
scientists have argued that daily moderate drinking has
health benefits. Most Americans are, however, in doubt of
the claim of better health from drinking, as only 22 percent
say drinking in moderation is good for one’s health.
Twenty-five percent take the opposite view and believe that
moderate drinking is detrimental to one’s health, while the
greatest percentage, 49 percent, believes it makes no
difference. Those who drink daily are somewhat more likely
to believe in the healh benefits of regular, moderate
drinking. Thirty-three percent of daily drinkers believe it
is good for one’s health, 55 percent say it makes no
difference, and only 1O percent believe it is bad for one’s
health. But whatever the reason, health or pure pleasure,
beer has got to be happy that it’s still the beverage of
choice.