Americans Are Drinking Less Beer Now—Here's What They're Drinking Instead
If your ideal Friday night consists of you coming home, kicking your feet up and popping open a cold brewski, you may be one of the few Americans who still enjoy the iconic sip. As noted in a recent poll conducted by poll conducted by Gallup, a global analytics and advice firm, the amount of people opting for beer as their go-to drink is decreasing, and another drink is taking its place.
In the poll, about two-thirds of Americans admit to drinking alcoholic beverages with 62 percent of those included claiming they drink alcohol on occasion, whether it be beer, wine or hard liquor. Interesting enough, the current percentage is not very far off from the 63 percent average reported when Gallup first conducted the study back in 1939. When comparing the results over the years, however, the average percentage of Americans who admitted to drinking alcohol saw its lowest results in 1958, at 55 percent, while it had a three year run on top at 71 percent between 1976 and 1978. So why are Americans consuming alcohol less often than over 40 years ago? It actually goes a little deeper than times just changing.
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When asked about their drinking habits, 69 percent of respondents claimed their latest alcoholic beverage was within the past seven days, while 32 percent claimed that their last drink happened within 24 hours of the survey. Additionally, 37 percent of respondents said that they had enjoyed an alcoholic beverage within the past two to seven days, leaving Gallup to report that the average American drinker consumes about four drinks per week.
Looking further into the data, the overall demographic of people who reported their consumption of alcohol were college-educated, middle-aged men and women between the ages of 35 and 54. This demographic also had a household income of $100,000 or more and even reported being less likely to attend religious services.
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Of those who claimed that they did not drink alcohol, their abstinence from it became the biggest question. Twenty-four percent of respondents claimed they “simply have no desire or do not want to,” while others detailed their distaste for alcoholic beverages as well as voiced their health concerns due to previously existing conditions. Other notable reasons for avoiding alcohol included being afraid of the consequences of having an unwanted experience and personal religious beliefs.
When asked to identify their alcohol of choice, 37 percent claimed beer, followed by 31 percent for liquor and 29 percent for wine. Of this pool, men were twice as likely to drink beer than women — with the latter of which being three times as likely to drink wine. Those who reported drinking beer and liquor more frequently fell within the 18 to 34 age range, whereas other demographics preferred their favorite glass of wine almost twice as much as the younger crowd.
According to Gallup, beer has become the less-likely beverage of choice today. And although it still holds the top spot percentage-wise, it's still preferred much less than at points in the 1990s and early 2000s when almost half of respondents claimed beer as their drink of choice. Ultimately though, the thirty-one percent of drinkers who prefer liquor over anything else are the highest on record so far.
If this poll is anything to go by, cocktails are really about to have their moment. Bring on the vodka!
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