Wine Matches Beer In U.S. Drinkers' Preferences This Year
Lydia Saad, Gallup/Economy | Jul. 28, 2011, 8:44 AM
PRINCETON, NJ -- For only the second time in two decades, wine ties beer as the top choice when U.S. drinkers are asked whether they most often drink liquor, wine, or beer. Gallup now finds nearly as many U.S. drinkers naming wine (35%) as beer (36%), while liquor still registers a distant third at 23%.
The 36% of U.S. drinkers favoring beer in Gallup's July 7-10 poll ties for the lowest Gallup has recorded for the popular beverage since initiating this measure in 1992. The other low reading came in 2005, at the same time Americans' preference for wine temporarily surged to 39%. Beer regained a solid lead at the top spot, until this year.
The 35% now favoring wine and 23% liquor are near the record highs for these beverages, although preferences have generally fluctuated around the current levels since about 2003.
Read more, including a graph showing annual results in this poll since 1992:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/148676/Wine- ... -Year.aspx