BI’s comments came just days after the Gallup Poll’s annual survey found 40% of alcohol consumers say they most often drink beer, followed by 20% who prefer wine and 26% prefer liquor.
Gallup found that beer is most popular among men; this year, 62% of male drinkers say they prefer beer, compared with 19% of female drinkers. Less-educated and middle-income Americans also tend to choose beer.
For the past two decades, at least three in 10 drinkers have said they prefer wine, peaking at 39% in 2005. Wine was slightly less popular in the early to mid-1990s. Women are significantly more likely than men to prefer wine, at 50% vs. 11%, respectively. This beverage is also preferred more among college-educated adults.
The 26% of drinkers who name liquor as their beverage of choice is the highest in Gallup’s 25-year trend, but similar to the 24% recorded in 2004. The percentage naming liquor has typically been closer to 20%. Future measurements will help determine whether the current figure marks the beginning of a trend toward an increased preference for liquor.