How many Americans do you think consume wine and spirits on a weekly or monthly basis? How much beer, wine and spirits do they consume in each sitting or each year? The numbers are probably higher than you think. The opportunity to purchase or drink beer, wine and spirits is everywhere in the U.S. Whether you?re at home, at a liquor store, out to eat or enjoying a celebration like a wedding, it is likely that you?ll be presented with the choice to purchase or drink beer, wine or alcohol. The total of alcoholic beverage sales in the U.S. alone reaches 219.52 billion. That?s not including wine and beer purchases. If we?re consuming so much beer, wine and spirits, then each of these industries must be growing and prospering.
So, just how widespread is the opportunity to drink liquor, beer and wine in America? Let?s start with beer.
Craft beer is more popular now than ever. If we break down the industry of craft beer, we have brewpubs, microbreweries, regional craft breweries and contract brewing companies. This industry is gaining an increase in both percent market share and retail dollar value. In 2015, there was a 16 percent increase in retail dollar value totaling to $22.3 billion. That was for a production of 24.5 million barrels across the U.S. Not surprisingly, the number of breweries in the U.S. also increased in 2015 to 4,269 breweries in total. That?s a 15 percent increase, and marks the largest number of breweries in the U.S. to date. The increasing number of breweries helps explain where people are going to drink their beer. With so many breweries nationwide, heading out to drink beer at a brewery on the weekend becomes a trendy pastime.
If we move on to wine, we?ll see the same trend. By 2013, there were over 329 million cases of wine sold according to Impact Databank. That equals out to 2.82 gallons drank per capita in America making the U.S. the nation that consumes the most wine. Americans aren?t just drinking glasses or bottles of wine in their home or at dinner. They?re visiting wineries, too. With over 7,700 wineries in the U.S., there are plenty of places for Americans to drink their favorite wines while enjoying snacks, a view and time with friends and family. Nationwide, the favorite wines range from chardonnay, to cabernet sauvignon, to pinot grigio, to merlot, to pinot noir.
So, who?s drinking all this wine? Statistics show that millennials tend to drink more than older generations. Out of all the wine sold in the U.S. in 2015, millennials drank around 42 percent total. They also tend to drink faster than older generations consuming 3.1 glasses on average in comparison to baby boomers who drink 1.9. Keeping this in mind, it begins to make sense why these industries seem to be prospering so well and expanding all over the country. We can probably expect to see the beer, wine and spirits industries continue to do well as millennials age.
What?s your preference: beer, wine or liquor? Do you enjoy visiting breweries, wineries or just the liquor stores? Let us know in the comments your favorite beer brands or types of wine and liquor!