The Recent Evolution of How We Get Tipsy

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The Recent Evolution of How We Get Tipsy

25 June 2012, Brad Tuttle
A generation ago, a stocked liquor cabinet and a fridge filled with? mass-produced beer were standards in the American home, and restaurants and bars? served alcohol at a reasonable markup. In recent years, though, wine and craft? beer sales have soared, and prices on booze consumed outside the home have? positively hit the roof.

Here are a few of the major trends regarding what we?ve been drinking, where? we?ve been buying and drinking it, and how all of the above has changed of? late:

Wine Is Beating Out Liquor as Preferred In-Home? Intoxicant
Among the findings of an NPR report on how consumer spending on alcohol has changed? over the past three decades, one of the most striking trends is how swiftly wine? has surpassed spirits as the stronger drink of choice in the house. Beer still? dominates, factoring in for nearly 50% of liquor store purchases in 1982 (48.9%)? and again in 2012 (47.7%). But whereas in the early ?80s the rest of alcohol? purchases were dominated by liquor?34.6% of store sales, compared to 16.2% for? wine?by 2012, wine has left liquor in the dust. Nowadays, wine accounts for? 39.7% of store sales, while liquor represents a mere 12.6%. It?s surely no? coincidence that the uptick in wine sales has occurred during a long stretch? when wine has slowly sloughed off its snobby reputation, and when? wine has grown in popularity particularly among moms and women in general.

But Recently, Liquor Sales Have Picked Up Steam
The? liquor industry reported a 4% increase in liquor sales in 2011, with? particularly strong increases in exports of American spirits and high-end ?super? premium? beverages (both up more than 10%). The boost in booze spending,? particularly in terms of pricey brands, has been welcomed as an indicator of? continued economic prosperity: Just as sales of cheap liquor brands soared during the height of the? recession (Popov Vodka anybody?), increased spending on top-shelf products is? seen as a sign of consumer confidence.

We?re Drinking More Craft Beer (Even in Cans)
While? overall beer sales have remained stagnant, one tiny segment of the? market?craft beer?has grown substantially. Last year, craft beer posted a 15% increase in sales in the U.S. Bloomberg reports that as of 2010, there were 1,693? breweries in the U.S., a 2000% increase from the mid-?80s. Beer-loving hipsters,? who love PBR and craft beers alike in the can, have helped the can regain? preeminence in the beer market: In 2011, cans accounted for 53% of beer sales,? up from 48% during the import-in-a-bottle-loving mid-?00s.

We?re Spending a Lot More on Booze in Restaurants
The? other eye-opening difference presented in NPR?s alcohol report concerns prices changes on alcohol? consumed at home versus at bars and restaurants. Store prices on beer, wine, and? liquor have actually come down over the past 30 years. As production has become? more efficient, prices at the store have declined 39% from 1982 to 2012, after? adjusting for inflation. Drinks ordered at bars and restaurants, on the other? hand, have increased a whopping 79% during that same time period. Rising costs? of labor and rent at bars and restaurants, as well as an increased focus on? alcohol over food for revenues, are some of the reasons cited for the dramatic? difference. Unsurprisingly, a much larger proportion of consumers? overall? alcohol expenditures go to bars and restaurants nowadays. In 1982, just 24% of? our booze money was spent at bars and stores; today, that figure is up to? 40%.

The obvious takeaway is: To get the most bang (or buzz if you will) for your? buck, it makes more sense than ever to enjoy your beverage of choice at home.? Totally your call if it?s in the can.

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