Gallup poll finds beer still adult drink of choice
However, survey doesn’t address why that is the case
What’s your adult beverage of choice, readers? According to a new Gallup poll, there’s a good chance the answer is beer. Gallup found that more than four in 10 Americans (42 percent) who drink alcohol said they prefer beer. Another 34 percent selected wine, and 19 percent of Americans chose liquor.
Looking at past polls, this information doesn’t come as a surprise. Gallup notes that beer has almost always been Americans’ preferred alcoholic beverage since the organization began asking “Do you most often drink liquor, wine or beer?” in 1992.
Wine has topped beer a few times over the years, but overall, beer has had the lead. Given the movement in the past few decades toward craft distilleries and a burst of interest in regional wine tours, one might expect to see more change in those numbers.
At the same time, however, there has also been an emphasis on craft breweries. Yuma is now home to a craft brewery, and San Diego and Phoenix both have multiple craft breweries. Beer is perpetually changing and innovating, while at the same time keeping the standards, too.
What the Gallup poll doesn’t address is why one would prefer beer over wine or liquor. Is it cost or taste? Is it because there’s an element of portability, as in, it’s easier to put beer in a cooler and take it along? Wine has pushed back on the portability side, now coming in a variety of packaging sizes and shapes. Beer comes in one-serving sizes, but so too do some varieties of wine.
It would be interesting to see why people prefer one adult beverage over another, and the factors that feed into that choice.
What do you think, Yuma? Do you agree that beer is still king, or do you prefer wine or liquor, and why? Let us know — share your thoughts online at www.YumaSun.com, or send us a Letter to the Editor at letters@yumasun.com.
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