PRINCETON, N.J. — When it comes to the alcoholic drink most often consumed, beer enjoys a comfortable margin over wine, according to Gallup's annual Consumption Habits poll, conducted July 10-13. While beer still is not as widely preferred today as it was in the early 1990s — when close to half of Americans said it was their alcoholic drink of choice — preferences for wine have fallen back from their 2005 high of 39%, to 31%. Nearly half (47%) of drinkers in the 30-49 age group now most often drink beer. That’s a change from Gallup’s 2004 and 2005 surveys, when drinkers between 30 and 49 were about as likely to prefer wine as beer. “This poll shows what we’ve always known — that trends will come and go but beer is here to stay,” Bob Lachky, Anheuser-Busch’s executive vice president, Global Industry and Creative Development, said in a statement in response to the poll. “More Americans are learning — or relearning — how to appreciate the wide variety of beer styles available and how easy it is to pair beer with all types of food, which is also attracting new adult consumers to the beer category.” Drinking preferences among adults ages 21-29 have remained stable in recent years, with the majority showing a wide preference for beer, though still down from 1992. Wine is the preferred beverage of older drinkers, and has been since the early 1990s.
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