California adults now drink, on average, less than a gallon of ethanol from beer each year. They're making up for it by drinking more wine and distilled spirits.
California beer consumption per adult fell 12 percent from 1998 to 2010, according to the latest federal statistics.
Over that same period California wine consumption per adult grew by 22 percent, while distilled spirits consumption grew by 16 percent.
Beer remains the most popular alcoholic beverage, with California adults drinking an average of 0.97 gallons of ethanol from beer a year, compared to three-quarters of a gallon of spirits and half a gallon of wine. Beer is about 4.4% ethanol, so California adults drink, on average, about 22 gallons a year.
California alcohol consumption decreased slightly during the recession but has trended upward slightly overall in the last decade. Consumption remains well below levels from the 1980s and 1990s. (About 40 percent of California adults rarely or never drink alcohol.) > > > > Read More
