Americans are drinking more craft beer and wine

By Fred Tasker, McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Americans are continuing their love affair with wine as 2014 arrives, but we may love beer and spirits even more. We drink a lot of wine, more last year for the 19th year in a row — up 2 percent to 360 million 12-bottle cases, according to wine consultants Gomberg, Fredrikson & Associates.

Craft beer is coming on strong. It rose 15 percent in 2012 while regular beer was up only 1 percent, the Brewers Association said. And spirits, especially expensive ones, are gaining. Irish whiskey grew 18 percent in 2012, Gallup said. Bourbon was up 4.5 percent.

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