...beer! A cold brew is back on top as the preferred drink--having been toppled by wine last year for the first time ever.

But whether it's beer, wine or cocktails, Americans enjoy their evening drinks. Fully 64 percent of Americans say they drink alcohol, according to a new Gallup Poll conducted in July. That number has held fairly steady since 1939 when Gallup first started asking Americans about their drinking habits.

Even so, those who do drink are not only drinking more frequently, but also they're consuming more drinks per week than just a decade ago, 4.5 drinks compared with 2.8. Fully 71 percent told the Gallup pollsters they had had an alcoholic drink in the previous week, up sharply from the 54 percent who said the same thing in 1996. Those who drink the most also have the most money. Fully 82 percent of those whose household income is greater than $75,000 a year drink, compared with 44 percent for those whose incomes are less than $30,000. Senior citizens are the least likely to drink.

What drinks are favored?
Beer: 41 percent
Wine: 33 percent
Liquor: 23 percent

Last year, 39 percent said they drank wine, compared to 36 percent who favored beer. Until then, beer was always the No. 1 alcoholic beverage, beating wine by as much as 19 percent some years. In 1992, the first year in which the poll was conducted, 46 percent of drinkers said they opted for a beer, compared with just 27 percent who preferred a chilled glass of wine.

But why are we drinking more now than ever before? The researchers speculate it's the spate of recent health studies that show drinking in moderation may help prevent heart disease and help you to live longer. The key word? Moderation. That's one glass per day of wine, beer or liquor for women and no more than two glasses a day for men.

--From the Editors at Netscape