The herald., 1896-12-09
Local, Eastern AMI Foreign
Commercial Dealings
WALL STREET SPECULATION
The Teutonic Beverage Becomes Popular
Here
Beer Consumption Increases, While That
Of Spirits Decreases-Record by Periods
in United States-Local Markets.

The increase in the consumption of beer
in the United States is one of the most re-
markable things in the liquor trade. The
following statistics are to the point:
One of the remarkable indications of the
times says the Washington Cd. c. Liquor
Dealer is the increase Of the brewery pro-
duct over the distilation of spirits in the
United States. To a certain extent that is
injurious to the producer of distilled spirits
beer has taken the place of whisky as
beverage. The total product of distilled
spirits in the United States for the year 1895
was 81. .909,77l gallons, while the product of
beer in the United States for the year
amounted to 1041, ,2s9, soi gallons. The
United States product OF distilled spirits for
the year 1894 wos 92 lag, ,651 gallons, which,
compared with product of 1895, shows fall
ing off of mere than II per cent, while the
increase of the beer product of the United
States for the year 1888 over the proe'uct OF
the year 1894 amounted to 227, ALL barrels or
T049,741 gallons The wheat crop OF the
United States for the year 1895 amounted
to about 4700G0,000 bushels. valued at $751;
9SS y9S. The proG'uct of beer in the United
States for the year of 1895 was 90. $50. I3i bar
rels valued at about $1s5000,o0O; nearly
equaling the value of the wheat crop.
The consumption of beer in the United
States for the year 1876 amounted to 3cS,-
356.3S7 gallons of which 800 gallons
were imported. For the year 1856 the
amount consumed was 642, 967, 120 gallons, of
which 2,921 432 We're imported, an increased
consumption of more than 100 per cent. The
per capita consumption for the yer 1876 was
6.S3 gallons: while for 1885 it amounted to
1l.20 gallons. The consumption of wines
in the United States for the year 1876 was
less than one-half gallon per capita, the
decimal OF the gallon being a. 1t was
down to 80 in 1884. ard for 1895 it was only
.2S. The consumption of distilled spirits
proof gallons, in the United States for the
year amounted to .s3 gallons per capita,
while for the year 1895 ii had fallen TO 1.l2
gallons per capita.
This indicates that the cons umption of
beer has increased more than 100 per cent.
OF the beer product of the United States
for the year 1895, New York produced 9,I5s-
sol barrels. Pennsylvania stands second in
the list with 1851 .S3s barrels and Illinois
third with a product of 3.292S24 barrels.
Wisconsin is fourth on the list with 2,se7
up with 2.693,o o60 and 2,13o,224. respectively.
Kansas ana Indian Territory Jointly are
credited with bur 50lS barrels, while New
Mexico and Arizona show joint product
Of but 1913 barrels. Besides the domestic
product OF beer consumed in the United
States during the year 1885. there were i'm
ported matt liquors, entered for consump-
tion, 3.C33,06i gallons, making a grand total
of l053, 1872 106 gallons: a per capita con-
sumption of 1895 gallons.
The large increase in the German popu-.
laticn of the country has produced or
brought about change in the tippling
habit of the country-the taste being turn
ed away from whisky. brandy and gin ale
and porter and stout and wines to beer. so
much that the native Yankee. in the matter
of beer drinking has become more German
than the German himself. In the matter
of beer drinking Belgium takes the lead of
the nations of the world; and it is at Ghent,
Belgium. that the art of brewing is regu-
larly taught, a school being established
and maintained at government expense
for such purposes. The area of Belgium is
1870 square miles with a population of
6oO0.OGt still she manages to consume the
product of her 2900 breweries. which pro-
duce annually upward of 5000. 900 barrels of
beer But it would seem from the saying
of DR.. Henri Won Laer. the director of the
brewing school at Ghent. and who has but
recently visited this country, that the $780,
UW barrels of beer produced in Belgium are
not sufficiert to meet the demand, and i'm
ports of the amber-coored beverage are
made from Germany and England. DIR. Won
I.aer is in the United States by direction of
his government. to make inspection of the
brcweries of this country. He has already
visited the breweries at ST. Louis. Milwau-
kee, Cincinnati, Buffalo and other cities.
and expresses himself as being highly
pleased and much instructed