Tea Totalers

---

Our President, Joe Biden does not drink alcohol. The first photo is part of the White House wine cellar. But how many Americans drink alcohol, and how many drink wine? Fifty percent of adult Americans don’t drink wine. According to the latest Wine Market Council Alcohol Consumer Report, a fourth of the U.S. adult population abstains from alcohol completely, mostly due to religious reasons. Another 26%!o(MISSING)f adults choose to drink beer and spirits over wine. Only about 14%!o(MISSING)f U.S. adults consume a majority of the wine in the country, even though the U.S. is the third-largest importer of wine by volume in the world. Hard to believe! According to Winespeed.Speaking of drinking, never underestimate (per Winespeed) Costco. Alcohol sales at Costco in 2020 were $5 billion, nearly double the amount ten years before. Retail stores that sell alcohol have benefitted dramatically as wine, beer, and spirits sales have shifted away from restaurant dining during the pandemic. Costco has 559 store locations in the U.S. and is the largest retailer of wine in the country. Annual global alcohol consumption is 6.4 liters per person over the age of 15. Moderate drinking for healthy adults is one drink for women, and two drinks for men. I don't know why the difference, other than men are larger?A heavy drinker is considered to be 15 drinks per week for men, and 8 drinks per week for women.The average wine consumption in the US is almost 3 gallons per resident. This amounts to over a billion gallons of wine!During the pandemic, wine consumption was down 3%, hard to believe. The U.S. is still the largest wine consuming country in the world.But I am strong proponent of responsible drinking. This means absolutely no driving or cycling while consuming alcohol. And it means moderate drinking in social situations as well.If you are taking drugs for blood pressure, cholesterol, or depression, I highly recommend abstinence.

---