268 



FOOD AND FOOD ADULTERANTS. 



Annual consumption of distilled and malt liquors and wines, #c. Continued. 



1 Product less exports. 



This table shows admirably the rapid increase, especially in the last 

 ten years, of the consumption of malt liquors, and the relative de 

 crease in the consumption of the stronger alcoholic beverages. Thus it 

 will be seen that in 1840 the amount of malt liquor consumed per capita 

 was a little over one-half the amount of distilled liquor consumed; 

 while in 1886 it was nine times as much. The amount of distilled liq- 

 uor consumed per capita has diminished during the twenty six years to 

 one-half, while the amount of malt liquor consumed has increased very 

 nearly seven times; or, in other words, the malt liquors have been driv- 

 ing out the distilled at the rate of about .05 gallons per capita each 

 year, and supplanting it at the rate of about .38 gallons per capita. 



The average quantity consumed annually for the last three years was 

 609,705,307 gallons, of which 2,100,370 gallons were imported. Talcing 

 this as a basis, Mr. F. N. Barrett, in the publication above mentioned, 

 estimates the amount expended for beer per annum at (304,852,683, 

 placing the cost to the consumer at 50 cents per gallon. The cost to 

 the consumer of the total quantity of liquors per annum he places at 

 $700,000,000. 



That there is still opportunity for increase in the consumption of malt 

 liquors in the United States will be seen from the following cornpara 



