The Nation’s Liquor Consumption

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 5, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 42.

The Nation’s Liquor Consumption

The consumption of liquor in this country is officially reported by the authorities at Washington as amounting to 69,157,903 gallons of spirits, 19,185,953 barrels of fermented liquor, and 20,508,345 gallons of wine. Estimating the population at about 58,000,000, the average consumption appears to be about 1.2 gallons of whisky for each person yearly, over 10.25 gallons of beer, and .35 of a gallon of wine. The quantity of beer consumed appears to be about 595,000,000 gallons. In other words, the people of this favored land drink about two gallons of liquor for every bushel of wheat that they consume—a striking text for our temperance friends.—N. Y. Tribune.