The production of malt liquors in this country as an industry is second only in importance to the production of breadstuffs. Their consumption is steadily on the increase, as is also the amount consumed in proportion to other kinds of alcoholic beverages. The following tables are taken from recent statistics, compiled by the Bureau of Statistics, U. S. Treasury Department, from figures obtained from official sources:1

1 Statements Nos. 32 to 50, inclusive, of the Quarterly Report No. 2 series 1886-'87, of the Chief of the Bureau of Statistics, Government Printing Office, 1887.

2 Product less exports. 3Included with "All other."

Annual consumption of distilled and malt liquors and wines in the United States and the average annual consumption per capita of population during the years 1840, 1850, 1860, and from 1870 to 1886, inclusive.

Distilled spirits consumed.

Wines consumed.

Year ending June 30-

Spirits of domestic product.

Imported spirits entered for consumption.

Total.

Wines

of domestic

product.2

Imported wines entered for consumption.

Total.

From fruit.

All other.

Pr. galls.

Pr. galls.

Pr. galls.

Pr. galls.

Gallons.

Gallons.

Gallons.

1840................

(3)

40, 378, 090

2. 682, 794

43, 060, 884

124, 734

4, 748, 362

4, 873, 096

1850................

(3)

46, 768, 083

5, 065,390

51,833,473

221,249

6, 094, 622

6,315,871

1860................

(3)

83, 904, 258

6, 064, 393

89, 968, 651

1, 860, 008

9, 199,133

11,059,141

1870................

1,223,830

77, 266. 368

1,405,510

79, 895, 708

3,059.518

9,165, 549

12, 225, 067

1871

2,472,011

59, 842, 617

1, 745,033

64,059.661

4, 980, 783

10, 853,280

15, 834, 063

1872................

1, 089, 698

65,145, 880

2,186, 702

68, 422, 280

6, 968, 737

9, 713, 300

16, 682, 037

1873................

2, 965, 987

62, 945,154

2, 125, 998

68, 037,139

8, 953,285

9, 893, 746

18,847.031

1874................

766, 687

61,814,875

1,958,528

64, 540, 090

10, 951, 859

9, 516, 855

20, 468, 714

1875................

1, 757, 202

62, 668, 709

1,694,647

66, 120, 558

12,954.961

7, 036, 369

19, 991, 330

1876................

672,221

57, 340,472

1,471,197

59, 483, 890

14, 968, 085

5, 193, 723

20,161,808

1877................

1,527,141

57, 016,248

1, 376, 729

59.920,118

16,942,592

4, 933, 738

21, 876, 330

1878................

1,103,351

49, 600, 838

1,227,752

51,931,941

17, 953, 386

4, 310, 563

22, 263, 949

1879................

1,021,708

52, 003,467

1, 253, 300

54, 278,475

19,845,113

4,532,017

24, 377,130

1880................

1, 005, 781

61,126,634

1, 394, 279

63, 526, 694

23, 298, 940

5, 030, 601

28,329,541

1881................

1,701, 206

67, 426, 000

1,479,875

70, 607, 081

18, 931, 819

5, 231, 106

24,162, 925

1882................

1,216,850

70, 759, 548

1, 580, 578

73, 556, 976

19, 934, 856

5, 628, 071

25, 562, 927

1883................

1, 253, 278

75, 508, 785

1,690,624

78, 452, 687

17,406, 028

8,372,152

25, 778,180

1884................

1,137,056

78, 479, 845

1,511,680

81,128, 581

17,402,938

3,105, 407

20, 508, 345

1885................

1. 468, 775

67, 689, 250

1, 442, 067

70, 600, 092

17,404, 698

4, 495, 759

21, 900, 457

1886................

1, 555, 994

69, 295, 361

1, 410, 259

72, 261, 614

17, 366, 393

4, 700, 827

22, 067, 220

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

Year ending June 30-

Malt liquors consumed.

Total consumption

of wines and liquors.

Total consumption per capita of population.

Malt liquors of domestic product.1

Imported malt liquors entered for consumption.

Total.

Distilled spirits

Wines.

Malt liquors.

All

wines

and

liquors.

Gallons.

Gallons.

Gallons.

Gallons.

Pr. Galls

Gallons.

Gallons.

Gallons.

1840 ............

23,162, 571

148, 272

23, 310, 843

71,244,817

2. 52

0.29

1.36

4. 17

1850.............

36, 361, 708

201,301

36, 503, 009

94, 712, 353

2.23

0.27

1.58

4.08

1860 .............

100, 225, 879

1,120, 790

101, 346, 699

202, 374,461l

2.86

0.35

3.22

6.43

1870 .............

203,743, 401

1,012,755

204, 756.156

296, 876, 931

2.07

0. 32

5.30

7.69

1871..............

239, 838,137

1, 299, 990

241, 138,127

321,031,851

1. 62

0.40

6.09

8. 11

1872..............

268,357,983

1, 940, 933

270,888,916

355,403,203

1.68

0.41

6. 65

8.74

1873..............

298, 519,675

2, 177,587

300, 697, 262

387, 58.1,432

1.63

0.45

7.27

9.29

1874..............

297, 519, 981

2, 001, 084

299,521.065

384, 529, 869

1.51

0.48

6.99

8. 98

1875 ............

292, 961,047

1,992,110

291, 953,157

381,065,045

1. 50

0.45

6.71

8.66

1876.............

306, 852, 467

1,483, 920

308, 336,387

387, 982,085

1.32

0.45

6.83

8.60

1877.............

303, 854, 988

1,072, 679

304, 926, 667

386,723,115

1.29

0.47

6.58

8.34

1878..............

317,136, 597

832, 755

317,969,352

392,165,242

1.09

0.47

6. 68

8. 24

1879..............

343,724,971

880, 514

344, 605,485

423,261,090

1.11

0.50

7.05

8.60

1880..............

413, 208, 885

1,011,280

414,220,165

506, 076,400

1.26

0.56

8.26

10.08

1881..............

442,947,664

1, 164, 505

444, 112,169

538, 882, 175

1.37

0.47

8. 63

10.47

1882.............

524, 843, 379

1,536,601

526, :S79, 980

625, 499, 883

1.39

0.48

9.97

11.81

1883..............

549, 616, 338

1,881,002

551,497,340

655, 728, 207

1. 45

0.48

10 18

12.11

1884..............

588, 005, 609

2,010,908

590,016,517

691,653,443

1.40

0.37

10.62

12.45

1885..............

594, 063,095

2, 068, 771

596,131,866

688,632,415

1.24

0.38

10.41

12. 06

640,746, 288

2,221,432

642, 967, 720

737, 296, 554

1.24

0.38

11.18

12.62

1 Product less exports.

Notes

(1) The data as to product of domestic liquors and wines for 1840, 1850, and 1860 were derived from the Census. (2) The consumption of imported liquors and wines for 1840, 1850, and 1860 is represented by the net imports. (3) The production of domestic wines, from 1870 to 1885, has been estimated by the Department of Agriculture; by Mr. Charles McK. Looser, president of Wine and Spirit Traders' Society, New York, and other well-informed persons, and the*amount stated as consumed represents the production minus the exports. (4) The consumption of domestic spirituous and malt liquors, from 1870 to 1886, was obtained from the reports of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue. (5) In computing the quantity of sparkling and still wines and vermuth in bottles, 5 so-called quart bottles are reckoned as equivalent to the gallon. (6) The consumption of distilled spirits as a beverage is estimated to bo about 90 per cent, of the product consumed for all purposes.

This table shows admirably the rapid increase, especially in the last ten years, of the consumption of malt liquors, and the relative decrease 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 188G it was nine times as much. The amount of distilled liquor 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 driving 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. Taking 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 comparative tables, from which it appears that while the United States quite holds her own in the quantity of distilled liquors consumed, she is still far behind the other great nations in the consumption of the milder alcoholic liquors.

Comparative summary of the consumption per capita of population in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, of distilled spirits, wines, and malt liquors during each year from 1881 to 1885, inclusive.

[From original official data.)

Distilled Spirits.

Wines.

Malt Liquors.

Tears.

United States.

United Kingdom.

France.

Germany.

United States.

United Kingdom.

France.

Germany.

United States.

United Kingdom.

France.

Germany.

Galls.

Galls.

Galls.

Galls.

Galls.

Galls.

Galls.

Galls.

Galls.

Galls.

Galls.

Galls.

1881........

1.39

1.00

.94

1.32

.48

.43

18.52

(1)

9. 97

33.90

(1)

22.35

1882........

1.45

1.07

1.08

1.14

.48

.41

27.10

(1)

10.18

33. 65

(1)

22.45

1883.......

1.46

1.03

1.24

1.19

.37

.40

30.75

(1)

10.62

33.13

(1)

22.45

1884.......

1.24

1.05

1.25

1.11

.38

.39

30.67

(1)

10.44

32.72

(1)

23.19

1885........

1.24

1.01

1.32

1.14

.38

.37

36.88

(1)

11.18

32.79

(1)

23. 78

1 No data.

Note

The years referred to are, for France and Great Britain, calendar years; for the United States, the five years ending June 30, 1886; for Germany in the case of beer, the five years ending March 31, 1885, and in the case of spirits the five years ending March 31, 1881, these being the latest years for which data were obtainable.

It is hardly necessary, after the above showing, to dwell upon the importance of this article of daily consumption, or the necessity of a thorough acquaintance with its manufacture, composition, and the nature and extent of its adulterations. There is no beverage that compares with it in the amount consumed by the people except water, and possibly milk. But little supervision has been exercised over its manufacture and sale, except the rigorous enforcement by the Government of its demands for a share in the profits of its manufacture.