In case you missed it last week, a new Gallup poll shows that Americans’ alcoholic beverage of choice is beer. 41 percent drink beer more often, compared to 33 percent who drink wine more often and 23 percent who drink liquor more often.

Traditionally beer had been the beverage of choice for adults, but in 2005 wine beat out beer for the first time.

Analysts don’t have an explanation for the turnaround. 2005 may have been an anomaly, or it may be that low-carbohydrate diets are less popular and so people are drinking more beer again.

Results were based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,007 adults, age 18 and older.

*cough* I think they mean “21 and older.” *cough*

Gallup has been tracking Americans’ drinking habits since 1939 and, even in the face of an emphasis on healthier living and anti-drunk driving crusades our rate of consumption has not significantly decreased. 64 percent of Americans report that they drink alcoholic beverages. It was noted that compared to the mid-1990s, people are drinking more frequently and consuming more.

One item from the poll that surprised me is that it is higher-income households that drink with greater frequency than lower-income households. I suppose, though, the guys hanging out in the Bowery don’t really count as “households”.

So, my fellow beer drinkers, let us raise our glasses and toast the other 41 percent of Americans for their good taste.