Diverse Flavor Varieties Driving Alcohol Sales To Record Highs

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - A new study shows Americans are consuming alcohol in record numbers with the adult beverage industry reporting sales of nearly $200 billion last year.

There are more people developing a taste for the hundreds of flavors among whisky, vodka, and beer.

For one Sacramento bar, there is no question its sea of spirits keep bartenders pouring drinks.

"We have over 170 whiskeys and 150 beers at Pour House, and people do love having the selection," said Pour House General Manager Jason Poole.

Poole has seen firsthand how alcohol sales have shot up thanks to the flavorful adult beverages.

"Wells, out of London, make banana bread beer. Trust me, that does taste like good old grandma's banana bread," said Poole.

From fruit-filled beers to whiskey with a sweet kick, recent research from Chicago-based firm Technomic shows it's the change-up in what we cheers to that is behind the booming $200 billion industry.

"A lot of different beers to try, whiskeys to try, wines to try. The variety causes you to go out there and experience the different flavors that are out there," consumer Terry Geiger said.

Technomic's study showed that Americans downed 7.7 million gallons of alcohol in 2012, which is up 1 percent from 2011.

For Shady Lady bartender Ian Young, it's all about crafting his cocktails for his customer's character.

"(I) try to explore who they are as a person, a consumer, and it really opens them up," he said.

Young appreciates local distilleries' new concoctions.

"One thing reflective of these local distilleries is they want to make you feel like home using a lot of products that are locally grown," said Young. It's all done with the goal of "smelling like home" and "tasting like home" Young added.

This recent research also shows beer chugging is up 0.7 percent after several years of falling flat.

According to Technomic's latest research, wine has also seen growth with a nearly 3 percent rise, which contributes more than 10 percent of sales to the adult beverage industry.