It appears many Maritimers are changing their habits when it comes to drinking alcoholic beverages.
New Brunswick beer sales were down 7.5 per cent in the first quarter of this year, compared to sales in 2011. The drop is due in part to the fact that prices are back to normal after deep discounts last year.
However, things are slightly different in Nova Scotia.
“New Brunswick has slightly different issues than we do because they’ve got beer issues on their northern border with Quebec,” says Rick Perkins, spokesman for the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation. “But overall, generally…beer (sales) has been decent.”
The NSLC saw a two per cent increase in beer sales during the long, hot summer. Prince Edward Island saw beer sales jump almost six per cent, while wine sales are up by four per cent.
Maritime wine sales are strongest in Nova Scotia, where the NSLC saw a seven per cent increase.
“Everywhere in the world where you get a healthy industry where you’re producing wines as are producing great wines in Nova Scotia, that generates more interested in the wine category,” says Perkins.
An aging population could also explain the growing shift from beer to wine, as people tend to drink more wine over beer and hard liquor as they grow older.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Ron Shaw
