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Our Commitment to Accurate Information About Differences in
Alcohol Beverage Choices:  Not All Drinks Are Created Equal

Beer is a unique product with individual attributes, distinct among licensed beverages.
The distilled spirits industry has put forth a concerted effort to convince policymakers that a drink is a drink - whether the drink is a mug of beer, a glass of wine, or a martini. "Alcohol is alcohol is alcohol" is the mantra of the liquor industry, and therefore, "it should all be treated the same." This notion is known as "equivalence," and it is misleading. It does not reflect the way these products are served.

Members of Congress should not be misled by the erroneous assertion that all licensed beverages are the same. There are key differences among beer, wine, and liquor that have been recognized by policymakers since the country's founding, including:

• Alcohol potency;
• The way these different drinks are consumed;
• The way they are regulated; and
• Contributions to the American economy.

The evidence clearly demonstrates that not all drinks are created equal.

Most mixed drinks served in the real world do not equal one glass of wine or one glass of beer. Comparing the potency of alcohol beverages, some single servings of mixed drinks equal two or more glasses of wine or beer. Furthermore, the variety and alcohol content of mixed drinks makes accurate comparisons almost impossible.

The notion that "a drink is a drink," does not convey accurate information.
Take for example typical cocktail recipes in hosting guides distributed by some state alcohol boards. A margarita contains two ounces of tequila and one ounce of Cointreau, a martini contains three ounces of gin or vodka and a dash of vermouth, and a Manhattan contains two ounces of whiskey and one ounce of vermouth. All of these basic cocktails contain at least twice the amount of alcohol that the liquor industry claims is in their notion of a "standard drink."

The fact is that distilled spirits can contain up to ten times as much alcohol per ounce as a can or bottle of beer. A whiskey drinker can consume as much alcohol in one swallow as a beer drinker consumes in one beer. Most cocktails that Americans will recognize contain more alcohol than a bottle of beer; many contain twice as much.

The misguided equivalence campaign favors an industry that imports most of its product and contributes disproportionately fewer jobs and tax dollars to the U.S. economy when compared to the beer industry.

The Beer Serves America Web site, www.beerservesamerica.org, details the significant contribution of the beer industry to our economy in every state and congressional district. Directly and indirectly, beer-related businesses, including brewers, beer wholesalers, retailers, and suppliers employ approximately 1.8 million Americans, paying them $54 billion in wages and benefits. The industry also pays $30 billion in business, personal, and consumption taxes, including nearly $3.7 billion in federal excise taxes alone.