FERMENTED AND DISTILLED LIQUORS, STATISTICS OF. Under the headings, BEER, SPIRIT, and WINE, will be found particulars as to the history, manufacture, etc., of these liquors. All that is contemplated in the present article, is a statement of the quantities manufactured and consumed in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1801, the consumption of spirits, British, colonial, and foreign, in the United Kingdom was 8,800,840 gallons. In fifty years, it had considerably more than trebled, hav ing risen in 1851 to 28.760,224 gallons. In the same time, the population had risen from 15,506,794 to 27,452,262. In the' former period, therefore, the consumption was at the rate of little more than half a gallon per head, while in the latter period it amounted to more than a gallon. There would seem, however, to have been something exceptional in the year 1801 to reduce the consumption to the low point we have mentioned, as in the previous year, the consumption was nearly 12 million gallons, and in the succeeding year, more than 151 million gallons; and in no subsequent year did it fall so low as in 1801. The consumption at the two periods was divided over the three countries as fol lows: England, 1801, 6,150,983 gallons—namely, 2,555,920 British; 1,687,839 colonial; and 1,907,224 foreign. In 1851, 13,916,313 gallons—namely, 9,595,368 British ; 2,542, 395 colonial; and 1,778,550 foreign. In the former period, the consumption of each individual was less than three fourths of a gallon; in the latter, nearly seven ninths of a gallon. Scotland, 1801, 930,490—namely, British, 295,931; colonial, 349,237; and foreign, 285,322. 1851, 7,090,894—namely, British, 6,830,710; colonial, 179,883; and foreign, 80,301. The consumption per head in Scotland in 1801 was thus only three fifths of a gallon, while In 1851 it was 2! gallons. Ireland, 1801, 1,719,367—namely, British, 355,106; colonial, 1,057,316; foreign, 306,945. 1851, 7,753,017—namely, British, 7,550,518; colonial, 158,147; foreign, 44,352. In the former period, the consumption per head was two thirds of a gallon; in the latter, about 11 gallon. But there is every reason to believe, that the consumption in 1801 was much larger in the United Kingdom generally than the statistics indicate. Between the periods we have mentioned, the duty on British spirits varied considerably. In England, in 1802, it was 58. 41d. per gallon; in 1819, it had risen to 118. 81d. ; and in 1851, it stood at 7s. 10d. In Scotland, in 1802,
the duty was 3s. 101d. per gallon; it rose. to 9s. 41d. in 1815; and in 1831, was 3s. 8d. In Ireland, in 1802, it was 2s. 101d.; in 1815, it bad risen to Os. lid.; in 1851, it stood at 28. 8d. The duties in the three countries have now been equalized, the sum fixed being at first 8s. per gallon. since raised to 10s., at which it now remains. In 1874; there were manufactured in Great Britain 35,352,232 gallons of proof spirits; imported for home consumption, 10,676,163; exported, 4,697,936: the consumption was therefore 41,330,459 (the pop. being about 32,000,000), or nearly 1+ gallon to each. Of the total number of gallons of proof-spirits distilled in the United Kingdom in 1874 (35,352,232), there were 9,670,525 in England; 16,300,161 in Scotland;, and 9,381,546 in Ireland. The number of gallons on which duty was paid in the United Kingdom in 1874 was 30,690,051, the duty amounting to £15,345,027. Of this sum, £6,741,037 was paid in England, 24,661, i 098 in Scotland, and £3,942,890 in Ireland. The number of gallons on which duty was paid in 1875-76 was 31,219,402. Of the whisky distilled in Scotland in 1874, 4,247,431 gallons were exported into England, and 851,304 into Ireland; Scotland receiving in return from England 68,977, and from Ireland 205,614. Ireland sent to England 2,682, 457 gallons, and got back in return 133,148. Of foreign spirits, there were imported into the United Kingdom in 1874—rum, 8,150, 372 gallons, of which 5,193,860 were for home consumption; brandy, 3,378,057 gallons, nearly all being for home consumption; and other sorts, including Geneva, 2,285,112 gallons, 1,178,160 for home consumption.
The quantity of wine entered for consumption in 1802 was 5,449,710 gallons, upon which a duty of £1,723,339 was paid. In 1851, 6,280,653 gallons; duty, In 1877, 19,568,807 gallons were imported, of which 17,671,120 were retained for home consumption.
The quantity of beer manufactured in Great Britain and Ireland can only be arrived at approximately, the duty being leviable on the malt. The general estimate is, that two bushels of malt produce one barrel, or 36 gallons of beer. In 1874, the quantity of malt brewed in the United Kingdom was 58,728,687 bushels, equal to 29,364,3431 bar rels, or 1,057,116,366 gallons of beer. This beer was made chiefly in England, 52,518, 830 bushels of malt being consumed there; in Scotland, the quantity used was 2,952,134 bushels; and in Ireland, 3,257,723.