Beer Sales May Break Mark: Sales of...

Beer Sales May Break Mark: Sales of beer, by far the most popular alcoholic beverage in the nation, are projected to rise 2.3% for a record 190 million barrels in this year’s statistics, a trade journal reported. “Five of the top 10 brands are expected to post advances in 1990, collectively recording a projected gain of 1.2% to 130.8 million barrels,” said the San Francisco-based wine, spirits and beer industries tracker Impact. The final figures for the year could go even higher than expected, said Impact, owing to the race among wholesalers to stock up before the rise in federal excise taxes on beverage alcohol goes into effect on Jan. 1.