The report notably pointed out the surge in exports, improved marketing, legalization of Sunday liquor sales, new flavors and an improving economy, that helped a 4% increase in spirits sales to US$19.92 billion.

Spirits now account for 33.6% of total US alcohol sales, wine accounts for 17.1% and beer has 49.2% of the US$59.24 billion US drinks industry.

The data represents sales by importers and manufacturers not retail sales.

Beer, aside from small gain in 2008, has lost market share to spirits for each of the last 13 years.

“You’re seeing an economy that’s started growing again, and obviously unemployment is still quite high, but people are getting hired. When people get hired it gives others the confidence to go out and start spending money,” the council’s chief economist, David Ozgo, said about spirits sales.

According to David Ozgo, efforts made by spirits distillers to invest in new product development raised the numbers, saying that around 1,800 new spirits products have been launched in the last three years, adding US$1.5 billion to 2011 sales.

There are more liquor consumers than there were 20 years ago. Those younger consumers are drinking better and more expensive products; much of that growth is being driven by vodka.

“Ten years ago you might have a drinker who had a Budweiser 90% of the time, and today maybe 60% of the time he’s having a Bud and splitting the other 40% between rum and Coke, bourbon and ginger, and maybe a margarita. We’re winning the consumer choices more often than we once did,” David Ozgo analyzed.