Move Over, Europe, Asia-Pacific is Outdrinking You
Bet you thought you knew who the world's biggest drinkers are. I don't mean, among your neighbors, but in the world. Used to be, any time you saw an outdoor cafe in a movie in Paris, or Rome, or Madrid, or Berlin, the actors would be quaffing down drink after drink, or always holding a wineglass in one hand. And yes, Europeans used to be the biggest drinkers. But consumption there has slowed, according to a story at smartplanet.com. However, liquor companies, don't despair. The Asia-Pacific region is taking up where they left off. Who's doing a lot of the imbibing? Would you believe China? "China alone now accounts for 38 percent of global spirits consumption, according to data released this month by International Wine & Spirits Research (IWSR), courtesy of The Economist ." Kirstin Korosec reports. She adds that the IWSR data shows seven of the top 10 growth markets are in the Asia-Pacific region. People in China love "a heady ...