Beer tax collections in North Carolina were up 3.8 percent during March and show a 1.65 percent increase for the first quarter of 2014.

Tax collections for unfortified (table) wine were up 8.1 percent in March and are up 5.6 percent for the first quarter of 2014.

Tax collections for fortified wine were down 3.2 percent in March and are up 2.6 percent for the first quarter of 2014.

Perhaps the most interesting trend line involves distilled spirits (liquor). Liquor tax revenues were up 4.8 percent in March which means that liquor tax collections have increased 23 out of the last 27 months. That means liquor tax money has gone up on a monthly basis 85 percent of the time, or a “batting average” of .852.

By comparison, beer has experienced a pretty rocky road during the same time period. Beer tax collections have been down in N.C. for 12 of the last 27 months. The beer batting average is at .555.

Similar to liquor, tax revenues for unfortified or table wine are on a steady growth curve. Tax revenues have increased 22 times out of the last 27 months, a batting average of .815.

National surveys show that beer remains the beverage of choice for a plurality of U.S. citizens. An August 2013 Gallup poll listed beer at 36 percent, wine 35 percent and liquor at 23 percent.