Are people drinking less beer?

Apparently, the answer is yes, as this Slate article explains. Both Anheuser-Busch and Molson Coors (that doesn't look right, does it?) reported losses for the first quarter of 2005. And news isn't likely to get better for domestic brewers, as costs for materials are only going to increase.

But here's the thing: we're actually drinking more. We're just not drinking beer. People are buying more imported beer, but not enough to make a dent in Budweiser and Coors sales. No, what's causing the losses is people buying more wine and hard liquor.

Hmm, I have been drinking more whiskey lately, thanks to my infantile Deadwood drinking game...

EDIT: This week, wine critics are sticking up for Merlot, which was famously dissed by Paul Giamatti's character in Sideways. Both Slate and the Washington Post have articles on Merlot this week.