OREANDA-NEWS. December 24, 2010. Belarus’ vodka and hard liquor output increased 2.7% on the year in January-October 2010 to 11.9 million decaliters, an official with Belarus’ National Statistics Committee told.

In value terms, vodka and hard liquor output increased 2.7% to 600.2 billion Belarusian rubles (Br).

Wine product output rose 9.7% to 669.4 billion rubles.

In the period, cognac output amounted to 173,000 decaliters, down 11.7% on the year. “Cognac” is a name used to denote a type of brandy in the former Soviet Union.

Belarus’ output of grape wines increased 19.2% on the year to 1.872 million decaliters, and the output of fruit wines rose 4.6% to 14.9 million decaliters. The production of sparkling wines went up 16.6% on the year in the period to 1.146 million decaliters.

Inventories of vodka and other liquors amounted to 1.3 million decaliters on November 1, 2010, 107.2% of the monthly output, to the amount of 91 billion rubles, 151.6% of the monthly output.

Inventories of wine products were at 75.8 billion rubles, 113.6% of the monthly output.

Vodka sales decreased 1.6% on the year in January-October 2010 to 9.145 million decaliters. Sales of other hard drinks rose 30.9% to 1.39 million decaliters, sales of grape wines went up 17.8% on the year to 2.398 million decaliters.

Sales of cognac went up 24.6% to 220,000 decaliters, sales of sparkling wines went up 8.6% on the year to 915,000 decaliters. Sales of fruit wines increased 4.5% to 14.731 million decaliters.

The share of vodka in the sales of alcoholic beverages [in absolute alcohol terms on November 1, 2010] in Belarus decreased to 43.1% in January-October 2010 from 46.2% in January-October 2009. The share of other hard drinks rose 0.9 of a percentage point to 4.9%. The share of grape wines in alcohol sales edged up 0.5 of a percentage point to 4%.

Fruit wine sales share decreased 0.3 of a percentage point to 31.3%.

The share of cognac edged up 0.1 of a percentage point to 1% and of sparkling wines remained unchanged at 1.2 percentage points.