OREANDA-NEWS. January 14, 2011. Belarus’ vodka and hard liquor output increased 3.8% on the year in January-November 2010 to 13.2 million decaliters, an official with Belarus’ National Statistics Committee announced.

In value terms, vodka and hard liquor output increased 3.8% to 672.6 billion Belarusian rubles (Br).

Wine product output rose 10% to 749.7 billion rubles.

In the period, cognac output amounted to 197,000 decaliters, down 6.6% 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 17% on the year to 2.043 million decaliters, and the output of fruit wines rose 4.9% to 16.5 million decaliters. The production of sparkling wines went up 17.2% on the year in the period to 1.3 million decaliters.

Inventories of vodka and other liquors amounted to 1.3 million decaliters on December 1, 2010, 111.6% of the monthly output, to the amount of 96.4 billion rubles, 157.6% of the monthly output.

Inventories of wine products were at 73.5 billion rubles, 108.1% of the monthly output.

Vodka sales decreased 1.2% on the year in January-November 2010 to 10.03 million decaliters. Sales of other hard drinks rose 32.2% to 1.557 million decaliters, sales of grape wines went up 18.5% on the year to 2.633 million decaliters.

Sales of cognac went up 25.7% to 245,000 decaliters, sales of sparkling wines went up 10.4% on the year to 1.025 million decaliters. Sales of fruit wines increased 5.2% to 16.254 million decaliters.

The share of vodka in the sales of alcoholic beverages [in absolute alcohol terms on December 1, 2010] in Belarus decreased to 43.1% in January-November 2010 from 46.2% in January-November 2009. The share of other hard drinks rose 1 percentage point to 5%. 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 31.4%.

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.