OREANDA-NEWS. March 19, 2012. Belarus’ vodka and hard liquor output increased 26.7% on the year in January 2012 to 1.334 million decaliters, an official with Belarus’ National Statistics Committee told reporters.

In the period, cognac output amounted to 26,000 dal, up 13% on the year. “Cognac” is a name used to denote a type of brandy in the former Soviet Union.

The production of sparkling wines went up 9.7% on the year in the period to 124,000 decaliters. Grape wine output decreased 24.8% to 118,000 million decaliters.

The output of fruit wines went down 28.3% to 992,000 decaliters.

Inventories of vodka and other liquors amounted to 934,000 decaliters on February 1, 201w, 70% of the average monthly output. Stock reserve of cognac stood at 21,000 decaliters (80.8%), grape wine – 234,000 decaliters (67.4%), sparkling wine – 82,000 decaliters (66.1%).

Vodka sales increased 7.5% on the year in January 2012 to 919,000 decaliters. Sales of other hard drinks rose 11.6% to 174 million decaliters.

Sales of champagne and sparkling wines went up 14.7% on the year to 18,700 decaliters. Sales of fruit wines fell 32.8% to 823,300 decaliters. Sales of low-alcohol beverages went down 26.7% to 60,200 decaliters. Sales of cognac went down 31.5% on the year to 18,700 decaliters. Sales of grape wines went down 10% on the year to 218,000 decaliters.

The share of vodka in the sales of alcoholic beverages in absolute alcohol terms in Belarus grew by 6.5 percentage points from January 2012 to 51.3%. The share of other hard drinks rose 1.1 percentage points to 7.3%. The share of grape wines in alcohol sales edged up 0.2 percentage point to 4.3%.

Fruit wine sales share decreased 8.2 percentage points to 20.7%. The share of cognac edged up 0.3 percentage points to 1.1%, and of champagne and sparkling wines rose 0.3 percentage points to 1.9%. The share of low-alcohol beverages went down 0.1 percentage point to 0.5%.