OREANDA-NEWS. June 5, 2012. Belarus’ vodka and hard liquor output increased 21.2% on the year in January-April 2012 to 5.21 million decaliters, an official with Belarus’ National Statistics Committee told reporters.

In the period, cognac output amounted to 90,000 dal, up 3.4% 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 4% on the year in the period to 466,000 decaliters. Grape wine output decreased 10.2% to 745,000 million decaliters.

The output of fruit wines went down 28.5% to 4.034 million decaliters.

Inventories of vodka and other liquors amounted to 1.248 million decaliters on May 1, 2012, 95.8% of the average monthly output. Stock reserve of cognac stood at 41,000 decaliters (182.2%), grape wine – 232,000 decaliters (124.6%), sparkling wine – 105,000 decaliters (90.1%).

Vodka sales increased 15.2% on the year in January-April 2012 to 3.893 million decaliters. Sales of other hard drinks rose 5.1% to 675,900 decaliters.

Sales of champagne and sparkling wines went up 21% on the year to 472,300 decaliters. Sales of fruit wines fell 29.8% to 3.686 million decaliters. Sales of low-alcohol beverages went down 12.8% to 254,600 decaliters. Sales of cognac went down 31% on the year to 76,700 decaliters. Sales of grape wines went down 5% on the year to 956,100 decaliters.

The share of vodka in the sales of alcoholic beverages in absolute alcohol terms in Belarus grew by 6.8 percentage points from January-April 2012 to 50.8%. The share of other hard drinks rose 0.5 percentage points to 6.7%. The share of grape wines in alcohol sales edged up 0.1 percentage point to 4.4%.

Fruit wine sales share decreased 8.5 percentage points to 21.7%. The share of cognac edged up 0.4 percentage points to 1%, and of champagne and sparkling wines rose 0.3 percentage points to 1.7%. The share of low-alcohol beverages went down 0.1 percentage point to 0.5%.