OREANDA-NEWS. July 05, 2012. Belarus’ vodka and hard liquor output increased 16.9% on the year in January-May 2012 to 6.356 million decaliters, an official with Belarus’ National Statistics Committee told reorters.

In the period, cognac output amounted to 113,000 dal, up 9.7% 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 6.1% on the year in the period to 589,000 decaliters. Grape wine output decreased 3.9% to 993,000 million decaliters.

The output of fruit wines went down 28.9% to 5.179 million decaliters.

Inventories of vodka and other liquors amounted to 1.203 million decaliters on June 1, 2012, 94.6% of the average monthly output. Stock reserve of cognac stood at 41,000 decaliters (216.8%), grape wine – 276,000 decaliters (139.6%), sparkling wine – 276,000 decaliters (99.3%).

Vodka sales increased 7.5% on the year in January-May 2012 to 4.921 million decaliters. Sales of other hard drinks fell 1.3% to 832,000 decaliters.

Sales of champagne and sparkling wines went down 29.9% on the year to 577,700 decaliters.

Sales of fruit wines fell 29.9% to 4.766 million decaliters. Sales of low-alcohol beverages went down 10.5% to 332,400 decaliters. Sales of cognac went down 33.9% on the year to 95,700 decaliters. Sales of grape wines went down 6.7% on the year to 1.212 million decaliters.

The share of vodka in the sales of alcoholic beverages in absolute alcohol terms in Belarus grew by 6.3 percentage points from January-May 2012 to 50.5%. The share of other hard drinks rose 0.3 percentage points to 6.4%. The share of grape wines in alcohol sales remained unchanged at 4.4%.

Fruit wine sales share decreased 7.5 percentage points to 22.1%. The share of cognac edged up 0.4 percentage points to 1%, and of champagne and sparkling wines rose 0.3 percentage points to 1.6%. The share of low-alcohol beverages remained unchanged at 0.5%.