OREANDA-NEWS. Belarus decreased the output of all kinds of alcoholic beverages (vodka, hard liquor, fermented beverages - fruit wines, mixed drinks with alcohol content - sparkling wine), except grape wine and brandy in January-August 2014, an official with Belarus' National Statistics Committee (Belstat) told.

Belarus' vodka and hard liquor output decreased 9.1% on the year in January-August 2014 to 8.099 million decaliters. In August alone they produced 919 million dal of vodka and hard liquors, down 4.3% year in year, up 26.9% on the month.

The output of grape wine grew 2.9% year on year in Jan-Aug 2014 to 1.956 million dal; sparkling wines - down 28.4% year on year to 750,000 dal; brandy - up 5.6% to 209,000 dal; fermented beverages - down 3.4% to 7.43 million dal.

Inventories of vodka and other liquors stood at 1.903 million decaliters as of September 1, 2014, 188% of the average monthly output. Stock reserves of cognac stood at 24,000 decaliters, 91.9% of the average monthly output; sparking wines - 129,000 dal (137.6% of the average monthly output), grape wines - 232,000 dal (94.9%), fermented drinks - 435,000 dal, 46.9% of the average monthly output.