Survey: Poles drink less vodka, more beer and wine

Aug 16, 2010, 16:46 GMT

Warsaw - Poles are opting for imported beers and wines over vodka as standards of living rise, according to a survey Monday.

Some 76 per cent of those polled by Polish daily Rzeczpospolita said they drink alcohol. Of those, 65 per cent said they drink rarely. A further 22 per cent said they are teetotallers, up from 16 per cent a decade ago.

While vodka is viewed as Poland's traditional alcoholic drink of choice, the poll found that only 17 per cent of respondents choose the spirit these days. By contrast, 52 per cent of respondents said they preferred beer, while a further 21 per cent drink wine instead.

Experts say the dwindling popularity of vodka comes amid changing traditions in the workplace. In communist Poland it was common to celebrate name days with drinks with co-workers. Such a practice has become rare in recent years.

The fashion for Czech and German beer has also made vodka less popular as Poles grow more affluent and opt for better-quality alcohols, the daily said.