There has been a revolution in the alcohol industry as college students - especially women - and regular drinkers veer away from the tap and seek the sweeter taste of wines and coolers. In fact, such trends are creating sale drops for many beer companies who depend on the loyalty of their customers and especially of the younger crowd. In an article called "Wine's Popularity Grows" by Mike Neumann - published on Northern Star Online - Neumann says, "Many of America's 21-29 year old drinkers are choosing wine over other alcoholic beverages, according to a survey conducted by the Wine Market Council..." He continues, "This is the first time since the baby boom generation that an increase of wine consumption has taken place among younger drinkers, according to the council."

Dartmouth students, however, remain extremely loyal to their beer, regardless of the recent trend. A female '07 elegantly poses three reasons for beer's tenure: "First, trying to pound a wine...just doesn't work. Second, anything that requires more than $12 to serve 30 people just isn't worth it. Third, wine belongs on the Princeton campus, not here." While Dartmouth remains the standard-bearer for beer consumption among the Ivies, the trend toward greater wine consumption among college students has clearly manifested itself nationally.

There are several reasons for this shift in tastes, one being college students' false perceptions of wine's perceived advantages over beer. One such myth is that non-beer beverages contain less alcohol than beer. Students drink wine and wine coolers with the belief that by doing so, they are lighter drinkers than beer guzzlers; in actuality, "a 5-oz glass of wine can contain the same amount of alcohol as a 12-oz can of beer," according to D12.com. In fact, Paul Gregutt, a renowned wine connosieur, claims that American wines contain more alcohol than international ones. He says, "The first thing I look for when buying a bottle of wine is the alcoholic content, and since American wines usually are above 13 [percent], I have stopped drinking them. I do not believe I am alone in not liking all this alcohol in wines."

Many drinkers also expect that wine not only contains less alcohol, but that as the Diet Coke of alcohol, it also has far fewer calories, thus preventing a pronounced beer belly. However, in the article "The Beer Belly Myth" on Realbeer.com, Martin Bobak, who led a research team to the Czech Republic (a country famous for its beer consumption), says, "Beer may not be the real culprit in a beer belly, but beer drinking is linked to other aspects of diet and lifestyle that may cause a beer belly." In other words, a person who drinks beer is more likely to overindulge in other ways. This low-calorie perception, however, has driven down beer sales. According to Gregory Cancelada, author of a recent article on the alcohol industry, "Major brewers expect to see lackluster sales this year as low-carbohydrate diets and the surging popularity of distilled spirits among young drinkers send fewer consumers to the tap."

Girls are also getting on the alcohol bandwagon, and when they do, they prefer wines, spirits and especially fruit-flavored drinks, which Marin Institute refers to as "a class of beverages informally known as 'alcopops.'" Marin Institute also reports, "The percentage of teenage girls who drink alcoholic beverages is rising faster than that of boys, and on average, the girls take their first drink at age 13." Apparently, the traditional belief that women were more likely to abstain from alcohol due to differing sex roles has now proven irrelevant.

Convenient packaging of wines is another cause for the increase in wine consumption. Gregutt says, "Screwcaps, which have become quite common in Australian and New Zealand imports, are now being used by a growing number of American wineries." The easy-opening screwcap obviously makes wine less intimidating to college students, as opposed to the traditional cork. For traditionalists of the wine industry, these caps indicate loss of quality, but collegians are not phased. Along with screw caps are boxes, cans, Tetra Paks, and even jugs.

However, while the rest of the country relishes in drinking classy California wine, students at Dartmouth continue to cherish Keystone Light. Michael B. Greene '07, a Sigma Alpha Epsilon brother, erects a shrine in beer's honor.

"I like to consider myself a sophisticated guy, but when it comes to wine and beer, beer is the clear winner. Granted, a 5 liter box of Franzia (I prefer the 'blush') has its merits, but a 30 of Keystone is the undisputed king of Wednesday nights. How many people do you see playing pong with a vintage Cabernet? Trust me, I've tried wine pong, and beer, cup for cup, game for game, provides a much more satisfying experience. Wine has its time and place, but a true connoisseur never lets his trusty old friend Keystone down."

At the same time, there are those who only care to get their "crunk on." A male '07 says with typical Dartmouth apathy, "Quite frankly, I turn my nose up at talk of the recent upsurge in wine's popularity. To me, alcohol is alcohol, and besides, when you're on a college campus and comparing Franzia and Keystone, who the hell really cares! Just give me twenty minutes and twenty shots of either and I'm on my way to a great night. And a really, really bad morning."

In the end, whether it's malted, blushed, slightly tart, or home to a worm, you can be assured that college students are blissfully drinking their way to sunrise agony.