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Beer's lead over wine and spirits has returned to double digits for the first time since 2002, particularly among adults between the ages of 30 and 49 who tried wine for a few years then switched back to beer, according to a new Gallup poll. The survey is good news for local brewers like MillerCoors, the merged Miller Brewing Co. and Coors Brewing Co., but not-so-good news for spirits and wine-makers. Meanwhile, new data released by the Brewers Association of Boulder, Colo., show that craft beer remains the fastest growing segment of the beer market. For the first half of 2008, craft beer sales were up 11 percent compared with the same period last year. Wisconsin craft beer brewers include Sprecher Brewing Co., in Glendale, New Glarus Brewing Co., in New Glarus, and Capital Brewing Co., of Madison. The rate of craft beer sales growth was still lower than the 16 percent increase for all of 2007, according to the Brewers Association. The association noted that the craft beer industry is struggling with the soft economy, raw material supplies and pricing. Gallup's annual Consumption Habits poll shows that in combined data from its 2004 and 2005 surveys, drinkers between 30 and 49 were about as likely to prefer wine as beer. Now, drinkers in this age bracket have shifted back to beer, with an average of 47 percent in the combined 2007-08 data, saying they most often drink beer. Drinking preferences among adults ages 21 to 29 have remained stable in recent years, with the majority showing a wide preference for beer. The Brewers Association data could explain some of that trend. Citing data from The Nielsen Company, the association said beer sales are affected the least by economic downturns, with wine sales showing the most impact. Additionally, craft beer is gaining customers from across all segments of beverage alcohol. Beer continues to represent the largest segment in the alcohol beverage category in volume and dollar sales, accounting for 56 percent of all alcohol beverage servings, according to the Gallup poll. difference between light regular beer beer watercolors nantucket