New Delhi, June 18 -- On few subjects is there a greater generational divide in the developed world than on the merits of having a cocktail. In the past couple of decades in the US, sales of alcohol to those between 65 and 74 years of age rose by half, even after adjusting for inflation.

By contrast, sales declined by 60% to those aged 25 and under. Japan, whose work culture and push for 'total quality management' were once known for long work days and hard drinking by the 'salaryman,' has seen a decline in overall per capita consumption by more than a quarter in the past three decades. In France, of all places, wine consumption, especially of red wines, faces what an analyst calls an "existential" decline.

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