2 ms·

The figure is plausible. Recent figures for Australia's Northern Territory give 14.6 litres of pure alcohol per year per person aged 15 years and older: http:/

• DanBC 15y ago
  As a bit of noodling: (http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=population+of+US+in+1830 http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=population+of+US+in+183...) the US had about 12 million people in 1830. Life expectancy is here: (http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=life+expectancy+in+US+in+1830 http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=life+expectancy+in+US+i...) If we say that 3 million people were drinking 50 bottles of whiskey each per year that's 150 million bottles. If each bottle is half a litre that's 75 million litres. It takes about 100 kg grain to make about 80 litres. 75m / 80 * 100 == 93,750,000 kg grain. That's about 90,000 imperial tons of grain. It takes about 250 labour-hours to produce 100 bushels of wheat. (http://www.agclassroom.org/gan/timeline/farm_tech.htm http://www.agclassroom.org/gan/timeline/farm_tech.htm) That's, uh, my conversions are failing now. (http://www.interstock.ru/0obuch/conversion.pdf http://www.interstock.ru/0obuch/conversion.pdf) okay, I give up. I was trying to see roughly how many people and acres it would take to fuel an 1830 population of 15 year olds at 50 bottles a week.