Yukon tops Canada's beer sales

Yukon is bucking a national trend when it comes to beer sales, according to Statistics Canada.

A Statistics Canada report shows beer sales are flat or declining in most jurisdictions, while wine and spirits are on the rise.

But in Yukon, beer sales increased by 4.4 percent — the largest increase in Canada.

Yukon's per capita alcohol sales came in at $1,298.40. Sales of wine increased by 8.5 percent.

Meanwhile, per capita tallies for the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are bunched together. They came second with sales of $943.50.

The national average is $712.40.

However, figures on beer, wine and spirits show Nunavut and the N.W.T. mirror national trends away from buying beer.

The figures are drawn from sales by legally authorized agencies. They do not include brew-your-own, homemade or illegal sales.

The data covered the sale of alcoholic beverages in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2011.