Thirsty northerners are drinking their southern counterparts

Drinkers up north knock back an average 11 pints each week against just seven managed by their southern counterparts. The poll, commissioned jointly by Brewers Fayre and John Smith's, also reveals bitter and stout are favourites with northern consumers against lager which is number one in the south. Northern women also eclipse those in the south, with their average weekly intake of four pints twice that seen down south. Trade observers, however, expressed little surprise at the findings, pointing out that the north has historically been a high-volume drinking region. Secretary of the North West Beer & Pub Association, Lee Le Clercq, said: "There has always been a heavy drinking culture in the north. "It's a throwback to the region's industrial origins which saw beer drinking in the industrialised areas of the north-east, south Yorkshire and the north-west reach a peak during the first half of the last century. "Even though industry has now declined, the culture hasbeen maintained and the same lifestyle has been passed down the generations." Le Clercq added: "Northern pubs tend to be more wet-led and beer orientated than the south while the north-west, in particular, still sees local brewers produce excellent beers at value-for-money prices to suit the working man's pocket." The survey also listed lager, red wine and gin & tonic as favourite northern drinks, with white wine and vodka amongst the south's favoured tipple. Psychologist Dwight Heath, of the Social Issues Research Centre, said drinking habits differed from region to region. "The amount of alcohol drunk by both men and women differs regionally, as does the type of drink they choose, which can reflect membership of a particular group, generation or class," he explained.