NEW YORK - According to data released by Beverage Marketing Corp., soda is the consumer beverage of choice in the U.S., followed by bottled water, beer, milk and coffee.

Advertising Age reports that the average consumer drank nearly 45 gallons of soda last year, which fully validates the mega advertising budgets last year of Coke ($267 million), Pepsi ($154 million) and Dr Pepper ($104 million). However, the category fell sharply from 2005, when the average consumer drank 51.5 gallons.

The bottled water category, which includes bulk containers, has been steadily increasing and represents the second-most consumed beverage ?" 28.3 gallons per consumer ?" followed by beer at 21 gallons per consumer.

The remainder of the top 12 are milk (20.4 gallons), coffee (18.5 gallons), fruit beverages (11.5 gallons), tea (10.3 gallons), sports beverages (4 gallons), wine (2.3 gallons), value-added water (1.5 gallons), distilled spirits (1.5 gallons) and energy drinks (1.2 gallons).

Among the top 12, energy drinks made the biggest jump in consumption, from 0.5 gallons per consumer in 2005 to 1.2 gallons per person last year.

"Two overriding trends that we've seen in recent years are consumer demand for variety and consumer demand for healthier refreshment," said Gary Hemphill, managing director-chief operating officer at Beverage Marketing Corp., adding that some of the consumption trends can be attributed to economic factors.

"White-collar consumers fared better through the economy than blue-collar consumers, so what we've seen is mass market, traditional categories like carbonated soft drinks and fruit beverages underperform the market, while some of the more premium categories, like ready-to-drink teas and energy drinks, have outperformed the market," he said. "To some extent that's consumer tastes, but it's also this tale of two different consumers in a weak economy."