A new Gallup Poll finds that Americans who drink are drinking more often and in greater quantity, WebMD reported Aug. 1.

The survey found that while about the same number of Americans are drinking, those who do consume alcohol are drinking on more occasions and downing more drinks at a sitting. Beer was the drink of choice for most Americans; last year, beer and wine had tied as the nation's top drinks.

Gallup queried about a thousand Americans ages 18 and older and found that 64 percent drank alcohol in 2006; that's consistent with the 63 percent of Americans reporting alcohol consumption since the poll on drinking begin in 1939.

In the past decade, however, weekly drinking has risen from 54 percent of drinkers to 71 percent, and the average drinks consumed per week has jumped from 2.8 in 1996 to 4.5 in 2006. Some experts believe that research about the health benefits of moderate drinking may be fueling this trend.

Gallup reported that 41 percent of those polled cited beer as their favorite drink, compared to 33 percent who said wine and 22 percent who said liquor.