Category: Featured Articles
First Sip: Making Magic
The announcement last month that Walt Disney World would start selling beverage alcohol in the Magic Kingdom generated plenty of media attention. I have to admit that I didn’t get what all the fuss was about at first.
For one thing, it had never occurred to me that the Magic Kingdom was dry and had been for 41 years (though alcohol has been served during catered events). Other theme parks at the resort—Epcot and Animal Kingdom, for instance—do sell alcoholic beverages.
What’s New in American Brew?
Domestic beer is a game of volume: Venerable brands such as Bud Light, Coors Light and Budweiser sell millions of cases of beer every year and dominate the on-premise market.
That’s not to say the domestic beer business is booming, however. According to the Beverage Information Group (Cheers’ parent company), total consumption of the leading domestic beer brands fell 3% from 2010 to 2011. Of the top five brands, only Coors Light experienced a bump in sales last year, and it was up just 1%. And of the top 10 brands, Michelob Ultra was the only other brand to show growth, increasing 0.5% in 2011.
Warming Up to Brandy and Cognac
While most of the consumption remains as an aperitif, with very loyal drinkers, a new audience of young cocktail enthusiasts is experimenting with brandy and cognac. Part of the reason is the classic cocktail revival; modern mixologists are also getting more creative in using the spirits.
Cognac is typically enjoyed by older adults over 35, “but it’s getting some play in cocktails,” says Maxwell Britten, head bartender at Maison Premiere in Brooklyn, N.Y. In the past year or so, he says, “people are talking about it a lot more than usual—they are getting in to grape and brandy spirits overall.”
Southern Wine Stars
Wines from the southern hemisphere are no strangers to wine lists today. Guests frequently opt for tried-and-true malbec from Mendoza, sauvignon blanc from Marlborough and shiraz from McLaren Vale. But venues looking to pump up their wine programs with new offerings might consider venturing off the beaten path. Here are some details on four southern hemisphere wine regions to watch, including producer recommendations and food pairing suggestions, and how to turn wine lovers on to these often less-familiar choices.
American Whiskey is Seeing a Resurgence
The pre-Prohibition cocktail trend that began nearly a decade ago inspired many consumers to experiment with new base spirits in mixed drinks. While gin benefitted the most from the retro cocktail craze, interest in American whiskey also started to pick up.
Enter Mad Men, the AMC hit television show set in the New York advertising world of the 1960s, in which lead characters often enjoy cocktails such as Old Fashioneds and Manhattans. The series, which first aired in 2007, fueled interest in fashion, food and cocktails from the era, and people started to notice whiskey again.
2012 Beer Growth Brands
First, the good news: It’s a great time to be a beer drinker, given the staggering array of choices and styles in brands and types. New trends and options are also giving the beer category a new sophistication and respect, from the continued growth in craft brands and creative packaging to interest in beer/food pairings and concepts such as beer flights.
Now the bad news: Total beer consumption continues to fall. According to research by the Beverage Information Group, Cheers’ parent company, overall beer consumption was down 1.3%, from 2.82 billion 2.25-gallon cases in 2010 to 2.79 billion cases in 2011. Domestic beer consumption fell by 1.6%, while imported beer consumption posted a respectable increase of 1.3%.
Get Social: Creative Ways to Use Facebook, Twitter and the Web to Promote Beverage Programs
Restaurants and bars need more than a website to compete online today. Guests now demand an interactive digital relationship with their favorite venues, including posts on Facebook and updates on Twitter. Social media-savvy operators share best practices, promotions, and the rewards and challenges of consistent communication online with fans and followers.
Online Exclusive: Growth Brands–Ice Beer’s Chill
The ice beer trend is cooling off.
Consumers may be losing their tastes for ice beer brands. While the ice beer category’s share of total held steady at 3.6% for 2011, according to the Beverage Information Group, consumption of ice beer slipped 1.2% to 99.1 million cases for last year.Ice beers, which have a lower water and higher alcohol content, came to prominence in the U.S. in the 1990s. But the proliferation of new craft beers, microbrews and even ciders may be reducing the demand for ice beer brands.
Online Exclusive: Negroni Back in Vogue
The Negroni–that Italian aperitivo with the easy to remember recipe (equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth)—is seeing a major resurgence.
Back2Basics: Varying Varietals
Wine drinkers are by nature adventurous rather than brand-loyal: They’re excited to try new things. At the same time, most wines consumed in this country originate from a handful of star grape varieties. Once we venture beyond chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio and riesling for white wines, and cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec, shiraz, and pinot noir for red wines, the volume of overall sales is remarkably small.