Instead, we are looking at the latest reports that indicate consumers are not yet believing they are out of the woods on their finances. They exercise caution in their grocery shopping and their restaurant expenses.

Meal planning, according to the NPD Group study, will remain on the thrifty side. Consumers have learned how to make better meals with less and are not ready to jump from the calm ship and break out the foie gras. The study reports that consumers do not see their situation improving over the next 12 months and plan to continue strategies they employed during the earliest days of the Recession. This information is almost in direct contrast to several economic market indicators pointing in a more positive, upward trajectory.

Examples of thriftier behavior from the report include decreasing spending on groceries, using coupons for food and beverage items, and stocking up on foods when they are on sale. The list also includes shopping for less expensive brands and making use of online coupons.

These are all consumer behavioral strategies that grocers can address to make shopping a better, more positive experience. Matching coupons, doubling or tripling those from circulars, and offering good, solid sale prices on a large variety of products will keep customers loyal returnees. It sounds as if little has changed for the consumer no matter how hopeful everyone wants to remain.

Restaurants have a lot to learn from this report and from the Nielsen Company’s latest research. Some of these findings could spell doom for a number of restaurants that have been hanging on and waiting for customers to increase their dining out events and cash outlays. After surveying 7,500 alcohol beverage consumers, they found almost 60% reducing their trips to casual restaurants and a similar number reported they were going less frequently to more expensive restaurants (fine-dining). An additional find was that 47% said they frequent bars and clubs less often. This translates into changed behavior patterns across the age demographics. The report underlies the belief that consumers learned new ways of entertaining and continue to exhibit uncertainty about the extent of the recovery.

Another interesting tell-all concerns alcoholic beverage purchases. More than 75% of those interviewed said they have not changed their beverage purchases because of price, but 25% of those say they are making fewer purchases. So even in this category, consumers have adjusted their behavior, and they are more conscious of their decisions.

Yes, these reports do NOT put a smile on the face of anyone in the food and beverage universe. They give great pause and increase the likelihood of more promotions rather than assuming that the diner of yore, as in 2-3 years ago, is lining up to get in the door.

Free-wheeling dining and shopping has not returned, and it appears to be stuck in fear. Hopefully, someone is listening.

One of the champions of the cocktail universe, in the true literal sense as the winner of the 42Below Cocktail World Cup held recently in New Zealand, is Todd Thrasher, a guy whose bio reads like a restaurant and bar who’s who. He has happily been ensconced for the last few years (since the restaurant’s inception) with the much heralded Restaurant Eve (Alexandria, VA) team as the overall Beverage Guru for his wine knowledge and his creative cocktails.  Sure he has a lab to practice with at their other spot, PX Lounge, but he has always understood the power of change as a creative bar man. He likes the opportunity to innovate and be creative and recognizes that  the customer has changed, too, and wants something a little different. He is so far ahead of the curve on this front that the mere herb almost gets ignored in his glossary of options. His winning creation had some unusual partners for the vodka: Homemade apple bitters and lime thyme syrup were two of the ingredients.

Thrasher may be on the top of the Leader Board, and the individual I am most familiar with personally, but the rest of his winning teammates on Team USA definitely prove their mettle in their respective cities, New York and Boulder. NY has 23-year Sean Hoard (from PDT in the East Village) who wowed the judges with his creation which he named a Wellington Fizz (kiwi and vodka are its main ingredients). The third member of the team is Mark Stoddard from Happy’s Bitter Bar. His concoction used Manuka Honey Vodka with rye and vermouth. Yes, all these vodka-based drinks are more than just the ingredients. They are stirred, mixed, shaken and drizzled or lightly poured to make the great performance show that cocktails have become.

Cocktails are big business and most restaurants and spin-off bars want to be part of this continuing trend. The cocktail guru is a much requested bar meister. Life is tough. Cocktails offer soothing relief or at least help wake up the spirit and encourage their own loyal following.

Yes, Team USA.

Non-drinkers gained the most weight, and weight gain decreased as the alcohol intake increased! Those who drank 15 to less than 30 grams daily had the lowest risk of obesity or weight gain. They studied liquor, beer, white wine, and red wine and found that red wine was the most effective in terms of consumption v. weight gain.

Here’s the perfect combination: A diet plan and a glass of wine to help tolerate the stress of dieting!

We definitely need more studies like this even if they seem counter-intuitive. As with all health studies, not all information works for everyone, but there seem to be no shortage of possible studies to match your lifestyle!

Wine, coffee, chocolate: Bring ‘em on.

They did not study red v. white wine nor light beers v. heavy lagers, but the study author believes that lighter beverages fare better in the overindulgence headache department.

You’ve been warned.

The news gets worse: Coffee may NOT help you sober up! Now we have a serious problem. What about all those mornings after when you went to a multitude of college parties? How did you make it back to the world by morning? Coffee, right.

The lead author wants to dispel the myth because he feels people will believe that they can drive now that they’ve had the magical elixir (coffee, caffeine). Or he worries they’ll think they are operating at full capacity in all matters because they’ve had the cup! The study believes the combination of alcohol and coffee  solves little and may actual create residual problems.

Note that the people in the study had the equivalent of eight cups of coffee.

That’s some serious alcohol-caffeine partnering!

Yet, when we think of a celebration, we often think of a sparkler, and that is a wonderful way to begin the holiday. With champagne sales way down or as some headlines say, flat, it’s time to bring the bubbly back to the table. Even with a little glimmer of positive economic news, there are many fine sparkling beverages that do not break the bank. Yes, sparkling seltzer and soda work wonders, too.

As for alcoholic sparkling beverages, Prosecco from Italy, Cava from Spain, and domestic sparklers from California and New York qualify nicely. Their sales have been steadily improving as they match a broader range of budgets. If you’re looking for a certified French Champagne that has come down in price, then I suggest a visit to your favorite purveyor as specials abound and indications are for more reductions in the upcoming month.

It’s ironic that the champagne industry has always tried to convince the consumer that champagne does not need to be saved for birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. Now with a major holiday coming up, they are struggling with trying to get the consumer’s attention and regain a spot at the table.

So many choices; so many foods; so many preparations. There is no set rule book.

Drink what you like.

Target decided it can expand its reach beyond its mega-store locations into neighborhoods and offer what people need and want: Greater food selections. These smaller footprint stores will be more manageable and accessible, and the grocery selections will continue to compete handsomely with stand-alone markets.

Smaller is better. We see the trend in small plates, shareable appetizers, and no the sister of mega-portion size restaurant Cheesecake Factory has decided to go even smaller. Yes, Cheesecake did introduce smaller plates and focused more on sharing sizes, but Grand Lux Cafe has taken the terminology down to an even smaller size with new menu selections called: Minis, Bites, and Tapas. Pricewise, it’s great news, too, with a variety of tastes from $3.95 to $7.50. They’ll also offer seven different mini rustic pizzas, $4.95.

Now a little beverage cheer. A new Spanish research study says men do well with multiple alcoholic beverages daily. Women’s health profile fares poorly with multiple drinks, but men have been given the go-ahead to enjoy several drinks daily and attribute their new found behavior to this study and to their new heart-healthy ways. Heart attack risk was cut by a third! I can see alcoholism researchers lining up for their new candidates!

Keep the news coming.

The Hotel has smartly partnered with many of the city top chefs who have contributed their own rendition of the drink. Yes, the price tag is steep ($18), but $4.50 of each one sold during the month-long celebration benefits Citymeals-on-Wheels. Anyway if you’ve never walked into the premier property, here’s a perfect excuse to visit or at least to see the famous King Cole mural.

At the St. Regis Washington the celebration connects local chefs and the hotel into a list of variations of the popular tomato juice, vodka, and Worcestershire drink. For the signature Capitol Mary, they use gin, add some clam juice and Old Bay!

On October 5th you’ll want to be in Atlanta at the St Regis to enjoy the cocktail at 1938 prices, $0.99–yes, that’s 99 cents. Could make a believer out of anyone. It’s called the West Paces Mary (For those looking for directions, the hotel is in Buckhead on West Paces Ferry Road).

The beauty of this drink is its adaptability. It pairs wonderfully with any twist of combinations and is so not limited by the cocktail hour. Good anytime of the day! Maybe you can invent one with local products and submit it to your favorite St. Regis. If you’re traveling, check out the other St. Regis Hotels for the individual celebrations. Nobody wants to miss a party!

Maybe you should just celebrate the next 75 years with your own Bloody Mary Party! Why not?

Cheers.

A lot has changed since the dreaded Recession/near Depression and economic slide of 2009. We are definitely different shoppers, consumers, diners, cooks, and lest we forget, different drinkers. The specialty wine industry of high-priced labels may be truly limited to the top 1% of the population.

It’s the 99% pf the Universe that has felt each bump in the road, each change and bit of negative news. Restaurants have clearly felt the impact–the naked eye shows more empty tables at once crowded hot spots (Search the blog under “restaurant,” and you’ll see a history of change). Grocery stores (a similar search) are tripping over each other to show how low their prices are. The wine industry has not been immune to these shopping trends. Not that everyone is drinking Two Buck Chuck which is often closer to three bucks, but the Under $10 bin is getting more competitive.

We could have always supported that bin if we had just focused on our neighbors to the South: Chile and Argentina. They both offer many fine, wonderfully drinkable wines that have been consistently affordable: Think Casa LaPostolle Sauvignon Blanc and Alamos Malbec. Likewise, many wines from Australia and New Zealand (Think Wolf Blass Shiraz or a Yalumba Riesling) have always offered top value add wonderful flavor profiles. Wines to pour.

The question is: Will the high-end winemakers be able to win back customers? Are we better educated now in our drinking habits and quicker to abandon the Big Labels in favor of our new finds?

The Champagne industry has long struggled with a marketing perception problem: They want to be all-round beverage rather than just a special occasion pour. Now its price point receives significant competition from sparkling wines such as Cava (Spain’s traditional Champagne Methode sparkler) and Italy’s contribution, Prosecco, both in the more affordable category.

Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Wegman’s have figured out how to capture the new wine drinker. Expensive wines are still available, but the crowds gather around the more drinkable, affordable, wines to go with their scaled-down price-sensitive shopping list.

Just serve my red a little chilled.

Salud!

Seriously. What is the average, what does that even mean, drinker to do? Think it’s drink up and enjoy. Today we’re back to the good news column with a report from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finding that moderate drinking of wine or beer, defined as a glass or two a day, improves bone health. Now that’s really good news.

Bad news for those who prefer to align themselves in the spirits column as hard liquor does not have the same positive effect. Also if one or two daily drinks is too few for your lifestyle, then you move to the  problem column. The findings are hopeful as men with moderate consumption had stronger bones than non-drinkers. One of the more interesting findings of the study dealt with silicon, a mineral necessary for bone health and one that is in beer. Who knew?

One study says good; one says bad. One lists problems for one type of disease and another follows with a rebuttal that stresses something different. It probably won’t be too long before we find the downside article to this one on improved bone mass, so in the meantime, strengthen your bones and enjoy that glass of beer or wine.

Stand straight and drink up.