DRINK TRENDS: 2012 COCKTAILS

New in drink trends this year are simple cocktails with great flavor and stay budget friendly.

Beer taps won’t be pouring out only beer anymore. Ready-made cocktails will be available via taps, definitely saving bartenders time.

Prosecco and Moscato will be gaining popularity. People are expected to choose sparkling wines over expensive champagnes because of the similar slightly sweet and light taste that won’t hurt their wallets.

Beer companies will also be exploring color options. We will be seeing more white and black beers as well as beers with darker tints but light tastes.

Finally, there’s coffee: North America’s favorite drink. The beverage will be expanding on flavors and there will be a continuous growth in popularity.

WINE TREND:
BUYING ONLINE IS HUGE

Buying wine online has now exploded worldwide. There's one thing about wine the experts tell me: the price point has to remain in tact to an extent because it determines a wine’s value in prestige. Once you lower the price of a wine too much, it lowers its perceived value, which is its value in essence. However, there are some deals to be had online right now.

Another trend in wine: wine lovers love discussing online. Facebook and social sites like LetsPour  (www.letspour.com) let you connect online with other wine lovers, that you wouldn't meet otherwise allowing you to broaden your wine horizons and explore new wines.

Patrick Comiskey is the wine expert for the LA Times. He spoke to me about the latest trends. This guy is so knowledgeable about wine. We spoke about the websites that are actually lowering prices for you the consumer.

WinesTillSoldOut: It will sell one wine for a concerted several hours at a deep discount thereby removing that inventory for the winery and offering consumers a tremendous deal.  (www.WinesTillSoldOut.com)

Woot:  This site offers one discounted wine per day – so five wine selections per week. Woot does the same with other product categories like children, gadget and computers. It’s a very cool site. (www.wine.woot.com )

Other sites to check out:
www.CinderellaWine.com
www.WineShopper.com

Comiskey says another wine trend has the vineyards and wine companies clearing out wines because times are still tough. The $15 dollar wine is very common. The days of $150 dollar Cabernets are gone. Most wine store-owners say there is a new normal now when it comes to sales. High-margin sales of wines in the $50 to $150 range are difficult, they're almost a thing of the past.

MOLSON:
OFFICIAL BEER OF THE NHL

The pro hockey league has confirmed a seven-year deal with Molson Coors in Canada and MillerCoors in the US. They will now be the official beer of the NHL starting December 2011. It is valued at around $375 million. Their competitors Labatt Breweries failed to renew their sponsorship deal. Molson will now have their brand features at all high-profile NHL events like NHL Face-Off, NHL Winter Classic, NHL Heritage Classic and the NHL All-Star Game.

GLAMOUR DRINKS:
'SILVER SCREEN PUNCH' & 'BLACK SWAN' CHOCOLATE MARTINI

Moet's Silver Screen Punch

• 1 (6 ounce) can pink lemonade concentrate, partially thawed
• 8 ounces pineapple juice
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 cup Belvedere vodka
• 1 bottle Moët & Chandon Imperial
• 1 pineapple, cut into rings and frozen

 

In a blender, combine pink lemonade concentrate, pineapple juice, strawberries, and ginger. Blend until smooth. Pour into a punch bowl. Add vodka and stir to combine. Just before serving, pour in Moet & Chandon. Add frozen pineapple rings.

 

 

Black Swan Martini
Makes two drinks 

• ½ cup half and half
• 4 oz. white chocolate, roughly chopped
• 2 oz. vodka
• 2 oz. simple syrup
• 2 tsp. chocolate syrup
• 1 tbs. black sugar crystals

1. In a small saucepan, gently heat half and half. Off heat, gradually whisk in white chocolate until melted. Transfer mixture to a bowl and refrigerate until cool. Stir in vodka and simple syrup.
2. Dip rims of martini glasses in water, then dip in black sugar. Put 1 tsp. chocolate syrup in each martini glass. Tilt glass to form stripes. Pour in martini mixture and serve. 

DRINK TREND:
PATRON TEQUILA

Tequila has quickly become the hot popular luxury spirit. Right now it’s one of the fastest growing spirits in the world – especially in the US and Canada. Companies such as Patrón are heavily marketing high-end tequila made 100 percent from the blue agave plant. Now Tequila is used for more than just shots or margaritas.

Greg Cohen, Director of Corporate Communications, Patrón Spirits Company, says that the improvement in quality has attracted the much wider market.

He says because of the fact that tequila and Patrón are so versatile and mixable, it appeals to so many different kinds of people. Of course, people are still drinking it as shots or in a margarita, but more and more people are drinking it in a sophisticated way and making unique and interesting cocktails with it. He suggests making any of your favorite drinks. There are a number of ways you could use a high quality tequila. It’s limitless.  

Tequila brands are now targeting high-end clientele meaning everything has to be first class, event the bottle! For the popular Patron XO Café, each glass bottle is a collectable because it is hand-made and individually numbered.

Greg says the unique taste of the XO Café has made it one of the hottest trendsetting products in the entire industry today. It’s a coffee liqueur that is made with Patrón silver tequila. It’s tequila based - so it’s not sweet like a lot of coffee liqueurs and has more of a dry taste. It’s growing in popularity. Last year sales were up 55%. In Canada alone, they were up about 84%. It’s also popular in South Africa. You could drink it by itself, pour it over ice cream or make an espresso martini – there are so many things you could do with it.  With growing revenue the Tequila business is becoming far more competitive these days and industry heavyweights are trying everything to be number one!

Patrón is a trendsetting leader and has even attracted loyal customers through its forward thinking online social club. (www.patronsocialclub.com) It’s an online community of Patrón aficionados who can share tips and information about their favorite brand and they communicate with them about events that may be happening in their area. It has really been a useful tool for them.

www.patronsocialclub.com

DRINK TRENDS:
INGREDIENT TRENDS

Now turning to the hottest celebrity trends in drinks for fall 2010

The National Restaurant Association says the top menu drink trends are: locally produced wine and beer and organic beer/wine/spirits;  food-beer pairings; craft beer; bar chefs/mixologists are still huge; gluten-free beer; and organic cocktails.

The culinary cocktail is a concept emerging as a top trend. Things like bacon, hot peppers and fresh herbs are all over drinks will be remain there until the end of the year.

When it comes to sources for trendy food and beverage ideas, chefs rank television, trade shows and independent restaurants as the best places to get inspired.

COCKTAIL TREND:
COBB SALAD COCKTAIL


The latest cocktail trend here in Hollywood: taking your food and turning it into drinks.

Now there is Cobb Salad in cocktail form, it's called the Cobb Cocktail. In Beverly Hills, the Hollywood power deal restaurant - The Grill on the Alley has come up with this.

It's similar to a Bloody Mary but three cherry tomatoes sit on a skewer across the top and, instead of a celery stick, spring onions sit vertical in the drink. On the skewer, the three tomatoes are stuffed with blue cheese and avocado.

You must try one next time you're here.

The Cobb Cocktail price tag: $10.00 US

DRINKS WITH BENEFITS: URBAN DETOX AND LIGHTWEIGHT


Do you want to increase your brain power? How drinks where you loose weight and get more energy.

Designer drinks make all kinds of promises but do they deliver? Skinny water, zero sugar, zero calories are infused with vitamins, minerals herbs and more, but do they do more than hydrate?

Function brand has two: urban detox and lightweight. Both are very popular. Urban detox claims to help with hangovers along with everything else. Lightweight is said to boost metabolism and curb hunger. There is very little regulation on them because they are not foods. The problem is that they may include the healthy ingredients as advertised but most don't have enough of the active ingredients to be effective which is often gram or more. The problem is keeping it tasting good after you put all the grams or more needed ingredients. There are three that do this: taste and a grams of the good stuff needed. They are: Neuro Cultures Neuro Trim Dr. Pepper's Venom Energy and Skinny Water's Crave Control.