Old School Warmth
As winter is upon us again it’s time to revisit drinks that ward off the chill. And for this article its time to go back to the near-forgotten originals. The oldies are goodies for a reason and this certainly goes beyond my beloved Side Car. Recently I found some very... Read More
Winter Beers
Winter beers! Just the tonic for cold weather: big and hearty, sweet and spiced, something special to celebrate the holidays. Just thinking about them makes you feel warmer; you don’t even need a sweater. Brewers move to a different calendar. They do winter beers way before it’s wintertime. “It’s a... Read More
Interview with Jeff Becker
ANDY CROUCH How is the Beer Institute’s relationship with smaller brewers? JEFF BECKER I’d like to say that one of the things we’ve been able to do, at least over the last seven to eight years, is the policy stuff where there is interest among the smaller guys at getting... Read More
Interview with Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger
Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, 54, an ex-Marine captain in French forces in Martinique, is well known as a forthright, opinionated speaker with resonant voice and take-charge personality; though he may rail against what he regards as absurdities in the business, he tempers his assertiveness with a courtly, occasionally confiding, genteel manner, and... Read More
Spotlighting The Cocktail
Indie music fanatics have the annual South by Southwest music conference. Movie buffs have Cannes – not to mention Sundance and Berlinale and Toronto. Socially conscious politicos and heavy-hitters have the World Economic Forum in Davos. And foodies have a virtual harvest of gourmet festivals around the globe to pick... Read More
Prosecco’s Strong Strong Niche
If most wine drinkers who enjoy bubbles today were to describe the pyramid of acceptable quality sparklers it would no doubt start with Champagne at the pinnacle, followed by method traditionelle wines from California, Cava at the base and Prosecco sandwiched somewhere in the middle. Prosecco is a popular everyday... Read More
Everyone is Talking About the Rose Champagne Category
In 2OO6 rose grew 7.11% over 2OO5. In the past, the Rose market was fickle, rising one year and decreasing the next. Since 2OO4 sales have rapidly climbed. Though nearly all major markets have shown unusual growth in the Rose category, the US and Japanese markets have become particularly enamored... Read More
Overview of the Champagne Market
According to the CIVC’s (Comite Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne) bulletin of information for the first trimester of 2OO7, sales have risen steadily from a base of 263 million bottles in 2OO1 to 322 million sold in 2OO6. There were 11.3 million more bottles sold in 2OO6 than in 2OO5.... Read More
Pink Pops!
Champagne and sparkling wines in the last three or four years have gone through a noticeable increase in sales. In fact, in 2OO6 sparkling wine sales were higher as a share of the market than its share at the millennium – with an increase of 2.9 percent versus the most... Read More
Great American Beer Festival
ONCE again, beer lovers and industry workers from all fifty states and dozens of countries gathered in the welcoming environs of Denver, Colorado’s Convention Center to celebrate the success of the craft brewing industry and to witness its continued growth at the annual Great American Beer Festival. By all objective... Read More