IPA Beer Lovers Take More Risks, Study Says
Researchers from the Penn State Sensory Evaluation Center recently studied 109 beer consumers, mostly in their 30s, about half women and half men, and published their findings in Science Daily. Study subjects took personality tests and then drank blind samples of Budweiser (a mild lager beer), Founder’s All-Day IPA Session Ale (a somewhat bitter ale), and Troeg’s Perpetual IPA (a very bitter ale). Researchers originally theorized that people who taste bitterness more intensely would have an aversion to bitterness and would be more likely to enjoy more mild-tasting beer. However, study results showed the opposite: those who have an acute taste for bitterness crave intense sensations and are more likely to choose bitter beers. “Traditionally, most researchers find that people who experience bitterness more intensely avoid bitter food or drink—so with heightened bitterness, they like it less, and therefore consume it less,” said researcher John Hayes, associate professor of food science at Penn State. “But here, we find that people who seek higher sensations and are more risk-taking, they like bitter beer such as India pale ales, if they also have greater bitter taste perception.” .
Moderate Drinking May Improve Brain Function, Study Says
A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that middle-aged and older adults who drank alcohol in moderation had higher levels of cognitive functioning than those who abstained. Between 1996 and 2008, researchers for the University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Study tested 19,887 participants on their mental acuity multiple times. Each participant’s cognitive function was tested through vocabulary, word recall, and mental status. Overall, those who consumed one to two drinks a day performed better on all mental acuity tests. Moderate drinking was associated with a better vocabulary and better word recall compared to those who abstained from alcohol. Women made up 60% of the participants with an average age of 61, and 85% were white. About one third (35%) of participants said they drank alcohol, and among those, 85% drank low to moderate amounts.
Why Use Plain Water In Cocktails When Coconut Water Tastes Better?
While coconut is often associated with rich and creamy cocktails like the Piña Colada, bartenders are more frequently using coconut water for a lighter, refreshing taste without the heavy texture. Dilution is often the key to a balanced cocktail and coconut water can stand in for plain water. “Coconut water is a great way to make the dilution in a cocktail more interesting without changing the texture of the drink,” says Lost Lake bartender Vince Bright. You can use coconut water instead of plain water to make coconut simple syrup, or it can be frozen into coconut ice cubes or added straight to high-proof rums and whiskeys as a diluting agent. It works particularly well with tropical fruits like mango and pineapple and sits nicely in nut-based cocktails as well. .
Iowa Permanently Legalizes To-Go Cocktails, Other States To Follow
Iowa has become the first state to convert its temporary law allowing to-go cocktails into a permanent one. Michigan has also extended restaurant and bar sales of cocktails to go through 2025. Legislators in New York, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Oklahoma, and the District of Columbia say they will likely introduce bills of a similar nature. Alcohol sales often account for about 30 percent of a restaurant’s revenue, and allowing takeout alcohol sales during pandemic lockdowns has been a boon for the struggling restaurant industry. More than 30 states currently allow to-go cocktails from bars and restaurants. Many lawmakers believe the legislation is legalizing permanently to help restaurants survive beyond the pandemic. “Making cocktails to-go permanent provides a much-needed source of stability and revenue for local bars, restaurants and distilleries as they begin to recover,” said Dale Szyndrowski, vice president of state government relations for the Distilled Spirit Council of the United States.
Booze Map Shows Which States Drink The Most
U.S. consumers drink about 570 million gallons of liquor, 914 million gallons of wine, and over 6 billion gallons of beer each year. Wondering where your state falls on the booze map? An analysis of recent data from The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism shows that some consumers in some states drink more than others. New Hampshire tops the list for liquor consumption, likely because it has no booze tax. Delaware comes in second, followed by the District of Columbia, and Nevada, due it large part to Vegas casinos and tourism. Those in Vermont consume the least amount of liquor, less than a million gallons per year, quite a bit less than those in California, who consumer an annual 69.1 million gallons. The states consuming the least spirits also include West Virginia, Utah, and Ohio.
As Alcohol Sales Drop, Nonalcoholic Options Multiply
While consumers are buying more alcohol from grocery and liquor stores for consumption at home, those gains are far outweighed by the massive decline in alcohol shipments to restaurants, bars, sporting arenas, concert venues, and other facilities that shuttered due to the coronavirus. Global alcohol consumption is not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels until 2024, according to Mark Meek, Chief Executive Officer of IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, a leading authority on the alcohol market. “The pandemic is set to cause a deeper and more long-lasting after-effect to the global drinks industry than anything we’ve experienced before,” said Meek, who predicts that the U.S. recovery will likely take even longer.
As alcohol sales have gradually declined, the non-alcoholic beverages market has slowly but steadily grown. Nonalcoholic beer currently accounts for less than 2% of the U.S. beer market but is expected to increase by a third this year as the overall beer category will likely decrease by 3.7%, its fifth straight annual decrease, according to IWSR data. For example, the exclusively nonalcoholic beer company, Athletic Brewing Co., is already seeing this year’s sales surpass all of 2019’s record-high sales, according to CEO Bill Shufelt.
U.S. Whiskey Industry Loses $300 Million Due To Trade Tariffs, Report Says
Two years ago, the European Union enacted a 25% tariff on U.S. goods as retaliation for U.S. tariffs on European steel and aluminum. To get its point across, the new E.U. tariff specifically targeted iconic American products such as bourbon and other U.S. whiskeys. The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States reports that European exports decreased by 33% over the course of the dispute, resulting in $300 million in lost revenue.
Between January 1997 and June 2018, U.S. whiskey exports to Europe shot up from $143 million to more than $750 million, according to Distilled Spirits Council data. To calculate current losses, the Council multiplied projected growth for the year by the 33% drop in European exports. Later this summer, the U.S. Trade Representative office will consider additional tariffs on imported European wine, spirits, and food products such as coffee, olives, chocolate, and vodka, likely escalating the trade war further. .
Blanton’s Iconic American Bourbon Was Created For The Japanese Market
When Blanton’s Single Barrel bourbon debuted in 1984, whiskey expert Fred Minnick said, “[It] was a domestic flop. In fact, the only thing positive about Blanton’s was its popularity in Japan.” That popularity among the Japanese was completely intentional. When Master Distiller Emeritus Elmer T. Lee originally described the soft caramel and vanilla flavor profile for the new Blanton’s Single Barrel bourbon, he didn’t even anticipate that the liquor would be sold to American drinkers. Blanton’s was aimed squarely at the Japanese palate and was specifically created for the Japan market by Lee and liquor executives Ferdie Falk and Bob Baranaskas.
Airlines Limit Alcohol To Minimize Contact On Flights
Delta and American Airlines in the United States, KLM and Easyjet in Europe, and Virgin Australia in Asia have limited drink menus to water only on many flights in order to minimize contact between staff and guests. Delta Airlines is not serving alcohol on domestic flights or in the Americas, but beer, wine and spirits are still offered on international flights. American Airlines is limiting food and drink service in the main cabin according to flight length and destination (check specific flights for details). Virgin Australia is offering guests water and a snack, but no more food or drinks are available to purchase on board. As always, airline travelers are permitted to carry up to 3.4 ounces of alcohol (two miniature bottles) in a clear, quart-size, zip-top bag.
Facing Racism Charges, Court Of Master Sommeliers Removes “Master” Address
The Court of Master Sommeliers Americas is facing charges of failing to be inclusive of people of color. The first to speak out against the organization was Atlanta wine professional Tahiirah Habibi who took the Court’s famously difficult introductory exam in New York in 2011. On June 16, she recounted her experience in an Instagram video post, recalling how exam proctors told her and other candidates to call them “master.” After passing the introductory exam, she decided not to enroll in further courses or exams with the court, saying, “I just couldn’t imagine having to pour a glass of wine for someone while calling them ‘master.’”
Chair of the board of directors for the Court, Devon Broglie, discussed the incident with Habibi and told reporters, “I expressed deep regret for the unwelcoming experience and the racism perpetrated then.” He added that the Master Sommelier board “will move to officially end any use of ‘Master + Last name’ only.”
Master sommelier Richard Betts also announced his resignation from the Court on June 17, the first time a master sommelier has resigned from the organization. Among Betts’s reasons for resigning, he believes the court should take a stronger stance on racial injustice, and he disapproves of how the court handled a cheating scandal in 2018. Brian McClintic, star of the popular television documentary “Somm,” walked away as well, because he felt that issues such as dismantling inherent classism were not being addressed by the organization. McClintic is one of four wine professionals in the documentary, which reveals the details and intensity of taking the world’s top wine exam and attempting to attain Master Sommelier certification.
