TIL World’s biggest beer, wine and spirits producers have collectively lost $830 billion in market value over just four years. Changing drinking habits and rising health concerns have hit earnings across the sector. Millennials and Gen Z are also not much interested in alcohol.
Yeah, while I’m happy that this is making my favorite stuff cheaper, it’s still very expensive. Blanton’s was selling for $120/bottle just last year if you could even find it in my area, but I can find it in a regular grocery store for $80 now. EH Taylor went from $100/bottle and hard to find to $60 and all over the place. That’s WAY more affordable but also still really damn expensive compared to Buffalo Trace (all three of these brands are from the same parent company and from roughly the same recipe and source ingredients).
Scotch is slightly cheaper now, too. Dalmore 15 was selling for $120 last year and is around $100 now. Two years ago, Dalmore King Alexander was $340 but can be found in the grocery store for $280 now.
What I haven’t seen yet is a drop in price of Burgundy. I can’t afford to pay $300/bottle for a Nuits-Saint-George Gran Cru.
Even looking away from luxury booze brands, the cost of cocktails is also very high. I have to pay $21 for a cocktail at a moderately priced restaurant in my area.
Cocktails are a scam. Most places (and even some of the best places) are using cheap base ingredients, and the end results are gimmicky, boring, and lacking in complexity. At best, the median quality cocktail is nice to look at and features an acceptable balance of sweetness and acidity. A fucking glass of cold juice wins on a head-to-head of those metrics almost every time haha.
Yeah, there is a difference between an $8 and a $20 cocktail.
Though I agree with you that too many places will charge a $20 price for a $8 quality.
You’re definitely not going to the right places to get a cocktail.