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

COCKTAIL TRENDS:
SUMMER 2010


Now turning to cocktail and drinking trends this summer. According to a survey conducted by almost 2,000 professional chefs: Culinary cocktails and artisan liquor both still rank in the top 20 trends for menu items in 2010.

Additional alcohol trends include: organic beer, wine, and spirits, food-beer pairings, craft beer, gluten-free beer, specialty beer, and organic cocktails whipped up by special chef/mixologists. The chefs say consumers are more affluent over the last 10 years and they are bold and more demanding when it comes to their dining expectations.

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.

NEW DRINKING SURVEY


According to a new survey - we like to drink our drinks...but we really like to do it with our meals.

This survey is fun because it tells us 'when' we like to drink.

37 per cent of adults include alcohol with their meals Friday to Sunday, compared to 34 per cent Monday to Thursday.

Thursday is the peak weekday for consuming. Saturday peak day overall.

and if you order a dessert - more often you had wine with your meal.

DRINKING HABITS: NEW STUDY


When it comes to your alcoholic drinking habits...

So you think the kids are out of control and the adults are the wise ones? Well, not all.

According to the latest GlaxoSmithKlline Health Index - almost 10 per cent of people aged 55 to 64 have 20 or more standard drinks a week....compared to 8% for those aged 18 to 24.

meantime...with another survery...nearly 44 per cent of bar managers, bar owners and bartenders report a decrease in consumer traffic at their establishments these days. Seems the tougher economic times are cutting down on our drinking a bit.

Among the 500 bar operators surveyed - 25% note a decrease in the number of on-premise drinks ordered and 22% say customers are ordering less expensive drinks and according to a May 2008 Neilson consumer survey of 35 hundred consumers two-thirds of fine-dining patrons say they're going out less often than a year ago.

SPECIALTY ALCOHOL


SPECIALTY ALCOHOL: flavored martini, mojito and craft beer are on top as well as energy drink cocktails.

When it comes to beverage trends hitting Hollywood these days - specialty alcohol is what's hot with celebs and the general public. The National Restaurant Association says the flavored martini, the mojito and craft beer are on top as well as energy drink cocktails.

Also popular today are artisan liquors, and organic wines. Among non-alcoholic beverages: The biggest drink - you're going to be shocked by this one - flavor enhanced waters! in fact - it now beats out espresso and specialty coffee.

Today, seems more people want hip water more than coffee.