Restaurant Wine and Liquor Sales Down

A report in today's Los Angeles Times notes that not only are wine and booze sales down in restaurants - but a larger portion of people are showing up to bars earlier in the evening to take advantage of Happy Hour. The lower sales numbers and the increase in sales of discounted booze is starting to put a hurt on the industry, and the people who ARE drinking seem to be scaling back on quality.

According to the report:

"Typically, alcoholic beverages are recession-resistant, if not immune to economic downturns. This current recession, however, is hurting alcohol sales more than previous slumps have.
People are trading down from premium vodka brands to whatever is good enough to still make the martini work. Others are giving up Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons for budget reds. Some are ordering a soft drink or just consuming water when they dine out."

Follow the link for the full scoop.