Fire It Up
Mark Horton (center), secretary/treasurer of the Ohio Association of Professional Fire Fighters, is all smiles after receiving a charitable donation from Robinson Cooper (left), general manager of Southern Wine & Spirits of Ohio, and Tom Stark, Control States representative for Firestarter vodka, which donates $1 for each case sold to OAPFF. Donations are used to support multiple OAPFF endeavors, including a scholarship fund for the children of fallen firefighters...
NRA Index Rises To 5-Month High
WASHINGTON — Driven by positive same-store sales and an increasingly optimistic outlook among restaurant operators, the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index rose to its highest level in five months in November.
Nick Ducey Joins Heidelberg Distributing
CINCINNATI — Nick Ducey recently joined Heidelberg Distributing Co. as vice president of Sales, Anheuser-Busch InBev Division.
In this new position for the company, Ducey will oversee the Anheuser-Busch InBev sales organizations in both Dayton and Cincinnati.
“Nick’s broad experience with sales and marketing, along with his knowledge of the beer industry, will help Heidelberg’s Anheuser-Busch InBev division grow and perform at an even higher level in the future,” said Heidelberg CEO Vail Miller Jr. in making the announcement. “We are excited to have him on our team.”
Bitters Are Sweet On Bar Scene, Along With Fresh, Infused
Bitters, fresh ingredients and infusions are among the top trends when it comes to how people will be drinking their cocktails this year.
All of those trends are not necessarily new at the start of the new year, but most cocktail followers expect those trends to remain hot this year.
“Don’t expect housemade liquor infusions, sodas and bitters to lose their spot at the bar anytime soon,” according to TheDailyMeal.com
The greater use of bitters in cocktails began a couple of years ago and might not yet have peaked. Many bars, in fact, are making their own bitters.
Beam Exec Named Chair of KDA
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Jeff Conder of Beam Inc. recently was named chairman of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association.
Conder, who is vice president of Americas Operations at Beam in Clermont, Ky., will serve through December. The KDA board of directors selected officers during its recent annual meeting in Clermont.
“Our signature industry is enjoying an unprecedented period of growth and success,” Conder said. “But we also face significant challenges in high taxes, unfair trade barriers and other obstacles that put bourbon at a competitive disadvantage in the global marketplace.
BV Launches National Program To Benefit American Hunger Relief
NAPA, Calif. (PRNewswire) -- Beaulieu Vineyard recently launched a long-term project to benefit hunger relief efforts in America.
BV Coastal Estate Wines began the program this fall with donations to help provide more than 1 million meals to 12 national and regional hunger relief agencies, including Cincinnati-based Freestore Food Bank.
BV recently expanded on the program with a digital campaign at facebook.com/bvwines. The BV Give & Give Back Campaign has the potential to provide another 2.5 million meals.
Diageo Declares 2011 Milestone Year For Progress In Responsible Drinking
NORWALK, Conn. (PRNewswire) — Citing recent reports, Diageo last month called 2011 a milestone year for progress in the reduction of drunken driving and underage drinking.
Diageo cited the Monitoring the Future study by the University of Michigan which showed that underage drinking rates for eighth, 10th and 12th graders are at historic lows, as well as data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicating alcohol-impaired driving fatalities are at an historic low, despite the increase in miles driven.