Are We Ready For Flavored Bourbon?

This is either brilliant or insane, I can’t decide which.

For the full review, The Chuck Cowdery Blog

Somewhere in America a Farm is Empty

Last night was a magical night for one David Volker. In the time span of 2 hours he beat out a table full of men to take the inaugural "Rib King of the Ribs King Challenge." As Montgomery Inn capped off their all you can eat ribs promotion, Volker dominated the other contestants and actually came into work today.

Some key stats:
- Rosey gained 4.7 pounds from the day before
- Kaz lost 4.7 pounds directly after the meal
- The day after eating 3.25 slabs and finishing his Saratoga’s, Volker’s quoted “I'm not stealing any bases, but I'll DH if needed”


The table wanted to provide a special blog shout-out to Diane and Sue who were partaking in the "Rib Queen of the Ribs King" challenge.

Now, for the pix:

The Feeling's Not Mutual

Pepsi's new branding demonstrates an apparent infatuation with Barack Obama, with ads about "hope" and a renewed America. Turns out the Obama administration prefers Coke.

From BrandFreak:

Obama himself doesn't care much for either beverage. (He prefers Honest Tea, apparently.) But as [Time magazine White House correspondent Michael] Scherer reports, his advisers tend to prefer Coke. "Several senior Administration officials are committed cola drinkers, and without fail they spend their days sipping from a can of Diet Coke, a product of Pepsi's chief competitor, Coca-Cola," Scherer writes. Devotees include Larry Summers, Obama's top economic adviser, who "rarely walks anywhere in the White House complex without a can of Diet Coke in his hand. He is well known for interrupting conversations to take another swig."
Scherer asked another White House official, who had a can of Diet Coke on his desk, whether the Obama administration had a clear bias for Coke over Pepsi. The official, who was granted anonymity, perhaps because he wasn't authorized to discuss such a sensitive topic in public, replied, "I think that's true. Don't most Americans?"

Ouch.

Scanwiches

Man, this really is getting me excited for lunchtime. I guess he takes time to scan before eating, he must must have a mid-morning snack or something?!?!

Ape Lad's Take on the Pepsi Redesign

Adam Koford, a.k.a Ape Lad (creator of The Laugh-Out-Loud Cats and winner of several "Your Eustace" contests from The New Yorker) only thinks of one thing when he sees the new Pepsi logo:

CNN has nothing on this blog

It seems the mighty CNN is way behind in breaking "news." While IGTB posted about the abundance of free food deals on 2/24, lil' ol' CNN just posted something today - take that Ted Turner.

Brooklyn’s New Culinary Movement

A culinary culture of artisans is taking hold in New York's hippest borough:

These Brooklynites, most in their 20s and 30s, are hand-making pickles, cheeses and chocolates the way others form bands and artists’ collectives. They have a sense of community and an appreciation for traditional methods and flavors. They also share an aesthetic that’s equal parts 19th and 21st century, with a taste for bold graphics, salvaged wood and, for the men, scruffy beards.

Wait, did you say chocolate?

Now Mast Brothers Chocolate has a national following as one of the few producers in the country, and the only one in the city, to make chocolate by hand from cacao beans they’ve roasted, in that oven.

New York Times

Muesli, it's what's for breakfast

Shouldn't you start off the day on the right foot with customized breakfast? Well, if you lived Europe you could get some custom Muesli delivered in a cool container right to you door via myMuesli.com

mymuesli for you in a nutshell

mymuesli is ideal for gourmets, raisin haters, allergics, athletes and die-hard greenies:

• 70 ingredients, all of them organic
  
• 566 quadrillion different muesli variations
  
• no additives such as food colouring or flavour enhancers
  
• no added sugar
• Price: from £3.90 per can (575g)
• Order the same mix five times – get one can free!
• Delivery to the UK (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland)
• Delivery fees: £3.90 - no matter how many cans you order.
• Delivery to your home or office
  

I would probably buy "Damn Nutritious" (because I like saying it) and mix it with " Chocolate Dream" (because there's Chocolate).

*Check out Cereality if you love your cereal

Korean is the New Thai

The merging of old school food trucks, Korean Food, Mexican Food, and Twitter have led to a delicious sounding restaurant on wheels - Kogi Korean BBQ-To-Go.

The food at Kogi Korean BBQ-To-Go, the taco vendor that has overtaken Los Angeles, does not fit into any known culinary category. One man overheard on his cellphone as he waited in line on a recent night said it best: “It’s like this Korean Mexican fusion thing of crazy deliciousness.”

Full article - NYT

* On a side note, you can check out Korean food in Cincinnati at The Korea House (Montgomery), Riverside Korean Restaurant (Covington) and Sung Korean Bistro (Downtown Cincinnati). Make sure to check out the hot stone bowl.

Extreme Eating, vol. 2: Live Octopus Tentacles

Now imagine this plate of food MOVING.

Koreans believe you can never have your seafood too fresh. In some cases, this means eating something while it's still alive. A chef will relieve an octopus of its head, and the diner is brought a plate of writhing tentacles which she must then pry from the plate--the suction cups make live octopus an extremely stubborn dish. The suction cups also make live octopus a risky delicacy. The tentacles are very chewy, and if not properly broken down they can be a choking hazard. The catch: the heimlich maneuver doesn't work on food that's actively clinging to the inside of the throat.

Watch video of Los Angeles Times reporter Liam Gowing chowing down on a very alive plate of octupus here.

Wikipedia article on eating live octopus.

CHEEZ-IT Baked Snack Crackers Introduces...

If only Cheez-It Scrabbles were out when I was in college. I ate these every morning from the DAAP vending machines for breakfast; guess I could've minored in Journalism like I always hoped. Next step, find out what is "Junior" about the alphabet stamped into tasty baked crackers? From the looks of the box, there are more letters than just H-A-N-N-A-H-M-O-N-T-A-N-A.

Extreme Eating, vol. 1: French Songbird

An old episode of This American Life recounts the story of writer Michael Paterniti eating one of the world's most extreme foods: ortolan, a tiny endangered songbird native to France. Because this bird represents the "soul" of France, it is actually illegal to eat. Paterniti describes the process of finding a chef who would actually make it for him, and then its consumption. The experience, all done with a napkin over one's head, goes from tantalizingly delicious to "excruciating"--the bird is eaten whole. Listen to the 11-minute story here (but not at work, because Manos will hunt you down).

This American Life, Episode 343: Poultry Slam '07
Start listening at 11:45.

Story is introduced with a bit about eating prawn. Alive.

Haagen-Dazs Five Simple Ingredients

Simplicity of ingredients signal a pure, hand crafted, authentic product from Haagen-Dazs. Interesting authenticity of flavors too: mint, ginger, coffee, vanilla bean, passion fruit (kind of doesn't fit), brown sugar (interesting) and milk chocolate.

Private Label Winning Battle of Brands

Tough economic times serve as impetus for consumers to try private label. And they may not ever go back to the brands:

They [experts] predict a structural slowdown in consumer spending that could last four to 10 years, which, combined with increasingly marketing-savvy and aggressive retailers, could conspire to push private-label shares to a dizzying high -- as much as six times the roughly one-point gain already seen since the recession began in December 2007.

Ad Age

Food Porn: Barely SFW

Photographer Super Hyper Real (real name Jing Quek) has been all over the blogs recently. Most of his stuff features extravagant group shots that are highly posed, costumed and propped--don't forget the sexual overtones. And then there's Food Porn. Porn for lovers of food (or food shots for lovers of porn?), these things are beautiful and make me slightly uncomfortable. Bon appétit.


Visit Super Hyper Real's portfolio to see more work, including one food porn shot I honestly could not bring myself to post here.

Free is the new paid

It appears Chris Anderson, of Long Tail Fame, was right. If you haven't read his "Free! Why $0.00 is the Future of Business" then you must stop reading this and read that. All those economists with their pipes and spectacles shouldn't have been watching Jim Cramer on CNBC and his wonderful insight, instead they should have been reading Wired Magazine and Chris Anderson. Essentially Anderson argues that Free is where the money/customers/fun is at. Web 2.0, or 2.1 or whatever we're in, coupled with these "tough economic times" has moved "free" to the forefront faster than you could say "Circuit City is Bankrupt."

Just take a look at the food industry in the past couple of weeks to see how they're embracing Free:

1. Yesterday Quizno's came out with their 1 million free subs - they're at 214,000 now
2. Today I noticed Arby's is giving away free "Roast Burgers" - hope it tastes good with Arby Sauce
3. Starbucks, McDonalds, Taco Bell, and Dr. Pepper have all given away free food since Fall
   

Food is one of those categories where people love to try new things, especially if they're free. This proclivity to sample, paired with humans being creatures of habit when it comes to restaurants and food makes Free the perfect model for increasing that foot traffic. What's next is the big question. Will Kroger give away milk to sell their cereal? Will those fine restaurants, which are probably hurt most by the economy, give away the entree if you buy their alcohol? While I'm not sure of the anwer to those questions, I am sure of a place I'll be having lunch this week - a little place I like to call Arby's.

Tropicana is the New Coke?

Tropicana OJ has decided to go back to their old packaging design based on feedback from the public....

"PepsiCo is off to a rocky start with the Arnell Group. First, a seemingly ridiculous brief bearing an overwrought justification of the new Pepsi/Obama logo was leaked. Now, PepsiCo has said it will revert Tropicana back to its old packaging because people absolutely hated it. The packaging, which was triumphed by Peter Arnell, was deemed too confusing and too much like some regular ole’ generic store brand. This led one design agency executive to comment offhand and off-the-record: “Well, that’s what you get when you let an ad agency attempt package design.” Even the New York Times teed off on Tropicana likening it to New Coke. Ouch!"



Via BrandFreak

Soup's On

Campbell's soup looks like they're gonna meet or beat their estimate.

"The world's largest soup maker said its U.S. soup sales rose 8 percent and that overall, consumer purchases at stores outpaced the company's sales to retailers.

Still, total sales fell more than the analysts' average estimate. Campbell has faced pressure in the soup segment as General Mills Inc's Progresso brand has gained market share."

via NY Times

New Skyy Flavor Looks To Ride Tiki Trend

While acknowledging that "this might seem a rather strange time to innovate," Skyy Vodka Senior Brand Manager Jason Daniel says that the brand's "rather dramatic" step of replacing its existing flavored vodka line with Infusions is proving to be very much on the money precisely because of consumers' proclivity to indulge in relatively inexpensive "mini-vacations" in lieu of the real thing.

MediaPost

Selling More and More Burritos

Chipotle, while increasing their revenues, appears on the brink of some major marketing/advertising endeavors. They hired their first CMO in Mark Crumpacker (great name by the way), they recently finished a large consumer research study, and hired a new agency.

Where will they begin to spend ad dollars? Online? Probably some. On TV? I hope not.

On a side note, not sure who's idea it was, but my gym had a deal with Chipotle to give free burritos and drinks to members last night - a great symbiotic relationship.

via Brandweek

Lost In Translation

When brands don't transcend borders, this is what happens. What works for white bread in Spain wouldn't fly in the States...although who hasn't wanted a Bimbo sandwich at some point in their life? Here's your chance.

Breakfast for Dessert

Sick of Tiramisu? Bored with Creme Brulee? Well, try breakfast for dessert . . . that's how they've been doing it at French Laundry since '94. Chef Thomas Keller's "warm cinnamon-sugar doughnuts served with cappuccino semifreddo were an instant hit," influencing experimentation with breakfast cereals and french toast at restaurants throughout the country.

via NYT

Food Marketers Take Safer Course in Recession

As economy contracts, marketers increasingly rely on the safe and familiar:

Whereas previous years were marked by ambitious launches and re-branded lines, this meeting was mainly about line extensions or re-branding. Campbell emphasized it is reducing the sodium content across its soup portfolio, with 50% of its soups expected to have less salt than the original versions by fiscal 2010. General Mills is building on its success in the cereal category by offering new versions of its most popular brands, such as Banana Nut Cheerios. Kellogg Co. is launching savory cracker products tied to its Special K brand (a line extension), and a number of new Eggo waffles with flax and blueberries (also a line extension).

Ad Age

Taste-testing Starbucks instant

They tried it, so you don't have to:

Before you start accusing the iconic retailer of desperate measures, give Via a try. Here at Fortune, we have a machine that brews a fresh cup from Starbucks beans in less than a minute. We compared it to the Via and couldn’t tell which cup was the instant. Both had a rich aroma and flavor.

Fortune

Making Some Cuts at AB

Just saw this in AdAge:

"Agency fees are the latest casualty in Anheuser-Busch InBev's quest to trim $1.5 billion in costs out of the world's largest brewer.

A-B has swapped its long-held retainer-based model of compensating its busiest agencies for a new approach based on an agreed-upon scope of work at the shops. That shift, which has become an increasingly common one for marketers looking to cut agency outlays, puts the agencies on the hook if projects require more hours or greater cost than expected. Other changes include stingier reimbursement rates for production costs and smaller, flat per-concept fees."

This change should be interesting to watch unfold as a variety of smaller shops will be axed from the AB stable.

Also, check out the new label - it's kind of ridiculous InBev is forcing "American" down our throats. The fact that they have to emphasize that it's an "American Ale" actually puts more emphasis on the fact that it's no longer an American company, but a mere piece of a huge Belgian conglomerate. The next thing they'll put on there is that Belgium is the St. Louis of Europe.

UPDATE: I stand corrected - "American Ale" is a new line, yet the push for "American Lager" on their site is a little over the top (see below). "American/America" is on there 6 times.

Naughty Chocolate?

Ok, not that naughty. But a sneak preview of a new offering from Mars, Fling Chocolate. It's currently in test market on the west coast. Next in line is the chocolate bar marketed more towards males, the Mars Thursday-Night-Slip-Up.

Would you have a beer with this man?

The king of Michigan is getting his own brew. A brewery in Michigan received over $700K in tax breaks to start it's Kid Rock beer.

" The Michigan Brewing Co. has designs on investing $7 million for the new Kid Rock beer. No word just yet on what the name of the beer will be. We suggest "Bawitdaba Beer," followed by "Kid Rock's All Summer Long Ale" to compete with Sam Adams summer ale. "

Some other names to consider include:

• Bob's Brew (his real name is Robert Ritchie)
• Cowboy Ale
• A Pint for Pam
  

via Pet Rock

Kraft Latest Marketer to Cheer Up Its Logo

"Employees and consumers told us loud and clear: delicious is our difference," said Rosenfeld. "'Delicious' will be the litmus test for everything we do. When times are tough, we all need to feel part of something bigger, so this new direction could not have come at a better time."

Kraft Press Release
Ad Age
Brand New

Proof is in the pudding: Foodmakers cut offerings

Food companies from Sara Lee Food to H.J. Heinz are trimming their offerings to focus marketing dollars on their higher-margin, best-selling brands and retain consumers, who are trading down in the recession.

Those top brands are more likely to hold their own, and getting rid of lesser-performing brands helps companies showcase top products as retailers cut inventory. Heinz aims to remove two items for each one it introduces. Sara Lee hopes to cut its offerings 8 percent this fiscal year.

The Mercury News

All I can eat . . . . Montgomery Inn . . . You're Kidding

It seems our friends at Montgomery Inn have caught onto a couple of trends: 1) recession pricing and 2) gluttony.

"The Montgomery Inn at The Boathouse is 20 years old, and to celebrate, they're putting on an all-the-ribs-you-can-eat party. At any of the three Montgomery Inn locations from February 22-26, they will bring you ribs for as long as you can take it--for $19.89, commemorating the year the Boathouse opened. They'll keep the Saratoga chips coming, too. And there will be reduced drink prices and drink specials. At the location s in Montgomery, Fort Mitchell and the Boathouse."

CHALLENGE ANYONE?

From the Cincinnati Enquirer

Starbucks or McDonald's in Your Backyard

Would you rather have a McDonald's or Starbucks move next door?

Check out this study from the PEW Research Center . . . Looks like us Midwesterners would the ol' golden arches out back.

via slashfood.com

More from the Windy City

An impulsive weekend road trip to Chicago never disappoints me. Why? for many reasons, but food is surely in the top reasons to visit this great city. If you make it to Chicago next time, be sure to hit the "Chicago Kalbi," a Korean style barbecue, which is also famous in Japan as "Yakiniku."

It's a grill-at-your-table style of barbecue where you can enjoy cooking variety of meat on charcoal grill at your own table. It's fun, delicious, and best way to enjoy your beer, what more can you ask for?

When you get seated in the joint, ask for the owner Jennifer and mention my name. I will promise the great time.

CEOs of Kraft Foods, Sara Lee missing ingredients for turnaround

Mid-term reports for a couple of CEOs attempting to turn around major food manufacturers:

But this week, as Rosenfeld and Barnes stand before a giant food business confab in Florida and give annual progress reports, they face major challenges, particularly Barnes.

Sara Lee, its stock the packaged-food industry's biggest laggard, is facing a grim downturn in what has been its crown jewel market: Western Europe.

Meanwhile, the deteriorating U.S. economy threatens both companies with the specter of cash-strapped consumers shifting to cheaper private-label foods and away from name brands.

Chicago Tribune

Windy City Review 2.0

Our last night in Chicago. We celebrated by having dinner at the hip Devon restaurant in Gold Coast. The fish was fresh, company good, and as you might expect, the lights were funky. We were educated that Amy loves pint glasses, Marc loves cats, Emily loves Reductions and I, from time to time, sound Irish. At the end of the night we had to ruin any class we had and cheers to the good stuff:


Gotta run, 5:30 nut service is here...

Dove Chocolate, Gallo Wine Team For Promo

With chocolate and alcohol among the few "non-essentials" that consumers still seem to be finding room for in their budgets, the timing of a new co-branded promotion from Mars Snackfood U.S.'s Dove Chocolate and E. & J. Gallo Winery may be propitious--and not just because of Valentine's Day.

MediaPost

Starbucks Poised to Launch 'Soluble' Coffee

Horror of horrors. An instant coffee from Starbucks? Either they have a serious technological advance on their hands or an equity-diluting idea. Time will tell ...

Starbucks will begin testing the soluble coffee -- a term that conjures up images of instant brands such as Folgers, Sanka and Brim -- by selling it in Starbucks cafes as early as next month. It's unclear as yet whether the company will also extend the product to supermarkets, where it already has a presence with ground Starbucks-branded coffee.

AdAge

Windy City Review 1.0

After that hefty pizza we had for lunch, we thought we'd enjoy a light dinner: 16oz of red meat. A short conversation with a local led us to the legendary Gene & Georgetti's. We all enjoyed our meals, but left with a deeper appreciation for our local steak aficionado Jeff Ruby. Plus, it couldn't come even close to what was in store for us later in the night when we got a chance to hang out with our Friends...

I'm currently interviewing with a Paparazzi firm.

Leaving a windy city for THE Windy City

A couple days of work in Chicago leads to good food and live blogging! After a bumpy flight in, what better way to dry out and fuel up than some Chicago-style pizza. Gino's East proved to be a solid choice. Through the plethora of toppings, our group of 4 settled on the "Deep Dish Cheese and Our Famous Sausage." These behemoths take 45 minutes to cook, but when our famous sausage arrived, like most famous sausages, was well worth it:


and some on-the-wall suggestions for after dinner activities:

Local culture and flatulence at it's best.

Food that will make you happy, then will kill you.

Food that will make you happy, then will kill you.
This website is a beautiful depiction of the reason that childhood obesity is at an all-time high, According to a paper published in the January Obesity analyzing NHANES data, 86.3% of Americans will be overweight or obese by 2030, and nobody will be of normal weight by 2048 if current weight trends continue. Related health care costs are estimated to grow to between $860.7 billion to $956.9 billion by 2030 and account for 16% to 18% of all medical expenditures.

That said... I still cannot stop looking at these creations on this site!
http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/

This is why the dogs are chasing you

It seems that Jams are no longer what the Donner Party kids are wearing, instead they've moved onto this shorts from Weird. Packaging is great and makes me want to pull the grill out of the garage.




(Thanks D. Frank)

A- Rod (Fraud) isn't the Only One Doping

The one thing that Coke's Vitamin Water brand didn't put on their package is that it might set you off for failing a drug test under the NCAA's eyes.

"At an NCAA athletic conference on January 15th, it was revealed that some Vitamin Water flavors contain "impermissible or banned substances", which could lead to suspensions for some athletes."

via Deadspin

"Starbucks offers coffee-breakfast combos, cites economy"

What's next . . Starbuck's giving me a toy with my coffee?

"Starbucks, better known for amusingly complicated premium coffee offerings, took a cue from fast-food chains and announced a plan Monday to sell pairings of coffee and breakfast for $3.95, citing the economic downturn."

CNN

Ethnic Foods Expand, Organics More Selective

A quick overview of trends from Packaged Facts' "Food Flavors and Ingredients Outlook 2009" report:

The range of available ethnic food varieties is actually expanding at an accelerated pace, reflecting both the growth of ethnic populations and evolving mainstream tastes. World cuisines that are expected to be in increasing demand this year include "rustic French," reflecting consumers' desire for "down-to-earth and comforting qualities," and a wide range of Asian (with Japanese becoming better established and Korean going mainstream). Mediterranean (particularly Spanish) food offerings will become ubiquitous, and the cuisines of Peru, Laos, Algeria, Ethiopia and Somalia will become available in more markets, PF prognosticates.

Full article at MediaPost

A Timeless Classic with a Soul

The Sweet Payoff

From Rob Walker's always-insightful Consumed column:

Mintel surveyed chocolate buyers last year, and 12 percent actually admitted to the motive “I was sad or stressed.” But the most popular answers were “I had a chocolate craving” and the unenlightening “No particular reason.” Maybe there’s a factor we don’t even recognize prodding us to buy premium chocolate, and it arises not despite the drumbeat of threatening financial news but because of it. Derek Rucker and Adam Galinsky of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University have lately been exploring the relationship between feelings of powerlessness and what they term “compensatory consumption.”

New York Times Magazine

This Bowl Had a Better Winner than the Super Bowl

While only a select few were actually happy with the Superbowl Champs, many were excited that John Squibb dominated the Wing bowl by downing "203 chicken wings in about 20 minutes."

via USA Today

162-year-old Necco has change of heart

Next month, Necco plans to unveil a new line of Sweethearts connected to "Twilight" — the young-adult vampire-romance book series. They'll be released at the same time as the DVD of the movie and feature such sayings as "Bite Me," "Bedazzle" and "Live 4 Ever." Around Memorial Day, Necco will introduce a "Red, White and You" series aimed at veterans returning from Iraq with messages like "Proud" and "Love the USA."

MSNBC

Earnings Drop Won't Keep Kraft From Spending

From AdAge:

The country's largest food marketer reported strong sales growth for its fourth quarter and full year, though 2008's earnings fell a whopping 72%, which Kraft blamed on taxes, restructuring costs and commodity hedges. Still, CEO Irene Rosenfeld underscored the importance of the company's boosted marketing outlays as it enters the final phase of its three-year turnaround plan. She emphasized that Kraft will continue to invest in its brands during 2009.

Bacon Man

Have you recently noticed a trend of bacon being the go-to meat for creative inspiration - see Bacon Haikus and the Bacon Explosion? Well now comes Bacon Man, teaching you that you can do anything with free time, smoked meats, and wood.


check out more pix here

Starbucks to start serving value meals

Starbucks plans to serve value meals in order to compete during these hard economic times. Read more from the Huffington Post.