So, how’s your “Dry January” going? To be honest, mine only lasted a few hours (when I was asleep naturally) as I vowed that for the good of the country – and our beleaguered booze industry – that I should put all selfish thoughts of my own well-being to one side and carry on regardless. It’s tough work but someone’s got to do it.
However, it seems I might be one of a dying breed – quite literally if my liver is anything to go by – as once I was back at my desk following a week with the fat friends and family of the Northern Powerhouse, the shocking results of a new survey crash-landed into my email inbox.
You see, new data from search specialists MediaVision has revealed that there was a near catastrophic fall in interest in festive fizzy favourites Champagne (down 27%) and Prosecco (down 29%) over the Christmas period. In fact, even searches for wines and beers fell by 23% during the run-up to December 25 last year.
A number of popular beer brands also saw online activity fall away in December compared to the same time in 2020: searches for Budweiser dropped by a third (34%), Stella Artois by a quarter (23%) and Coors Light by almost half (45%).
MediaVision boss Louis Venter reckons that Champagne in particular has long been a mainstay of the Christmas party (not round here, sir, got any jobs going at MediaVision by any chance?) but believes the decline in searches can be put down to the fact that most get-togethers were cancelled this year, unless of course you happen to work at Downing Street.
However, according to my own figures, bubbly might be in decline but searches for the premium craft ale Foxy Over A Barrel – described as accessible yet assertive, zesty and bold, and big with ample body and a great finish – rocketed by more than 3,000%, while orders went through the roof.
And, while it may be a little rough round the edges, after a few pints of that you not only forget the troubles of the world, you actually forget where you are, who you are or whether there is even a world or not.
Sounds like the perfect cure for Covid. Happy New Year!
You can now follow Foxy on Twitter and Instagram (although don’t expect too much)
