Alcohol industry slump is bargain drinker's happy hour

At this time of year we always like to remember the needy. But the liquor industry?

Alcohol producers and distributors are suffering because we're drinking less of the good stuff and buying more of the cheap stuff during these sobering economic times, the Los Angeles Times reports. The holidays normally generate the biggest sales in spirits, yet the numbers are down.

"If you are a premium spirits supplier, this is tough sledding," Nielsen analyst Nick Lake told the Times.