• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, September 11, 2009

Maybe a bad economy is driving people to drink. Over the last few months, two national newspapers and a leading consumer magazine have launched alcohol-centered services advising members where to find the perfect beverage. In some cases, they actually market the alcohol themselves.

All out-of-home marketing strategies hope to strengthen the pubs' branding efforts, which rely on longstanding relationships with readers to jump-start a new revenue source.

In the latest development, Men's Health has transformed its print column on all matters boozy, "Jimmy the Bartender," into a GPS-enabled mobile guide service for the iPhone and iPod Touch. It shows users the way to the next whiskey bar or bistro, ranked in order of proximity.

The application, which costs $2.99 to download, also has a calorie-wise guide to bar cuisine bearing the brand of Men's Health Editor In Chief David Zinczenko's diet book "Eat This, Not That!" The Jimmy the Bartender app allows users to browse cocktail recipes and submit reviews to a consumer-generated database.

Earlier this month, USA Today launched the USA Today Wine Club, a resource for readers to learn about and buy wines from around the world. For $69.99 per quarter, plus $11.99 for shipping, members of the USA Today Wine Club will get six bottles of wine delivered by My Wines Direct, the marketing service that will handle most of the actual logistics.

Some of the wines will be chosen by USA Today reader-tasting panels around the country, others by wine experts. All will be accompanied by tasting notes, facts about the region where the wine is made and a suggested recipe for meal pairing.

Consumers can join the club via its Web site, which seems like a natural fit for advertisers, although it doesn't carry any.

In August, The New York Times launched its own wine club in partnership with Global Wine Company, negotiated by MODA International Marketing, the Times' exclusive licensing agent.

The New York Times Wine Club skews slightly fancier than USA Today's, enticing potential members with promises of wines from small, family-run boutique wineries with limited production.

New members can choose one of two plans, the less-expensive Times Sampler and the more expensive Times Reserve, both of which deliver six bottles of wine -- four reds, two whites -- at different price points ($15 per bottle for the Times Sampler, $30 per bottle for the Times Reserve, plus $19.95 shipping and handling for a six-bottle half case). Members can choose to have new wines delivered every one, two, or three months.

The Wall Street Journal also launched a wine club in partnership with Laithwaite's Wine Merchants, another direct-to-home wine marketer. The Wall Street Journal's Discovery Club offers a special introductory package of 12 wines at a $110 savings. Members will then receive a 12-bottle case of premium wines selected by wine experts once every three months at a cost of $139.99, plus shipping and handling.