Jack Daniel’s® Tennessee Apple™

1½ parts Jack Daniel’s® Tennessee Whiskey

½ part apple liqueur

1 part sweet and sour

½ part Sprite®

Shake ingredients together and serve over ice in a rocks glass. Add Sprite®. Garnish with a cherry.

Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of the Mexican militia’s victory over the French army at The Battle of Puebla in 1862 during a chaotic time in their history. The Mexican-American War (1846-1848) and the Mexican Civil War of 1858 ruined the economy and the unity of the nation. Mexico had accumulated heavy debts to several nations during this time, including France. With the intent to recoup payment and establish leadership in Mexico, the French invaded the gulf coast of Mexico and marched towards Mexico City where they met resistance near Puebla. A poorly armed Mexican militia estimated at 4,500 men defeated a well-outfitted French army of 6,500 soldiers and stopped the invasion of the country. It was a glorious moment for Mexican patriots and restored a national sense of unity.

The following tequila cocktails, without any French influence, honor Mexico’s victory. Take our quiz on Mexican culture below.

Modern Margarita

1 1/2 parts CORZO® Reposado Tequila

1 part Monin agave nectar

2 slices fresh lemon

2 slices fresh lime

1 slice fresh orange

Muddle lemon, lime and orange slices. Add remaining ingredients, shake with ice and strain into a chilled stemless martini cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime slice.

http://www.corzo.com/home/#cocktails

Mercadito

2 parts Milagro Reposado Tequila

¾ parts Monin agave nectar

1 part fresh lime juice

1 pinch cilantro

1 thin jalapeno slice

Muddle lime and cilantro in a Boston shaker glass. Add remaining ingrediants and shake vigorously with ice. Strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with cocktail cucumber slice and cilantro sprig.

http://www.milagrotequila.com/#/fresh_cocktails/milagro_reposado_mercadito

1800 Mexican Madras

1 ½ 1800 Reposado Tequila

2 oz Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice

Dash lime juice

Shake over ice or blend, garnish with an orange slice.

http://www.milagrotequila.com/#/fresh_cocktails/milagro_reposado_mercadito

Chili Pinarita

1.5 fl oz JOSE CUERVO ESPECIAL® Silver Tequila

1.5 fl oz Pineapple Juice

0.25 fl oz Lime

0.25 fl oz Habenero Lime Syrup

0.25 fl oz Simple Syrup

Combine all the ingredients in a shaker glass with ice. Shake well and strain into an ice filled glass. Garnish with chili salt and pineapple.

http://www.cuervo.com/cocktail/view/chili-pinarita.aspx

QUIZ (answers below):

1. Mexico introduced corn, chilies and ___ to the world?

2. Four states border Mexico. Through which one does the Rio Grande flow?

a) California
b) Arizona
c) New Mexico
d) Texas

3. From the list below, name the most prominent native civilization in the Yucatan peninsula.
a) Inca
b) Aztec/Mexica
c) Maya
d) Toltec

4. The name which is shared by two Aztec emperors of Mexico?

5. The great pyramid of Chichen Itza is to be found in which Mexican state?
a) Durango
b) Aguascalientes
c) Guanajuato
d) Yucatan

QUIZ (answers):

1. Mexico introduced corn, chilies and ___ to the world?

Chocolate: Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC. The majority of the Mesoamerican people made chocolate beverages, including the Aztecs, who made it into a beverage known as xocolātl, a Nahuatl word meaning “bitter water”. The seeds of the cacao tree have an intense bitter taste, and must be fermented to develop the flavor.

2. Four states border Mexico. Through which one does the Rio Grande flow?
a) California
b) Arizona
c) New Mexico:The Rio Grande is 1885 miles in length. It rises in Colorado and then flows south through the center of New Mexico. It then flows in a south easterly direction and enters the Gulf of Mexico.
d) Texas

3. From the list below, name the most prominent native civilization in the Yucatan peninsula.
a) Inca
b) Aztec/Mexica
c) Maya: There are still more than six million Mayans today, living mainly in Mexico, Guatemala, Mexico and Belize.
d) Toltec

4. The name which is shared by two Aztec emperors of Mexico?
Montezuma I died in 1469. Montezuma II, who reigned from (1502-1520), was overthrown by the Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortés.

5. The great pyramid of Chichen Itza is to be found in which Mexican state?
a) Durango
b) Aguascalientes
c) Guanajuato
d) Yucatan: Chich’en Itza was built by the Maya civilization and is located in the Municipality of Tinúm, in the Mexican Yucatan state. The Mayan name of “Chich’en Itza” means “At the mouth of the well of the Itza”. Many stone buildings are found on the site, apart from the pyramid, which is called the Temple of Kukulkan, and often referred to as “El Castillo” (the castle).

I’m not referring to assets held by your bank. I’m referring to larger deposits you can take to your bank! All you have to do to unleash these assets is create and promote your very own frozen drink program. Aren’t frozen drink programs difficult to manage? Don’t they require a large investment in equipment? Don’t most bartenders hate making frozen drinks? The answers are “No,” “No,” and “I seriously doubt it, especially if the tips are rolling in.”

I would assume that most on-premise operations have some type of blender on hand capable of making frozen drinks. It may be the Hamilton Beach® Commercial 908® blender which has appeared at one time or another in a great majority of bars and restaurants around the country.

Perhaps you have something a bit more powerful but have never aggressively put it to work creating great-tasting frozen drinks.

In this case your assets are, well, “frozen” as are your potential financial rewards. But what if you could, in a little over a week, cover the cost of purchasing the equipment necessary to properly introduce a frozen drink program, and create a highly-profitable new business platform that will pay off for the remainder of the year? This would not only unlock your assets but it would also unlock your creativity, as the flavor options for frozen drinks are endless.

You might be saying, “This sounds intriguing, but I need to see the numbers.” Well, for starters, millions and millions of cases of frozen drink mixes are produced and sold each year. Finest Call, Kerry, and Monin, to name a few, offer a wide range of products in delectable flavors such as margarita, strawberry daiquiri, piña colada, mango, banana, raspberry, and “hurricane,” as well a large assortment of frozen coffee-style drinks. Mixing some of these traditional flavors together to create such attractive options as strawberry colada, mango margarita, and banana raspberry is just the tip of the frozen drink iceberg. The only limit is one’s own imagination.

Now you might be thinking, “I like the way this sounds but don’t I have to also invest a lot of time and effort to launch a successful frozen drink program?” Like most things in life, you reap what you sow. The more you embrace the program, the more reward you will see. One important fact that is sometimes overlooked when considering a frozen drink program is the appeal of alcohol-free frozen drinks. This appeal is not just for anyone under the legal drinking age; we need to remember that not every occasion is an occasion to drink alcohol. This means that a successful frozen drink program will include options both with and without alcohol.

Although many operators have embraced the frozen drink concept in a big way, let’s look at two examples of how to get started without dramatically changing your overall beverage approach.

Option One – The Cautious Approach
This approach requires little effort or investment. Purchase 1 case of a premium drink mix, 3 liters of rum, an entry-level blender, and make a sign promoting frozen drinks. You can budget $100 for the blender, $50 for a case of drink mix, and $50 for 3 liters of a premium rum product. The total investment is $200. The mix and spirit purchased will make about 100 12-oz. frozen drinks. Using a $7.50 drink price, you would generate $750 in product sales on an investment of $200. This creates a profit margin of 73% when factoring in the cost of the blender, and 87% on all future sales. Selling only a dozen frozen drinks per day would generate almost $1,900 in extra profits over the course of the year.

Option Two – The All In Approach
This approach is much more ambitious: you commit to purchasing 6 cases of premium drink mixes in 6 distinct flavors, 2 cases of a premium rum product, and 3 high-performance commercial blenders similar to the Hamilton Beach® Commercial Tempest® blender. Then, you not only create the proper signage, but you also make sampling an integral part of the program. You do this by assigning 2 people to be designated Frozen Drink Ambassadors on each shift for the entire week of the program’s introduction. These ambassadors’ role would be to welcome each bar or restaurant patron, introduce the program, and place alcohol-free samples of the featured flavors on each table. They would then suggest to each guest of legal drinking age that these drinks could be made with alcohol. Try this, and watch your frozen drink business explode.

The second option is a bit more expensive on the investment side but dramatically more appealing on the profit side. Initially, the costs are about $1,200 for the blenders, $300 for the premium drink mixes, and $300 for the rum, for an investment of $1,800. Additionally, you’ll need to consider the designated manpower cost allocated for the rollout week. Your investment will produce 600 frozen drinks generating $4,500 in sales and a profit of $2,700. This approach produces a profit margin of 60% when factoring in the initial cost of the blenders, and 87% on all future sales.

Whether you choose option one, option two, or your own unique option, one thing is certain: your “frozen assets” won’t produce future profits unless you create the right investment blend moving forward. Frozen today—profitable tomorrow! It really can be that simple!

Prosecco: Zonin: Italy
The nose shows a little lemon-lime citrus peel. The effervescence is healthy and the pinpoint bubbles treat you throughout the whole glass. Pleasantly dry, with notes of almonds. The finish leaves you with a tingly touch of Valencia orange.

Sparkling Rose’: Sofia Rose’, 2010: Monterey County, California
Feminine and stylish, with a fragrant perfume of fresh strawberries and lavender, this rosé explodes with ripe, juicy flavors of cherry, raspberry and citrus zest.

Sparkling: Korbel Blanc de Noirs: California
Fresh and full of flavor, this is the perfect spring and summer champagne. Korbel uses pinot noir cuvées with lots of raspberry and strawberry flavor balance, and a light-flavored white cuvée for a delicate finish.

Sauvignon Blanc: Joel Gott, 2010: California
The aroma is big and herbaceous. Flavors of crisp apple, kiwi and grapefruit are prominent with refreshing acidity. It shows remarkable balance for a wine of such distinct flavors. The finish is long and intense; sound like a New Zealand sauvignon blanc? It shows a lot of similarities.

Sauvignon Blanc: Wente Vineyards Estate Grown, 2010
The aroma brings soft white peach and melon. It is reminiscent of a white Bordeaux wine, which makes sense because the vines are descendants of Château d’Yquem vines and grow in the same loam and gravel-style soil. The flavor is rich and creamy with subtle citrus notes, every bit as good as most of the Bordeaux wines in its class.

Sauvignon Blanc: Sterling Vineyards, Vinters Collection 2010: Central Coast, California
The flavors are clean and crisp; citrus, tropical guava and honeydew are present. Lees stirring gives the wine complexity, balancing the bright acidity with weight and depth.

Pinot Grigio: Mirassou, 2010: California
Aromas and flavors of peach, pear and citrus with crisp, lively acidity create an exceptionally refreshing wine. The combination of both cool and warm growing regions contributes a gentle complexity to the flavor profile by allowing the crisp acidic fruit characters from our coastal vineyards to blend with the ripe fruit characters from the inland vineyards.

Pinot Grigio: Ecco Domani, 2010: della Venezie, Italy
A low concentration of surmaturo grapes (grapes that are left on the vine longer than normal, allowing the juice to develop greater concentration and complexity from the extended hang time) gives the wine tropical fruit notes that make this unique vintage truly exotic, with apple and pineapple aromas and flavors. The wine is light-bodied, with a pleasantly soft palate and a long finish.

Pinot Grigio: Banfi San Angelo, 2010: Tuscany, Italy
From the estate vineyards of Castello Banfi, this estate-bottled wine shows lush tropical fruit aromas and flavors, balanced with crisp citrus notes and a lingering finish. Its Tuscan character distinguishes it from its northern counterparts.

White Blend: Seven Daughters White: California
This wine consists of 23% Pinot Gris, 19% Orange Muscat, 19% Symphony, 17% Riesling, 11% Gewürztraminer, 8% Sauvignon Blanc and 3% Chardonnay. What else do you need? The wine shows flavors of crisp, fresh lychee and mandarin orange with bursts of intense tangerine and closing notes of spice.

White Blend: Ménage à Trois, 2010: California
The blend of Chardonnay, Moscato and Chenin Blanc provides a delightful aroma of all three varietals but not one stands out. The flavor is a unique composite that accentuates the floral character.

White Blend: Conundrum, 2010: California
A blend of five white grape varietals: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat, Canelli, Viognier and Semillon. Honeysuckle, vanilla and citrus come out in the nose with flavors of melon, pineapple and pear. Rich and complex.

BOSTON, MASS. ― APRIL 24, 2012 ― The Boston Beer Company today announced the national expansion of the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream program. With a focus on helping small businesses related to food, beverage, craft brewing and hospitality, Brewing the American Dream provides loans and industry-specific coaching, mentoring, and educational resources to business owners who find it difficult to access the capital and guidance needed to sustain and grow their businesses.

While in the past only a handful of regions had access to the program, today’s national expansion of Brewing the American Dream will target at least $1 million in new loans, expanded for the first time to recipients across the country, with significantly increased access to its high-impact one-on-one mentoring and coaching activities. Additionally, the nationwide program includes the introduction of the new Brewing the American Dream Online Community, the first online resource to provide small business owners in the food, beverage, and hospitality sector with a comprehensive platform of tools to help their businesses succeed.

Working in partnership with Accion, the country’s only nationwide microlender, Brewing the American Dream has already provided more than $1 million in micro-financing to close to 150 businesses, and created or saved nearly 1,000 jobs. Just as importantly, since it began a few years ago the program has offered one-on-one coaching and advised nearly 3,000 small business owners in the food, beverage, craft brewing, and hospitality industries throughout New England, New York, Chicago, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

Hands-On Education; An Exceptional Repayment Rate; and a Founder Rejected by Banks
“What differentiates Brewing the American Dream is the combination of loans and hands-on education,” said Jim Koch, brewer and founder of Samuel Adams. “Working with Accion, we identify small business applicants who are often viewed as too risky by traditional banks – yet at the forefront of job creation and growth within their local communities – and where a relatively modest loan can have a meaningful impact. From there, we get down in the trenches with them through one-on-one mentoring and coaching to help them grow their businesses.”

Koch noted that a key indicator of the program’s success is the fact that it is reporting a default rate that’s low by micro lending standards and certainly well below other programs.

“I think a large part of the program’s success is due to our ability to offer in-depth expertise and advice that comes from living and breathing the food and beverage industry every day. We understand the challenges because we’ve been there; I’ve been there. From being turned down by banks 28 years ago when I was just starting out and desperately needed funding, to figuring out how to distribute my product, I know firsthand what these small business owners are going through and sincerely believe that Brewing the American Dream can help them overcome many of their obstacles.”

More Coaching and an Online Community
As part of its national expansion in 2012, Brewing the American Dream will extend its speed coaching events into Los Angeles, Denver, Washington, DC, San Diego and Austin. These events will also continue to be held throughout the year across New England, New York, Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati and eastern Pennsylvania.

Additionally, a key part of the program’s expansion involves the Brewing the American Dream Online Community. Designed to grow and expand with the program, it is the first online network for small business owners in the food and beverage industry to provide various educational resources such as video tutorials, interactive discussion boards and forums, etc. While some reference material will cover general small business education topics including managing finances and business planning, the site will also focus on offering specific insights related to the food and beverage sector such as food and beverage packaging guidelines, and strategies for product marketing and distribution.

Lending To Small Businesses Stalled
“The lending environment is still challenging for a lot of small businesses,” said Gina Harman, president and CEO of Accion’s U.S. Network. “In fact, a recent study[1] showed lending to small businesses has stalled and consequently small business growth may be slowing. The bottom line is that public-private partnerships that deliver real value to small business owners like Brewing the American Dream are needed now more than ever.”

Harman also confirmed the importance of the educational component of the program. “Since the Small Business Administration recently announced it will make cuts to its counseling and training programs that accompany microloans, it’s extremely important to have resources like Brewing the American Dream that can fill the education gap that’s so critical to small businesses success.”

About The Boston Beer Company
The Boston Beer Company began in 1984 with a generations-old family recipe that Founder and Brewer Jim Koch uncovered in his father’s attic. Inspired and unafraid to challenge conventional thinking about beer, Jim brought the recipe to life in his kitchen. Pleased with the results of his work, Jim decided to sample his beer with bars in Boston in the hopes that drinkers would appreciate the complex, full-flavored beer he brewed fresh in America. That beer was aptly named Samuel Adams Boston Lager, in recognition of one of our nation’s great founding fathers, a man of independent mind and spirit. Little did Jim know at the time, Samuel Adams Boston Lager soon became a catalyst of the American craft beer revolution.

Today, The Boston Beer Company brews more than 30 styles of beer. It relentlessly pursues the development of new styles and the perfection of classic beers by searching the world for the finest ingredients. Using the traditional four vessel brewing process, the Company often takes extra steps like dry-hopping, barrel-aging and a secondary fermentation known as krausening. The Company has also pioneered another revolution, the ‘extreme beer’ movement, where it seeks to challenge drinker’s perceptions of what beer can be. The Boston Beer Company has been committed to elevating the image of American craft beer by entering festivals and competitions around the globe, and in the past five years has won more awards in international beer competitions than any other brewery in the world. As an independent company, brewing quality beer remains its single focus. Although Samuel Adams beer is
America’s largest-selling craft beer, it accounts for only one percent of the U.S. beer market. The Boston Beer Company will continue its independently-minded quest to brew great beer and to advocate for the growth of craft beer across America. For more information, please visit www.samueladams.com/.

About Accion
In seeking a partner for Samuel Adams’ Brewing the American Dream the company turned to Accion to facilitate lending to hardworking business owners seeking to grow. Since 1991, Accion has built the largest microfinance network in the U.S., comprised of five members, that have collectively provided loans and support to over 500,000 enterprising individuals. Accion provides affordable financing and support to everyday businesses, establishing a relationship with each customer and considers personal character alongside credit history in its lending process. Each Accion loan—which averages $7,500—fuels the creation and retention of more than two jobs, extending the organization’s impact beyond the borrower’s business to the community as a whole. To learn more about Accion’s work in the U.S. please visit us.accion.org.

CONTACTS:
George Sopko, Stanton Public Relations & Marketing
646.502.3507, gsopko@stantonprm.com

Michelle Diamandis, Samuel Adams
617.368.5135, michelle.diamandis@bostonbeer.com

Springtime conjures up images of relaxing outside and enjoying all that nature provides, and nowhere is this truer than in the wine-producing regions of Italy.

Situated at the foothills of northeast Italy between the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, sits a masterpiece called Villa Sandi. This Palladian-style villa is an enchanting and magical estate; magical in the thrill and sense of enchantment that happens when grapes are transformed into a sparkling liquid gold.

In the Veneto region surrounding the areas of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, the lively, approachable and inexpensive bubbly, prosecco, is artfully produced.

Influenced in equal measures by gentle breezes from the Alps and the Adriatic Sea, the grapes in this area grow in a cool climate with ample rainfall and yet experience numerous, sunny days. The name of the wine comes from its principal grape varietal, Prosecco. It is the only place in the world where true prosecco wine may be produced and legally named so. After a 2009 European ruling, which was similar to the protection laws that govern champagne, any wine using the grape outside of the designated DOC and DOCG areas must refer to the varietal as Glera.

At Villa Sandi, the main namesake offerings of prosecco are the Il Fresco DOC Brut and the Superiore DOCG Extra Dry. Both appear very pale, straw yellow in color and exhibit an agreeably fruity and harmonious finish on the palate.Unlike other producers, Villa Sandi refrigerates the prosecco must upon crushing, keeping it fresh and fermenting it on demand. A recent sister offering to the lineup for this spring is Il Fresco Rosé, a light rose-colored prosecco produced from a blend of Pinot Nero and Glera.

Springtime is the perfect season to try one of these light, affordable and fun proseccos, either alone as an aperitif or in an aperol spritz. Salute.

That planning begins by auditing your licenses and operations at least once a year. For example, do not assume that all licenses have the same renewal date. Also, your alcohol license may restrict the movement of drinks: a guest who brings a drink from the bar to the dining room could be putting you in violation of regulations. Given such issues, you should examine your licensing options and instruct employees to not only keep a close eye on what comes into your service area, but also on what leaves it.

Establishing a good working relationship with the state alcohol agent in your region is prudent. Agents are usually open to conducting seminars about enforcement and taking other steps to help you stay current on regulations. Learning what agents are looking for in an investigation allows you to address those issues in a proactive manner with your employees.

Your establishment should also have written procedures regarding customer identification. You do not want to alienate a 70-year-old customer by asking for proof of her age, but you do want to establish standardized guidelines and ensure that employees are following them.

Maintaining accurate and current inventory records is also important. Most states require written records and many jurisdictions levy taxes per-drink-served. Good records also help minimize employee theft and other loss.

An attorney experienced in alcohol regulation can help you establish and update these procedures. The medley of regulations can appear intimidating, but good counsel will walk you through them and help ensure that you are in line with state and local requirements. Taking the proper steps now to protect your alcohol licenses will save you a lot in the future.

Beginning April 15, America’s fisherman can upload their “Best Catch” photo along with a 100-word description of what makes it their “best” to the Speyburn Facebook Page where the public will be able to vote for their favorite. The winner will receive a professionally-framed artist’s rendering of their picture and an Orvis gift card for $500. The runner-up will receive a Speyburn merchandise package, an American Rivers gift and an Orvis gift card for $50. In addition, one submission per month will be chosen randomly to receive a $50 Orvis gift card.

About Speyburn

Speyburn Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky was first distilled on the December 15, 1897, the diamond jubilee year of Queen Victoria. To ensure that whisky was made in the jubilee year, men worked through the night in a heavy snowstorm, managing to bond one single barrel of 1897 Speyburn. Today, Speyburn continues to use the time-honored traditional distillation methods that created the single barrel of the 1897 vintage. Many of the original distillery fittings remain, and are still used, in this very traditional Malt Whisky distillery. Speyburn’s award-winning portfolio has recently won a Double Gold Medal at the 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and Best Highland Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards, among others. (www.speyburn.com)

• 1/3 cup graham crackers, crushed
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup superfine sugar
• 1 cup cherry juice
• 1/4 cup grenadine
• 4 shots white rum
• 1 cup club soda
• 1 lime, juiced
• Lime slices, for garnish
• Maraschino cherries, for garnish

Directions

Courtesy of Food Network’s Patrcik and Gina Neely – Source

Spring is HERE! Time for backyard dinner parties, barbecues, and outdoor cocktails. We’ve rounded up 6 fresh + delicious Spring Cocktails perfect for your get-together. Try them out and let us know which one is your favorite! - Source

1. Tropical Blue Margarita
1 1/2 oz  Tequila
1 0z Blue Curacao liqueur
1 oz lime juice
coarse salt
Rub rim of cocktail glass with lime juice. Dip rim in coarse salt. Shake tequila, blue curacao, and lime juice with ice, strain into the salt-rimmed glass, and serve.

2. Pink Lemonade Cocktail (serves 4-6)
1 (12-oz.) can frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
3 (12-oz.) bottles beer (not dark), chilled
3/4 cup vodka, chilled
Ice
Garnishes: fresh cranberries, citrus slices
via MyRecipes.com

3. Passion Fruit Mojitos
Combine in a pitcher 2 parts Passion Fruit Mojito mix, 1 part white rum, and ice. Mix, then pour into ice-filled glasses. Top with a splash of club soda. Garnish with a mint sprig and a lime slice.
via RedbookMag

4. Raspberry Beer Cocktails (serves 6)
3/4 cup frozen raspberries
3 1/2 (12-oz.) bottles beer, chilled
1 (12-oz.) container frozen raspberry lemonade concentrate, thawed
1/2 cup vodka
Garnish: lemon and lime slices
Stir together first 4 ingredients. Serve over ice.
via MyRecipes.com

5.  Kiwi Colada (serves 6)
5 peeled kiwifruit, divided
3 cups ice
1/4 cup light rum
1/4 cup Midori (melon-flavored liqueur)
3 tablespoons Cream of Coconut (such as Coco Lopez)
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
via Cooking Light

6. Blackberry Julep (serves 1)
1 1/2 oz. Marie Brizard Blackberry
1 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 oz. Simple Syrup
1 oz. water
Shake all ingredients with ice andstrain into a glass  filled crushed ice. Stir until the glass begins to frost. Garnish with marinated mixed berries

TEA – Tea is one of the hottest new categories under beverage trends. It is very much up on the trendsetter scales. Tea trends are becoming more and more obvious in society, especially among younger people. One of the most recent is using tea as a topping or as an ingredient in everyday favorite foods and drinks. Tea is even popular in the bars; it is being mixed into many different drinks.

COFFEE – The coffee category is a hot beverage trend in and of itself. It seems as though every week there is a study released or an interesting article written about some aspect of coffee. MediaPost reported that Packaged Facts predicted a 17% increase in coffee sales in 2011, jumping to $7.3 billion.
Premium coffee is another trend in the category, and it comes in all shapes and sizes. In Brooklyn, N.Y., coffeehouse Café Grumpy sells $12-cups of coffee—and people are shelling out for it. One of the most expensive coffees in the world, kopi luwak, which is made by harvesting coffee beans that have passed through the digestive system of a tropical cat, sells for $75 a jar at Stumptown Coffee Roasters in New York City and has been a growing trend and delicacy abroad.

Outdoor or Indoor/Outdoor Beer Gardens – They will boom around the country, especially at restaurants and breweries with unused backyards, oversized parking lots, or available rooftops. The bigger, the better. Good, cheap beer, often at five bucks a pop, and unchallenging food like pretzels, hot dogs and burgers, draw crowds seeking a fresh air alternative to indoor bars or lounges. Movable roofs and warmers make them year-round businesses. Topping them all is Birreria, a Batali/Bastianich 10,000 sq.ft. rooftop extravaganza in New York with its own microbrewery, wine from barrels, operable roof and terrific alpine-type food.

Moscato – Food & Wine’s executive wine editor, Ray Isle, noted American-made moscato has been on the rise in recent years. Now, the big-name brands are rushing to jump in on the trend. This wine is slightly sweet, light, and very approachable, Isle stated in an interview with Fox Business, and he went on to say that some people have talked about it like it’s the next white zinfandel.

Food-Friendly, Low-Alcohol Wines – Sommeliers have long been advocates for lower alcohol wines (below 14% ABV) because of their great compatibility with food. European wines generally have lower alcohol than their New World counterparts and are specifically made to complement the cuisine of their native lands, which explains the predominance of European producers on many restaurant wine lists. Ripe, over-extracted, high-alcohol wines have the effect of overpowering most foods. New World winemakers (and wine drinkers) are becoming wise to this fact and have begun to abandon the over the top, sometimes out of balance, style that was the long-standing fashion. In the year ahead, look for lower-alcohol wines coming out of regions such as Napa and the Willamette Valley. Not only will these low-alcohol wines enhance your dining experiences, you won’t be bowled over by the first glass!

Apptails – Mini-cocktails, offered as a muse, “wet” the appetite before the drinks and meal to come. They create a sense of generous hospitality, while enticing guests to try beverages from the bar program. We’ll drink to that!

Taptail – First it was cask-aged cocktails, which are pre-measured mixed drinks that have been barrel-aged for added nuance. Now mixed drinks are available on tap, barrel or not. It’s the new Manhattan project. It’s quick and convenient.
Example: Cask-Aged Negronis at Clyde Common (Portland, OR).

Liquid Diet – Chefs and cocktail experts are distilling all the flavors of a complex, integrated dish into liquid form. Alcohol may or may not be included.
Example: Sourdough Grilled Cheese Sandwich Infused Vodka served up as a martini at Lafitte (San Francisco, CA).

Let it Snow – First there was shaved ice, now there is shaved ice cream as Snow Ice comes to America. Offering the flavor and creaminess of ice cream with unbelievably light texture, Snow Ice is sure to please. Break the cone of silence and scream for Snow Ice.

Spheres – Glass-like spheres of ice in all shapes and sizes will be at the bottom of your favorite beverages.

Double Hitter – Bars are pitching double-hitters with offers of a cocktail or shot and a beer to chase it with. Call it a one-two shot.
Examples: “$25 Bourbon, Burger & Beer” at Fifth Floor (San Francisco, CA); “Beer & a Shot” at Hogs & Rocks (San Francisco, CA).

Drinks with Drive – The food truck craze has extended to drinks, as cocktail trucks are taking to the streets and spirits brands seek to build recognition.
Examples: Leblon Cachaca Caipirinhas Truck (multiple locations, nationwide); BrewTruc (San Francisco).

Japanese Craft Beers – They will gain a following. They’re already making inroads on beer-centric menus and Asian influenced restaurants, and they give lots of local artisan brews a good run for their money.

Brewfruity – Breweries are adding fruit to beers of all types. This new fruit juice adds a little hop to your step.

Dress’n – All-natural artisanal garnishes and blends showcasing the flavors and textures of your beverage offerings, by Dress The Drink.

The Bubbles – Grower champagne producers and smaller champagne houses are becoming more and more popular as bubbly lovers everywhere discover the world beyond Dom Pérignon, Krug and Cristal. Of course, we’ll never turn down a glass of Veuve Clicquot, but there are so many other high-quality, great value champagnes out there. Grower champagne producers are grape farmers who make their own champagne using the grapes they grew themselves, as opposed to the bigger houses that buy them in. While these small, artisanal producers lack the marketing power of the ubiquitous big brands, their champagnes are gaining recognition and are the new fashion.

It’s easy for hotel F&B directors to feel overwhelmed with the variety of glassware required for a higher-quality bar, let alone for the hotel’s restaurants, room service and banquet facilities. Smart managers develop a manageable defensive, or cost-driven, strategy. This involves the very real issues of breakage, storage space, display space, the seemingly infinite number of dish racks required for specialty glasses, and the labor cost of hand-polishing shapes that refuse to dry without spots. And let’s not forget portion control.

I’m going to ask you to suspend these concerns–we’ll come back to them–in favor of an opposing strategy: the driving rationale for glassware selection should be to maximize sales. That’s right; disregard cost and convenience, for the time being. I propose that the correct glassware selection can reinforce your competitive position in the marketplace, improve guest satisfaction, and increase your check and profits.

I’m betting that you’ve already adopted a similar strategy for your product line: you carry products that help maximize sales. But you’re not selling just beverage products, you’re selling a beverage experience, and the glassware may be as important to that experience as the product itself.

How important? Some say that the shape of the glass can actually affect aroma and taste. This shouldn’t surprise us. The traditional shapes that we use today were developed centuries ago. The first foot-stem-bowl wine vessel was probably created in the 15th century. The beer mug is likely older. Snifters, the preferred vessel for brandy (and recommended for certain beers), almost certainly date from the 18th century. Why have these glass designs stayed with us so long if not for the fact that they enhance the experience?

Fast forward to the current day. Glassware exists for virtually any beverage variation. Riedel and Glencairn offer glasses designed exclusively for sipping single malt scotch. The Sam Adams beer glasses have laser etchings on the bottom of the glass “to create bubbles for constant aroma release.” Ravenscroft’s Amplifier line of wine glassware will “magnify the bouquet of any wine.” Additionally, Riedel, which makes a glass for practically any varietal, has conducted tasting seminars since the 1990s to prove that its glassware enhances both the aromas and flavors of wine. Their rims are sized to deliver each wine to the optimal regions of the tongue, and their workshops reinforce the point with tongue maps.

What about the science? Does the glass really affect the flavor? The evidence is unequivocal, maybe. Gourmet famously debunked the Riedel wine glass claims in its August 2004 “Shattered Myths” article. Few other studies seem to support claims about enhanced bouquet and flavor. The “tongue map” is urban myth, plain and simple. But creating myths and debunking myths go on, and wine lovers continue to walk out of Riedel seminars astonished by the perceived influence of their glassware.

“So what?” you say.

Good question. You manage a bar, not a science fair. You’re less concerned with chemistry and more concerned with the guest experience, a profitable guest experience.

And that “p” word is what brings me back to strategy: yup, glassware strategy.

Here are my suggestions for your consideration:

• Use premium glassware for premium products, or ultra-premium glassware for ultra-premium products.
• Use glassware to introduce drama. The right match of premium beverage and premium glass is sexy. You’ll know it when you see it.
• Make glassware a competitive advantage of your bar by selecting the right glasses and then teaching your bartenders the stories behind them. The glassware styles and shapes–much like the spirits, wines and beers you sell–have stories. Whether it’s the beer stein (created to stave off the plague) or the modern-day champagne flute (developed in Italy in the 16th century), your bartender’s knowledge and storytelling ability will go a long way to support that premium price.

Now for the very real, practical challenges mentioned at the beginning of this article: 

• Minimize the impact of additional glassware by focusing on a few product categories that you wish to promote, premium or ultra-premium, of course.
• Calculate the glass cost for drinks you want to upgrade with premium glassware. Use the same ROI analysis you do for many of your other expenses and promotions but break it down. Estimate the number of drinks you’ll get over the realistic lifetime of a single glass; divide the glass cost by that number and add that to your cocktail, wine or beer cost. How much do you need to add to the price of the drink to achieve the margin you wish?
• Track sales; consider bartender incentives. If successful, expand the strategy to more categories.

Which glassware is the right glassware?
I recommend that you put together some customer focus groups. I think both you and your customers can have some fun with this.

• Seat your invited guests in a room and tell them that there’s a game afoot: whoever comes closest to guessing the prices of the drinks you’re about to show them wins a prize (dinner for two, etc.).
• Have a server bring a prearranged set of four drinks, all identical except for the glassware: four glasses of red wine, four scotches neat, four of your signature cocktail, four draught beers–it doesn’t matter. One of the glasses used should be your current glass, and one or two should be glasses you propose to use.
• Then ask the group to estimate the price for each, with no information except what they see. They should write the answers down on a form you provide. Next, repeat with four more drinks.
• Do this a few times with the items you’re considering for an upgrade, and pretty soon you’ll know which glassware selections add the most perceived value.

Marriott Hotels & Resorts and Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. raised the curtain on Broadway, recently unveiling a multi-million dollar renovation of the brand’s flagship New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square. At the heart of the extensive renovation is the reinvented 8th floor lobby, which includes two signature restaurants and lounges where guests can work, socialize, relax, eat and drink.

“Even though we celebrated the New York Marriott Marquis’ 25th Anniversary last year, it feels like a brand new hotel opening,” says Mike Stengel, vice president market general manager for Marriott International. “We still have the great staff and service our guests have come to know—but now it’s in a whole new setting. Our guests are thrilled with the transformation we’ve undergone this past year.”

The new design was envisioned and created by the interior architecture and design firm ForrestPerkins of Washington, D.C. The hotel’s new interior and custom furnishings reflect the vibrancy and energy of New York City and Broadway.

The new restaurant and lounge, Crossroads ­— an American Kitchen and Bar, features spectacular two-story mirrored spiral bar encircled with 11 high definition television screens. Surrounding the restaurant’s centerpiece is a mix of low sofas and comfortable armchairs accented by four waterfall towers. Crossroads also offers a more traditional seating area for more than 100 guests, surrounded by perforated panel screens that slide to accommodate private or more open events. Illuminated crystal light rods hang above, creating a linear feel, or a streetscape grid pattern. The menu items are quintessential New York classics with a modern twist, such as Niman Ranch Pork Rib Pot Roast and Roasted Turkey BLT with Pecan Wood Smoked Bacon.

The design of the new Broadway Lounge is inspired by New Year’s Eve and the traditional ball drop. Guests’ eyes are immediately drawn to six spherical chandeliers, each with 234 shimmering clear glass balls, reflecting Broadway’s bright lights and electronic billboards. Two-story arched glass windows give guests panoramic views of Times Square. The multi-level seating in the Broadway Lounge offers guests the choice to be in the middle of the action or enjoy privacy. The lounge is richly colored in deep turquoise, petrol blue, dark ginger and grays. The menu features sharing and artisanal tasting dishes, as well as offerings inspired by New York City food trucks, including tacos, sliders and flatbreads.

The overall renovation includes the glamorous Broadway Ballroom, as well as all guest rooms, which will be completed by the end of this spring, 2012.

And as the Broadway Lounge takes over Times Square, the “Metropolitan” is still one of its most popular signature cocktails, using these time-honored ingredients: Absolut Citron Vodka, Chambord, pomegranate juice, and lemon juice.

So there’s a new show on Broadway and the Marriott Marquis is front and center ready to wow its audiences. Cheers!

In the beverage alcohol distribution channel, “Small Is the New Big” is about industry veterans who are shedding their corporate selves and jumping into the world of the independent broker. This emergence of the small broker is being driven by a real market need, that of matching smaller artisan spirits, wines, and beers with retailers on-premise, where brands are built and where proprietors and managers prefer to offer their customers unique, locally-crafted and less well-known products.

The opportunity with this business model for the on-premise operator is to make available products that may have no marketing budgets and certainly spotty representation from their gigantic wholesalers. With no disrespect meant, the reality of the gigantic wholesaler is that they are tasked with driving cases. Their portfolios are so enormous that the small brands conceived on a cocktail napkin and started in a garage, are pushed aside and left without a voice. With the help of independent brokers, on-premise operators can pursue the quest to distinguish themselves from the bar down the street, and their bartenders, who practice the art of mixology, can create truly signature cocktails with these unheard of spirits, wines, and beers.

There are many well-made and interesting beverage alcohol products available nationally, just waiting for their chance to shine in cocktails and on menus. The wholesaler benefits because the under-represented brands within their distributor houses are actually getting attention and moving from warehouse to market. As for the new independent brokers, they benefit because they are arriving on the scene at a time when consumers, especially the coveted millennial generation 21-35 year-olds, are craving experience and “authenticity.”

For any doubters, consider the über target, 21-35 year-old consumers. Their mantra is that the journey is more important than the end game. Commoditization has bred contempt. Witness the growing market for artisan products such as breads, cheeses, aromatic bitters, small-batch distilled spirits, and farm-to-fork produce, along with the use of organics as described in “From Our Garden to Our Bar” (in the Mix Winter 2011 issue). And so we have a win, win, win, win, and win: consumer, operator, wholesaler, broker, and product!

While interviewing a few of these independent brokers, I discovered they shared the simple dream of reconnecting with their passion for the industry by representing those products that they believe in, which are products that are right for the customer and not pushed upon the retailer because of a sales quota.

Dominic Peri, who has made the transition from major wholesaler to his own independent brokerage business called Grape To Grain, said he had reached a time in his career when he “wanted to represent the independent producer, the small guy who has his name on the label, who is passionate about crafting product that is superior…a craft product that will sell itself and only needs me to offer an introduction.”

Carlo Barone, of One Bar USA, says he made the decision to form an independent broker company while sitting at a bar in Manhattan and noticing that he did not recognize one product on the back bar. He believed that “somebody was sending me a signal.” By then, a few of his accounts had mentioned there was a need for
unique products that they could call their own, which they knew existed and yet had a difficult time finding because the wholesalers were too busy selling in their high priority and well-known brands.

A real need? One Bar USA is only two years old and has attracted over 300 brands of spirits, wines, and beers. As Carlo said, “On-premise is not a case business; it is relationship driven.” The brands he represents do not have the strength of a Bacardi or Patrón, and a placement on a menu for a national chain restaurant can be life-changing. “It puts people to work,” he explains, “when these small brands suddenly have to ramp up production to meet operator demands. And yes, sometimes the product outgrows the business vision, and does become a key product within the distributor book.”

Both Dominic and Carlo talked about the products they represent and the need for “a story.” They agree that the products they handle can only find their niche with a good product story that is both extrinsic and intrinsic, covering the origin, ingredients, and recipe that culminates in the liquid. “The product story must be authentic,” these trailblazer independent brokers say. The dictionary defines authenticity as something that has truthfulness of origins and attributions, is worthy of belief, and conforms to fact.

Carlos and Dominic share the combined vision that their role is to introduce “what’s next” to the operator and the consumer who crave uniqueness, individuality, authenticity … their “own” experience. And although they compete in a world of giants, there is no free ride.

Serendipity – “Small Is the Next Big!” Thanks to Brian Yost, who artfully coined that phrase during our conversation at the recent Hospitality Business Exchange Conference. Read all about this example of the “Small is Big” movement in the Winter 2011 issue of in the Mix.

In answer to the question, is this good news for the small guy, I have to shout a resounding YES!

For additional information on Grape To Grain email Dominic at 

dp@grapetograin.com and One Bar USA, Carlo Barone at Carlo@onebarusa.com. 

“Diageo has always been committed to the professional and educational development of bartenders and mixologists around the globe,” said Mark Schulte, Diageo’s Senior Vice President of Customer Marketing. “We are extremely excited to strengthen this long lasting relationship with the trade by working with the USBG to extend the Diageo World Class program to the United States.”

To participate, hopeful bartenders and mixologists will register at www.DiageoWorldClassUSA.com and complete three online educational modules enriching their skills and knowledge of the culinary art of the cocktail. The modules will launch on April 4, 2012, focusing on the history of classic and innovative recipes experienced both behind and in front of the bar. These educational studies will cover topics such as Classics with a Twist, Asian Influences and Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ Drinks. Participants will also use their newly acquired knowledge to submit an original cocktail recipe and instructional video featuring premium spirits from the Diageo Reserve portfolio, including Ketel One® Vodka, Ciroc® Vodka, Tanqueray® No. TEN Gin, Zacapa® Rum, Bulleit® Bourbon, Johnnie Walker® Blended Scotch Whisky and Tequila Don Julio®.

To ignite the spirit of program, the USBG, along with World Class U.S. will host a series of six events across the country. From April 23 through May 15, 2012, renowned mixologist and Tanqueray Global Ambassador Angus Winchester will travel to Houston, Miami, Chicago, Boston, Seattle and New York to recruit bartenders and inform potential participants about the international program. Additionally, Winchester will use his industry expertise to judge participants’ cocktail recipe submissions and select 20 mixologists to compete in the program’s final challenge.

Following Winchester’s selections, World Class U.S. will culminate with a final event on June 19, 2012, in New York City. In conjunction with the USBG, the event will consist of the chosen finalists, who will partake in four cocktail challenges administered and judged by leading cocktail luminaries from across the industry. Participating luminaries include leading bar professional Tony Abou-Ganim, top mixologist and author Jim Meehan, cocktail and culinary expert Steve Olson and leading cocktail personality Julie Reiner, who will judge contenders based on the knowledge they attained from the Diageo World Class educational modules. Additionally, cocktail legends and Global World Class gurus Dale DeGroff and Gary Regan will award the winner with the prestigious honor and opportunity to hold the title of World Class U.S. Ambassador.

“Diageo World Class is the most prestigious cocktail program in the world, and I’m privileged to help initiate the effort in the United States,” said Angus Winchester. “It’s going to be a captivating experience watching the nation’s top mixologists honor the culture of cocktails through the knowledge, skills and appreciation they’ve acquired throughout the program. We just ask that everyone celebrate their craft responsibly.”

In addition to being skilled behind the bar, a World Class bartender gives back to others. To instill this value, Diageo World Class U.S. will make a donation to The Museum of the American Cocktail, which seeks to advance the mixology profession and increase consumer knowledge.

For additional information and to register for the program, visit www.DiageoWorldClassUSA.com. Join the conversation by following @WorldClassUS on Twitter, use the hashtag #CocktailChallenge and visit www.facebook.com/WorldClassUS.

About Diageo
Diageo is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, beer and wine. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB, Windsor, Buchanan’s and Bushmills whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Baileys, Captain Morgan, Jose Cuervo, Tanqueray and Guinness.
Diageo is a global company, with its products sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

About USBG
The USBG is the largest network of professional bartenders in the U.S. who come together to share the craft of mixology. With over 60 years of presence in the United States and International coverage in affiliation with the International Bartender’s Association (IBA) in over 50 countries, the United States Bartenders’ Guild is setting the standard for the profession throughout the country. With the resurgence and increasing popularity of the cocktail, there is a high demand for creative and professional bartenders. As an industry leader, the USBG is responsible for educating its members about current trends while encouraging them to start new ones. For more information, visit www.usbg.org.\

About the Museum of the American Cocktail
Throughout its two-century-old history, the cocktail has influenced music, theater, art, film, and politics around the world. The Museum of the American Cocktail is a nonprofit organization that celebrates this true American cultural icon. Founded by Dale DeGroff, and several of the world’s most passionate cocktail authorities and historians, the Museum of the American Cocktail seeks to advance the profession and increase consumer knowledge of mixology while stressing the importance of responsible drinking. Our mission is to create a self-sustaining museum and tourist attraction that celebrates and preserves a rich aspect of American culture, while providing educational resources for professionals and the public in the fine art of crafting the cocktail through a series of mixology seminars conducted by the world’s foremost authorities on cocktail history and American cocktails. We also aim to broaden career opportunities in the spirits industry and encourage more participation from women and members of under-represented groups in the field.
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DAN DEVECE
hunter public relations
41 Madison Avenue, Fl 5
New York, NY 10010
T 212.679.6600, X 231
C 856.316.8567
ddevece@hunterpr.com