Booster Shots
Like most every other beverage category, flavored whiskeys need promotional support to succeed.
Brian’s 24 gets a bump in business on a normally slow day of the week with its Whiskey & Waffle Wednesday promotion. “Whiskey goes really well with waffles,” explains Epstein.
The program discounts select waffle dishes and $5 whiskey shots. The specials change out every month; at press time it was Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey ($5) and a Bacon Waffle Cristo Sandwich with fries ($7.99). The eatery gets customers coming in just for Whiskey & Waffle Wednesday, says Brian Epstein, also a co-owner and general manager.
Curious customers at Gamlin Whiskey House can sample a Flavors of Whiskey flight. The bar offers 14 different flights, ranging from Whiskey 101 for beginners to an Advanced Course. The flavored whiskey flight this past fall included Paddy Devil’s Apple, Wild Turkey American Honey and Jim Beam Kentucky Fire.
Last December was the first time that Hard Rock Cafe promoted flavored-whiskey cocktails on a holiday menu. The promotion included She’s My Apple Pie, a mix of Fireball, apple and pineapple juices and salted caramel syrup, topped with Angry Orchard Hard Cider and garnished with whipped cream and a cinnamon crisp.
Another featured drink was Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot (pictured atop), also made with Fireball plus rum cream liqueur RumChata, cream of coconut, almond syrup, pineapple juice and a dash of cinnamon. Prices for the mason jar drinks ranged from $14.99 to $15.99
“For our [limited-time offerings], we look at products that are on the rise, benchmark them for a couple of months, and that’s how we build our platform for the next year’s menu,” says Busi. “There’s a good chance that we will see these drinks again, either on the core menu or as an LTO.”
Mixing Message
Although most flavored whiskeys have traditionally been consumed as shots, that seems to be changing.
Parres created a Martini called the Honey Island, which shakes up Dewar’s Highlander Honey with Frangelico and a house-made vanilla syrup; it’s served up with a honey-laced ice cube. “That’s been huge for us,” he says.
The number-one selling cocktail at Gamlin Whiskey House is the West End Lemonade, which is simply Canadian Club Dock 57 blackberry whisky with lemonade. “Bartenders love the drink because it is essentially just a highball and easy to make,” notes Parres.
The West End Lemonade cocktail is offered as a single drink ($10) or in an oversized mason jar ($35) for a group. The jars hold nearly a liter, about five drinks. “It’s a great value for customers,” says Parres.
Hard Rock Cafe is experimenting with flavored whiskeys in two innovative mixed drink formats that have proven successful with other spirits. One is a press drink cocktail; a sort of instant infusion of spirits, juices and fresh fruit served at the table in a French press coffee pot.
The first rendition, the Red Berry Press, used vodka as the base, but for a new one titled Just Press Play, Busi and her team are experimenting with flavored whiskeys, including honey whiskey and fresh watermelon, and a hot toddy-style drink with Jack Daniel’s Fire, hot water and cloves.
Another popular format for Hard Rock is the Air Mexico, three mini-Margaritas served in a basket with an individual portion of chips and salsa. “Now we are looking at a Southern Sour flight, with different flavored whiskeys for guests to sample through and then pick their favorite to go into a cocktail,” says Busi.
She is also considering a twist on the trendy Moscow Mule, with flavored whiskey as the base for an American-style Mule. In 2016, Busi predicts, “you will see more flavored whiskey drinks heading into our markets.”
Thomas Henry Strenk is a freelance writer based in Brooklyn specializing in all things drinkable.