Category: Featured Articles
The 2013 Beverage Excellence Awards
Eleven chain operators and two individuals were recipients of this year’s slate of awards, to be presented at the 2013 Cheers Beverage Conference in Dallas, TX on February 12-13. Congratulations to all of them!
View the complete list of winners here.
Drink Culture: JanFeb13
Four Woods, One Bourbon Woodford Reserve recently announced its newest Master’s Collection flavor: Four Wood. The limited-release, 94.4 proof bourbon, was matured in American Oak barrels …
Scene: Cocktailing in the Capital
With its bold mix of power, politics and deal-making, symbolic domes and mighty façades of government, Washington, D.C., grabs national attention every four years when elections roll around. But now that elections are over, let the spotlight linger. Not on statues of statesmen, but on the city’s neighborhoods and places DC insiders know—on the not-so-well-kept secret that Washington (you know how secrets go in this city) has become one of the best destination bar towns in the country.
Announcing the 2013 Beverage Excellence Award Winners
Cheers magazine, the only beverage business publication devoted to full-service restaurants, bars and hotels, on Jan. 14 announced the winners of its 2013 Cheers Beverage Excellence Awards program. The awards will be presented to the winners at the annual Cheers Beverage Conference, held on Feb. 12-13 in Dallas at the Crowne Plaza Downtown.
Selling Craft on Draft
What’s the secret to success in selling craft beer? “Operators who take their beer menus, staff training and presentation very seriously are the ones who sell the most craft beer,” says Julia Herz, director of craft beer marketing for the Brewers Association, the Boulder, Colo., based trade association representing America’s craft brewers. Yet this success does not rely on price promotions or pouring massive portions.
The Dallas Drinks Scene
As the Cheers Beverage Conference gears up to make its debut in Dallas Feb. 12-13, here’s a look at the city’s vibrant cocktail culture. Purveyors of craft cocktails in Dallas are introducing Prohibition-era classics to history-challenged twenty-somethings, but also providing sly twists and modern takes on what could be dubbed the liquid arts.
Merry Mixology
This season, holiday spirit begins in the glass. From aromatic, brown-spirit-based cocktails tinged with cinnamon and nutmeg, rich nogs and creamy flips, to warming sips made with hot chocolate, mulled wine or spiced cider, seasonal drinks are sure to put guests in a festive mood. Here’s how to attract patrons with traditional favorites, as well as those that give a nod to current cocktail ingredient trends.
Cheers Tasting: Chocolate Beers
It’s been 20 years since the late, great Whitbread Brewery in Great Britain introduced its Fuggles Chocolate Ale. Craft brewers today splurge on the finest chocolate, and many are experimenting with dark-roasted cocoa nibs and cocoa powder as well as confectionary dark chocolate and natural chocolate extracts. Here’s a roundup of this year’s batch of chocolate-infused beers.
The Wide World of Whisky
The whiskey category is expanding so much that many operators have had to enlarge their backbar selections. Another indicator of the spirit’s popularity: the proliferation of whiskey bars, specialists that carry dozens or even hundreds of different expressions. And despite the locavore movement, imported whiskies from all over the globe still take the lion’s share of most bar and restaurant lists.
On the Shelf: Book Reviews for Nov/Dec
SPQR and The Drunken Botanist round out our reviews for this issue..