Category: Featured Articles
Drink Culture November/December
The latest news affecting on-premise operators and their customers.
Taking a Shine to Sparkling Wine
Corks are popping all over restaurants, and not just from Champagne bottles. The expanding options in sparkling wines are appealing to guests who want to celebrate everyday occasions with affordable bubbles, according to several restaurant and wine bar operators.
Upping the Cocktail Ante in Napa Valley
Wine generally dominates as the beverage of choice in most of the Napa Valley.Not that you can’t find a great local beer or cocktail to enjoy in the heart of California’s wine country, but truly inventive drinks lists have been hard to find in these parts. But that’s changing, especially with the arrival of Goose & Gander in downtown Helena.
Fun on Tap at Tavernita
Already an incredibly dynamic food and drink town, Chicago hardly needed another great bar and dining venue. But it got one with the recent opening of Tavernita, a new concept from the Mercadito Group. The trendy, River North area is home to this boisterous bar with an ambitious drinks and food program.
Marketing Matters: Everything but the Kitchen Sink
Cocktails are big. So are craft beers. There is a major drink revival. Bars have long been profit centers, but now they are becoming destinations in and of themselves. Guests are increasingly demanding when it comes to drinks, and smart restaurant operators are getting more creative to meet their needs.
When so much media focus and consumer attention is paid to bar programs, it’s important to differentiate yourself. Defining a clear and unique concept is the first step, and the one most often missed. Are you a rum bar? A vodka joint? Do you skew creative or classic?
Back2Basics: Selling Ciders
All you have to do is walk outside and inhale a deep draught of the crisp, earthy autumnal air and you’ll know that apple cider is what you should be drinking right now. It should also be what you’re selling, in one of its many forms. The key to making money with cider is to understand the different types.
Keeping it Cordial
The cordials category used to be defined by an after-dinner snifter of Cognac or a glass of Kahlua on the rocks. And it’s true that classic styles and brands of liqueurs remain popular with many guests: According to the Beverage Information Group, Cheers’ parent company, Jagermeister is the leading brand in liqueurs and cordials, followed by DeKuyper, Baileys, Southern Comfort and Kahlua.
Pair to Be Different
Pairing wine with food is based on tried-and-true principles. But as wine drinkers become increasingly sophisticated, the approaches to pairing become more sophisticated too. From new ways to offer samples and train staff to iPad wine lists and “junk food” wine pairings, operators are getting more creative with pairing strategies.
First Sip: Making Magic
The announcement last month that Walt Disney World would start selling beverage alcohol in the Magic Kingdom generated plenty of media attention. I have to admit that I didn’t get what all the fuss was about at first.
For one thing, it had never occurred to me that the Magic Kingdom was dry and had been for 41 years (though alcohol has been served during catered events). Other theme parks at the resort—Epcot and Animal Kingdom, for instance—do sell alcoholic beverages.
What’s New in American Brew?
Domestic beer is a game of volume: Venerable brands such as Bud Light, Coors Light and Budweiser sell millions of cases of beer every year and dominate the on-premise market.
That’s not to say the domestic beer business is booming, however. According to the Beverage Information Group (Cheers’ parent company), total consumption of the leading domestic beer brands fell 3% from 2010 to 2011. Of the top five brands, only Coors Light experienced a bump in sales last year, and it was up just 1%. And of the top 10 brands, Michelob Ultra was the only other brand to show growth, increasing 0.5% in 2011.