December 2019
THE HOW-TO PUBLICATION
BAR BUS NESS MAGAZINE
Plus
WHY KEGGED PRODUCTS ARE KEY
A Seat
AT THE BAR VASO aims to make Ohio the next cocktail capital.
barbizmag.com
BRANDING
THE POWER OF PROMOTIONAL ITEMS.
ON TARGET
AXE THROWING IS TRENDING.
Tobin Ellis, founder and CEO of BarMagic.
Imagine bar equipment conceived by a renowned bartender, and built by Perlick Perlick’s new Tobin Ellis Signature Cocktail Station is a breakthrough achievement in underbar design resulting from an ambitious collaboration between 6-time national bartending champion and celebrated bar designer, Tobin Ellis and the award-winning engineering team at Perlick.
“Together, we’ve built a cocktail station that’s perfect for everything from craft cocktail bars to high-volume nightclubs and 5-star/5-diamond hotel environments. It’s the tricked-out station every serious bartender has dreamt about and every savvy operator has hoped for.”
Tobin Ellis
Exclusively from Perlick Contact Perlick today to learn more! perlick.com • 800.558.5592
CONTENTS HOW TOS
18
On Target
December
Axe throwing is trending at bars.
22
The Silent 20’s
26
Tuning Up: Staying in Charge
Bar and restaurant marketing in 2020 and beyond.
Making the case for charging options in bars.
DEPARTMENTS
4
From the Editor
6
On Tap
A letter from our Editor Ashley Bray.y Industry news & announcements.
12
Behind The Bar
16
Happenings
In-depth analysis of beer, wine & spirits. Important dates for the month.
37
Bar Tour
40
Inventory
44
Q+A
VASO is putting Ohio on the hospitality map. Featured product releases. Gerry Rowland, Founder, Coit Spirits
FEATURES
30
Branding Your Bar
34
Heineken’s 2020 Vision
Market your bar through your customers and staff with branded items. Executives from the global brand detail plans to reposition products for targeted growth. COVER PHOTO: VASO AT THE AC HOTEL COLUMBUS DUBLIN. CONTENTS PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/ LUKAS GOJDA
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December 2019
Bar Business Magazine
1
DECEMBER 2019
VOL. 12
NO. 12
Bar Business Magazine (ISSN 1944-7531) is published by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 88 Pine St 23rd Fl., New York, NY 10005
subscription department 800-895-4389
executive offices President Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr. Publisher Art Sutley 212-620-7247 asutley@sbpub.com
editorial
Editor Ashley Bray 212-620-7220 abray@sbpub.com Contributing Writers Emily Eckart, Elyse Glickman, Maura Keller, Tanya Lawrence, Christopher Osburn, Erik Shellenberger
art
Art Director Nicole D’Antona Graphic Designer Hillary Coleman
production
Corporate Production Director Mary Conyers mconyers@sbpub.com
circulation
Circulation Director Maureen Cooney mcooney@sbpub.com
advertising sales Art Sutley 212-620-7247 asutley@sbpub.com
Bar Business Magazine (Print ISSN 1944-7531, Digital ISSN 2161-5071) (USPS#000-342) is published February, April, June, August, October, and December. January, March, May, July, September, and November will only be offered in a digital format at no charge by Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, 88 Pine St. 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10005. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and Additional mailing offices. Pricing, Qualified U.S. Bar Owners may request a free subscription. Non-qualified subscriptions printed or digital version: 1 year US $45.00; Canada $90.00; foreign $189.00; foreign, air mail $289.00. 2 years US $75.00; Canada $120.00; foreign $300.00; foreign, air mail $500.00. BOTH Print & Digital Versions: 1 year US $68.00; Canada $135.00; foreign $284.00; foreign, air mail $384.00. 2 years US $113.00; Canada $180.00; foreign $450.00; foreign, air mail $650.00. Single Copies are $10.00 ea. Subscriptions must be paid for in U.S. funds only. COPYRIGHT Š SimmonsBoardman Publishing Corporation 2019. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without permission. For reprint information contact: Art Sutley, Phone (212) 620-7247, or asutley@sbpub.com. For Subscriptions, & address changes, Please call (US Only) 1-800-553-8878 (CANADA/INTL) 1-319-364-6167, Fax 1-319-364-4278, e-mail barbusiness@stamats.com or write to: Bar Business Magazine, Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, PO Box 1407, Cedar Rapids, IA. 52406-1407. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Bar Business Magazine, PO Box 1407, Cedar Rapids, IA. 52406-1407. Instructional information in this magazine should only be performed by skilled craftspeople with the proper equipment. The publisher and authors of information provided herein advise all readers to exercise care when engaging in any of the how-to activities published in the magazine. Further, the publisher and authors assume no liability for damages or injuries resulting from projects contained herein.
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December 2019 barbizmag.com
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FROM THE EDITOR
FROM THE EDITOR
What the New Year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the New Year. - Vern McLellan
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Bar Business Magazine
T
he end of the year—and the decade—is upon us. I thought it would be interesting to split this column into two: Using the first half to look back over the trends of the last year, and the second half to look ahead to what’s still to come in 2020 and beyond. This year asked the question, “how low can you go?”—in terms of alcohol by volume. Non-alcoholic cocktails, low-ABV drinks highlighting amaros and vermouths, and ready-to-drink (RTD) spiked seltzers all had their moment in the spotlight. Look for this trend to continue into next year, especially in the RTD space. One of the catalysts behind the lowABV/no-ABV trend has been the health and wellness movement. Both sides of the bar are focusing on getting fit as consumers look to cut sugar, calories, and ABV, and bartenders look to extend their industry careers by focusing on sleeping, eating better, and drinking less. Customer experience was also a huge buzzword this year as bars competed against streaming services, FECs, and other entertainment options vying for consumers’ attention. It’s no longer enough to just serve quality food and drink. Customers, especially the millennial demographic, are looking for unique, Instagrammable experiences when they go out, and if your bar isn’t serving that up alongside craft cocktails, your business will take a hit. Many of these trends will lead the way into 2020 and the next decade. For
example, close on the heels of the spiked seltzer craze is a wave of ready-to-drink, low-ABV products looking to make their way into the on-premise world. Coffeebased RTD drinks are expected to be especially popular. Look for more on this topic in January’s issue. Similarly, the health and wellness movement shows no sign of slowing down. Expect plant-based products from companies like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat to be added to menus alongside low-ABV cocktails. Wellness also expands to the wellness of the planet as a whole, and sustainability will continue to remain important to many bar owners and operators. Plastic straws were the hot topic this year. Next year, I expect bars to take a look at other ways in which they can be more sustainable such as increasing recycling and reducing food waste. As you celebrate the holidays and welcome the New Year over the next few weeks, take time to reevaluate your business model, your inventory, and the experience you offer to customers. The start of an all-new decade is a great time to implement some changes.
Happy New Year!
ASHLEY BRAY, Editor
December 2019 barbizmag.com
ON TAP
FROM ON TAP THE EDITOR
Somnium Wine Proprietor Danica Patrick.
omnium Wine’s name comes from the Latin word for “dream,” and indeed, the vineyard was a dream fulfilled for Proprietor Danica Patrick. “I want to bring to people what helped me fall in love with the valley,” she says. “It’s not about density of tannins and weight of the wine, it’s about beautiful balance and elegance.” A 2006 trip to Napa Valley inspired a love for the area and winemaking. Patrick teamed up with winemaker Aaron Pott and purchased a piece of land on Howell Mountain. “I have this ability to turn thoughts into things pretty quickly, so after visiting Napa a few years back, in 2009, I bought the property and started the winemaking process,” says Patrick. Vineyard development began in 2011 and continued until 2014. The six-acre, certified organic vineyard is made up of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc grapes. “Petit Verdot was a natural choice. The planting is quite 6
Bar Business Magazine
small, but the fabulous aromas of India ink and violets and the intense color work perfectly with the property,” says Pott. “The Petit Verdot is 0.15 acres and 0.37 acres with the rest of 6.01 acres made up of Cabernet Sauvignon divided into Weimer and See Clone.” The vineyard recently grafted over .35 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon to Cabernet Franc in 2014 and has high hopes that the 2019 vintage will be the first barrel of 100% Cabernet Franc. Pott ensures fruitful and healthy growth throughout all aspects of the growing season. “Somnium is a unique site and produces unique wines,” says Pott. “The wines are grown organically in order to show the purity of the site. We do not source grapes from other sites because we want to show this uniqueness, this purity in our wines.” That uniqueness comes from the terroir of the vineyard’s location, which climbs as high as 1000 to 1375 feet and is defined by the volcanic rock hillside that contributes to the robust and structured nature of Somnium wines.
On most days, the Somnium property is above the fog line in the Napa Valley. “The fog allows us to grow grapes in the Napa Valley and is the most important factor at our southern latitude that makes it cool enough for Bordeaux varieties,” says Pott. During the day, the altitude of the
December 2019 barbizmag.com
Photos (top to bottom): Will Bucquoy; Brent Miller Design.
S
Somnium Wine Represents a Dream Fulfilled
ON TAP hillside keeps temperatures lower. At night, heat escapes the valley floor with the incoming fog and keeps the hillsides warm. “These warm nights allow for non-photosynthetic ripening reactions to occur that produce phenolic ripeness without producing additional sugar that gives us ripe wines at lower alcohol levels,” says Pott. “The soils of Somnium are composed of rhyolite or tuff that is volcanic ash that has been cooled very rapidly. They have very porous rock that handles water well. There is a lot of iron on the property and a considerable amount of clay. Clay that is well drained through the action of porous rock produces wines of concentration and density. The iron content of the soils gives great aromatic complexity.” The result is a full-bodied, ready-todrink Napa Valley cabernet with quality tannins and a violet extract finish. The wine features notes of nutmeg, dried herbs, jasmine, freshly
cut grass, eucalyptus, and vanilla. “I wanted it to be a more ready-to-drink Napa Cabernet,” says Patrick. “I wanted it to have more feminine characteristics, something softer, keeping the quality of the tannins and structure in place without having it be a wine you had to store for a decade before it was approachable.” The story of the wine’s terroir plays well in on-premise establishments, where guests have become more interested in the origins of what they’re eating and drinking. “Somnium is a wine that speaks of place,” says Pott. “The wines are powerful, complex, and breathtaking. Each vintage is different, creating a new and distinctive wine each year. It is about site, purity, complexity, perfection, Napa Valley, and Danica Patrick’s uncompromising intensity and warrior spirit.” The bottle itself is as carefully crafted as the liquid inside. The winding lines on the bottle represent
the flowing switchbacks of your dreams as not all dreams are a straight line. The red circle dotting the “i” in Somnium and also appearing on the corks reminds drinkers not to be distracted from the present moment. In the future, Patrick plans to expand into more varieties within Somnium by creating multi-tier wines. She also aims to create an environment and experience where it is easy for others to fall in love with Napa Valley—just as she did. “I’d like to recreate and demonstrate all of the amazing things Napa Valley has to offer through specialized, curated packages,” she says. With this in mind, through the Somnium Wine website, those interested can not only acquire the wines, but also a luxury personalized Napa Valley Dream Experience, which includes accommodations, wine tastings and tours, decadent dinners, and more. somniumwine.com
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FROM ON TAP THE EDITOR
Upgrade Your Snack Menu By Maura Keller
Bacon-Wrapped Tater Bombs with Cilantro Crema
Tater Kegs can be reinvented in appetizer recipes, like the one at left.
4 Chorizo Tater Kegs 4 Pieces of Bacon Fresh Chives, chopped CILANTRO CREMA: ¼ cup Cilantro, chopped ¼ cup Green onions, thinly sliced 1 Garlic clove, minced ¼ cup Mayonnaise ¼ cup Sour cream Zest and juice of ½ Lime ¼ tsp. Salt, more to taste ¼ tsp. Pepper, more to taste Heat oil to 350F. Fry Tater Kegs for five minutes. Wrap each Keg with one slice of bacon and secure with a wooden pick. Drop baconwrapped kegs back into the fryer and cook until bacon is browned and crispy, between three to five minutes. While the kegs finish cooking, mix together all ingredients for cilantro crema in a small bowl. Allow bacon-wrapped kegs to drain a few minutes before plating. Serve with cilantro crema and sprinkle with fresh chives.
H
ere’s one thing we know: Snacks are serious business, and bar patrons are increasingly asking for innovative snack items to accompany their favorite beverages. One snack item that is grabbing the attention of consumers and bar owners alike is an item manufactured by Stone Gate Foods. Based in Shakopee, Minnesota, Stone Gate Foods created the Tater Kegs brand because they saw a need for a product that was missing from the traditional bar food menu. “We were out to eat as a company and got smothered tots for the table,” says Jake Revak, Marketing Manager at Stone Gate Foods. “The first two people to dig in pretty much ate all the toppings so the rest of the group was left with just a soggy mess. We decided we needed to create something where all of the flavors were combined, and it would also stay crispy.” 8
Bar Business Magazine
After conducting industry research, Stone Gate Foods discovered some restaurants were creating something similar to the Tater Keg in-house, but the labor to make them by hand was high. “So an added bonus to our idea was that we could also help restaurants slow labor costs while still providing an exceptional flavor,” says Revak. From a customer standpoint, Tater Kegs offers an explosive flavor that keeps them coming back for more. “It is so unique and delicious that it’s something they will get each time, unlike some items where you try it once and now you can move on,” says Revak. For a bar owner, the quality ingredients and high margins offered by these snacks is essential. “This is an item that the owners will profit with and have very good margins,” says Revak. “This item is easy to make and serve, and it also has a huge loyalty and will create a following.” Stuffed with shredded potatoes, Tater Kegs are available in nine different flavors: Bacon Cheddar Chive, Buffalo Chicken, Reuben, Breakfast, Crab, Lobster, Southwest Chorizo, Cheddar Chive, and Loaded Cheese. Bacon
Cheddar Chive is the most popular of all the flavors followed by Buffalo Chicken. “We believe that good snacks will help increase drink sales. People want to be able to snack when they’re out at the bar,” says Revak. “Good food goes a long way for creating loyal customers. Also, Tater Kegs go great with all varieties of beer. It can also be paired with just about any spirit. It’s an easy item to make at a restaurant, all you need is a deep fryer.” In addition to being offered on a bar’s food menu, Tater Kegs can be used in a lot of different ways, including as a cocktail garnish. “Once a restaurant starts serving Tater Kegs, it’s good to get the whole staff on board by having everyone try the item. The staff then will fall in love with it, and it will get them excited to tell the customers about it. A little bit of promotion goes a long way for this product,” says Revak. “We also have some marketing materials available for restaurant owners if they need them. We have table tents and small posters we can send them to help promote the product.” stonegate-foods.com/tater-kegs.html
December 2019 barbizmag.com
ON TAP
Warm Up With Winter Beers By Tanya Lawrence
I
n much of the U.S., the cold front of winter has crept in. Just as we’re moved to reach for winter coats, so too are we inspired to drink winter-centric brews. But what constitutes a winter beer? Winter beers generally include fullerbodied, dark beer styles that are higher in alcohol content—many in excess of 8% ABV—and oftentimes, malt-forward and complex. Some popular variations are driven by seasonal ingredients and utilize warming spices and other aromatic additions that pair well with and complement traditional seasonal cuisine. Here are some styles sure to heat up your winter beer program. Porters and Stouts. Both are dark with flavors and aromas of coffee, chocolate, and roast. Topping out at around 7% and 8.9% ABV respectively—with imperial versions climbing upwards to 12% ABV— porters and stouts include some of the heaviest, sweetest, and most maltprominent brews, leaving its drinkers warm and replete. One of the most versatile beer styles, stouts particularly (which encompass everything from American Imperial and English Oatmeal to Russian Imperial, Irish Dry, and even Milk stout sub-styles) are oftentimes subject to unctuous-adjunct additions and barrel-aging, making them all the more decadent.
to as Wee Heavys). While color, flavor, and aroma amongst these varied ales differ greatly, these thicker-bodied, alcohol-dense styles possess a maltforwardness and complexity that many others lack. With notes of toffee, dark fruit, spice, caramel, raisin, black currant, and smoke possible, strong ales provide a suitable complement to holiday cuisine. Their elevated ABVs and resinous uniqueness make for perfect slow-sippers. Examples include: • TRIPPEL | New Belgium Brewing Company • OLD FOGHORN® | Anchor Brewing Company • GRAND CRU 2009 | AleSmith Brewing Company • ABBEY ALE | Brewery Ommegang • BROWN SHUGGA’ | Lagunitas Brewing Company • THE MAD ELF | Tröegs Brewing Company Winter Warmers and Christmas Ales. Brimming with malty sweetness and an ABV topping out at around 8%, few dark ales encapsulate winter seasonal beers better than the winter warmer. Brownish-red to black in color and low in hop bitterness, these full-bodied, well-balanced ales often incorporate the usage of holiday-centric spices—ginger,
cinnamon, and nutmeg—during the brewing process. Christmas ales (or winter ales) are herb and spice beers brewed the world over in celebration of the Christmas season. Characteristically low in hop bitterness to better permit the perceptible presence of spice, these ales frequently shine with notes of allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and star anise. Examples include: • SAMUEL ADAMS OLD FEZZIWIG ALE | Boston Beer Co. • CHRISTMAS ALE™ | Great Lakes Brewing Co. • JUBELALE | Deschutes Brewing • WINTER SOLSTICE® SEASONAL ALE | Anderson Valley Brewing Co. • FULL SAIL WASSAIL WINTER ALE | Full Sail Brewing Co. • 12 DOGS OF CHRISTMAS ALE | Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. • COLD MOUNTAIN | Highland Brewing Co. • WINTER ALE | Fremont Brewing Co. Tanya Lawrence is a graduate of George Washington University in Washington, D.C. A former territory manager at Big Top Brewing in Sarasota, Florida, she moderates the Instagram @babels_cameron dedicated to craft beer and craft beer tourism throughout the U.S. She resides in Cleveland, Ohio.
Photo: Shutterstock/ S_Photo.
Examples include: • BALTIC PORTER | Smuttynose Brewing Company • BALTIC PORTER | Alaskan Brewing Company • MILK STOUT | Left Hand Brewing • XOCOVEZA | Stone Brewing • TEN FIDY | Oskar Blues Brewery • COOKIES AND CREAM IMPERIAL STOUT | Untitled Art Brewing Strong and Dark Ales. Strong ales are those beers that are 7% ABV or greater. They include both American and English Strong Ale varieties, as well as American and British Barleywine, Belgian Tripels and Quadrupels, English Old Ales, and Scotch Ales (also referred barbizmag.com
December 2019
Bar Business Magazine
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FROM ON TAP THE EDITOR
HostMilano 2019 Makes a Mark on Hospitality
T
he 41st edition of HostMilano, the world’s leading hospitality event organized by Fiera Milano, welcomed professional operators from all over the world and attracted over 200,000 visitors. It featured growing numbers and 40% international attendance from 171 countries, plus a particularly large delegation from the U.S., including Bar Business Magazine! Creativity filled every exhibit hall, and visitors experienced innovation first-hand, exploring prototypes and products to discover their smarter, more advanced functions. Companies organized demonstrations and tasting lessons with experts who supplied targeted insights to support the efficiency of the technologies presented, developing an approach that was not only commercial but also cognitive. Business meetings with operators and hosted buyers grew considerably. “At HostMilano, our aim is to find products and solutions that help us redefine the concept of luxury in our facilities,” said a spokesperson for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in the U.S. “Today, in fact, luxury is a matter not so much of economic exclusivity as of experiential exclusivity. The extensive ranges on display at Host allow us to navigate trends and find innovative 10
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products that meet this need.” Numerous innovations were presented at the exhibition. “If you are looking to see the latest in hospitality equipment and technology from around the world, Host Milano is the place to be,” said Art Sutley, Publisher of Bar Business Magazine. “The size of the show is astounding, and it gives a bar/restaurant owner opportunities to find products to better their businesses.” Examples of innovation include more sustainable dishwashers; ‘digesters’ that process organic waste directly on site; and multifunction ovens that incorporate the Internet of Things to manage complex functions. In furnishings, the revival of wood becomes more sustainable thanks to patented technologies to obtain new 3D effects with very thin layers. Overall, almost all of the 2,249 Italian and international exhibitors presented a preview of innovations that will characterize hospitality for the next two years. The event that showed the most innovation in the hospitality sector was SMART Label - Host Innovation Award, the award promoted in partnership with POLI.design and with the patronage of ADI - Associazione per il Disegno Industriale. The dedicated exhibition area where the winning products were
presented, in an essential layout designed to enhance their characteristics, was a huge success. Host 2019 also shared skills in a program of over 800 events, including training sessions and competitions ranging from seminars by leading experts to cooking demonstrations by star chefs and international masters of pastry, gelato, pizza, coffee, and mixology. Experts touched on key issues such as sustainability and technologies 4.0, like artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. Among the seminars, the Design Talk meetings focused on topics such as the challenges of hotel design, luxury, or wellness and lifestyle. Events in the FoodTechnology Lounge were also well attended with in-depth examination of new regulations and their impact on technologies. Meetings on the future of food and hospitality and a showcase on innovation in coffee were also successful. Sessions on mixology and bartending rounded out the education, with a focus on new aromas and opportunities offered by new equipment. Mark your calendars for the next HostMilano at fieramilano from October 22-26, 2021. host.fieramilano.it/en
December 2019 barbizmag.com
Featured Cocktail
www.coitspirits.com
EARL GREY GIN Coit Earl Grey Gin is produced with the tea in the still. The Distillation captures the pure essence of the black tea and bergamot citrus. It is the Bergamott that defines the character of our distilled Earl Grey Tea gin. As a result the liquid is clear without tea tannin or color that occurs in the steeped version.
Alcatraz Views 2 Parts Coit Earl Grey Tea Gin .25 Part Mandarine NapolĂŠon Orange Liqueur 1 Part Fresh Lemonade 1 Part Regatta Ginger Beer Garnish with Fresh Mint and Tajin Rim Method: Rim One Side of Glass with Lime and Tajin. Add all ingredients into a tall mixing glass and stir, transfer over fresh ice in the Rimmed Glass. Garnish with Mint Created By: Niccole Trzaska From Drinks By Niccole
BEHIND THE BAR: KEGS
Let’s talk
KEGS When it comes to kegged products, bars should look beyond beer. BY EMILY ECKART
12
Bar Business Magazine
K
egs aren’t just for beer anymore. Plastic kegs are becoming a popular distribution method for wine, sangria, and more. They’re lightweight, recyclable, and easy to transport. Best of all, they help bars reduce waste and make money. “Kegged wine has really been booming the last five years,” says Alex Sirico, Vice President & Founder of Cellier Wines Distributing. As a distribution company specializing in kegged wine, Sirico says, “We trialed every single one-way disposable keg in the market.” He determined that KeyKeg was the best.
“It’s a plastic, one-way recyclable container with an aluminum bag inside.” John Dorminey, National Sales Manager at Lost Vineyards, also uses KeyKegs. “The way a KeyKeg operates is fantastic,” he says. “It’s basically like a bag in a box. It’s a double-hulled, very strong plastic keg, and inside is a bag that is an oxygen barrier.” Lost Vineyards Lost Vineyards uses the KeyKegs to distribute its brand of Tiki Sangria, a high-quality sangria from Spain. “The sangria goes into the keg, but it actually just fills the bag up,” says Dorminey. “Then the gas goes into the
December 2019 barbizmag.com
BEHIND THE BAR: KEGS
Photos (left to right): Shutterstock.com/ Ksenija Toyechkina; Cellier Wines Distributing.
keg, but outside the bag. So the pressure just squeezes the bag and that forces the sangria up the line through the faucet.” Unlike traditional kegs, the KeyKeg does not require a particular gas since the bag inside the keg acts an oxygen barrier. “You can use air if you want,” says Dorminey. “You can use a hand pump, or you can tee off the gas line on a soda gun compressor. You just need pressure to squeeze that bag.” This feature gives the keg functional flexibility. “We are selling a ton of Tiki kegs to caterers because they can use a hand pump for an outside catering event. They don’t have to bring along a tank of gas,” says Dorminey. “Because the bag is an oxygen barrier, they can actually untap the keg after the party, store it for the next event, bring it back out, and retap it, and it’s good for nine months because there’s no oxygen getting to the sangria.” When you have a kegged beverage that stays fresh for months, you aren’t going to waste any of it. Whereas when using bottles, the product deteriorates after a few days. “Oxygen is the enemy of wine,” explains Dorminey. “Zero waste is a really big part of the kegged wine
profitability factor.” The keg also allows for greater consistency. For example, Dorminey says, if you have six bottles of cabernet open behind the bar, chances are all of them are not going to be perfect. “So you’re serving inconsistent product or bad product part of the time, or you’re throwing it away,” he says. Kegged sangria prevents that waste and provides consistency between different bartenders. It’s also cost-effective. Each keg of Tiki Sangria contains the equivalent of 110 six-ounce pours. Because sangria is poured over ice, six ounces can fill a 12 to 14-ounce glass. “If you charge $6 per glass,” says Dorminey, “that’s $660.” And depending on the state, the kegs can cost less than $100. Serving sangria over ice also means the kegs don’t need refrigeration. To make installation as easy as possible for its customers, Lost Vineyards manufactured special draft towers that can clamp onto a bar or shelf, creating the option of adding draft sangria without switching out another beer on tap. Tiki Sangria also comes with a unique, complementary tap handle, offering an opportunity for brand recognition. “One thing some of the wineries are not thinking about as much is the power of a tap handle,” says Dorminey. If a customer orders a glass of wine from a wine list and that wine is poured from a bottle, it doesn’t come with logos or imagery like a beer bottle would. “A big part of our success has been how much attention that Tiki tap handle gets,” says Dorminey. “It gets people to taste it for the first time—and as long as they taste it, we know the quality’s there, and they’re going to be really happy about it and re-purchase.” Tiki Sangria’s distinctive tap handle was inspired by the craft beer scene. “Most beer drinkers,” Dorminey explains, “they walk into the bar, they go over to where the draft beer is, and they look at all the tap handles.” People recognize their favorites and ask about new handles, giving PLATINUM BRANDS LLC., HOUSTON, TX 77056
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TIKI SANGRIA CONTAINS THE EQUIVALENT OF
110 SIXOUNCE POURS CELLIER WINES DISTRIBUTING OFFERS SEVERAL DIFFERENT KINDS OF EACH VARIETAL OF
KEGGED WINE HAKUTSURU SAKE OF AMERICA IS LOOKING TO MAKE KEGGED SAKE A PART OF
AMERICAN CULTURE December 2019
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13
BEHIND THE BAR: KEGS
Tiki Sangria comes with an attention-grabbing tap handle, offering brand recognition.
Cellier Wines Distributing Cellier Wines Distributing offers a wide variety of wines in KeyKegs. When Sirico first encountered kegged wine a few years ago, he analyzed it from a margin standpoint. “It’s 26 bottles for every 20-liter keg,” he says. When this is
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broken down by the ounce rate, it’s a substantial savings compared to bottles. “We calculate it based on a six-ounce pour,” says Sirico. “You’re getting much better quality of wine for a phenomenal ounce rate.” A standard glass of wine is four to six ounces, so he uses a six-ounce measurement to capture the largest potential cost. Kegs of wine can range from $80 to $400. A hundred-dollar keg translates to 14.8 cents per ounce. Kegs allow you to buy wine at a bulk standard. They also cut out the cost of glass and corks. “We’ve been building up a portfolio of wine on tap as well as bottles for years,” says Sirico. “We specialize in tap wine.” Cellier Wines Distributing offers several different kinds of each varietal, so it is a one-stop shop for kegged wine. For instance, the company has a few types of Chardonnay, giving its customers a large range to choose from. Cellier also offers its own kegged
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December 2019 barbizmag.com
Photos (this spread): Lost Vineyards.
bartenders a chance to engage. Tiki Sangria comes in two year-round flavors: a classic red sangria made with citrus, and a tropical white sangria with pineapple and mango. The brand also recently introduced a seasonal berry sangria with blackberries and blueberries. “We specialize in the sweet palate consumer,” says Dorminey. Although there’s a popular perception that sweet wine is seasonal or for warm, touristy locations, Dorminey says that’s starting to change. “People drink cold beer watching the Super Bowl when it’s cold outside,” he says as a comparison. Similarly, someone who enjoys sweet beverages won’t stop enjoying them just because the seasons change.
BEHIND THE BAR: KEGS sangrias under the brand JAM’N Sangria. It comes in red (with strawberry, apple, and orange), white (peach and pear), and rosé (strawberry, peach, and pear). It also has a ready-todrink margarita wine cocktail called Chica Boom made with agave, orange, and lime. Hakutsuru Sake For bar owners who want to explore kegged products, sake will soon be an option. Hakutsuru is a Japanese brand with plans to bring kegged sake to the American market. Founded in 1743, the company is the largest sake producer in the world. It uses Miyamizu spring water from Nishinomiya, proprietary yeast, and its own unique sake-specific rice, Hakutsuru Nishiki. Like Cellier Wines Distributing and Lost Vineyards, Hakutsuru also uses KeyKegs. Gaku Saito, General Manager of Hakutsuru Sake of America, says, “[By filling in the] KeyKeg right after pressing, this revolutionary style can
keep freshness without any oxidation until the last drop, allowing you to drink fresh sake that could only [otherwise] be enjoyed at the brewery.” The KeyKeg system creates a new opportunity for customers to enjoy fresh, unpasteurized sake from the tap. So far, Hakutsuru has sold two types of sake in ten-liter kegs: Junmai Genshu Namasake and Junmai Dai Ginjo Genshu Namasake. Hakutsuru kegged sake is not yet available in the American market, but the company plans to do test marketing in the near future. Saito anticipates that kegged sake will be valuable not only for Japanese restaurants in America, but also for Asian restaurants in general as well as sports bars. Saito says, “We would like to make KeyKeg [a part of] sake culture in America.” With so many options to choose from, and with such distinct advantages over bottles, bar owners should consider adding kegged beverages beyond beer to their inventories.
A KeyKeg is a plastic container with an aluminum bag inside that acts as an oxygen barrier.
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December 2019
Bar Business Magazine
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HAPPENINGS January 2020
Offer up some hair of the dog today with a few filling snacks.
JANUARY 6 NATIONAL BEAN DAY Feature the flavors of coffee and vanilla beans in your cocktails.
4 JANUARY 24 NATIONAL BEER CAN APPRECIATION DAY Crack open a cold one and then turn to page 9 to read up on winter beers.
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JANUARY 4 TRIVIA DAY
Get some rounds of trivia going with gift cards for the winners. Want more gaming inspiration? Turn to page 18 to learn about the axe-throwing trend.
JANUARY 11 LEARN YOUR NAME IN MORSE CODE DAY We challenge you to put a drink in Morse Code on your bar menu.
December 2019 barbizmag.com
All Photos: Shutterstock.com.
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JANUARY 1 NATIONAL HANGOVER DAY
HAPPENINGS
Upcoming
JANUARY 15 NATIONAL HAT DAY
EVENTS
The best kinds of hats are ones with your brand on them! Turn to page 30 to read about the importance of promotional products.
JANUARY SAN ANTONIO COCKTAIL CONFERENCE January 15-19, 2020 San Antonio, Texas
sanantoniococktailconference.com
JANUARY 19 NATIONAL POPCORN DAY
Put bowls of this salty snack out on the bar.
HOTEL, MOTEL, & RESTAURANT SUPPLY SHOW January 28-30, 2020 Myrtle Beach, South Carolina hmrsss.com
MARCH
208 JANUARY 20 NATIONAL CHEESE LOVER DAY
Highlight your cheesy menu offerings, whether it’s on pizza, in mozzarella sticks, or used as a dip.
INTERNATIONAL RESTAURANT & FOODSERVICE SHOW OF NEW YORK March 8-10, 2020 New York, New York
internationalrestaurantny.com
NEW ENGLAND FOOD SHOW March 22-24, 2020 Boston, Massachusetts
newenglandfoodshow.com
NIGHTCLUB & BAR SHOW March 30-April 1, 2020 Las Vegas, Nevada ncbshow.com
APRIL JANUARY 11 NATIONAL HOT TODDY DAY
Warm up your guests with a heated cocktail or two.
barbizmag.com
WSWA CONVENTION & EXPO April 20-23, 2020 Las Vegas, Nevada wswaconvention.org
December 2019
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HOW TO
HOW TO: GAMING AXES
Axe throwing is trending at bars.
ON TARGET 18
Bar Business Magazine
BY CHRISTOPHER OSBURN December 2019 barbizmag.com
HOW TO: GAMING AXES
Photos (left to right): Cutting Edge by Global Entertainment; Axe Pros.
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hen you think of axe throwing, you might envision lumberjacks in the woods blowing off steam by challenging each other to throw axes into trees. Well think again because axe throwing is actually a sport, and it’s now played in bars and organized leagues across the country. The axe-throwing trend originated in Toronto a few years ago and has since spread to the States. “It first appeared in larger cities but has begun to pop-up in smaller cities, suburbs, and even rural towns,” says Brent Dyer, Co-Owner of Cutting Edge Global Entertainment. “The trend has grown exponentially in the last three years, and the market still isn’t very saturated. It is proving to be an optimum solution for business owners to better combat the ‘bar-hop phenomenon.’” It’s also proving to be a great community builder. “Axe throwing has turned from just a place where people go to throw axes to a whole sport,” explains Brent Pollack, President of AxeThrowingInsurance.com. “It does not matter what color you are, how tall you are, how fast you run, your gender, your age, or how much you weigh, you can be great at axe throwing—and that is the beauty of it. It is a whole community of people—an extended family. “With that said, it is still great for the bar setting, hanging out with friends, bachelors and bachelorettes, datespots, heck my mom even went with all of her friends.” It’s so popular that there are now multiple companies in the business of creating spaces for novices and pros alike to take part in the sport. And yes, there’s even a professional league called the World Axe Throwing League. “They turned Axe Throwing from just a place where people go throw axes to a whole sport that has been on ESPN multiple times,” says Pollack. Axe Pros Stan Checketts started in the amusement industry before he founded Axe Pros. “Stan has been throwing axes
barbizmag.com
Axe Pros recommends fully enclosed lanes to help maintain safety in bars.
for over 50 years at homemade targets,” says Cody Davis, General Manager, Axe Pros. “As the popularity of axe throwing started growing, Stan thought he would make turnkey systems that people could purchase complete.” Today, Axe Pros offers several different systems including stationary and mobile units. Games such as pool, darts, and SkeeBall have been traditional staples at bars for years, but axe throwing offers guests something entirely new. “Axe throwing is a new trend and something that most people haven’t ever done,” says Davis. “It is really a lot of fun and very fulfilling when you make the axe stick.” One of the reasons axe throwing is so popular is because it is something that looks very “extreme,” but it’s an activity that anyone can do. “I think the bar scene is a perfect setting,” says Davis. “You have a bunch of people sitting around having a good time. Add in the friendly competition of an extreme sport that can be done right there. It’s a perfect match and a great opportunity for friendly competition.” Axe Pros offers partially enclosed and fully enclosed axe-throwing lanes for bars and restaurants. A large footprint isn’t required as two axethrowing lanes can be added to any location with an open space of 10 feetby-20 feet. Davis suggests fully enclosed lanes to
help maintain safety in bar settings. “I recommend fully enclosed lanes with an operator to ensure that only one person is in a lane at a time, and no axes ever leave the lane,” says Davis. “Local permitting and insurance options should be considered before placing an order.” Cutting Edge Global Entertainment Cutting Edge by Global Entertainment lauds itself as the world’s premier builder of high-end axe lanes. “Our lanes are designed and built to look polished, which best suits the bar and restaurant industries,” says Dyer. A proprietor can, and will, go to great lengths to design and manage their establishment to entice patrons to visit. “Getting a patron in the door is only half of the battle, though,” explains Dyer. Shortly after the first drink is poured, smartphones begin to appear
Pro Tip Games like pool, darts, and Skee-Ball have been traditional staples at bars for years, but axe throwing offers guests something entirely new. December 2019
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HOW TO: GAMING AXES
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With Cutting Edge, bars just need 200 square feet of space to add axe-throwing lanes.
“Axe-perts” will instruct and guide throwers on what to do, and it’s more about technique than strength, so really anyone can participate. “We foresee the inclusion of active entertainment into the bar and restaurant scene growing tremendously in upcoming years,” says Dyer. Cutting Edge offers consulting and customizable packages so that the new lanes will fit into a bar’s existing theme, if they would prefer that over the standard Cutting Edge design. “Installation and training by our skilled staff is included in a full package, along with a nice starter kit to maintain their lanes as necessary,” says Dyer. “We can manufacture custom stencils so they can brand their lanes with their logos, create custom axes, and more.” In terms of safety, the addition of fencing can be considered over standalone throwing. “Owners and managers also want to ensure that their staff is trained and comfortable with identifying intoxicated patrons and how to handle those situations,” says Dyer. Finding “axe-perts” and training them properly, which Cutting Edge assists in, is imperative. “They will set the mood
for the entire experience,” says Dyer. “It’s actually an incredibly safe activity, despite how intimidating or dangerous it seems when first described.” In terms of insurance, Cutting Edge has seen premiums go up for bars slightly, but it will be dependent on the individual carrier. “However, we also have our own insurance companies that we partner with and can refer clients to who guarantee coverage and will offer very competitive rates,” says Dyer. “So far, the maximum annual cost someone could expect is $5000.” But the premium increase and the initial buy-in cost all may be worth the increased profits on the backend. “Out of my twelve years of being in the attractions industry, I have yet to see a product that is more affordable for a customer to build, experience so much growth, and generate a more exciting experience than axe throwing. It’s a triple threat at the moment,” says Dyer. “People enjoy the simplicity of the game now, and as it grows in popularity, more games will be desired and the product will evolve. “Our research and development team is doing everything possible to ensure we and the customers we serve are at the cutting edge of that growth.”
December 2019 barbizmag.com
Photo: Cutting Edge by Global Entertainment.
and discussions begin on where to go next. “Insight into what other venues have to offer is literally at their fingertips,” says Dyer. Bars have to create an environment that is engaging enough so that guests are only using their phones to take great photos to post on social media—not looking for the next place to visit. “Give them a reason to, essentially, do your branding for you and stick around to spend more money at the same time,” says Dyer. “All of this can be accomplished if you have 200 square feet of space to spare.” Millennials and generation Z are, seemingly, becoming more and more money-conscious. “While they are still willing to spend money on a night out, they look for more value out of their experience,” says Dyer. “There is a thrilling element of ‘getting away with something you shouldn’t be doing’ when you whiz an axe at a wall, but you’re in a completely controlled and safe environment.”
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HOW TO
HOW TO: MARKETING
THE SILENT 20’S Bar and restaurant marketing in 2020 and beyond. brand new decade is upon us—along with new budgets and glorious new bottomless pits to throw a marketing budget into. The marketing approaches we used in the last decade are all but worthless moving into the new 20’s. Today’s world is more visual than ever. Our new reality is full of people sitting in silence inside big rooms all simultaneously staring into their phones like a bunch of well-trained zombies. The three-second attention span has taken our world by storm. Fighting for a slice of that brief attention will be more competitive and cutthroat than ever before in history. 22
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In my new book, Restaurant & Bar Marketing II: Hacking Human Nature, I mention how your online presence is a lot like a Tinder profile. You have three seconds to “score” a visit from that new customer—a customer who has endless possibilities and an endless parade of your competition vying for the same attention. In this environment, looks are everything. You can’t just have the best food and service anymore, you have to bring them in the door with great aesthetics and your most attractive possible version of yourself. Your regulars know your food and service are awesome, but what about the customer who doesn’t yet know you exist? What about the tourist and the guy on
the other end of Google? Loyal customers are great, but expanding business is about expanding your reach and showing your awesome aesthetic to a continuously new group of people who have not yet heard about you. People who definitely don’t follow you on social media. After all, you can’t follow a business you don’t know exists. I published a prediction a few years ago that said websites will become obsolete by 2020. We’re not far off from this now. Google is all we need. The Google Knowledge Panel is that window that shows up toward the right of your screen (on a computer) or top dead center on a mobile search. This area provides everything you’ll ever want to know about
December 2019 barbizmag.com
Photo: Unsplash.com
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BY ERIK SHELLENBERGER
H-Club Jarmans Bar, Los Angeles. CA
CONGRATULATIONS
HUDSON SANDERS
Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo in LA was host to Hip Sip’s Battle of the Modern Bartender. This year it was a Tequila & Mezcal showdown looking for the best bartender in the region. Top bartender finalists were judged on creativity, use of product, taste and presentation.
Congrats to Hudson Sanders being crowned the winner.
THE HOW-TO PUBLICATION
BAR BUS NESS MAGAZINE
www.westernfoodexpo.com
La Mujer Amada 2 oz Yola Mezcal 1 oz Ancho Reyes 1 oz fresh Lime juice 1/2 oz Plantation 5 Year Barbados Rum 3/4 oz Agave Orgeat 2 dashes Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters Absinthe rinse Process: Chill your desired glassware in the fridge so it is nice and cold. Add your bitters to the tin first, and add remaining ingredients as you see fit. Retrieve your glassware from the fridge, it should ve nice and cold, and rinse it with 1/4 oz of absinthe. Let rest while you shake. Fill your tin with medium sized ice cubes and shake hard, but with an even tempo, for 12 seconds. Toss your absinthe, or drink it (im not telling). Double strain into glass and top with a dehydrated lime wheel. Sip at your leisure, by the pool or during dinner. La Mujer Amada is great for both.
any particular business: Their contact info, address, hours, reviews, and every other reason you’d Google a place are all present. Especially, you guessed it, photos. But instead of the glossy professional photo shoot we’d like the public to see, mixed in are photos from the public—a public who generally can’t take a great photo to save their lives. Although Joe Customer’s photos don’t look all that great, they are way more authentic than the stuff we provide. Authenticity is what sells moving into 2020 and beyond. So yes, a professional photo shoot and an impressive aesthetic could bring them in the door the first time, no question. If your place is a sad rendition of the experience you’re portraying to the public, they’ll all be one-and-done visitors. What your place actually looks like is of paramount importance, not just the attractive lure you provide to the online public. You’ve heard the term “people eat with their eyes.” Now they also make almost every other decision in life with their eyes as well since they are glued to that screen as many hours as humanly possible. So now that we realize we have to be attractive, where do we go to “get some action?” Social media used to be the knee-jerk reaction to that question, but as 24
Bar Business Magazine
the years go by, both Facebook and Instagram are becoming less and less effective as marketing tools. This is partially due to the algorithm choking down our reach to near zero, and partially because our content, for the most part, is just awful. If you have a beautiful looking place and a truly unique presentation, your customers may actually take on this role for you—all for
Word of mouth has always been king and always will be.
free and all on their own unrestricted pages full of a new audience and a potentially limitless reach. Services like Localfluence have taken full advantage of this and actually send Instagram users into your place with the agreement that for a discounted meal, they will post an awesome pic of your place to their own account. It’s
kind of a “word of mouth” in air-quotes approach, but it actually works pretty well. If you show them how cool your place is, you’re advertising. If they show their friends how cool your place is, they’re bragging on your behalf. Guess which one is more effective? So what about the aforementioned tourist and the people that are unfamiliar with the area? Chances are everything social media based will be irrelevant. There are some social media ad-targeting techniques out there that are pretty successful, but when we’re all in unfamiliar territory and get hungry, we pull out that computer in our pockets (if it’s not already in our hand) and our three go-to tools are Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor. Your online reviews have a bigger influence than you may think. More importantly, where you rank on Google makes the biggest impact possible. Human nature doesn’t dictate that we scroll to page five of Google, or even page two in most cases. We use the map and look for the best choices within the closest distance. When a place sparks our interest, we tend to do quick research through Google pictures, then a possible search on Facebook or Instagram for more. Then the decision is made. Tourists find us on Google, Yelp, or TripAdvisor
December 2019 barbizmag.com
Photo: Shutterstock/ Bon Appetit.
How To: MARKEting
HOW TO: MARKETING and research us on social media. After the importance of aesthetics comes attitude. A great look brings them in the door, but a great attitude brings them back in. This sounds like common sense but seems to be lost in today’s service industry. Now that online reviews hold so much weight, poor experiences can easily be multiplied. A poor online review can statistically cost you 30 customers! We can say, “I don’t care what Yelpers think,” all day, but (unfortunately?) the public does care. A lot. If operations aren’t firing on all cylinders, marketing could quite possibly hurt instead of help. If our consumer experience sucks, marketing will help people learn that we suck, only quicker. Technology will move faster than ever in the new 20’s. Marketing techniques will have a shorter shelf life due to the ever-decreasing attention span of today’s human. Be attractive. Be entertaining. Give consumers a reason to bring up the experience they had at your business while discussing their weekend. After all, the marketing power of a friend or coworker will trump anything we can do as professional marketers. Word of mouth has always been king and always will be. As a “marketing expert,” I’m here to tell you that the power of marketing is slowly losing its effectiveness. Advertising will steadily lose ground and instead be replaced by entertainment. I’ve said it several times in the past—”Be the show, not the commercial.” The good news here is that creativity is free. Instead of posting 30 pictures of a burger per month, come up with one great, creative, hilarious, relevant video clip per month. This will far outweigh the effectiveness of humdrum social media posts, and in most cases, will be a lot cheaper to produce. Ask yourself what you respond to as a consumer and create more of that. Today’s restaurant and bar owners are bombarded with more BS than ever before by “marketing experts,” which is tough to wade through. Always ask yourself if you as a consumer would use the tools they’re slinging. If it sounds like garbage, it probably is.
restaurant and bar industry since he was thirteen years old and worked for his mother in the food and beverage department at a Utah ski resort. Since then, he has held every position from dishwasher to bartender to marketing director and everything in between. With a decade of corporate marketing experience, he has gone from student to teacher and now runs Bar Marketing
Basics (barmarketingbasics.com). He has quickly grown his client base, expanding beyond his hometown of Scottsdale, Arizona, into Los Angeles, California and has connected with clients across the nation, as far away as the East Coast. For more on bar marketing, check out Erik’s latest book, Restaurant & Bar Marketing II: Hacking Human Nature available on Amazon (https://amzn.to/2NY6GPC).
Erik Shellenberger has been in the barbizmag.com
December 2019
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Tuning Up
HOW TO
Making the case for charging options in bars.
STAYING IN CHARGE 26
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BY ASHLEY BRAY November 2019 barbizmag.com
Photo: Loop Media.
TUNE IN TO TV
HOW TO: CHARGING
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Photos (left to right): Shutterstock/ iChzigo; Chargique.
ccording to a study by Statista, in 2018, 84% of the population in the United States used a smartphone. It should come as no surprise then that the majority of your bar or restaurant’s clientele walks in toting a cellphone, most likely an iPhone or an Android. It’s also very likely that they will be looking for a charge. The Benefits of Charging Up “Studies have shown that people do not like to see their phones go less than 50% charged,” says Suzanne TuffyAntonetti, Co-Founder of Chargique. “For many people, it is a comfort to know that they will have enough battery life to receive an important business or personal call.” Sufficient battery life also enables bar patrons to order Ubers or Lyfts— an important part of cutting down on drinking and driving. Lee Snedaker, Owner of Voltek, says bar owners should also consider the effect on customer retention when bringing in charging options. Customers who are able to charge up are more likely to stick around and order more—increasing check size along with the battery life on their smartphones. Tuffy-Antonetti agrees, “Patrons seek out opportunities to charge their phone when they are out and about. My experience as a bartender is that the convenience of an available phone charge results in repeat business.” The convenience of that charge has also become something many customers expect as an extension of a bar’s customer service. “I think adding charging outlets is similar to adding free WiFi so customers can connect,” says Snedaker. If you’re still addressing this problem by letting your bar staff plug in an array of $1000-plus smartphones behind the bar, then you need to rethink your approach. You’re one spill away from an expensive accident, plus this method takes away valuable outlet space for bar equipment like blenders.
barbizmag.com
Chargique’s charging system offers a hook and a USB charging port. It is available in black, white, bronze, and stainless steel finishes.
Picking the Right Power Luckily, there are many options on the market to solve the ubiquitous lowbattery problem. Chargique. Chargique offers a twoin-one solution—a hook for a bag or purse and a USB charging port for a phone all lit up by an elegant directional light.
Customers expect the convenience of a charge from a bar.
“The low illumination light around the bezel indicates where the hook and USB port are so they are not feeling and looking all around for it,” explains Tuffy-Antonetti. “The Chargique Charging Systems provide power for up to 12 individual charging hooks while only using one standard outlet.” Chargique’s charging system is available in black, white, bronze, and stainless steel, and it comes in packs of six or 12. Install is easy for both new projects and retrofits.
“Every Chargique order comes with everything needed for installation along with an installation guide and a template for mounting the hooks in the right place,” says Tuffy-Antonetti. “We also offer an optional accessory L bracket for instances where mounting on the bar wall is either problematic or undesirable. Wiring can be done on the service side or the customer’s side of the bar.” The power supply is installed on the service side of the bar, underneath the bar top, with clamps. The wire is fed through a concealed 3/8-inch access hole to the location of each Chargique hook. In order to provide the ultimate convenience for your guests, Chargique recommends installing a hook at every seat, or at the very least, every other seat. “In addition to under-the-bar mounting, the devices can also be mounted under countertops along the wall,” says Tuffy-Antonetti. Voltek. Another charging option for bars is Voltek, which offers low-voltage powered USB under-bar and in-wall charging outlets. The outlets are easily installed as they are powered over low-voltage cabling and don’t require an electrician. “A wall or rack mount power supply is installed in a back office or closet that requires only a single 120 VAC electrical outlet,” explains Snedaker. “The user can then install a low-voltage cable from the power supply to each December 2019
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TUNING UP minimum. “We often see outlets installed behind the bar and in the kitchen/office areas as well for employee use,” says Snedaker. Voltek offers USB 2.0 Type A as well as Type C charging outlets. “The USB-C is being adopted into just about every phone/tablet and laptop being manufactured today,” explains Snedaker. “Voltek is the only company offering 60-watt USB-C outlets that can power laptops in addition to phones and tablets using USB-C PD technology.” Customers can look for Voltek’s 60-watt USB-C outlet to launch in the first quarter of 2020. Voltek offers low-voltage powered USB under-bar and in-wall charging outlets.
charging outlet location. Up to 16 outlets can be powered from a single power supply.” Voltek recommends installing one outlet per two bar stools at the bare
Security Concerns There has been much written in the news lately about “ juice-jacking” and concerns about security when using USB ports to charge devices. Juice-jacking is a cyber attack involving a charging port that doubles as a data connection, such as a USB
outlet. The attack can involve either installing malware onto a device or copying sensitive data from the device that’s plugged into the port. While juice-jacking is a real possible threat, it doesn’t seem to be too widespread—yet. Still, companies that offer charging ports, like Chargique and Voltek, have taken steps to protect users. “USB data lines are terminated to preclude any attack through charging stations,” explains Tuffy-Antonetti. “Furthermore, individual charging stations are connected only by power cables, preventing any data transfer between modules. There is simply no connection that could be abused by a bad actor.” Voltek is taking similar steps. “Voltek outlets do not contain a data connection and are therefore unable to be used for juice hacking,” explains Snedaker. “Hackers are also unable to install any type of malware onto our chargers due to the secure design of our circuitry.”
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Photo: Voltek.
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FEATURE BRANDING
Branding YOUR BAR BY MAURA KELLER 30
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December 2019 barbizmag.com
BRANDING
MARKET YOUR BAR THROUGH YOUR CUSTOMERS AND STAFF WITH BRANDED ITEMS.
Photos: (left and top) Success Promotions; (bottom) BarRags Drinkwear.
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hen you think about branding, what comes to mind? Your company logo? The signage used throughout your bar or restaurant’s exterior? Or maybe the branded apparel that you are considering introducing to employees and patrons? In fact, all of the above constitute your company brand. Branded items can effectively leverage your bar in the minds of consumers, which is paramount to your success. Nick Hogan is Co-Owner of Mover & Shaker, a company that offers professional branding and photography services along with creative concepting for branding. He says competition is fierce in the food and beverage industry, and battles are no longer lost and won simply through the final product—namely cocktails and beer—anymore. “As more and more bars are elevating their beverage programs, they’re turning towards full-scale branding with their concepts in order to make a name for themselves—whether it’s through social media, merchandising, or even writing books,” says Hogan. “Creating a brand image gives your bar life beyond its walls.” As Hogan explains, Death & Co. basically cemented this theory with their 2014 self-titled book, Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails. “They created such a strong image around their bar through the cocktail book, an amazing, aesthetic Instagram page, and recent merchandise, that the Death & Co. name has become a household name amongst cocktail enthusiast and cocktail bartenders alike,” says Hogan. Indeed, for bars owners and operators who are considering introducing branded apparel and other merchandise, it’s important that they recognize that if their employees aren’t barbizmag.com
their own biggest fans, then how can a bar owner convince guests to be? “Your employees are your family, your teammates, they should always be willing to carry your name with them with pride,” says Hogan. “Nowadays, any guest can walk into any bar or restaurant and have a decent Old Fashioned or Negroni or craft beer, but they choose your bar because of the ambiance, employees, and attitude, so why not give them a piece of that to take home?” According to Kevin Pelz, Owner of BarRags Drinkwear, there are two different opinions about what to do with branded apparel and promo items. One thought is to give the items away to customers and employees. The other thought is to sell the items for a profit. “Whatever your belief, the ultimate goal is to get your bar’s name and logo out there on as many bodies as possible,” says Pelz. BarRags has specialized in offering branded apparel for bars and nightclubs since 1994. The company offers a wide assortment of T-shirts and sweatshirts to help bars promote themselves in a fun and fashionable way.
A hat promoting Drai’s Beachclub & Nightclub in Las Vegas.
BarRags offers over 50 designs that can be sold every day as well as special event designs for St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, and Halloween. With small minimum order quantities and no art charges, BarRags caters to the small neighborhood bars that want to offer great-looking shirts to their customers but do not have huge advertising budgets. “At BarRags, we tell our bar customers that ‘their customers will pay them to promote their bar.’ This means that the bar’s customers will buy the shirt, usually for a profit to the bar owner,
Branded apparel is just one type of promotional product.
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BRANDING
Patrons choose your bar because of the ambiance, employees, and attitude, so give them a piece of that to take home.
BRANDING TACTICS When talking about branding, it’s important to first establish what is meant by a brand. The primary purpose of a brand is to differentiate a particular product or service in the minds of its customers so as to create customer loyalty. Many people and organizations imagine only a logo when they think of a brand. A logo is indeed an important element of successful branding, but it’s only one component. An organization’s brand is actually the sum total of the opinions held by all stakeholders who are aware of and engaged with that business. It includes the name, any tagline, a visual identity, a style of communication materials, reputation for customer service, and so forth. “In today’s environment, the marketer is challenged more than ever on how to 32
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connect with their customers,” says Chad Everett, Chief Service Officer at Success Promotions, a leading provider in headwear and apparel with sourcing to supply valued items at affordable prices. “Social media plays a big role today, but so do wearables. If the wearable is creative and comfortable, they will be worn and the impressions made within the social circles of that customer are immeasurable.” Aside from choosing what promo items to offer, bars need to consider how to sell the items. Success Promotions, for example, can run and design websites that drop ship the product to the customer’s door. Hogan says there is no right or wrong way to disperse branded apparel, it just depends on what it is and how you’d like to be perceived. That said, a bar should be creating really special, one-of-a-kind merchandise that people want to buy. If they are not willing to pay for it, then do they even really want it if you’re giving it away for free? “One mistake we see bar owners make is not having a plan or a goal in mind, or they get caught up in deciding if they should sell the items or give them away,” says Everett. “If the item doesn’t sell as expected, they think of it as a failure. Then they give the item away and say they will never buy again, when in
reality, they have handed out a product that will be used by their customers with lasting value. That’s why it’s important for bar owners to be clear on the agenda to start.” The most successful branded items are functional items—items that will be used over and over again. “Target your audience, think outside of the box, and execute,” says Hogan. “Anyone can make any item with enough money, but you want to create something that people build a connection with and use over and over again.” Another common mistake when it comes to promotional items is taking the cheap route, which will only tarnish a brand name. “Take your time, do your due diligence, and invest in products that last and that people will use, and you will reap the benefits,” says Hogan. Pelz also sees bars underestimating their customers’ loyalty and their desire to have shirts from their “favorite watering hole.” “People love to show where they have been or where they like to go to on a regular basis,” says Pelz. “Branded apparel has always served that purpose. Whether it’s showing what concerts you have been to, where you have traveled, or what your favorite team is—branded apparel shows everyone where you have been and what you like.”
December 2019 barbizmag.com
Photos (this page): Mover & Shaker.
and the customer will advertise that bar every time they wear that shirt,” says Pelz. “If you figure a customer wears his favorite shirt from ‘Joe’s Bar’ every other week—he is promoting that bar about 25 times a year.” And while T-shirts are still the most popular form of branding for a bar, coozies and sweatshirts are also very popular items that bars use to promote themselves.
Pins have become popular branded items.
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here was something very “homecoming weekend” about Heineken’s 2019 Western Region Distributor Meeting at Downtown Los Angeles’ trendy CONVENE Business Center, from bright graphic signage, to enthusiastic exchanges between team members and the beer giant’s individual brand reps. There were a lot of strategies distributors needed to take note of for the coming year after introductory 34
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remarks from CEO Maggie Timoney and Chief Sales Officer Jim Sloan and a review of the brand’s storied history in the American West. It was time to shift into tough love mode with distributors as Heineken detailed that sales in recent years—including on-premise accounts— had taken more than a few hits. Before the reps started their presentations, Sloan and his colleagues outlined a “big picture” plan for the West that would hopefully carry the brands upward through 2023: Stopping
revenue and profit losses; growing the brands through more eye-catching contemporary packaging; locally relevant messaging for the region’s consumers; and helping the company regain its position as a brand that generates consumer excitement. Towards the end of the meeting, Sloan and his colleagues dropped a few hints about new products addressing the rise of hard seltzers and other sub-categories. Even with that, however, he never wavered from the message that innovation and
December 2019 barbizmag.com
Photos (left to right): Ben Hider; HEINEKEN USA.
HEINEKEN
relevancy were just as significant with Heineken’s existing brands. “We need to make each other uncomfortable in order to break through the trend changes down, and bring them up, and we need to get better at it,” said Sloan. “For our part, we want to ensure distributors, accounts, and our [Heineken USA] Sales team have the resources needed to be successful while eliminating white noise internally and in the marketplace. We also stress that the consumers are the ultimate experts who know what’s happening in the market.” HEINEKEN: FROM 0.0 TO FULL SPEED If there is an MVP for the fledgling 2020 Heineken team, it is Heineken 0.0, barbizmag.com
released in 2017 and launched earlier this year on U.S. shores. Although the new alcohol-free brew did not catch on right away, it picked up momentum according to Borja Manso, the company’s Vice President of Marketing. Healthy lifestyle trends, especially those practiced by the millennial demographic, are a big part of the brand’s appeal. Early buzz came through clever product placements such as an appearance on a recent episode of The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. “Beer is 93% of our business, and we need to make that work for us again,” says Jonnie Cahill, Chief Marketing Officer. “We’re not just doubling down on category innovation, but also awareness of what 0.0 offers to health-conscious consumers who may have gone to other drinks like kombucha or cut back on ordering a beer during work hours. When consumers trade up from other nonalcoholic beverages to Heineken 0.0, this can help grow the overall beer category. It’s quality liquid embodies a kind of innovation that reinforces our core products while driving better penetration and category growth as a beer that can be enjoyed on all occasions.” From January 1, 2020 forward, a series of advertising campaigns build on this and feed directly into seasonal, regional, and demographic platforms. On-premise scenarios figure especially prominently in television and digital advertising. Just in time for New Year’s resolutions and “dry January” trends, father-and-son Formula One racing legends Keke and Nico Rosberg engage in friendly competition off the road as they enjoy the safe but great tasting 0.0. As the new Bond movie No Time to Die arrives this spring, Daniel Craig’s James Bond turns away from his shaken-not-stirred martini in favor of a Heineken 0.0 while sitting at a posh bar. Other ads, with the Isley Brothers classic “It’s Your Thing” playing in the background, show stylish millennials enjoying the “responsible” beer in a variety of different work and play situations. Cahill also pointed out that a lot of money is being invested in on- and off-premise tastings, which management hopes will bring in prospective consumers who don’t like alcohol-free beer or may want a superior alternative to other familiar brands offering a
no-alcohol formula. This would increase distribution for the new product and the original marquee Heineken. Speaking of the original, many ads for 2020 also feature direct, targeted messaging to women and soccer fans with bars as a key setting. With cans becoming preferred packaging over bottles, especially with the watershed millennial demographic, Heineken has a new can design that’s as at home in bars as it is on supermarket shelves, as well as on-premise displays and billboards that are laserfocused on different markets through weather, sports, events (Coachella Music Festival, key soccer tournaments, and the U.S. Open), and local customs. A RENEWED “XX” MARKS THE SPOT The Dos Equis (“XX”) brand has enjoyed renewed interest and earned status as the number-one import draft brand on-premise for Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. However, Ali Payne, Vice President of Marketing for Heineken’s Mexican Portfolio, stresses that the winning streak has not extended to California, especially the southern half of the state, which should have parity because of a mix of young and Mexican-American consumers. To remedy this problem, Payne points to a relaunch of the brand’s “Ambar” expression as well as the expansion of Mexican Pale Ale (MPA), which was launched in April 2019. MPA is made with citrus hops and notes of heat from habanero feature on the finish. Again, package redesign will figure prominently for on- and off-premise sales
Heineken 0.0 has picked up momentum, fueled by healthy lifestyle trends. December 2019
Bar Business Magazine
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as well as traditional television. Other interactive Dos Equis promotions for 2020 include special merchandising cans and social media partnerships with various teams as well as an interactive “Football College” connecting beer-loving college football fans with celebrities from the college football world. Consumer foodie culture, meanwhile, appears to be a secret ingredient in reinventing Ambar’s image even as the formula is the exact recipe of the original Dos Equis that first crossed the border into the U.S. in 1949. Distributors and sales reps are encouraged to participate in a Mexican restaurant program where things like beer-food pairings can help drive sales. MEXICAN-AMERICAN PRIDE As Tecate’s sales figures have seen better days, even in potentially strong markets such as Southern California, Oscar Martinez, Tecate Senior Brand Director, made no bones about the fact that something drastic needed to be done to bring it to a new generation of customers. “Let’s talk about the future, [and] a whole new invention of the brand,” he said, also pointing to sibling beer Tecate Titanium, which will be expanding to more markets in 2020. “We are looking at our consumers in a different way—the new Mexican American consumers [who are] second- and third-generation U.S. born. Our heritage and quality credentials will be elevated, especially as we are stressing the provenance of the brand that’s still based in Tecate, Mexico, on the U.S. border. Today, we are the underdog who will soon eat the big guys’ lunch.” On-premise signage, digital marketing, and print ads capture the challenge of navigating a dual identity and making Tecate Titanium drinkers feel good about it, with such slogans as “Drink with MExico,” “Rhythm in MExico,” and “Have one with ME.” On- and off-premise displays will also promote sponsored sports and cultural/ music events in the U.S. and Mexico important to Hispanic communities across the country as well as major holidays such as Mexican Independence Day and Dia de los Muertos in fall 2020. In keeping with the company-wide push for regionalization, there will also be
Dos Equis Mexican Pale Ale will expand distribution in 2020.
promotions tailored to individual cities and collaborations with high-end Mexican restaurants to underscore customers’ demand for high-quality products. REINVENTION ON THE HORIZON Jessica Robinson, Vice President of Marketing and Emerging Brands, discussed how two other veteran brands rounding out the Heineken team—Red Stripe and Amstel Light—would capture a greater market share through messaging beyond the new graphics on their respective can “uniforms.” While Jamaica-made Red Stripe has seen some growth in recent times, Robinson detailed how current cultural happenings, such as the legalization of cannabis, could be leveraged to bring in new customers. In addition to reggae music festivals in the coming year, new slogans like, “it’s 4:20 somewhere,” will be used in California and other states where cannabis is legal. In the on-premise, tin cups will help promote the beer’s “Caribbean good vibes feel” when used in beachy cocktail recipes. Amstel Light will usher in its 150th anniversary by reconnecting with generation X customers. As the brand has long been associated with golf club accounts, Amstel is said to be, “taking a mulligan.” The brand says its second shot needs to be “long and straight,” and it’s working with golf legend Phil Mickelson. “We signed a multi-year deal with Phil,” said Robinson. “He loves this brand, and as he drinks it personally, the promotions will be in his voice and pushed into his social channels.”
December 2019 barbizmag.com 2/1/19 12:31 PM
Photo: HEINEKEN USA.
as well as targeted content in advertising. However, the members of the Dos Equis squad will show their strengths and win over consumers through local activations tied to college football programs at USC, UCLA, and other schools in key areas. Draft programs on-premise will play a key role in taking Dos Equis back to growth mode in 2020. This will also extend to promotions in the Northeastern U.S.. While the “Most Interesting Man” campaign proved to be a watershed moment for the brand over a decade ago, the concept of what’s interesting to the millennial market has been completely rethought and expressed through advertising, digital marketing, and on-premise materials. Through a series of new ads built around the concept of “An Interesting Beer for Interesting Times,” changes in work and leisure culture brought on by technology (i.e., DNA testing, behavior tracking algorithms, the unexpected consequences of apps) are explored in humorous-yet-relatable detail that draws attention in the digital space
BAR TOUR
BAR TOUR
BY ASHLEY BRAY
V VASO All Photos: VASO at the AC Hotel Columbus Dublin.
DUBLIN, OHIO
This rooftop bar is putting Ohio on the hospitality map.
barbizmag.com
ASO comes from the Spanish word for “cup,” and you could say that the bar’s cup has been running over since it opened in late 2017. In fact, VASO’s success in its first six months doubled forecasted sales. “We were the only rooftop bar in Dublin, so when we opened, people wanted to see Dublin from the highest point in the city,” says General Manager Orcun Turkay. “There’s nothing like it in central Ohio.” While its location definitely contributed to its success, VASO also seemed to hit on a need for a craft cocktail bar in the Dublin community. “The cultivation here was so unique to the area,” says Beverage Manager Rebecca Monday. “It’s such a one-of-a-kind experience for Dublin. Craft cocktails, tapas, you’re on a rooftop—it checked off this list of firsts across the board.” Filling a void in the local hospitality market has also allowed VASO to become a community staple, despite it technically being a hotel bar since it sits
atop the AC Hotel Columbus Dublin. Turkay estimates that only about 20% of its patronage comes from the hotel, while the rest is local business. Founder Antonio Catalan started the AC Hotel brand in Spain before Marriott International launched it globally, and VASO pays tribute to the hotel’s Spanish roots in its concept. “We decided it was going to be a Spanish tapas bar. The tapas concept fit us perfectly because it’s a bar environment, and we didn’t want to serve large entrees. We wanted it to be playful where people come and experience multiple dishes,” says Turkay. “In everything that we do, we always keep the concept in mind.” This includes the design and aesthetic, which changed from the original plans when it was decided that VASO would have a Spanish tapas theme. The bar brought in a local interior designer to redraft the design plans to better fit the concept. “It was a collaborative effort between the interior designer, myself, and other executives at the ownership,” says Turkay. “We came together and did December 2019
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BAR TOUR
Orcun Turkay GENERAL MANAGER OF AC HOTEL COLUMBUS, DUBLIN (VASO)
A
native of the Republic of Turkey, Orcun Turkay has been the General Manager of the AC Hotel Columbus Dublin since its 2017 opening. As GM, he has contributed to perfecting the hotel’s design and staff, and he oversees just about everything at the AC with his employees being his top priority. Turkay has been vital in the success of VASO and has helped bring the sleek décor and excellent F&B program to life for a wow-factor venue. Since moving to the U.S. in 2010, Turkay served in various food and beverage positions at hotels in the D.C. area, most notably as the Director of Beverage at the St. Regis Washington D.C., as well as similar roles at W Hotels and Westin Hotels & Resorts. He also worked in F&B at W Hotels in Istanbul and supervised F&B for Hilton in Miami/Fort Lauderdale. Prior to becoming General Manager at the AC Hotel Columbus Dublin, Turkay served as the Director of Food and Beverage at the Buffalo Marriott HarborCenter.
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all the changes, and obviously that cost us some extra money, but now looking back it was probably one of the best decisions we made. Architectural Digest named us the most beautifully designed bar in the state of Ohio, so I think we did something right.” The design distinguishes the bar from the rest of the hotel through pops of color. “The hotel itself is very neutral colors—a lot of gray, a lot of beige,” says Turkay. “But we wanted a transformation as soon as you walk into VASO.” Orange terracotta floors, copper light fixtures and table edges, red candles, and red and green backdrops in the cabanas on the outside patio all lend color throughout. “Our cocktails, the food, the plates, and the glassware is very colorful too,” says Turkay. Also adding to the design is an interior white accent wall featuring green palm fronds and wood deck flooring on the patio with an asymmetrical design for visual interest. Fire pits and tall torches create a warm ambiance out on the patio. Come October, large, colorfully lit igloo structures become a part of the patio, allowing the bar to make use of it year-round. “In our first year, we were looking at ways of activating the patio in the wintertime,” says Turkay. “We ended up adding three igloos right outside the glass where people can see from inside.” The igloos are warmed by heaters and allow patrons to dine al fresco (or as
close as you can get) in the winter season. “We also offer blankets for when you’re in the igloos and warm batch cocktails like hot cocoa and teas,” says Monday. “There’s definitely a warm environment even though you’re sitting in the middle of winter and snow is around you.” Due to last season’s high demand, this winter VASO has expanded to five igloos. “It was insanity,” says Turkay, who says the bar received over 1000 phone calls in two-three days after local media ran stories on the igloos. “The igloos were booked for three months straight every day. We had 10-12 reservations every day, including Sundays.” It’s safe to say that VASO has created a big buzz in Ohio, but the bar has national aspirations as well. It’s hosted pop-ups in Chicago, in New York City, and at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans. This year, it was even a top 10 finalist for Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards for Best Hotel Bar in the Central USA. “There’s a lot of effort that we’re putting out there for VASO to not only be known in Columbus or Ohio, but nationwide,” says Turkay. “We want to push the great things that are happening in Ohio.” A big part of this national push was a revamped cocktail menu with Monday at the helm. “We said we’re going to be the best of the best, we’re going to be a cocktail bar, so we went from six cocktails
A collection of popular igloos ollow the patio to be used year-round.
December 2019 barbizmag.com
BAR TOUR
Orange terracotta floors, copper light fixtures and table edges, and red candles all lend color to VASO.
to 13 cocktails on the menu. We’re showcasing seasonality, locality, freshness, housemade, and my team as well,” says Monday. “I encouraged my team to do a lot of R&D and homework. I gave them all inspiring ingredients, and we did a day where we created and crafted. Then we sat down, found our best cocktails, and put them together on the menu.” The menu rotates quarterly, but it features some staples that are nods to the bar’s Spanish inspiration. For example, Spanish-style gin and tonics are served in a large goblet and garnished with seasonal fruit and flora. Sangria is also available in a glass or in a porron, which is a traditional glass wine pitcher typically found in Spain. “While [Spain] is an influence, it’s not our main focus because we do want to stay relevant with trends,” says Monday. “One thing that we’re doing that I’ve found to be very trendy right now is offering cocktails that are non-alcoholic. We’ve been using a non-alcoholic spirit called Seedlip in our Spanish G&T.” The bar also serves trending and barbizmag.com
unique spirits like Armagnac, which features in the cocktail The Discussion (Armagnac, oloroso sherry, sweet vermouth, blackberry, plum shrub), and mezcal, which can be found in cocktails like The Botanist (purple carrot sea salted mezcal, tarragon agave, citric acid, carrot fronds). “Education is key, and we built this menu so that when our guests come in, if they’re not familiar, we’re able to educate them and hopefully introduce them to a new spirit,” says Monday. A collection of beer (including local Ohio varieties on draft) and wines are also available. Of course, Spanish influences can also be found on the food menu, which is put together by Chef David Belknap, who recently returned to his native Columbus after stints at establishments that included the Ritz Carlton and Thomas Keller’s Per Se. “The entire food program is inspired by Spain. Not only Spain, but any place that has been influenced by Spanish culture,” explains Turkay.
The menu includes items like ceviche, empanadas, scallops (pictured below), a variety of tapas, and a section of selections built on bread, such as Coca con Puerco (braised pork flatbread, roasted garlic, pickled peppers, Manchego, and corn purée). The menu changes at least twice a year to keep it fresh and relevant. VASO also keeps things fresh with events throughout the year, including live music, holiday parties, and a recurring Sip & Stretch yoga and brunch event on Saturday mornings in the spring and summer. Patrons can also rent out the space for private events. vasodublin.com Vieiras Selladas.
December 2019
Bar Business Magazine
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INVENTORY
BULLY BOY DISTILLERS ANNOUNCES SECOND VOLUME OF INNOVATIVE RUM BLEND
HONORING 10 GENERATIONS OF FERRAND COGNAC MAKERS
Bully Boy Distillers announces the release of The Rum Cooperative Volume Two, a rich and exotic spirit comprising super–premium rums sourced from five prominent rummaking regions: Martinique, Panama, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Colombia. The latest addition to The Rum Cooperative lineup, the spirit is an exceptional blend of distinct yet harmonious flavors that emphasize the superior qualities of each rum. To complement the rich and earthy notes of Volume One, Volume Two evokes floral and fruity notes. A carefully crafted blend of eight to 12-year pot-stilled and column-distilled rums, the addition of Martinique rum creates a highly perfumed and complex flavor profile, while Mexican rum aged in used Brandy casks rounds out the blend with a robust flavor. The rum also features notes of toasted almonds, coconut, stone fruit, and brown sugar, which enhance the aromas. The bottle’s vibrant label, which contains illustrations of the national flower of each region represented in the blend, further highlights the brightness and complexity of the spirit.
Alexandre Gabriel and Maison Ferrand, proprietors of a historic estate and spiritual heirs of a Cognac legacy of 10 generations, introduce Ferrand 10 Generations Cognac. 10 Generations is a Grande Champagne Cognac made from a single variety of grape, the Ugni Blanc. It is a fresh and opulent cognac, with delicate notes of white flowers. This distinctive cognac is distilled slowly on fine lees in 25 hectoliter pot stills. The presence of lees enables the production of a richer aromatic palette and adds complexity to the floral and fruity base of the Ugni Blanc grape. It is then aged in French oak casks, of which 20% are Sauternes barrels, in humid cellars that enhance roundness. The latter contributes complementary honeyed and vinous notes.
The Rum Cooperative Volume Two
Ferrand 10 Generations Cognac
maisonferrand.com
therumcooperative.com
A HIGHER PROOF TEQUILA TO UP YOUR MARGARITA GAME Tanteo Blanco Tequila
Tanteo Blanco Tequila is bottled at 85 proof and joins the brand’s existing line of allnatural infused expressions including Jalapeño, Chipotle, and Habanero. On the nose, Tanteo Blanco Tequila is floral and sweet with a hint of tropical fruits including mango, pineapple, and guava. The entry is bright and zippy, revealing notes of black pepper and minerality on the palate to balance the sweetness of the agave. With a bold yet silky mouthfeel, Tanteo Blanco Tequila departs with a long and vibrant finish, offering notes of tropical fruit. All Tanteo Tequilas are made from fair trade, 100% Blue Weber agave then distilled utilizing traditional cooking methods and open-air fermentation. “Our steadfast commitment to quality and integrity throughout the entire process hasn’t gone unnoticed—so when many friends of the distillery asked us to bottle the blanco, we knew we had to bring it stateside,” says CEO and Master Blender Neil Grosscup. tanteotequila.com
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December 2019 barbizmag.com
INVENTORY
ST. ELDER ARTISANAL LIQUEURS EXPANDS St. Elder Pamplemousse & Blood Orange Artisanal Liqueurs
M.S. Walker introduces two new expressions to its St. Elder line of artisanal liqueurs: St. Elder Pamplemousse Artisanal Liqueur and St. Elder Blood Orange Artisanal Liqueur. These two new products join St. Elder Natural Elderflower Liqueur, which has become one of the most popular elderflower liqueurs on the market. Crafted in small batches from an extract of fresh elderflower blossoms, St. Elder Natural Elderflower Liqueur brightens up cocktails with notes of sweet citrus and floral honey. On the palate, St. Elder Pamplemousse Artisanal Liqueur offers refreshing notes of citrus with the perfect balance of fruit and sweetness, while St. Elder Blood Orange Artisanal Liqueur delivers a bittersweet, citrus-forward profile that livens up a variety of traditional and original cocktails.
EVOLUTION OF AGED MODERN BOURBONS Bardstown Bourbon Fusion & Discovery Series #2
Bardstown Bourbon Company released Fusion and Discovery Series #2. Fusion Series #2 uses 60% of Bardstown Bourbon’s wheat and high-rye bourbons, blended with a 12-year-old sourced Kentucky bourbon and a mash bill of 18% three-yearold bourbon and 42% twoyear, 10-month-old bourbon. Discovery Series #2 has three new sourced Kentucky bourbons with a mash bill of 44% 10-year-old bourbon, 39% 12-year-old bourbon, and 17% 14-year-old bourbon. bardstownbourbon.com
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Fundamental Beverages launches Newground Hard Dutch Lattes. The premium, ready–to–drink malt beverages are infused with real coffee or tea, decadent Dutch cream, and alcohol. Imported from Holland, the beverages are available in two flavors: Hard Dutch Cafe Latte and Hard Dutch Chai Latte. Expertly blended with the finest ingredients and natural flavors, Newground uses nitro technology for a perfect pour and smooth taste. With rich coffee flavors mellowed by a smooth sweetness, the Cafe Latte is crafted with caffeine to provide an energizing jolt. The caffeine–free Chai Latte is a sweet treat in a can, balancing vanilla notes, black tea, and natural spices, all complemented by the tantalizing zing of alcohol. At 5% ABV, Newground is a sessionable beverage to be enjoyed on its own or mixed with a harder spirit. drinknewground.com
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with GERRY ROWLAND BY MAURA KELLER
How did you create Coit Earl Grey Tea Gin?
My inspiration was a 1:1 mentoring and support program offered by the iStill team. This gin course focus was based solely around the disciplines of development of a gin recipe, breaking down the anatomy of gin aromas and flavors, understanding what each botanical delivers, and the problemsolving process varying one botanical at a time to find that botanical’s niche in the unique recipe. During my mentorship, my focus became Earl Grey Tea, and I began slowly building this gin one botanical at a time. My four botanical recipes—at the end of my mentorship—developed into a 10 botanical recipe after an intensive year’s worth of work. The challenge was the instability of a tea gin. I was able to achieve stability using fixatives not common to gin production.
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FOUNDER OF COIT SPIRITS (YOUNTVILLE, CALIFORNIA) Gerry Rowland, Founder of Coit Spirits, is a winemaking veteran of 48 harvests in three countries who has combined his gifts of problem solving and palate with his passion for gin. The result is Earl Grey Tea Gin—a gin recipe that took 12 months to refine and perfect. As the owner and winemaker at Rowland Cellars in Napa Valley, California, Rowland has been an integral team leader offering wine management for over 30 years, during which time he has managed vineyards and produced wine from grape to bottle for Rowland Cellars. Rowland utilizes a broad scope of industry knowledge and dynamic business acumen to establish his own brands and business. Prior to founding Rowland Cellars in 1991, Rowland worked as an operations winemaker at Diageo/Treasure Wine Estates in Sonoma, California, and was a winemaker at William Hill Winery in Central Otago, New Zealand.
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What makes your gin different?
Earl Grey Tea Gin is a contemporary gin, not a London dry. The Earl Grey is a black tea with bergamot citrus, which is a sour orange from Italy, specifically a hybrid of lemon and bitter orange from Calabria. Being a contemporary gin, Coit Earl Grey Tea Gin breaks from the juniper-forward gins to where juniper plays a support role in the body of the gin but not the leading note. This opens our tea gins to a broader market of spirit consumers that are challenged by the piney notes of juniper.
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What are your biggest challenges as a ginsmith?
The biggest challenges I face are problem solving and understanding the process from start to finish. With gin, it starts with the botanical recipe, understanding what your primary aroma or flavor profile is going to be. This is the skeleton of the recipe. Then it is finding other botanicals that support, in aroma or flavor, building the muscles around that skeleton without dominating the primary aroma. This is half the primary role of the ginsmith. Without an interesting formula, a ginsmith simply doesn’t have a product to take to distillation. It is also about understanding the distillation to determine the correct
wash strength, fractional cuts, and heads/tails cuts for that recipe. And a ginsmith has to achieve the correct louche or opacity without having a hazy or milky looking spirit. They have to correct fixative botanicals to preserve the primary botanical flavor and aroma stability. And finally, the bottle alcohol strength needs to be determined to best display and showcase aroma and flavor profile.
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How have consumers responded to Coit Earl Grey Tea Gin?
The reception to the gin has been brilliant. The creativity and innovation that we have seen in cocktails being made for the customer is an eye-opener. Every mixologist we work with, like the individuality of a fingerprint, comes up with a completely different drink. I am really excited to see consumer reaction to the cocktails yet to be made as we reach a bigger audience of industry professionals behind the bar. We hope to provide a new innovative selection of contemporary gins for the cocktail industry that are difficult to make or replicate so we can deliver a unique product to the customer that will tantalize the senses.
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Any advice for using the gin?
Bar owners should break away from the traditional lemon or lime garnish. Instead, use a small amount of grapefruit, tangerine, orange, or mandarin. Other garnishes that enhance the tea flavor are the savory herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage, and red peppercorns. And in general, stay away from the herbal ones such as basil or mint. This is not to say that someone behind the bar may not be creative and make them work. In addition, Earl Grey Tea Gin can be used in many traditional or standard list of cocktails including G&T, Aviation, Negroni, Bees Knees, Brit 75. Use the Coit Earl Grey Gin in a standard recipe while cutting back a hair on liqueurs like Chartreuse and Luxardo. Allow the gin to speak and not be masked. Lemon juice and grapefruit juice also work well. Or be as creative as you feel—it is your cocktail.
December 2019 barbizmag.com
Photo: Robert Bloomberg.
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March 2-3, 2020 vinexponewyork.com
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