Bar october 2013

October 2013

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When I was at university back in, ahem, a previous decade, we partied on cider and beer and hardly ever touched spirits. But kids these days – they have a much wider repertoire, favouring not only shots and bomb serves but cocktails. In this issue, we look at what students are drinking and how their bars have been changing.

Younger adults are leading the growth in cocktails which, as Cellar Trends pointed out last month, are booming in the on-trade, predicted to grow by 50% over the next five years. As we report this month, a key category is rum – the base for many of the most popular cocktails in the UK. Rum is thriving not just because of Britons’ love of Mojitos but also because of the promotion of golden rums by the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers’ Association and events such as this month’s UK Rumfest.

The cocktail boom means that this year’s London Cocktail Week will be bigger than ever, with events for both consumers and the trade. We provide a brief preview but, with so much going on, we would need a whole magazine to cover it all.

Mark Ludmon Editor

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Cover picture: Spiced rums are leading growth in rum in the UK on-trade. See page 27.

CONTENTS OCTOBER

8

Regulars 5 Industry news 66 Barhopper Profiles 08 Juniper, Edinburgh 10 Moloko, Salisbury 12 Monty’s, London 14 Zoo Too, London 16 The Lucky Liquor Co, Edinburgh Drink 19 Drinks news

EDITOR Mark Ludmon • mark@cimltd.co.uk Tel 020 7627 4506 PUBLICATION MANAGER Lewis Thorne • lewis@cimltd.co.uk Tel 01795 509109 Fax 01795 591065 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Lucia Cechvalova • lucia@cimltd.co.uk Felicia Appeti • felicia@cimltd.co.uk Tel 01795 509109 Fax 01795 591065

27

51

CHIEF EXECUTIVE John Denning • jdenning@cimltd.co.uk STUDIO MANAGER Paula Smith • paula@cimltd.co.uk DESIGN & PRODUCTION Grant Waters • grant@cimltd.co.uk James Taylor • james@cimltd.co.uk ACCOUNTS Vickie Crawford • vickie@cimltd.co.uk Tel 01795 509103 www.barmagazine.co.uk www.twitter.com/barmagazine

27 30 34 38

Rum Rumfest preview Mixology London Cocktail Week

Features 41 Furniture design 47 Training 51 Student bars Tech 55 Epos technology 58 Restaurant systems

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news

Gatecrasher to invest in clubs after restructuring

Nightclub group Gatecrasher is to invest in growing the business after completing a strategic corporate restructuring programme.

The core business and assets including its clubs have been sold as a going concern to a new trading group as part of a pre-pack administration. It followed the appointment of administrators of the previous trading companies, Gatecrasher (Birmingham), Gatecrasher Clubs and Bars and GLN Trading in August.

Gatecrasher chief executive Simon Raine said: “The transfer of the business to the new company, along with extensive corporate restructuring and refunding of the business, has enabled Gatecrasher to progress on a secure financial footing.

“The restructuring was the only option available to ensure the continued viability and growth of the business and also preserve jobs.”

Gatecrasher will invest heavily in its flagship venue GB in Birmingham, including new lighting and special effects inspired by the Las Vegas club scene.

Its Nottingham venue is being rebranded with plans to expand capacity subject to planning approval. Its Watford nightclub Cameo has also reopened for business after a major upgrade.

Gatecrasher has closed its Leeds venue Bed, saying it “no longer fits with the brand’s plans due to its location, size and limitations in terms of development”, although it is “actively” seeking a new venue in the city centre.

Be At One to open new bars

Arc Inspirations has opened a stripped-back urban bar The Pit in Merrion Street, Leeds, which specialises in traditional slow-cooked Americanstyle food. Its extensive cocktail list has been created by Declan McGurk, bar manager of the American Bar at London’s Savoy and formerly Arc Inspirations’ bar development manager.

Be At One group is to open two new cocktail bars in October as part of its ongoing expansion and investment plans.

It has acquired the lease on The Wimpole, a 1,250 sq ft ground floor and basement unit in Wimpole Street, near Oxford Street, in a deal through leisure property specialist Davis Coffer Lyons.

The other site will be a late-night Be At One in Russell Street, Covent Garden, in the former premises of Tex Mex restaurant Los Locos.

Be At One has also completed a refurbishment of the upstairs area at its bar in Islington, north London, which opened earlier this year in the former premises of Wax Jambu.

DHP triumphs at Nottingham awards DHP Group triumphed at Nottingham’s Best Bar None awards, with its Rock City venue being named best club by both the judges and the public and also overall winner for 2013.

The group also won awards in the category for best medium-sized bar: The Bodega won the judges’ vote while the Rescue Rooms was the public choice.

The awards were for bars, pubs and clubs involved in Nottingham’s Best Bar None initiative which promotes responsible management and operation of licensed premises.

In the categories for best large bar, the judges’ choice was Revolution in Hockley, part

of Inventive Leisure, while the public voted for Pitcher & Piano, part of Marston’s.

The other winners were Pit & Pendulum and Squares, both operated by TCG, gay bar The New Foresters and Spanky Van Dyke’s.

Cardiff’s former Fire Island bar has been transformed into craft beer bar Urban Tap House by Gazz Williams and Brad Cummings of south Wales microbrewery Tiny Rebel. Offering more than 100 different beers from around the world, it is the brewer’s first mainstream outlet. The site was part of a package, also including Cardiff bars Ten Feet Tall and Buffalo, that was put in administration in July.

Jimi Pearce and Will Partridge, the team behind former London bar Wax Jambu, have taken over the now-closed Power’s Bar in Kilburn, north-west London from music entrepreneur Vince Power.

With two floors of trading space, it is due to reopen in early 2014 as Kilburn Ironworks after an extensive refurbishment. The premises were sold through leisure property specialist DCL for £1million.

Husband-and-wife team Rene and Sabine von Reth have launched their third Bavarian Beerhouse in Queen Charlotte Street in Bristol city centre. It specialises in Bavarian food and beers such as Krombacher Pils and Erdinger wheat beer. It is their first venue outside London where it has sites in Old Street and Tower Hill in the City of London. The Bristol site is a franchise, which will be the model for roll-out.

Restaurateurs Thomas Tjong and Sidney Tsang, best known for Asian chain Ekachai, are to relaunch the site of London nightclub Cherryjam as a new club called Shimmy. They have joined forces with creative and musical directors Hugo Heathcote and Tom Carr, who are part of the team behind club nights LoveBrunch and ETA. The site in Porchester Road, west London, will have a vintage, Wonderlandinspired interior designed by ZAP Architecture with event designer Kila Carr-Ince. It opens in October. www.barmagazine.co.uk |5

news

Home House launches Ketel One event for bartenders

A cocktail bar, described as a “local urban living room”, has opened downstairs from Gordon Ramsay Group’s high-profile new restaurant Union Street Café in Borough, London. Open from early evening until late, Union Street Bar serves creative and classic cocktails taking influence from Mediterranean and Italian flavours. The bar is headed

by Abdulai Kpekawa, formerly at London bars Experimental Cocktail Club, The Luggage Room, Roux at the Pembury and Sosho Match.

Luminar Group has relaunched its club The Place in Cambridge as a more stylish boutique nightclub called Kuda after a £75,000 refurbishment. It includes new glamorous booth seating, with table service throughout, plus new lighting and sound systems.

Luminar has also acquired the 1,200-capacity Evoke club, which opened in Chelmsford, Essex, last year, from Steve Webb of Premier Leisure Group.

The team behind Smiths of Smithfield in London have launched a second site called Smiths in the site of John Torode’s former restaurant The Luxe. It has four floors for dining and drinking, including a basement bar that will host DJs and live events and a ground-floor café that is also a late-night bar. Backed by a new £2.25million facility from Barclays, the company hopes the Smiths brand can be extended to more sites.

The UK’s fourth Bierkeller complex of bars has opened in The Printworks in Manchester after the success of sites in Liverpool, Leeds and Blackpool. Spaces include the Ski Lodge, the Around the World bar, the Shooters Sports Bar and the Bierkeller bar itself.

6| www.barmagazine.co.uk

London private members’ club Home House is to run social and educational events for bartenders in association with Diageo’s Ketel One vodka.

With the first event scheduled for Sunday October 20, it aims to promote the West End venue as a place for bartenders and mixologists to network.

The evening event will be one of the first outings for David Beatty since taking over as UK brand ambassador for Ketel One after 18 months as ambassador for the brand in Australia.

David will present a class, making a range of Martinis and other cocktails from Home House’s mobile Ketel One drinks trolley created for the Drawing Room – one of the four bars at the members’ club. Others include the House Bar (pictured), designed by architect Zaha Hadid.

Head chef Jeremy Brown, who previously worked at The Ritz, will also create canapés that match the cocktails. Ketel One is the pouring vodka at Home House and is used in a number of cocktails in the club’s Bison Bar. October’s event is set to be the first in an occasional series of events for bartenders as well as sommeliers and chefs. To get on the list, email Ailish Besley at Ailish.b@ stirpublicrelations.com.

Britvic promotes J20 for late-night cocktails Britvic Soft Drinks is promoting its J20 juice drinks as a cocktail ingredient for the first time as part of a programme aimed at late-night bars.

The new initiative, called J2O Late, has been rolled out across “high energy, up-tempo” bars, aimed at opening up the brand to being drunk on different occasions and to attract new customers.

The drinks, with three “Late Night” recipes, are supported by a full staff training kit including recipe cards. Late Night Spice uses J2O Apple and Mango mixed with spiced rum and ginger beer while Late Night Sin combines J2O Orange and Passion Fruit with vodka, lemonade and blue curaçao.

Andrew Boyd, commercial director for leisure at Britvic, said: “With no staff training needed and no wastage, J2O Late is a solution that will drive a higher rate of sale, increase value and ultimately profits.

“Britvic is committed to the longterm development of this innovative J2O Late platform, with ambitions to treble our targets throughout 2014.”

Intertain has invested £500,000 in revamping the Walkabout bar in Carlisle city centre, including the conversion of the top floor to a Reef nightclub with its own entrance. Downstairs, the new “wave” bar is designed to resemble the barrel of a breaking wave (pictured), alongside a larger dance floor, updated sound and light systems and a new stage for live music.

Bartender takes on second site Former bartender Stuart Powick is to launch a second venue in south London after the success of cocktail bar Fifty Five in Camden, London.

He has taken over the lease of The Royal Oak in Clapham High Street from multiple operator Livelyhood in a deal handled by leisure property specialist Davis Coffer Lyons. Demand for sites in the area meant that it was sold for above the guide price.

Stuart, who formerly worked for TGI Friday’s and Be At One bars, opened Fifty Five in Camden in 2006. He plans to revamp The Royal Oak including an “extensive and expertly executed” cocktail menu.

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Who did it Design: N Architecture + Design Contractor: Concept 9 Electrical contractor: Abbey Electrical Flooring: Porcelanosa UK Wallpaper: Tektura Lighting: R&S Robertson Furniture: Stylematters, Bourne Furniture Original art: Steven Cox

Juniper Mark Ludmon visits a luxurious new cocktail bar on Edinburgh’s Princes Street

P

rinces Street in Edinburgh is one of the most-visited destinations in the UK.The 1km-long strip boasts shops, the Scottish National Gallery,Waverley station and the Scott Monument plus views of Edinburgh Castle.

What it doesn’t have is licensed premises.

That is set to change as Edinburgh council prepares plans to relax rules that currently allow only retail and financial services along the street. Even before the first cafés and restaurants appear, the 19th-century Royal British Hotel has launched a stylish new cocktail bar called Juniper alongside the new Twenty Princes Street Grill & Smokehouse.

Tucked away on the first floor next to the hotel’s sleek new reception, the bar looks out over the castle and the old town, but inside is a plush modern interior and bartenders serving classic and contemporary cocktails. The £3.5million development of the new bar, lobby and restaurant is part of a broader revamp of the hotel by the Cairn Group.

Refurbishment of the rest of the hotel including the bedrooms is now under way, due to be completed next spring after a total cost of £5.5million.

Juniper was designed by Amrit Naru of N Architecture & Design, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, briefed to create a bar that would be a destination as much as a lounge

8| www.barmagazine.co.uk

for guests. The colours and textures are inspired by the warm maroon palette of juniper berries, the key ingredient in gin.

The space is made up of a bar area and a lounge called the “library” furnished with deep sofas, large wingback armchairs, luxurious fabrics, original artwork, lamps and shelves of books on art and design.

“The bar and library bring together the crisp contemporary and the old using contemporary materials next to the traditional panels, sumptuous buttoned furniture and vibrant colours,” Amrit explains. “The idea was to give people visiting the bar for the first time an element of the unexpected with three-dimensional features such as the bar that curves up to form the ceiling.”

The aubergine and cranberry tones of the furnishings contrast with the striking white bar that is well stocked with premium spirits. As the name suggests, Juniper is strong on gins such as Beefeater, Caorunn, Boodles and Edinburgh Gin but it has a broad selection of spirits including Belvedere Elit vodka, Glenmorangie Signet whisky and Hennessy Paradis cognac.

Instead of appointing people from traditional hotel food and beverage backgrounds, general manager Martin Scott has recruited a team who have worked at leading bars in the city such as

Tigerlily and Hamilton’s. The cocktail list is a collaboration between Martin and F&B manager Stephen Thorpe, formerly at Tigerlily, and head bartender David “TJ” Littlejohn.

They set out to create drinks that would be “challenging, yet comforting and familiar”.

Using fresh ingredients whenever possible, the drinks feature homemade syrups, cordials, fruit juices and foams. TJ created the fresh, sweet and zingy house drink, The Juniper, using Scottish gin Caorunn with lemon-flavoured vodka Belvedere Citron, lemon, cloudy apple juice, almond syrup and kiwi fruit, topped with a lemon foam.

Alongside the classics, the bar offers original cocktails such as the Full Scottish Breakfast, mixing Glenmorangie and Ardbeg whiskies with lemon, orange marmalade, bitters and egg white plus a smoky bacon foam. The Venezuelan Blinker combines Diplomático rum with pink grapefruit, sugar, raspberries and chocolate bitters, while Frank’s Zappa mixes Herradura blanco tequila with Grand Marnier, lemon, grapefruit juice, egg white and lime marmalade. A modern favourite is the Rhubarb and Custard, throwing together Brugal blanco rum with Aperol, lemon and rhubarb bitters plus rhubarb and vanilla jam, served with custard on the side made of egg yolk, vanilla and more rum.

The bar food is just as creative, including dishes such as braised ox cheek nuggets, juniper-smoked salmon croquettes, oysters, Scottish lobster macaroni and cheese, and a Bannoch venison and juniper scotch egg with smoked tomato mayonnaise. These match the inventive and eclectic cuisine of chef Tony Sarton in the hotel’s restaurant, which specialises in seafood and steaks, equipped with a Josper Grill. Also designed

by Amrit, Twenty Princes Street benefits from high ceilings and triple-height windows with the sleek contemporary design complementing the ornate ceiling and chandeliers. With Juniper, 20 Princes Street is helping to change the face of the city’s main thoroughfare.

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12/09/2013 15:27

venue profile

Moloko

Pictures by Kin Ho

Bar owner and designer Alex Nettle has refurbished Salisbury’s Russian-inspired Moloko

F

or 15 years, Moloko bar in Salisbury in Wiltshire was a regular haunt for Alex Nettle. Originally started

by Colin O’Keefe and John Turpin, it was one of the inspirations for Alex to get into the bar trade, going on to open Salisbury venues The Kandi Lounge and Kludo. Now he has bought Moloko and put his own stamp on it through a redesign. “It was probably the place that inspired me to get into this business, so I guess I’ve gone full circle by finally owning the one that set it all in motion,” Alex says. “It was always full of beautiful people, cutting-edge design and awesome tunes.The evenings used to finish with all the bar staff dancing on the bar Coyote Ugly style.”

He has kept the name, which is based on the Russian for “milk” and was originally inspired by a drink in Anthony Burgess’s classic book and film A Clockwork Orange.

“I normally like to make my mark on the design and feel of a bar and then rebrand, but it’s not often you buy a business with such a cool name, so Moloko will stay. Not much has been changed over the years with several different owners since the good old Moloko days of John and Colin. I had been after the place for a number of years, during which time nothing got changed in there and it was becoming more and more run down. When it finally became mine, it was time for a redesign and refurb using the original bars which, post sand-blasting, were good as new.”

Moloko is made up of an intimate ground floor area with period features including a stunning lead window and a sandstone archway.Very high ceilings lend themselves to performances by the venue’s resident

Where to find it 5 Bridge Street, Salisbury Wiltshire SP1 2ND Tel: 01722 504255

Who did it Interior design: Alex Nettle Russian artwork: The Sharp Practice Furniture: Andy Thornton Upholstery: Andover Upholster Vintage Lighting: Felix Lighting Specialists Sound system: Mackie

10| www.barmagazine.co.uk

aerialists above the main bar, with a large hoop supported by some very well engineered steelwork. The basement, a former wine cellar, has a DJ booth, built-in seating and another bar. A new top-of-therange sound system from audio specialist Mackie has been installed throughout.

The original Moloko had a Russian theme, specialising in vodka, but Alex has taken that to the next level. Soviet propaganda posters have been airbrushed onto plywood and formed inside a concave curved wall on the left hand side of the bar as you enter.

They include an iconic “anti-capitalism” poster originally created by Viktor Deni in 1932 which has been perfectly reproduced in very large format, along with three other historical artworks, by Matt Cook of Salisbury’s Sharp Practice tattoo studio.

An urban industrial feel has come from sand-blasting to bring out the stunning character of exposed brick walls and castiron radiators and beams. It is enhanced by a selection of vintage lights including original nautical search lights from a 1940s Russian warship, sourced from Felix Lighting Specialists in Bath. Alex also sourced furniture from Andy Thornton’s Urban Vintage range including cast-iron rivet tables and industrial machinist stools.

The theme can also be seen in a convex curved wall with a rough render finish on the exterior and the upholstered furniture, made up of nine separate hides combined to form a patchwork quilt of differently coloured leather, produced by Andover Upholstery. The building itself dates back to the 18th century, constructed in an Italian Gothic style for the Richardson brothers who were importers of wines and spirits.

Moloko specialises in premium spirits, stocking about 25 rums and 50 vodkas such as Ciroc, Crystal Head, Belvedere, Grey Goose and Balkan 176 as well as a wide selection of flavours. Bearing the hallmark of Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands, cocktails include The Old Blighty, mixing Chambord black raspberry liqueur with fresh raspberries and rosé sparkling wine, and The Petticoat, made with Woodford Reserve bourbon, elderflower syrup, lime juice and ginger beer. There is also the signature Mango Daiquiri, which raises funds for the Stars Appeal for a CT scanner at Salisbury District Hospital.

Being a late-night party destination, the bar also offers shooters such as a Mini Guinness and a Mint Choc Aero. As with his other bars, Alex has made Moloko the place to go for the region’s top DJs. He adds: “Inspiration for the vibe is from the coolest bars in Europe – deep funky house and live freestyle sax from Mambo’s Ibiza and La Folie Douce in Val d’Isere and aerial performances inspired by Via Notte in Corsica. It’s a little bit different for Salisbury.”

venue profile

Monty’s Bar An oasis of Italian food, wine and cocktails can be found in the heart of London’s West End, reports Mark Ludmon

W

hile the Italian food and drink at Monty’s Wine Bar & Restaurant in London’s West End is made with authentic and often traditional ingredients, it is otherwise defying convention. The warm interior by Steve Howie Design has classic elements but has a fresh, clean contemporary style that is worlds away from an everyday trattoria.

And while manager and sommelier Antonio Cerilli has created an impressive wine list, he has not been resistant to adding a range of wine-based cocktails.

Monty’s is the first bar and restaurant venture for Guzaliya Bektemissova, working with Antonio who was previously at top restaurants including Le Pont de la Tour and Locanda Locatelli in London. Tucked away down a quiet street off bustling Oxford Street, it has been created in the former premises of restaurant Japan Soho.

Dining and drinking are on the ground floor in a space dominated by a central curved bar. The sophisticated stylish design features neutral tones of grey, green and cream, from the rounded banquettes to the high stools lining the bar. The look is continued downstairs into the private events space, which can accommodate up to 28 for a seated dinner and up to 50 for a cocktail party, with the option of a TV screen for presentations. Suspended frames of wine adorn the walls throughout the main bar and restaurant alongside retro lighting fixtures. The venue also has an

12| www.barmagazine.co.uk

Where to find it 52 Wells Street London W1T 3PR Tel: 020 7637 2666 www.montyswinebar.com outside area that is a calm oasis compared to the busy streets only a few minutes’ walk away.

The extensive wine list inevitably has a strong Italian flavour, including some natural wines, but it features several from other countries including Slovenia, Austria and the New World. Most of the wines are under £30 a bottle, with several available by the glass. Monty’s is increasingly attracting people who are looking for food with their drink, especially with its selection of cicchetti small dishes. These range from well-known classics such as bruschetta, olives or salads to prawns with avocado and salsa or smoked swordfish carpaccio.

A charcuterie menu includes hams handpicked from the farms of Italy, including the Sardinian sheep ham and organic smoked Friuli ham. The bar also offers the northern Italian tradition of after-work “aperitivo” drinks and snacks, with olives, bruschetta and arancini rice balls available with drinks from 4pm onwards.

Antonio has added a list of wine-based cocktails using red, white and rosé still wines as well as sparkling wines. Drinks include the Long Campari Night, combining white wine, prosecco, Campari, Martini

Rosso vermouth and orange juice, garnished with fresh orange. Other cocktails include the Ruby and Peach Sangria and the refreshing Orange Spring, mixing white wine with Cointreau and soda.

This builds on the bar’s existing cocktail list which includes many of the Italian classics including a Negroni, Americano, Aperol Spritz and a variety of Bellinis. There are also twists such as a variation on a Mojito, replacing the rum with Campari.

Antonio has also sourced authentic Italian bottled beers such as Ichnusa from Sardinia, Menabrea from Piedmont and Loertis pilsner from Via Pruila in San Pellegrino Terme in Lombardy.

The cider is the artisanal Bolée d’Armorique Brut from Brittany. Antonio has stuck to tradition by including grappa on the drinks list but he has sourced some fine premium examples such as Fragolino Nonino, Capovilla Moscato and Filu e Ferru.

Monty’s is open Mondays to Fridays from midday to 11pm on Saturdays from 6pm. The head chef is Dionisio Randazzo whose background includes top London restaurants such as Ristorante Semplice in Mayfair and 11 Park Walk in Chelsea.

He has also developed a speciality menu featuring homemade pasta, fish and meat options, such as homemade tagliolini fresh crab and bottagra, grilled cuttlefish fennel salad with salmoriglio dressing, and a 35-day aged grilled rib eye steak. “People come to Monty’s Wine Bar to drink but they stay for food,” Antonio adds.

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venue profile

Zoo Too

Pictures: Richard Southall/www.emphasis.biz

Novus Leisure and Design At Source took inspiration from Cool Britannia for a spin-off of Leicester Square party venue Zoo

S

ince the 1990s, Zoo Bar & Club has been an ever-popular destination for big nights out in the heart of London’s West End. Down a side street off Leicester Square, the high-energy bar has been through refurbishments and changes over the years after starting out as part of nightclub group Luminar and then being bought by Chorion, now known as Novus Leisure. Made up of a ground-floor bar and basement club, it has a capacity of 750 but it still gets packed most nights of the week.

Novus seized the opportunity to take over the site next door, formerly part of

Where to find it 18 Bear Street London WC2H 7AS Tel: 020 7839 4188 www.zoobar.co.uk

Who did it Design: Design At Source Main contractor: Stenball Construction Refrigeration and bar equipment: Concept Bars Artwork: Artscene Loose Furniture: Abbey Leisure Furnishings

14| www.barmagazine.co.uk

the Kink bar chain, and turn it into Zoo Too. While separate from Zoo, it has the same lively atmosphere but with a more sophisticated interior design. Novus brought in hospitality specialist Design At Source which is known for designing clubs and bars for the likes of Luminar and Gatecrasher as well as Novus. Director Stuart Trett says the site – which trades on the ground and first floor – was in a “truly dreadful” state. For reasons of speed and budget, they retained the existing bars and overall layout and focused on the decor, fixtures and fittings – completely transforming it within a week.

Because of its location, Zoo has always been popular with tourists so, for Zoo Too, they took inspiration from what foreigners find cool about Britain. “We wanted to develop a very specific London look,” Stuart explains, “not the ubiquitous modern, semiindustrial, eclectic cantina style so beloved of the city, but rather a dark, music-inspired, Cool Britannia, anarchic, punk rock kind of vibe.”

On the ground floor, decoupage panels on the back walls are covered with album covers and gig posters for icons such as Joy Division, David Bowie, The Jam and The Rolling Stones while artwork on the ceiling depicts a collage of familiar faces such as The Beatles, The Spice Girls and Elvis Costello. Above the back bar, lyrics from famous British pop songs are written out such as Roxanne, Hey Jude and Satisfaction.

Along one wall, a London skyline is drawn black on white, while a union flag motif pops up throughout, including the signage outside.

Upstairs is another bar with a slightly more luxurious feel which features a mural of Michael Caine and a sofa splattered with punk-style graffiti inspired by more iconic British images such as a full English

breakfast. In the stairwell between the two floors, the ceiling is covered with the names of places across London. The music programming also reflects the concept, with classic British rock and pop playing through a Martin Audio sound system.

Alongside salvaged light fittings and mirrors, the laid-back feel is enhanced by buttoned banquettes and high tables on the ground floor and sleek wingback chairs, more banquettes and upholstered bar stools with back rests upstairs. In line with the original Zoo Bar next door, there are also crystal chandeliers and glitter balls plus sheltered seating outside. Both bars also offer free wi-fi, provided by The Cloud.

There are also similarities in the food and drink menus, with both bars offering an extensive range of pizzas and other snacks such as burgers. Both cocktail lists focus on the classics and twisted classics, plus champagne cocktails, shooters and disco drinks such as a Woo Woo. They are mostly priced at £7 – half price during happy hour.

Zoo Too also offers pitchers for sharing including a Mai Tai, Lynchburg Lemonade, Long Island Iced Tea, and Monster energy drink with Eristoff vodka.

There is an eclectic line-up of draught beers from Stella Artois, Guinness and Becks Vier through to Löwenbräu, Franziskaner Hefe-Weissbier and Adnams Southwold ale. The fridges are packed with most of the well-known brands of bottled beer from Budweiser and Tiger to Estrella Damm and Desperados, plus flavoured Rekorderlig ciders.

With a late licence throughout the week, Zoo Too is already proving just as popular as its long-established neighbour, filled with the same party spirit but with its own unique identity.

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venue profile

The Lucky Liquor Co Mark Ludmon visits the third bar from the team behind Edinburgh’s Bramble and The Last Word

D

espite having only 13 spirits, liqueurs and bitters behind the bar and just 13 cocktails on the list, you are unlikely to be unlucky with your drinks at The Lucky Liquor Co.The bar in Edinburgh’s New Town is the latest venture from Mike Aikman and Jason Scott, who set up nearby Bramble seven years ago – ranked 10th in the World’s 50 Best Bars last year.

After launching The Last Word Cocktail Saloon in the Edinburgh neighbourhood of Stockbridge last year, they have taken over the former premises of a small bar, off-licence and art gallery called Drinkies in Queen Street. The Lucky Liquor Co has allowed them to develop their own 13-bottle version of the “12-bottle bar” concept which is about making as many different cocktails as possible with only 13 brands behind the bar. “We come up with the drinks first and do sessions with the bar team to work out which ones we like the best,” Mike explains. “That then determines which spirits we use.”

Both the brands and the cocktails change every three months so, after opening in July, a new line-up is due this month.

At time of writing, the brands included Tanqueray London Dry Gin which has the right juniper-heavy character for the bar’s version of a Gin Daisy. For Happy Moments, Bowmore 10-year-old whisky was chosen to mix with Noilly Prat dry vermouth and the bar’s own passion fruit syrup and orange liqueur. For The Mountain, Heaven Hill bourbon was used to create a cross between a Whiskey Sour and a perfect Manhattan. Rather than stocking a tequila, the line-up included Del Maguey mezcal which makes for a smoky twist on a Paloma.

The cocktails are listed only by name so bartenders talk to customers about flavours and styles to work out which ones they will enjoy. The expert team can also create about 95 per cent of classic cocktails – or at least twisted versions – from the products stocked, Mike says. For instance, the bar

16| www.barmagazine.co.uk

Where to find it 39A Queen Street Edinburgh EH2 3NH Tel: 0131 226 3976 www.luckyliquorco.com

does not have Campari, but a Negroni can be made with bitter aperitif Amer Picon. “It means the bartenders have to think on their feet which makes it more interesting for them,” Mike adds.

It helps to differentiate The Lucky Liquor Co from their other bar, Bramble, which is only a three-minute walk away. “We wanted a completely different offering from Bramble where we have 40 gins and 20 Scotch whiskies. We keep it interesting for customers by changing it every quarter.”

The team is made up of manager Robin Honhold, who has worked at both The Last Word and Bramble, and fellow bartenders Jo Cole and Rebekah George who was previously at Lebowski’s in Aberdeen.

Williams Bros Ceilidh lager is available on draught alongside the bar’s own brew, Smoke In Your Rye, a hoppy, smoky IPA created by Alechemy in Livingston, West Lothian. It is also available in bottles.

The 45-capacity bar is on ground level but has an additional “wee den” downstairs with room for 12 people. The venue was designed by Jason and Mike with Jason’s wife, Lisa Gordon Scott, an interior designer.

“The Lucky Liquor Co has a bright and airy feel to it,” Mike says. “Because it is on

the ground level and has outside space, it’s something different for us as our other two bars are downstairs.” They went for a continental café-style look, with tiles on the walls, floors and bar front. It has a strippedback feel, with furniture sourced from antique dealers such as vintage bentwood chairs that have been sanded down and painted aquamarine. These are accompanied by girls head tables with round walnut tops and steel bases while tractor-seat high stools line the bar. Outside, a striking neon sign points the way to the door with the single word “Liquor”, evoking classic American cocktail dive bars.

They are taking advantage of the site’s off licence, offering all products behind the bar for sale – even the bar equipment and glassware. Music is from vinyl records played on an old-style record player, with bartenders – and sometimes regular customers – choosing what to play next.

“Everyone uses sterilised iPod playlists and it drives me demented,” Mike explains.

“Jason and I are very into our music. It’s one of the things that we think make a bar. It gives it more character. And if they like the music, they can buy the vinyls to take home with them.”

drink

October 2013

www.barmagazine.co.uk

A Bar magazine supplement

Rum turns up the heat

Whether it is golden, dark or spiced, bars are embracing rum more than ever

Also inside: rumfest – mixology – london cocktail week – news

Serve a full, cold can over your bar. After all, that’s what your customers want and when other people see the can, they’ll be up at the bar asking for the same. customer.marketing@uk.redbull.com

RB_Perfect_Serve_340x245.indd 1

09/07/2013 17:05

news

Cocktail boom bigger than expected, says Cellar Trends The number of people switching from beer and wine to cocktails is greater than previously thought, according to leading drinks company Cellar Trends.

Drawing on its own research, the distributor believes that about 30,000 on-trade outlets serve cocktails in the UK – 25 per cent more than the 24,000 estimated by on-trade specialist CGA Strategy.

“We think the cocktail boom is bigger than CGA currently states,” says Katy Carter, head of insight and research at Cellar Trends. “The cocktail revolution is set to continue and we think it’s going to boom particularly within the next five years.”

It expects the volume of spirits, liqueurs,

syrups and bitters used in cocktails to rise 10% this year and 50% over the next five years. By 2017, it predicts that the number of outlets serving cocktails will have risen to 40,000.

This again contrasts with CGA’s forecast which has predicted only 5.4% growth in cocktail volumes this year.

Cellar Trends reports that the cocktails currently being ordered most frequently in the on-trade are the Mojito, Piña Colada, Cosmopolitan, Margarita and Bloody Mary.

However, it predicts these will be joined by Caipirinhas, Collins, Sours and tiki cocktails, plus twists on classic cocktails such as a Manhattan, Martinis, Mules and a Negroni.

More at www.barmagazine.co.uk.

Bars to mark national calvados week

New gin bar offers gin on tap

The spirit of Normandy is to be celebrated in October with a week of events in bars and restaurants across the UK to promote calvados.

Participating venues will include the Rivoli Bar at The Ritz, Skylon Bar & Restaurant and Royal Exchange Bar & Restaurant in London, Bia Bistro in Edinburgh and Booly Mardy’s in Glasgow.

National Calvados Week, which runs from October 14 to 20, will also involve retailers, from national chains to Gerry’s Wines & Spirits in Leeds and London. The events are sponsored by Calvados Père Magloire and led by its UK distributor Emporia Brands.

Visit www.NationalCalvadosWeek.com.

A new gin bar has been launched by caterer and bar operator Searcys, featuring London’s first chilled gin on draught.

The Gin Joint at the Barbican arts complex offers about 40 gins including the first outing for London dry gin Broker’s using a dispense system provided through UK distributor HiSpirits.

The bar offers contemporary and classic gin-based cocktails such as the Peppercorn, made with Beefeater Gin, grapefruit juice, rose syrup and black pepper, and the Lambeth Lemonade, combining Beefeater 24 Gin with Lillet Blanc, raspberry syrup and lemonade.

It is also running a Gin Club offering customers access to tastings with master distillers and a gin-influenced dinner menu.

The bar has been refurbished with an earthy colour palette, new natural sisal flooring, relaxed leather sofa seating and bespoke copper light fittings.

Limited UK release for Noilly Prat Ambré A limited number of bottles of the soughtafter Noilly Prat Ambré vermouth have been released into the UK on-trade to mark the brand’s 200th anniversary.

The rare expression uses a blend of fine white wines that are partly aged in oak vats and then macerated with an aromatic selection of botanicals such as cardamom, cinnamon and lavender.

Noilly Prat Ambré is normally available only from La Maison Noilly Prat in Marseillan in southern France or selected specialist shops in Paris.

The Amber Martini Cocktail is being promoted to support the release, combining 25ml of the vermouth with 25ml of Grey Goose vodka and 20ml of Bombay Sapphire gin, stirred with ice and strained into a coupette with a pink grapefruit twist as garnish.

Blavod Drinks has unveiled a more premium look for Scotland’s vintage Blackwoods Gin because of growing demand for premium spirits. It includes a new logo featuring a hand-drawn tree and wild botanicals ravaged by a Shetland storm.

Blackwoods 60% Gin and Blackwoods Botanical Vodka will adopt the new design in the near future. It is distributed by Hi-Spirits.

Westons Cider has brought back its limited-edition mulled cider to the on-trade this autumn and winter after its success last year. Available in 20-litre bag-in-box, Westons Twist Mulled Cider can be served hot or cold and is supported by branded pump clips.

It is made from a blend of full-bodied vintage cider matured in oak vats which is then blended with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and citrus oils.

Swedish cider brand Rekorderlig’s limited-edition Passionfruit flavour has become a permanent listing.

Since launching in April, the flavour has driven “exceptional” rate of sales across the on- and off-trade to become the brand’s third highestselling variant in less than four months. The cider’s fans used a special hashtag on social media, #pashtag, to show their support for keeping Passionfruit.

Independent brewer Bath Ales has teamed up with The Watershed arts venue and bar in Bristol to create a seasonal pale ale that brings autumn flavours and hints of fruity bramble. The Watershed’s head chef Oliver Pratt, who developed it with experimental brewer Shane O’Beirne, said: “I wanted to develop a beer to match the delicious flavours in our next autumn menu, which features dishes such as belly pork and apple baguette.” It is available in cask with an ABV of 4.1%. www.barmagazine.co.uk |19

news A programme of talks, cocktail competitions events and experiences will bring together bar owners and bartenders from across Scotland and the north of England at Boutique Bar Show in Edinburgh. It takes place on November 6 at Mansfield Traquair and will feature new and interesting spirits, liqueurs and beers under one roof for people to learn about and sample. For information and free registration, visit www. boutiquebarshow.com. Cocktails in the City, a consumer event bringing together bars and drinks brands, takes place in the same venue on November 7.Visit www. cocktailsinthecity.co.uk.

Eaux de Vie has introduced two premium ciders from the makers of Dupont calvados in Normandy.

Cuvée Colette, at 6.9% ABV, is a naturally sparkling cider made from acid and bittersweet apples, using the same “méthode traditionelle” as sparkling wines. Cidre Dupont Réserve, at 7.5% ABV, is a smooth and complex still cider made from acid and bittersweet apples and aged for six months in ex-calvados oak casks.

New designs have been unveiled for Absolut’s range of flavoured vodkas, using artistic abstract imagery rather than simple images of fruit. The new look has begun with Absolut Pears and Absolut Raspberri, followed by the rest of the range later in 2013 and into 2014.

The Cavendish hotel in St James’s, London, has relaunched its lobby bar as the Rosa Lewis Bar, named after the legendary chef who ran the hotel for 50 years from 1902.

Under bar supervisor Stephanie Eich, a new cocktail list has been introduced including the signature Rosa Lewis cocktail, made with Cointreau, lime juice, rose syrup and Chapel Down Brut Rosé sparkling wine.

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World’s first gin aged in juniper wood Hernö Juniper Cask Gin from Sweden – the world’s first gin matured in juniper wood casks – has been launched in the UK. It is distilled and bottled at the Hernö distillery in Ångermanland in northern Sweden and follows the introduction of Hernö Gin and Hernö Navy Strength Gin earlier this year. It

was launched globally at Charlotte’s Bistro in Chiswick, south-west London, last month.

Hernö Gin is made with eight botanicals: lingon berries, meadowsweet, black pepper and vanilla as well as coriander, cassia, lemon peel and juniper. Maturing the gin in juniper wood results in a rich, smooth and honey-like spirit.

Wine supplier adds beers, cider and spirits A new craft honey beer has arrived in the UK on-trade as part of a new portfolio of artisan products from supplier Liberty Wines.

The smooth blonde Hiver beer is long-matured, fermented and conditioned with three different honeys, developed by Hannah Rhodes, former sales and marketing manager for London’s Meantime Brewery. The beer, made at Hepworth Brewery in West Sussex with a speciality organic malt, comes in 330ml bottles with an ABV of 5%.

Other additions to Liberty Wines’ portfolio include Blackdown Artisan Spirits, produced at the Lurgashall Winery in West Sussex, such as Blackdown Sussex Dry Gin, with botanicals

including Sussex silver birch sap, and Sussex Blanco Vermouth.

Liberty Wines is also distributing Craigies Irish Cider from an independent single-vintage cider maker in Co Wicklow. The Ballyhook Flyer is a blend of three different apple varieties and is their take on a Breton-style, dry cider.

Other beers joining the portfolio are A Head In A Hat from Florence Brewery in southeast London, including Gin Golden Ale, using spent botanicals from the City of London Distillery, and Tommy India Pale Ale. Liberty Wines has also added Cronx beers from The Cronx Brewery which produces the traditional Standard bitter and Kotchin blonde ale.

Build your own with Teichenné

Texan whiskies aimed at top-end bars

A new on-trade campaign for Teichenné flavoured schnapps encourages consumers to create their own cocktail recipes for the bartender to mix up.

Point-of-sale materials include an A5 single-use menu for placing on tables which customers fill in and pass to the bar. Presented with a range of options, they choose a spirit, two Teichenné flavours, a mixer and a style of serve.

Consumers can name their new cocktail and are encouraged to take a photo and share it on the Teichenné Facebook page to win a monthly prize. The “Build Your Own Cocktail” kit also includes branded pitchers and screen media.

A second concept, called “Pick and Mix Shots”, is supported by tall re-usable menus, branded shot glasses and shot paddles.

The menus depict six possible 50ml “shotails”, which can be created by mixing together two Teichenné flavours.

A range of spirits from Texas craft distillery Balcones is being targeted at UK high-end bars through Maverick Drinks, a new spin-off from drinks supplier Master of Malt.

Maverick Drinks will act as exclusive distributor in the UK of Balcones’ portfolio which includes Texas Single Malt Whisky, Baby Blue and True Blue corn whiskeys and Rumble honey and fig spirit.

Maverick Drinks has been set up by Master of Malt to provide trade distribution, import and brand management services to brands, run by head of brand development Michael Vachon.

Balcones president and head distiller Chip Tate said: “Given the extreme shortage of Balcones’ products relative to demand, focusing on the very best on-trade accounts and strategic off-trade shops allows us to make the most of the bottles we have in getting the word out about Balcones as well as letting as many folks as possible be able to have access to our whiskies.”

news

Bars mix up spooky RTD recipe for Halloween Bars are preparing to celebrate Halloween with themed cocktails and support from drinks brands.

Cocktail cauldrons, with authentic-looking feet and a capacity of 1.4 litres, are being provided by SHS Drinks for sharing drinks made with RTD brand WKD. It is also supplying the new WKD “Foamy Powder” which, when added to a cocktail, creates a theatrical fizzing effect. SHS Drinks is providing outlets with a range of witty WKD-style point-of-sale materials, including banners, posters, table-talkers and impactful hanging mobiles featuring either a witch or a mummy astride a giant bottle.

Eight Halloween-themed cocktail recipes have been created under the banner of “Witch

Cocktail Cauldron?”, mixed with spirits and soft drinks. They include the WKD Pumpkin Grin, combining WKD Iron Brew, whisky, lime and lemonade over ice.

With October 31 falling on a Thursday this year, WKD marketing director Debs Carter said: “Halloween is becoming a bigger and bigger event in the social calendar each year.”

Global Brands is offering Ghoul-Fish Bowls for Halloween-themed serves for its RTD brand VK along with popping candy and Dracula teeth sweets.

Cocktail ideas include the Black Cat, mixing VK Blue and Corky’s Sour Cherry, topped with lemonade and ice, and Ghostly Green, combining VK Apple and Corky’s Sour Apple, topped with lemonade and ice.

Boost for Warsteiner Lancashire brewer Thwaites has signed a new long-term agreement to handle and develop premium German pilsner Warsteiner in bars and pubs across the UK. The deal with Germany’s Warsteiner Bräuerei covers both the off- and on-trade, focusing on the flagship pilsner Warsteiner Premium Verum with an ABV of 4.8%.

Warsteiner is currently the fifth biggest world lager brand in British bars and pubs, according to on-trade specialist CGA Strategy. Thwaites said the new agreement would help the brand to capitalise on the steady growth of world beer consumption in the UK.

Diageo reveals whisky releases Diageo has announced the 10 single malt whiskies for its annual limited-edition Special Releases for 2013.

The oldest is a 37-year-old Lagavulin, distilled in 1976 – the oldest expression of Lagavulin ever released – with fewer than 2,000 bottles available. The Special Releases also include a 12-year-old Lagavulin.

From the Isle of Skye come 3,000 bottles of a Talisker distilled in 1985 while, from Speyside, an unusually mature example of Cardhu is presented at 21 years old in fewer than 6,000 bottles. A cask-strength 28-year-old bottling of The Singleton of Dufftown comes in 3,840 bottles.

The very rare Convalmore, from a Dufftown distillery that ceased production in 1985, is bottled at 36 years old, with only 3,000 bottles available. Oban is represented by a 21-year-old from rejuvenated American oak and a second fill in ex-bodega casks. An unpeated limited edition of Caol Ila carries the subtitle “Stitchell Reserve” named after distillery manager Billy Stitchell, who retires this year.

There are rare bottlings from another two long-closed distilleries: a 34-year-old Port Ellen, the oldest release from the original distillers, with fewer than 3,000 bottles; and the Highland east coast 35-year-old Brora, from casks filled in 1977.

Bols to launch honey liqueur Liqueur and spirits group Lucas Bols is to launch Bols Honey Liqueur after extensive consultation with bartenders.

It is described as “the first of its kind to be developed”, made from a blend of different honeys, including acacia, sunflower and malt, sourced from different environments to give a deep and complex flavour.

After receiving input from around 20,000 bartenders globally, the recipe was created by master distiller Piet van Leijenhorst. With an ABV of 17%, it provides an alternative to sugar as a sweetener in cocktails and overcomes practical issues from using natural honey.

It will be launched at European bar show Bar Convent in Berlin this month, available in selected markets including the UK where it is distributed by drinks company Maxxium UK.

Islay single malt whisky producer Bowmore has launched The Devil’s Casks, which has been matured exclusively, and unusually, for 10 years in first-fill sherry casks. This non-chillfiltered, small-batch release is spicy with a rich fruitcake flavour. It is releasing 6,000 bottles this month. The name is based on a legend about the Devil fleeing Islay hiding in a Bowmore barrel.

A new bar inspired by traditional sherry taverns in Jerez in Spain is to be launched in London’s Fitzrovia

by Tim Luther, owner of London tapas bars Barrica and Copita.

Drakes Tabanco will serve sherry straight from the barrel alongside an Andalusian-inspired food menu, artisanal beers and natural wines.

Opening in Windmill Street in October, it is designed by awardwinning Olly Simpson Interior Design.

The latest release from The English Whisky Company is Chapter 13, a limited-edition single malt matured in oak, produced at the St George’s Distillery in Norfolk. With hints of smoke and dark chocolate on the nose, the whisky is creamy and slightly buttery with notes of vanilla, toffee and spice, ending with a long malt finish. Only 1,300 bottles have been released, with ABV of 49%.

A 10-year-old rye whiskey has been brought to the UK to complement the range of premium bourbons from Jefferson’s. It is distilled from 100% north American rye and aged in barrels charred at number 3 level, making it rich and spicy but very smooth. Bottled at 47% ABV, it is well suited to premium cocktails such as a Sazerac or Manhattan as well as sipping neat. Available from Coe Vintners, it has been introduced through Love Drinks. www.barmagazine.co.uk |21

news

Manchester bartender heads to Mexico with Tahona Society Anchor Hocking clip jars, normally used for storage, are among products introduced into the UK bar sector for cocktails by USbased glass and tableware supplier EveryWare. Julian Williams, regional managing director of EveryWare, said: “The Clip Jar is the perfect way for operators to present and ‘up sell’ drinks.”

Maxxium UK has introduced Stoli Chocolat Kokonut to the Stolichnaya vodka range in the UK, combining natural flavours of coconut with sweet chocolate.

It is the second Sweet Indulgent flavour to launch in the UK this summer after Salted Karamel. It is recommended for serving neat and ice cold, or with club soda, or in cocktails.

Bar snack brand Big D has launched a range of Crunchy Coated Peanuts in two flavours: barbecueinspired BBQ and Spicy Chilli.

Chris Mosey (pictured) of Hula Bar in Manchester has won the UK final of the Tahona Society tequila cocktail competition where bartenders paid tribute to one of its founders, Henry Besant.

Chris impressed judges with his drink, Olmeca You a Boss Martini, which combined Olmeca Altos reposado tequila with a sweet muscat wine and Strega herbal liqueur.

After triumphing over nine other finalists, he went on to represent the UK in the global final of the competition, run with Olmeca Altos tequila, in Mexico on September 27 – just as Bar magazine was going to press.

The UK final paid tribute to the late Henry Besant, who died suddenly earlier this year. The Tahona Society was set up by Olmeca with the Worldwide Cocktail Club which was founded by Henry with mixologist Dré Masso. The pair also worked with Pernod Ricard to create Olmeca Altos tequila.

Second place went to Dan Priseman of NOLA Bar in Shoreditch, east London, with his El Chapolin cocktail – a twist on the classic Grasshopper, combining manzanilla sherry, dark cacao liqueur and white crème de menthe with Olmeca Altos reposado. More, including recipes, at www.barmagazine.co.uk.

India’s Paul John adds single malts

Namibian lager set for growth

India’s John Distilleries has introduced two single malts as standard editions in its range after the success of last year’s single-cask releases.

The unpeated Paul John Brilliance is matured in exbourbon American oak and bottled at 46% ABV, with a light sweet and creamy aroma and flavours of salted caramel and some spice.

Paul John Edited is partially peated, using peat flown in from Scotland, but is also aged in ex-bourbon American oak and bottled at 46% ABV. Both are non-chillfiltered.

The whiskies are aged in Goa where temperatures range between 22ºC and 31ºC, making the ageing period much shorter than Scotch whisky. John Distilleries introduced its first single cask last October, followed by a second in March this year.

Namibian lager Windhoek is set for “substantial growth” in UK bars and pubs after being added to the portfolio of a leading supplier of specialist beers.

Morgenrot has become sole importer for the brand which already has a strong presence in the UK on-trade after launching in the UK before the football World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

The beer adheres to German brewing principles and the Reinheitsgebot “purity” laws and is made with high-quality German barley and hops. While brewed with a lower ABV of 4%, it retains character from the use of extra malt.

Morgenrot’s national account director Graham Archibald said: “We believe the brand is only at the start of its lifecycle in the UK and, with continued consumer interest in lower-ABV premium lagers, we think it has the credentials to see substantial growth.”

Belgium’s Dobbel Palm brought to UK for first time Draught Belgian beer Dobbel Palm, with a pronounced malty and hoppy character suitable for the festive season, is being released in the UK for the first time.

The end-of-year limited release is available from Palm Breweries’ UK distribution team from October in 20-litre kegs. It follows the success of the breweries’ Palm Steenbrugge and Rodenbach beers in the UK. Dobbel Palm, at 5.7% ABV, is an amber top-fermentation beer with an even more pronounced malty and hoppy character than the flagship Palm beer.

22| www.barmagazine.co.uk

It was created in 1947 by master brewer Alfred Van Roy as a festive beer to celebrate the brewery’s bicentenary. The beer was so successful that he turned it into annual tradition but this is the first time it has reached the UK. Palm Breweries is gaining listings for its beers across the UK, including groups such as The Capital Pub Company. Under the banner of Master Beers, the portfolio includes the

bitter-sweet amber Palm, with an ABV of 4.8%.

UK distribution also includes abbey beers Steenbrugge, available as the brown Dubbel Bruin, the Tripel, the Blond and the wheat beer Wit-Blanche, and the Flemish red-brown beer Rodenbach, matured in oak casks, and Rodenbach Grand Cru. Contact Cecilia Nkeng on 07903 551110 or email cecilia.nkeng@palmbreweries.com.

news

Europe looks to Bar Convent

Now in its seventh year, the Bar Convent trade show in Berlin attracts around 6,000 professionals from the bar and drinks industry in over 30 countries, including the UK. This year’s event, on October 8 and 9, promises to be bigger than ever with more than 100 exhibitors taking up 8,000 square metres at Station Berlin. Across six stages, there will be panels, presentations, launches and blind tastings.

Drinks experts and mixologists from around the world are taking part. Talks on October 8 include Tristan Stephenson, co-founder of consultancy Fluid Movement and top London bars Purl and Worship Street Whistling Shop, who will discuss the classic Martini with Claire Smith, head of spirit creation and mixology for Belvedere Vodka.

On the same day, Alex Kratena, head bartender at London’s Artesian Bar at the Langham hotel, will help launch Diageo’s World Class competition for 2014.

Other presenters over the two days will include David Cordoba and Jacob Briars from Bacardi, cocktail writer Camper English, Jack McGarry and Sean Muldoon from New York City bar The Dead Rabbit, Romee de Goriainoff of Experimental Cocktail Club and Jörg Meyer of Le Lion and the Boilerman Bar in Hamburg.

This year’s guest country will be Peru, with a focus on pisco.

It will include presentations by Peruvian pisco ambassador Johnny Schuler and two of Peru’s top bartenders, Franco Cabachi and Ricardo Carpio. Bar Convent will also host a showcase of American craft distillers, through the Distilled Spirits Council of the US, and Brew Berlin, a platform for craft beer.

Launches at the show will include the new Bols Honey Liqueur, with Rusty Cerven from The Connaught Bar in London presenting on Bols.

Visit www.barconvent.com.

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UK activity to boost Jim Beam bourbon A UK-wide bartender competition has been launched for Jim Beam bourbon to tie in with the re-creation of its Kentucky distillery’s stillhouse (pictured) in the UK in November.

The winning bartender will go on an all-expenses-paid trip to the distillery in 2014 and also be awarded a place at an exclusive Thanksgiving lunch with the whiskey’s legendary master distiller Fred Noe at the replica of the Stillhouse in east London.

Under the banner of Noe Your Bourbon, bartenders will initially need to answer an online quiz on Jim Beam and the bourbon

category and submit their own cocktail recipe using Jim Beam White Label bourbon.

Nine finalists will be invited to London to demonstrate their bourbon knowledge, mix their Jim Beam cocktail and participate in a challenge to create a cocktail using ingredients in a mystery box.

The winning cocktails will be served at the Thanksgiving lunch at the Stillhouse, which will be a “sensory” experience created by distributor Maxxium UK at the Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane on November 21 and 22.

More at www.barmagazine.co.uk.

Jose Cuervo promotes Paloma in UK

Compass Box creates whisky for rock bar

Proximo Spirits UK is promoting the classic Paloma (pictured) as part of new on-trade activity for Jose Cuervo tequila.

The company is including the cocktail in bartender training, highlighting its 130 calories per serve and its place as one of Mexico’s favourite ways of enjoying tequila. Their recipe mixes the 100% agave Jose Cuervo Tradicional reposado with grapefruit soda.

It follows Proximo Spirits UK taking on Jose Cuervo in July and appointing a brand advocacy manager Gabriela Moncada Peña to look after education in the on- and off-trade.

Gaby, who comes from Tequila in Mexico, has over 10 years’ experience in the bar and drinks industry in the UK, previously working as a bartender at The Beaufort Bar at The Savoy in London.

Compass Box whisky maker John Glaser has teamed up with Mike Miller, owner of Chicago rock bar Delilah’s, to create a limited-edition whisky to celebrate the venue’s 20th birthday.

The Scotch is aged in a mix of experimental new American oak barrels and rejuvenated American oak hogsheads, bottled at 40% ABV. It was created to be perfect served as a shot with a beer but can also replace the whiskey in a classic Mint Julep.

John said: “Mike wanted a Scotch whisky that, in his words, ‘thinks it’s a bourbon’, so we sourced some single malts aged in new American oak hogsheads, something that’s very hard to find in Scotland.

“The result is a Scotch with a big, luscious vanilla-oak character that has echoes of bourbon flavour.”

Jazz inspires cognac cocktails A range of jazz-inspired cocktails made with Martell cognac have been created at London restaurant Le Caprice.

Xavier Landais, group bar manager at the Caprice and Annabel’s group, devised the drinks to tie in with the year-long Le Caprice Jazz Sessions programme, put together

by Le Caprice and broadcaster Jazz FM in

partnership with cognac house Martell.

The BeBop is a citrusy short cocktail, made with Kamm & Sons ginseng spirit, while Mr White is a mix of Martell VSOP, Poire Williams liqueur, lime juice, absinthe and egg white. The cocktails are offered to guests arriving at the jazz nights, held on the last Sunday of every month from September 29.

t4 r a P r e ist e m r e Jäg

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Discover the mystery Learn the secrets behind the complex taste of Jägermeister in this ongoing series. This month, we focus on cardamom

T

he mildly spicy and warming taste of Jägermeister is renowned across the globe and is the result of almost 80 years of traditional craftsmanship that has not changed to this day.

Whilst the full recipe is a closely guarded secret, there are five known ingredients that combine to give Jägermeister its unique taste: star anise, cinnamon bark, sweet orange peel, cardamom and ginger roots.

This month, in our ongoing quest for a deeper understanding of the mysterious, dark liquid, we look at how cardamom contributes to the unmistakable and complex taste of Jägermeister.

Cardamom

A relative of the ginger family, cardamom is known as the “queen of spices” as it is one of the most expensive in the world.

Jägermeister’s cardamom comes from Central America, but it is also grown in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos,Vietnam and Nepal.

With a history of use dating back to 4th century BC, cardamom became popular For the facts drinkaware.co.uk

due to its distinctive aroma. Its pungent but floral notes made it a fashionable commodity for the ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Romans who used it to mask smells and freshen their breath. When the Vikings made their way over to the Mediterranean and found it flourishing, they took a liking to it and transported it back to Scandinavia, flavouring food and drink with it. Although it is still a fixture in food, it was later usurped by caraway when it came to flavouring spirits such as aquavit.

As is the way with many of the ancient botanicals included in Jägermeister, the spice was also revered back then for after-dinner attributes, believed to help digestion after large banquets.

The flavour profile of cardamom is intense, taking your palate through aromatic resins, slight smokiness and a fresh finish of mint. It is mainly used to support the other ingredients within the spirit and is now the world’s third most expensive spice, after saffron and vanilla.

Cardamom’s essential function in Jägermeister is to balance spicy and

The making of Jägermeister Part 4: A bottle full of history To protect the unique taste of Jägermeister, the drink’s creator, Curt Mast, tested hundreds of bottle designs by dropping them from a great height onto an oak floor. Only one survived and that became the iconic bottle you see today.

The drink’s deep heritage is reflected in the label. The image of a glowing cross in between a stag’s antlers is a reference to Saint Hubertus, the patron saint of hunters.

A verse from the German poem on hunting, Waidmannsheil, is printed on the label and translates as: ‘This is the hunter’s honour shield / Which he protects and looks after his game / Huntsman hunts, as it should be / The Creator in the creature’s honour.’

To be continued…

fresh citrus notes – a contribution to the unmistakable and complex taste of Jägermeister.

For more info visit jagermeister.co.uk or to order Jägermeister, contact Cellar Trends on 01283 217703.

www.barmagazine.co.uk |25

rum

Rum passions run high Consumers’ curiosity about the different styles of rum is fuelling the spirit’s continuing rise, reports Mark Ludmon Rum Sangria at SkyLounge’s Rum Shack

T

he team at Mojo in Leeds are picky about which rums they have in their legendary Rhum Room. Even so, at last count, they had 111, representing a broad range of styles including rhum agricole. General manager Sam Fish explains: “We’re not the kind of place that will sell huge amounts of very expensive rums – it would be pointless us investing in bottles like Diplomático Ambassador because it wouldn’t shift – but we do have a fantastic range of rums ranging from unaged up to 15 years old that sell well and are at a decent price point.We want to stock rums that people can afford to enjoy on a regular basis.”

The Rhum Room, along with another at Mojo in Manchester, has no dedicated menu but, each Thursday, different bartenders host “Signature Serves” where they present their own cocktail menu and playlist. “We do have our rum of the month promotions

Hot Rum Slap with RedLeg

chalked on a board in each bar but that is so impersonal and doesn’t necessarily get things selling,” Sam adds. “We rely more on our bartenders engaging our customers and encouraging them to try something new. By focusing on one brand per month that means we can make our massive selection of rums less overpowering for our consumer.”

September’s rum of the month was El Dorado from Guyana – a bartender favourite with its range of styles from three years through to five, eight, 12, 15, 21 and 25. One of its signature serves is the Swizzle, which Mojo reinvented by mixing El Dorado three-year-old with orgeat syrup, lime, pineapple juice and grapefruit soda for a swizzled Mai Tai. Golden rums like El Dorado are leading growth in the rum category in the UK on-trade along with spiced and dark rum, according to the latest Market Report from drinks company First Drinks. It goes on to predict that “the strong growth in golden rum and flavoured/spiced rum will continue, with considerable headroom for distribution gains”. Golden rums were given a boost between 2008 and 2010 by the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers’ Association which ran a campaign to raise awareness of the “Authentic Caribbean Rum” (ACR) marque. After a three-year hiatus, a more targeted version of this is now under way, working directly with bartenders through training.

The premium rum category as a whole

Rum & Sugar More than 100 rums are stocked at Rum & Sugar, the bar and restaurant created in an old rum and sugar store in London’s Docklands. As well as hosting tastings of new rums and other rumfocused events, the bar runs a popular Mojito masterclass from 6pm to 8pm on the first Tuesday of every month. Also popular is Rum School, run for groups of 10, which includes tutored rum tastings, cocktail masterclasses and rum and food pairing. is up 29% year on year, according to on-trade research specialist CGA Strategy, and this is reflected in figures for Diageo whose brands range from Captain Morgan to Ron Zacapa. “By adding a premium rum to your range you will give consumers the opportunity to trade up, increasing profits,” says Diageo GB’s on-trade category manager Andrew Leat. “Rum is seen as an exciting category by consumers and bartenders alike. Due to its www.barmagazine.co.uk |27

rum versatile nature, broad range of styles and price points, there’s a rum or rum-based drink for everyone.”

The choice of rums available is ever growing, with limited releases and new variants regularly coming onto the market.

Fair Spirits has followed the success of its Fair Vodka and Fair Goji Liqueur with Fair Rum, made with Fairtrade-certified organically grown sugar cane from Belize and aged for five years in American oak barrels for a smooth, rounded flavour.

The newest range in the UK is the premium Chamarel from Mauritius that specialises in single-estate rhum agricole – a style made from sugar cane juice rather than molasses. Available through Coe Vintners and Master of Malt, there are seven in the range including the unaged but rested Premium White Rum, the Premium Gold Rum, the four-year-old VSOP rum and the refined Double Distilled rum as well as vanilla, coffee and coconut rum liqueurs. Rowan Sham of distributor RDS Premium Spirits says the influx of different styles of rum has made people increasingly curious about the spirit. “This has led to an exodus of people shying away from the more commercial brands of rum, leaning more towards the niche or boutique style products. We have entered the rum market

Skylon Launched nearly a year ago, aged Colombian rum La Hechicera is gaining listings in top bars including Skylon on London’s South Bank. Last month, the bar team created six cocktails for a special La Hechicera menu after an internal competition. They include the Manhattan-style Casa Santa, stirring the rum with Cointreau, Antica Formula vermouth and peach bitters, while the Sea Hawk (pictured) combines the rum with manzanilla sherry, lime juice and homemade spiced syrup.

A UK-wide cocktail competition is set to be launched for La Hechicera shortly, with two prizes of a trip to Colombia and a chance to blend rums and work with the country’s top bartenders.

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Rumfest

Lamb’s Swizzle

at a time where people are really starting to get to grips with their rum and the different types there are on offer.”

Rowan believes rhum agricole is becoming increasingly popular as people are seeking new tastes. “For instance in cocktails, using white agricole rum instead or molasses-based rum, people will notice a fragrant smell from the rum as well as a bite that follows through the side of your tongue when it is drunk.”

Established brands are tapping into the thirst for premium rums with new releases, such as the Brugal Papá Andrés, an ultra-premium limited-edition rum made by blending the most outstanding rums reserved by the Brugal family over the past 125 years. Brugal has also revamped its packaging, giving the bottles a stylish premium, more modern look while maintaining links with the rum’s Dominican Republic heritage and authenticity. The redesign also saw the blanco renamed Brugal Especial Extra Dry to highlight its dryness compared to other white rums while the Brugal Extra Viejo was replaced

by Brugal XV, which has the same ABV but is a blend of rums aged in red European oak casks as well as white American oak. With Brugal volumes up 90.7%, distributor Maxxium UK is working with bartenders to demonstrate the versatility and styles, supported by the Mixxit training team. “We see education and understanding of our rum as a vital way to fuel enthusiasm for Brugal,” says marketing controller Emma Heath. “Encouraging bartenders to experiment and challenge themselves will help keep the category vibrant and fresh.”

New packaging for Mount Gay Eclipse is to be unveiled at Rumfest this month,

From master classes by leading mixologists and master blenders to sessions on pairing rum with cigars or marshmallows, this year’s RumFest in London is set to be bigger than ever. Taking place at London’s ExCeL exhibition centre on October 12 and 13, it will bring together over 400 new and established rums and cachaças for sampling alongside a two-day programme of talks, competitions and demonstrations.

The master classes present ideas such as pairing cigars and rums, run

by Amathus Drinks and C-Gars , and tastings of top rums such as Mount Gay, led by its international brand ambassador Miguel Smith. There will be a Diplomático tasting with the Venezuelan rum’s master blender Tito Cordero while other sessions will cover matching rum with chocolate, hosted by Havana Club and Rococo Chocolatiers.

At the heart of RumFest will be a carnival atmosphere, including professional samba and souk dancers, a tropical food market and cocktails.

Havana Club will bring its Mojito Embassy (pictured) to the festival, teaching people how to make the perfect, authentic Cuban Mojito. The main stage, sponsored by Coco Re’al and Pusser’s Rum, will be a hub of action over the weekend with a series of Cocktail Mix demonstrations presented by drinks company De Kuyper’s mixology experts, The A Team, using Woods 100 Year Old Navy Rum and dark rum OVD. Rumfest will also host Boutique Rumfest, a section exclusively for bar professionals and the drinks trade, featuring new and boutique rums and cachaças.

For details of tickets and master classes, visit www.rumfest.co.uk.

emphasising the hand-crafted Bajan rum’s premium qualities. Alvin Saal, Mount Gay brand manager at First Drinks, says: “We know that consumers are increasingly looking for quality, craftsmanship and brands with substance. Mount Gay is perfectly placed to deliver this and the new pack has

rum been developed with these messages in mind.”

A premium new look has also been introduced for Flor de Caña from Nicaragua. The rums, which range from four-, five- and seven-year-old “mixable” premium rums to the 12- and 18-year-old super-premium single-estate rums, have a sleek design emphasising the heritage, age and traditional craftsmanship. Paul Caffrey, global brand development manager for Flor de Caña, explains: “It showcases the brand as unique, modern and super premium – exactly what we need to appeal to our growing customer base around the world.” A more upmarket design has been unveiled for Skipper Rum, a dark rum distilled in Guyana and then aged in cask. This quality is reflected in the new

William Howell with the Ron Abuelo lime serve

Interactive serves Drinks company Hi-Spirits is working with bars to develop new serves for Panama’s dark rum, Ron Abuelo, which ranges from the Añejo to the ultrapremium Centuria. They have worked with William Howell, general manager of the Black Dove in Kemptown, Brighton, to create an “interactive shot serve” to highlight different aspects of the mouth feel of the Añejo as well as to offer some theatre for customers. A shot is served with a lime segment, with one side covered in Demerara sugar, and the other in freshly ground coffee. After drinking the shot, the customer sucks on the lime wedge, picking up a mix of flavours – sweetness from the sugar, the rich, buttery coffee flavour and sour from the lime. “Your instinct is that ground coffee on its own will be too bitter, but as you suck the lime wedge, all the flavours combine and create a great, balanced mouth feel that’s hard to describe,” William says.

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packaging that includes a more upmarket cap.

Dark rums like Gosling’s Black Seal, OVD and Pusser’s are undergoing a revival, up 13% year on year in the on-trade.

Halewood International has been promoting a variety of cocktail serves for Lamb’s Navy Rum, such as a twist on an Old Fashioned. “The cocktails offer a more adventurous option for consumers, with a contemporary take on old-time classics,” explains international sales and marketing controller James Wright. “One of Lamb’s Navy’s new serves, the Rum Runner, mixes dark rum with pineapple juice, fresh lime juice and vanilla liqueur, while The Lamb’s Swizzle and Navy Punch are long-style serves with a twist such as cranberry bitters with blackberries and a mint sprig garnish.”

Leading rum’s growth is spiced and flavoured variants, up 42% year on year according to First Drinks’ Market Report.

Over the past few years, Sailor Jerry, Lamb’s Spiced and Captain Morgan’s Spiced have been joined by the likes of Bacardi Oakheart, Rebellion Spiced, The Kraken and Chairman’s Reserve Spiced. Elements 8 has added the dry Barrel Infused Criollo Cacao rum – a barrel infusion of St Lucian Criollo cacao beans and aged St Lucian rum.

The latest newcomer is O’Hara’s Spiced Rum, launched in August at Cotton’s Rhum Shack in Shoreditch, London. It is a blend of three-year-old and five-year-old Guyanan rums with a five-year-old Trinidad & Tobago rum, flavoured with vanilla, lime, cinnamon, cloves and other spices. At the launch, it was served in twisted cocktails such as a Strawberry Daiquiri, a Mojito and an Espresso Martini.

Caribbean spiced rum RedLeg has been growing through innovation in cocktails, according to brand ambassador Chris Hare.

Its big success this year has been the Hot Rum Slap, made by mixing the rum with hot ginger beer, hot apple juice and cinnamon gomme – a hit at the brand’s rum shack at festivals this summer when the weather turned cooler. “RedLeg Rum’s Hot Rum Slap has shown how the demand for innovative rum concoctions can move over into the hot drinks category, which has been in dire need of an overhaul for many years,” Chris says.

The Mojito is still Britons’ numberone cocktail, confirmed by research from CGA, Cellar Trends and First Drinks, with the Piña Colada coming up from behind. Mojito lists are now common, such as Inventive Leisure’s Revolution spin-off concepts Revolucione de Cuba and Rum Attic, where choices

Clayton’s Antosh Semek and Aaron Chandiram (pictured) are champions of rum at their bar, Clayton’s in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. The venue, part of pub company Brakspear, stocks 20 different rums, including lesser-known names and top-end releases such as Mount Gay 1703. “Rum’s enjoying huge popularity at the moment so it’s good to have an interesting rum offer,” Antosh explains.

“We want people to try our premium rums so we offer them on a cash margin to keep them affordable for more of our customers.”

The bar has expanded its range of flavoured Mojitos, including passion fruit, strawberry and raspberry. “On our live music nights, we streamline our cocktail offer to Mojitos only, so that we can offer fast service, while still delivering a high-quality drink and maintaining our reputation for great cocktails,” Antosh adds. Clayton’s also served rum cocktails from a Mount Gay Rum Shack bar over the summer and ran a Caribbeanthemed party with a live steel band, DJs and barbecue, serving Mojitos and rum punches, served in carved-out pineapples. include a Passion Fruit & Strawberry Mojito and a Raspberry & Basil Mojito. However, Swizzles and other vintage cocktails are in the ascendancy while Bacardi’s global Legacy competition seeks to find new modern classics from today’s bartenders.

The classic Sangria was given a rum twist at a pop-up Rum Shack at SkyLounge in the City of London over the summer, while the traditional Venezuelan drink, the Guarapita, is currently being promoted for Venezuelan rum Santa Teresa. The Guarapita is on the menu at a Santa Teresa-branded bar at the new Arepa & Co café in Haggerston, northeast London, where it is made by mixing Santa Teresa’s Claro white rum and Santa Teresa Orange Rum with sugar cane juice, passion fruit juice, lime juice and a pinch of brown sugar.

With bartenders continually experimenting with rum and drawing on traditional rum serves, the Mojito is facing stiff competition.

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mixology

Ash Bovey, internal brand ambassador and whisky fiend at Diageo, celebrates the legacy of bartenders past and opportunities for the future

Building a new legacy In today’s world, the modern bartender has everything he or she could possibly need. From the vast internet resources to the mass of books containing information on all things bar-related: ancient recipes, production methods, spirit history, bar equipment and so on. Looking at the essential books – How To Mix Drinks Or The Bon Vivant’s Companion by Jerry Thomas (1862), the Bartenders’ Manual by Harry Johnson (1882),The Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock (1930) – it is obvious these champions of their day learnt their craft through hard work, or maybe through secrets shared between friends.They were not privy to the luxuries afforded to us today.We should count our lucky stars that they left behind a legacy for us to follow.

What this has led us to is an era where we can recreate and create almost whenever it is needed of us.We are a new breed, an all-encompassing generation. Everything matters to us: overall taste, smells, texture, pairings, even the memory that a drink may imprint on the guest.True, some re-creations may not be particularly honest to the original; for example, a key liquor may now be unavailable but there will be something “similar” to play with.

In regards to creativity, have a peek at some of the inventive bars and people we have today:

Lounge Bohemia, a magical place that will have you feeling like Alice in Wonderland; Callooh Callay, with their bewitching menus and rooms; Ryan Chetiyawardana’s radical ideas towards ice and its total relevance to cocktails. It’s these progressive ideas that keep our beloved industry alive. As long as the creative juices flow, there’ll be no stopping us.

Each great bar team oozes creativity. It’s refreshing how many towns (let alone cities) now partake in competitions. Of course, taking part in comps doesn’t immediately make you a top bartender, but it does give you the chance to show your skills and create your performance personality – something I’m sure the bartenders of old would have enjoyed immensely. Entertainers we are.

It’s a blessing to work in our industry. Put in the hard work, your time, love and energy, you may just find yourself at the top – possibly one day be an inspiration for another generation of enthusiastic upstarts. Just make sure that when you’re doing research on other barfolk, their recipes or their methods, whether through books, television, or even YouTube, make sure you leave space in your brainbox to ripen your own exciting charm and style.You’re as important to the future as the bartenders of the past are to today.

Mixologists’ corner The Bees Knees A new autumn cocktail at The Perkin Reveller, the gin bar and restaurant by the Tower of London.

50ml Beefeater Gin infused with jasmine 25ml Homemade quince puree 1 barspoon Wildflower honey 1 barspoon Bee pollen 25ml Fresh lemon juice Homemade jasmine soda water Shake the first five ingredients with ice and pour into an ice-filled glass.Top up with jasmine soda water. Decorate with a caramel basket, honey spoon and edible flower.

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Boulevardier The Boulevardier, a bourbon twist on a Negroni, appears in Harry McElhone’s 1927 bartending book, Barflies and Cocktails.

Eloise Ohlson de Fine from London restaurant Spuntino gives it a tweak.

12.5ml The Bitter Truth Elixier 25ml Campari 25ml Bourbon Build the ingredients in a rocks glass over cubed ice and stir before serving. Garnish with an orange slice.

ML

Stonegate Pub Company has launched a limited-edition list of sweet shots based on cupcakes and doughnuts in its 12 Missoula bars.

Available until November, the seven shots are served with chocolate sprinkles, sugar strands, rainbow sprinkles or whipped cream.They include a Birthday Cupcake, which contains vanilla and caramel vodka, complete with rainbow sprinkles, whipped cream and a candle. The Praline Doughnut contains almond liqueur and caramel vodka topped with chocolate sprinkles while the Jam Doughnut comes with a sugartopped rim.

Picture by Matt Chung Photography

Leading mixologist Andy Pearson (pictured) has been working with Thistle Hotels to develop a new cocktail menu that will turn one of its London hotel bars into a destination.The Glenn Miller Bar at Thistle Marble Arch hotel has launched a 12-strong list of signature cocktails that reflect the venue’s namesake, the 1930s American jazz musician.Working with bar manager Laurent Bertolini, Andy has trained the staff in making some of the great classics include The Clover Club, French 75 and Aviation.The bar has also extended its collection of premium spirits with an emphasis on gin. Laurent has also created a pair of cocktails for couples: His is reposado tequila, lemon juice, sugar syrup, champagne and Stella Artois while Hers is Passoa, peach puree, strawberry puree and champagne.

Toorank UK Ltd Tel: 01865 858918 | Email: info.tuk@toorank.com | www.drinkaware.co.uk

mixology Leading drinks wholesaler Matthew Clark is helping bars, pubs and clubs to capitalise on the growing popularity of cocktails. It has introduced a “Cocktail Library”, providing its customers with the ingredients and tools for adding and expanding the cocktail offering in outlets. It comprises a start-up cocktail kit, cocktail lists, supporting point-of-sale material, “cocktail of the month” serves and training videos and manuals.

The global final of Gin Mare’s annual Mediterranean Inspirations competition in Ibiza has been won by bartender Amanda Boucher (pictured), who works at Candelaria in Paris. She and the other seven finalists were challenged to create twists on a gin and tonic and a “Dirty Maretini” plus an original recipe, all inspired by the Mediterranean Sea. Amanda impressed judges with a Mediterranean gin and tonic, adding a black pepper-infused oil and a garnish of rosemary and red pepper. Her Dirty Mare-tini used Tio Diego amontillado sherry, a salt solution and a Del Maguey mezcal rinse. For a full report and recipes, visit www.barmagazine.co.uk.

A cocktail inspired by a classic Corpse Reviver and aged for 113 hours in a malbec-conditioned cask won a Buffalo Trace barrel-ageing competition in Edinburgh. Kyle Jamieson (pictured) of The Bon Vivant in Thistle Street, Edinburgh, created Kentucky Reviver #113 which used Buffalo Trace, Buffalo Trace White Dog spiced with orange zest, Cocchi Americano vermouth and lactic acid. He used one of the five-litre Buffalo Trace charred oak barrels distributed to selected bars in Scotland. More at www.barmagazine.co.uk.

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Bartenders win trip to bourbon country Henry Yates (pictured) of Nottingham’s new cocktail bar Boilermaker has been announced as winner of the first UK cocktail competition for Wild Turkey bourbon.

His cocktail, The Right To Freeze Peach, combined Wild Turkey 81 with peach liqueur and peach syrup as well as iced black tea, plus a sprig of mint. The competition was held at the HQ of bar consultancy The Liquorists in Manchester where Henry faced 10 other regional winners from across the UK. The two runners-up were Will Cox of The Bon Vivant in Thistle Street, Edinburgh, and

Fluid co-founder goes solo One of the founders of bar operator and consultancy Fluid Movement has set up his own business, with plans under way for his first solo bar.

Matt Whiley has set up Talented Mr Fox, starting with a “residency” within restaurant and hotel One Leicester Street off London’s Leicester Square this month.

Matt formed Fluid Movement in 2009 with Tristan Stephenson, Thomas Aske and Bryan Pietersen, who opened top London bars Purl and The Worship Street Whistling Shop. Talented Mr Fox’s services will include brand identity, bar consultancy, events, training, management and back-ofhouse consultancy.

One Leicester Street opened in May in the site of the former St John Hotel, on the edge of Chinatown, including a 40-capacity bar. One of the signature drinks will reference the scavenging urban fox, with a cocktail served in a mini wheelie bin with a mini plastic bag labelled “bin juice” for adding to the mixture.

Michael Presley Sharpe of The Milk Thistle in Bristol.

All three won the prize of a trip to Kentucky on an allexpenses-paid trip, visiting the Wild Turkey distillery, meeting master distiller Jimmy Russell and his son, associate master distiller Eddie Russell, and attending the annual National Bourbon Festival.

As overall winner, Henry was presented with a bottle of Wild Turkey Forgiven, a highend bourbon and rye blend signed by Jimmy and Eddie. More, including recipes, at www. barmagazine.co.uk.

Mixologist creates beer cocktails for brewer Leading mixologist Nick Strangeway has created a range of cocktails for brewer and pub operator Hall & Woodhouse using its Badger ales.

Part of a growing trend in beer cocktails, the recipes mix the beers with spirits such as bourbon, tequila and absinthe.

Examples include the Disco Badger (pictured) which combines gin with marmalade and Badger’s Tangle Foot golden ale.

Nick said: “Since the 16th century there is a long, well-documented history of beer being used as the base in cocktails, documented by some of the most respected authors of their time. Using these historical recipes and influences and working with Badger ales, we created a range of cocktails designed for the modern palate, complementing and enhancing the flavours found in the ales with fresh ingredients from the British countryside.”

Recipes at www.barmagazine.co.uk.

Béné bartenders off to France Swanand Korgaonka from Simpsons in The Strand in London won the southern heat of Bénédictine’s 2013 Cocktail Challenge.

He faced nine other bartenders in the first heat at Shaker & Company bar in London to win a trip to France in October including a visit to the liqueur’s birthplace in Fécamp in Normandy and a Cocktail Safari around the bars of Paris.

His 19th Century Cocktail (pictured) combined Bénédictine, Curious Brew lager,

peach bitters, muddled cucumber, egg white, lemon juice and sugar syrup, topped off with a cucumber garnish and a spray of elderflower.

Swanand will be joined on the trip by three other regional winners from heats held in Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow. It is run with leading bartending school Shaker.

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preview

Whisky Show

Celebrate cocktail culture A preview of this month’s London Cocktail Week, including The Whisky Show

N

ow in its fourth year, London Cocktail Week just gets bigger and bigger.Taking pace from October 7 to 13, it involves more bars and more events for both consumers and the bar trade than ever before. Celebrating the capital’s world-class cocktail culture, it will feature seminars, popup bars, tastings, parties and master classes across the city.

The hub of the festival will again be the historic Seven Dials area in Covent Garden, where every available space is set to be transformed into bars, event venues and tasting rooms for the duration. Brands already planning pop-ups include Belvedere vodka and Monkey Shoulder whisky while Beluga Vodka cocktails will be served from a luxury railway carriage on the terrace of restaurant L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon. The festival will also spill out onto the streets, such as the Disaronno Sour Station – a

38| www.barmagazine.co.uk

branded trike with an in-built lemon-juicing mechanism. There will be a secondary hub this year in Shoreditch in east London, based around Translate Bar in Kingsland Road.

In all, more than 160 bars across London will be partnering the festival as part of the Cocktail Tour, each offering £4 cocktails throughout the week for people wearing the official wristbands. These can be picked up at either at the Seven Dials hub in Earlham Street, sponsored by Ketel One vodka, or the Shoreditch hub, sponsored

by Don Julio tequila. With the wristbands, people can jump on the official vintage Routemaster buses for free trips to areas around the capital where bars are taking part. Consumer involvement is set to be huge thanks to a partnership with listings guide Time Out. New this year will be the Bartenders’ Lounge – a place in Seven Dials for members of the bar and drinks industry to network and relax. It will be run by Tim Robinson and his bar management and events company Twist London, which will also create a Bloody Mary bar, serving up twists on a Bloody Mary.

Other highlights of London Cocktail Week include the return of Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands’ training team for Cocktail Culture, offering inspiring seminars from leading experts and bartenders. The seminars, running from October 7 to 11 at 69 Neal Street, will feature the likes of

The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show brings together distillers, suppliers and whisky lovers to find out about the latest releases and learn more about their favourite spirit. It is returning to Vinopolis at London Bridge for a third year, running from October 5 to 7 – with Monday October 7 a dedicated session for the drinks and bar trade.

The Whisky Show will feature hundreds of whiskies as well as ideas for cocktails and pairing with food. From Arbeg and Ben Nevis to The Tweeddale and Wemyss Malts, most of the exhibitors will be from Scotland. But there will also be whiskies from Penderyn in Wales, The English Whisky Co in Norfolk, Armorik in France, Mackmyra in Sweden and Zuidam in the Netherlands. From Ireland, there will be Green Spot, Jameson, Redbreast and Teeling, while US whiskey makers will include Heaven Hill, Hudson, Rock Town, Wasmund’s and Buffalo Trace. From further afield, there will be Hellyers Road from Tasmania, The New Zealand Whisky Collection, Amrut and John Distilleries from India, and Japanese whiskies Hakushu, Hibiki, Nikka, Karuizawa,Yamazaki and Chichibu.

For the third year running, there will be a cocktail bar showcasing whisky-based mixed drinks, led by mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana.

Visit www.whisky-show.com.

Bacardi rum’s master blender José Sanchez and Bombay Sapphire Gin’s master distiller Nik Fordham.

Events exclusively for the bar industry include a panel looking at gin and botanicals on October 8, featuring some of the world’s leading gin distillers such as Beefeater’s Desmond Payne, Tanqueray’s Tom Nicol, Charles Maxwell of Thames Distillers and Peter McKay of the Langley Distillery. The event is free but ticketed.

London Cocktail Week also links with The Whisky Show, which runs from October 5 to 7 (see panel), and Rumfest, which will be at Excel in London Docklands on October 12 and 13 (see page 30). For full details of all events during London Cocktail Week and participating bars, visit www. londoncocktailweek.com.

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Upcycled furniture at Munro’s in Glasgow

Furnishing touches From “upcycled” seating to new technologies, the range of furniture for bars, pubs and clubs keeps up with the latest trends in interior design

furniture

uch of the furniture at Glasgow’s craft beer bar Munro’s has been “upcycled” – pieces sourced from antique shops and auctioneers and then given new life by design company Design Build Deliver and contractors Donaldsons Construction.

It includes re-upholstered leather booths, Queen Anne-style green leather armchairs, standard lamps, storm lanterns and poser tables made out of large cable drums.

The innovative re-use of old furniture was favoured by operator Maclay Inns as they wanted something unique with great character, explains Michael Dunn, managing director of Design Build Deliver. “With so many different places opening at the moment, it had to be innovative, exciting and new.”

The trend for “sustainable” upcycled furniture has been growing, driven partly by small independent bar operators looking to save costs while putting their own personal stamp on the interior.

Specialist upcycled furniture maker Little Tree Furniture is seeing more demand for its ranges from hospitality designers, supplying the likes of Nando’s, Turtle Bay restaurants and Radisson Hotels. It creates unique hardwood furniture from reclaimed materials, designed and hand-built using recycled materials sourced from India and the UK. Launched in June last year, the company was founded by Neil Buckley-Jensen after he was inspired by travels through the Indian sub-continent. “We’ve spent the last year establishing Little Tree Furniture to the UK consumer and have been overwhelmed by the positive reaction and sales. Our furniture style is perfect for hotels and restaurants. Upcycled furniture helps to create a quirky vibe that is great for a statement look.” Each range has a distinctive style that reflects the woods’ previous uses. The industrial-look Reiner range is made using wood and metal taken from old colonial buildings while the Mary Rose range is created from reclaimed sea boat timbers and has a distressed appearance.

Rustica and Vasco are both made from timber that was once part of housing and general premises, with slight imperfections

Raw new look at Imli Street A complete redesign and rebrand have been carried out at Indian restaurant Imli Street in Soho in London, led by hospitality specialists B3 Designers. They were briefed to create an interior with a street-food look but retain elements of comfort and sophistication. After the space was stripped back to exposed brickwork and poured concrete, it was furnished with soft seating, contemporary fabrics and industrial light fittings. A rawness comes from the use of materials

in their natural, distressed state such as reclaimed solid oak timber table tops.

Stools lining the new central feature bar are 1100mm high with a steel structure, leather seat and timber back. The design is matched by 900mm high stools for dining at a raised table and by 700mm chairs for lower dining tables. Banquette seating at the back is upholstered in tan leather with a blackened steel frame, while the tables are again solid reclaimed timber with powder-coated framework.

Customised tables from Aloha Marketing

www.barmagazine.co.uk |41

furniture

Ash table tops at Uno in Sutton

and natural colouring that give them a natural look.

Demand for recycled furniture is also being met by Pubstuff, which specialises in breathing new life into products sourced from managed pubs and bars when they refurbish. “The high-quality finish and end result is achieved through careful refurbishment and attention to changing trends in bars,” says director Sally Huband.

“It’s a phenomenon that has not just appeared as a result of the recession of recent years. Ethical buyers have seized upon this cost-effective and environmentally friendly concept for a number of years now.”

This month, Pubstuff is launching its first cash and carry operation, located in Haydock in Merseyside, in response to increasing demand for affordable, stylish and sustainable contract furniture on the go.

With over 3,000 stock items, the company also continues to add to its range and this

Aagrah The latest branch of award-winning Kashmiri restaurant group Aagrah has opened in the West Yorkshire spa town of Ilkley. The furniture was supplied by contract furniture specialists Andy Thornton, including its Lina side chairs.

With a classic button back, these have been upholstered in a warm grey faux leather to provide seating for over 80 covers. Highly durable, soft and easy to clean, the chairs complement the restaurant’s subtle, relaxing colours.

Andy Thornton has also supplied Lina side chairs for Aagrah sites in Pudsey in West Yorkshire and Sheffield as part of a rolling programme of updating the existing restaurants’ furniture. Lina features a beech frame which can be polished to any colour, and upholstered in any fabric or leather.

42| www.barmagazine.co.uk

Retro and industrial at Bar Bluu Bar Bluu in Manchester’s Northern Quarter has invested in new industrial-look furniture to enhance its vibrant but relaxing interior, using an eclectic mix of retro furniture and 1980s styling. It sourced urban vintage bar stools from Steel Magnolias, a British¬-based furniture company that specialises in urban-inspired materials with rustic style. The stools were customised by adding a brown crackle leather deep-buttoned seat pad. They adjust in height from 66cm to 83cm, with a 39cm-diameter seat and a steel frame finished in antique pewter.

month is launching a new-style Button Top Stool, available in either a high or low, soft oak or walnut version, with a choice of three stylish new Farrow & Ball paint finishes of Dark Grey, Olive, and Stone. Pubstuff has also addressed sustainability in its range of new contract furniture from stock which is manufactured using sustainable fastgrowing woods and commissioned through individually sourced suppliers as part of an ethical supply chain strategy.

Recycled options are also one of the options within the portfolio of furniture from Aloha Marketing, which has introduced a range of tables, chairs and wind stoppers in a variety of modern designs for restaurants, bars, cafés and hotels. They come in a large choice of colours, or can be Pantone colour matched, but the manufacturing process allows for table tops to be printed with whatever design the customer wants, such as chess boards and other games, or factual information and corporate branding. Chairs and wind stoppers can all be customised to match.

New whitewashed “limed” oak finish from GO IN

There is no minimum order quantity, with lead times of only two to three weeks for smaller orders.

Solid ash table tops have been added to Andy Thornton’s range of furniture for bars, pubs, clubs and restaurants. At Uno Spanish Tapas bar in Sutton, Surrey, they are matched with cast-iron table bases and contemporary chairs to striking effect. As well as being light-coloured, tough and very hard-wearing, solid ash has an attractive coarse open grain and is particularly suitable for bars where natural materials are preferred. The unique finish to the ash tops is achieved by carefully wire-brushing the untreated timber by hand, then adding a stain and patina colour before adding two coats of contract-grade flat matt lacquer to highlight and enhance the distinctive grain while enhancing durability. Ash tops look best with a straight-edge profile and are available in chunky 45mm thick timber as well as in 32mm and 25mm and in a wide selection of sizes from 600mm circular or round, up to 1200 x 800mm rectangular.

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furniture

Little Tree Furniture

Other sizes can be manufactured to order.

A growing demand for high-quality table top surfaces has led hospitality furniture specialist GO IN to introduce a new whitewashed “limed” oak finish on a range of smaller table tops as well as on its new solid oak table. If fits in with the current trend for pared-back interiors, with downto-earth finishes and natural wood grains.

GO IN’s brushed and varnished whitewash enhances the natural oak grain while the transparent varnish protects the finish and retains the character and individual tone of the wood. The table tops are part of GO IN’s modular range, where different tops can be mixed and matched with a wide range of bases and columns.

For outdoor spaces, GO IN has introduced an “all-in-one” stackable table

Tough luxury Leading fabric manufacturer Ultrafabrics launched a new high-grade polyurethane furnishing fabric at last month’s 100% Design show in London. The Ultraleather Pro range uses Takumi technology which creates artificial leather surfaces with a luxurious look as well as extreme durability that is suitable for bars, pubs and clubs. Available in 24 colours, it is highly resistant to difficult stains with an abrasion resistance that is more than four times the industry standard requirement. The entire Ultrafabrics range also carries certification from Greenguard that confirms its environmental credentials in relation to chemicals. Ultrafabrics president Danielle Boecker said: “I’m confident our client partners will appreciate that Ultraleather Pro has the ability to meet even the most demanding criteria, maintaining its appearance over time better than any other upholstery, continuously comfortable and contributing to a better environment.”

44| www.barmagazine.co.uk

Kopparberg Button Top Stool from Pubstuff

that looks good but is also practical. It features an integral mechanism which allows the table top to be easily tilted and locked into a vertical position. This, combined with the asymmetric leg arrangement, means the table can be sideways stacked for spacesaving storage. Each table weighs only 4.2kg and features an anti-theft eyelet which means they can be secured individually or together in a stack with a lockable steel wire. Adjustable floor glides are supplied as standard so wobbling can be eliminated where floors are uneven. There is a wide range of standard table tops, either square or round, and they are all weatherproof, UVresistant, hard-wearing and easy to clean.

They are available in a compact laminate material with a choice of 10 colours, while the table tops from Werzalit are offered in around 18 standard designs or customisable in bars’ own designs.

Low-maintenance tables that offer flexibility of use are the best choice for bar environments, points out Jan Dammis, GO IN’s head of international sales. “Tables with four legs are the most stable but those with one central pillar are a more space-saving option and give more leg room for guests that stand up more frequently, so usually better in a bar environment. Consider circular tables as well as square ones for variety and flexibility.”

With such a wide range of options available for seating, from chairs and stools to sofas and benches, designs can be totally unique when using contract furniture. “If your seating layout needs to be flexible, make sure your chairs are lightweight and perhaps stackable to reduce storage requirements,” Jan advises. “Wooden chairs can be supplied with wooden seats or comfortable cushions if you want guests to

Kopparberg has been building its profile in the on-trade through new branded furniture for bars and pubs across the UK. Developed with YourStudio, it includes outdoor benches and tables plus indoor coffee tables, lights, Chesterfield sofas and tub chairs.

Taking its inspiration from Kopparberg’s “Unconventional” ad campaign, the furniture is themed “Undesigned”, using raw materials, raw timber, scuffed paint and a stripped-back look throughout.

The new furniture also featured in Kopparberg’s bar installations at festivals this summer such as Parklife and Field Day. Tom Philipson,YourStudio cofounder, says: “The challenge with the bar furniture was to create a brand extension which reflected Kopparberg’s marketing campaign and maverick values while still being true, comfortable, cool and authentic in a pub or bar environment.” Rob Calder, head of marketing at Kopparberg, adds: “YourStudio really raised the bar with the new furniture. The campaign means we can demonstrate that Kopparberg is not just about delicious cider, but that we can deliver innovative investments to support the trade too.”

stay longer. Customers enjoy the comfort of benches, and staff like them because they’re easy to maintain. Unique material combinations and flexible layouts can be created to stunning effect.”

However durable a bar’s furniture is, venues need a complete refurbishment cycle of around five to eight years, Jan suggests. “Hospitality furniture takes a battering from guests and staff, so always choose the highest quality you can afford so it stays looking good for longer. On the upside, it’s not uncommon for a refurbishment to increase turnover by up to 30%.”

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student bars

Fresher ideas Mark Ludmon examines the latest trends in student bars

A

s this year’s academic year starts, a new wave of students will be arriving at university and college, free of the parental home and ready to party. But bar operators and drinks brands cannot be complacent that what appealed to students before will still hold true today. “The most common mistake that retailers make in trying to appeal to students is in not recognising how quickly new students come through, bringing demand for different drinks and new brands,” points out Simon Green, marketing director for drinks company Global Brands. “The brands which were biggest five to 10 years ago may well already be out of date.”

According to research into the views of student union staff by the National Union of Students, about two-thirds of respondents said their top tip was to actually “go out and talk to your students, find out what they really want and not what you think they want”. With its own insights, Global Brands has developed marketing for its products that fit in with trends among younger adults, such as its Amigos tequila-flavoured beer. “Consumption of beers has dropped by 3.3% and is at a 14-year low in the UK, but young consumers’ preference for sweetertasting flavours and new innovations is seen in the huge growth of spirit beers such as Amigos which is generating new growth in a declining category,” Simon explains. “From a functional perspective, young adults most commonly look for products which are sweet tasting and easy to drink but offer good value.”

Students are also at the heart

of the revival in absinthe. Last month, leading drinks distributor Cellar Trends predicted absinthe would be a future growth area, including for cocktails, but in the student market, it is already well established thanks to La Fée. This came after the launch four years ago of La Fée NV, with ABV of 38% in contrast to La Fee Parisienne’s 68%.

“The student market is incredibly important to the brand La Fée as well as NV,” says owner George Rowley.

“The lower ABV of NV makes it fully accessible to the student market in a responsible fashion.”

With support from distributor Cellar Trends’ brand experience teams, La Fée has embarked on a new promotional campaign for NV in student unions and student bars for this academic year, focusing on the brand for shots and mixing. New pointof-sale materials contain bar mats and posters as well as branded eye patches with fun slogans on the reverse. “This is an exciting next step for the brand and will give NV a fresh look moving forward into 2014, continuing its growth across this market sector,” George says. Students will also be open to more sophisticated ways of enjoying absinthe as they get older, he adds.

“One of the main issues facing the absinthe market at the moment is the lack of education around the category.

La Fée have worked tirelessly to change people’s perceptions of the category. The La Fée consumer’s life journey starts at university and, as the consumer’s palate evolves, it opens up

the rest of the La Fée portfolio.”

Absinthe bombs – or a Green Fairy Bomb – are one of the serves contributing to the boom in energybased bombs in UK bars, pubs and clubs.

Rates of sale of bomb serves generally are up 9% year on year, according to on-trade research specialist CGA Strategy, and, while they now appeal to a broader age group, 91% of people aged 18 to 24 have ordered a bomb on at least one night out.

The most popular ingredient is herbal liqueur, which has become the UK’s number-one liqueur by volume. Global Brands has embraced this trend in the student market with customised “bomb” bars and promotional teams for its brand Jungfrau, made of more than 40 herbs and spices.

For Jägermeister, the focus for young adults is the ice-cold shot, supported by its tap machines, its Jägerettes promotional teams and the current Give It A Shot marketing campaign. “The ice-cold shot currently represents the biggest growth opportunity to licensees, demonstrating the strength of the serve and its popularity among young adults and other consumers,” explains Jägermeister’s UK group marketing manager, Nicole Goodwin.

She notes that CGA’s latest Student Report highlighted that spirits and liqueurs were becoming central to students’ drinking repertoires, particularly on big nights out.

“Neat serves are performing strongly, with the rate of sale twice as high in student venues than in mainstream outlets,” she adds. “Sociability associated with the www.barmagazine.co.uk |47

student bars

serve make them the perfect choice for students on high-energy nights out. The current market is being driven by the young experimental consumers who are looking to extend their drinking repertoires with new and exciting drinks. For this they are looking to the speciality spirit category and in particular dark spirits to provide them with the unique and complex flavours they desire.”

With budgets tight, students are looking not just for cheap drink deals but for added value when they go out. “Students love to have fun, so to maximise sales it’s important that bars focus on promotions which add something extra to nights out,” says Debs Carter, marketing director for WKD at SHS Drinks. For the start of this academic year, WKD is giving away thousands of pairs of its eye-catching, flashing LED “shuttershades” with bottle purchases in studentoriented venues. At the same time, it will be building on the growing trend for younger adults to mix their RTDs with spirits and mixers, with a range of student-themed sharing cocktails. They include WKD With Hons, combining WKD Iron Brew with Captain Morgan rum, lemonade and ice, and the WKD Grad-U-Like, mixing WKD Orange, Apple Sourz, lemonade and ice. It is supported by table-talkers, hanging mobiles, posters and giant banners proclaiming “Thesis Well Nice”. Debs adds: “Our ‘shutter shades’ will bring some theatre to proceedings and our special student cocktails as sure to go down well amongst new-found friends at the start of the new term.” Student union

48| www.barmagazine.co.uk

bars are also hosting the WKD Blue Crew tour this year, where special nights are run with WKD’s promotional teams.

Another leading RTD is embarking on a wave of activity to building on its presence in the student market. Global Brands is running VK Beach Parties for freshers, providing student union bars with branded party packs including a hot tub, beach hut, rodeo surfboard, giant deckchair, beach party games, Hawaiian leis, lilos, beach balls, straw hats and sandcastle buckets. With its range of seven flavours,VK is also promoted for mixing and serving in shared serves such as fishbowls, sandcastle buckets and half yards. “These new serve solutions not only make the brand more relevant to today’s students but also allow retailers to benefit from the trade-up opportunity,” Simon at Global Drinks explains.

The popularity of shots and a thirst for new flavours have both driven growth for Sourz liqueurs in the student market. As well as running events for freshers’ weeks, distributor Maxxium UK runs events in student bars throughout the academic year such as its previous Ibiza party nights that included promotions with prizes such as Sourz Mango visors and a £2,000 holiday.

“The student market are on the look-out for something fun and different, be that free giveaways or event nights,” explains Emma Heath, marketing controller for Sourz.

With its range of fruit flavours such as Mango, Apple and Raspberry, Sourz is being drunk by students both in shots and in mixed drinks. Their interest in trying new flavours is also driving interest in Sourz’s new limited-edition flavour Spirited Toffee Apple. “The popularity of shots has remained constant over the years with young adults looking for new products and flavours to experiment with, and this is driving the trend for new innovative drinks

and taste experiences,” Emma says.

One current serve being promoted is the Cheesecake: a shot drink, with two parts Sourz and one part Bols Yoghurt Liqueur, layered to create a distinctive dessert-like drink. Emma also stresses that social media are particularly important for engaging and communicating with students, whether a brand or a bar. “Operators need to be on top of new trends and take advantage of them, especially when it comes to the student market who constantly look for new drinks and new flavours to try and enjoy with friends.”

The Hill The Hill in Clifton, Bristol, is part of Orchid Group’s expanding Pizza Kitchen & Bar (PKB) concept but, as it is close to the University of Bristol, students are a core market. Two-for-one cocktails on Thursdays and two-for-one pizza on Tuesdays appeal to students on a budget, but they are not prepared to compromise on quality, says Jennie Walton, marketing manager for PKB. “They are price conscious but they are quite brand conscious and have a discerning palate. We have developed a range of beers, ciders and other drinks that are a bit different which is something the student market is looking for.”

Students also enjoy the quirkiness of the interior, including cartoon lampshades, 60s-style wallpaper and furniture, and a framed pair of green high-heel boots behind the bar. The Hill also sponsors one of the university’s sports societies, with special events and promotions every Wednesday for members. Students also enjoy SpeedQuizzing nights which, through the SpeedQuizzing app, allow quizzes to be played by answering questions on a smartphone or tablet.

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training

Managers step up at TCG

Training at SSP’s Merchant of Bishopsgate in Liverpool Street station

Live and learn Mark Ludmon looks at options for training staff in bars, pubs and clubs

S

ince the launch of the National Apprenticeship Service five years ago, increasing numbers of bar and pub operators have been tapping into Apprenticeships to improve standards and training of staff. More than 1,500 people have been enrolled on them at food travel experts SSP, which operates bars and pubs in stations and airports, since the company introduced Apprenticeships three years ago.

“The bar industry is not always a young person’s first choice for a career, and yet we have a high demand for skilled teams,” explains Martin Walder, head of learning and development at SSP UK. “By providing a structured framework for training and career progression, our Apprenticeship programme allows young people to learn while they earn and has enabled us to recruit and retain a number of truly excellent colleagues.”

With 800 apprentices recruited at SSP UK already this year, the scheme is open to all new recruits whatever their age or academic and professional background.

They join at level two as a “team member”, progressing to a qualification in team leading, culminating in level three, management. Next is level four as unit manager and level five as a multi-unit manager, with a diploma in leadership and the chance to complete a foundation degree accredited by Coventry University.

“The programme has achieved extremely positive results for us, with 55 per cent

of completed level-three apprentices promoted to management roles,” Martin says. “Furthermore, the turnover among apprentices is 20 per cent lower than the SSP team member average, demonstrating that those on the scheme are more likely to stay with the company for the long term to progress their careers.”

However, some bar and pub operators are still deterred from employing apprentices due to lack of knowledge of how they work, points out Rachael Fidler, managing director of HTP Training, a leading provider in southern England. For a start, some believe apprentices need to be at least 18 to work in a bar but people aged 16 and 17 can work in licensed premises and, with the supervision of a manager or licensee, can serve alcohol. But apprenticeships are not just for school leavers, Rachael stresses.

“Although the Government is giving funding priority to 16- to 23-year-olds, anyone over 16 can apply to join an Apprenticeship programme and benefit from being a paid employee in a job role working alongside experienced staff who will train them on the job.”

The Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (AGE), with a value of £1,500, or £3,000 for London employers, is available to all small to medium-sized employers recruiting 16-to24 year olds. The licensed trade falls within one of the key groups being targeted by the Government so, if a company has fewer

Managed pub and bar group TCG provides a structured training and development programme for employees from day one and encourages all staff to gain skills and qualifications to progress their careers. For its most talented managers, it holds operations assessment days to identify their strengths, weaknesses and development needs to move onto an operations management role.

Ten managers took part in the most recent sessions, with several taking on additional responsibilities beyond running their own pub or bar to help them develop different skills and talents.

Dustin Acton, general manager at Henry’s Cafe Bar in Covent Garden, London, was given a number of responsibilities around the development of the region’s deputy managers, working with his regional operations manager.

These included running the monthly deputy manager meetings and managing the reliefs and swaps between deputies.

“These new projects have been a great way to develop my planning and organisational skills,” Dustin says. “The deputy managers’ meetings run just like those for the general managers, so it’s a good stepping stone up to an ops role, where you would be managing a team of general managers.”

than 1,000 employees and has not accessed Government funding for an apprentice in the last 12 months, bars and pubs qualify.

Some operators are worried about the amount of bureaucracy involved, but that depends on the training provider, Rachael points out. “An expert training provider who knows and understands the process will be able to take the majority of the requirements off your hands and skilfully guide you through anything you have to complete.”

The latest tool is Traineeships, which went live in August offering people aged 16 to 23 access to work experience as well as support with applications and interviews, putting them on course for a full Apprenticeship. Funded by the Department www.barmagazine.co.uk |51

training Diageo launches its 2014 World Class training programme and competition this month at Bar Convent (see page 24)

for Education and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), it forms part of the response to business leaders’ concerns about the low skill levels of young people wishing to enter the world of work.

However, Rachael stresses that trainees need to feel they are getting something worthwhile at the end of the programme.

“Working closely with employers, training providers can make this workplace entry model a reality, enabling young people to join the pay roll by equipping them with the skills needed in the workplace. I feel strongly that employers need to offer some form of Traineeship allowance. Although this is not compulsory, it makes sense to remove any barriers which prevent young people taking part in the programme.”

The industry is getting behind the Perceptions Group campaign launched this year to promote bar and pub careers, particularly for young people. The group is chaired by Keith Knowles, chief executive of Beds and Bars, operator of Belushi’s bars and St Christopher Inns, and has been gathering commitments for work placements from increasing numbers of companies in the south of England and East Midlands including Novus Leisure, Drake & Morgan, Walkabout, Glendola Leisure, Grand Union, Snug Bars, TGI Friday’s and Mitchells & Butlers. “The great thing about the Perceptions activity is that it is designed by operators for operators,” Keith says.

“We have already had some success with young people being placed in full-time jobs following successful pre-employment and work experience programmes.”

The programme is run in partnership with trade associations as well as training body BII, which, through BIIAB, offers a wide range of qualifications for the licensed trade. “We aim to reverse the out-dated perception that pub and bar staff are shortterm, low-skilled and low-pay employees,” says BII chief executive Tim Hulme. “As

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such, we offer an apprenticeship framework that develops the skills, knowledge and understanding of those working in the licensed hospitality industry whether that be pubs, bars, clubs, hotels or restaurants.

Through our apprenticeships, employees can climb the ranks from entry level through to management and beyond. They offer in-depth education on skills specific to the trade including beer and cellar quality and licensed retail operations.” It is the only apprenticeship framework that includes the Award for Personal Licence Holders (APLH) as part of the programme.

“We strongly believe that investing in staff – providing them with a solid, structured career path, training that helps them develop, and qualifications that benchmark their success – is paramount to a successful business.”

BII’s accredited training providers include HIT Training, which is a UK-wide specialist in a wide range of training for bar staff, managers and other hospitality jobs. “More and more employers are realising that employees who are motivated, incentivised and equipped with the skills to do their job properly will routinely strive to provide an outstanding customer experience, which is the key to repeat visits and valuable word of mouth recommendation,” says Jill Whittaker, managing director of HIT Training. “A skilled and enthusiastic workforce benefits employers by delivering improved efficiency, better customer service and reduced staff turnover – key factors which in turn help the business reap significant perceptual and financial benefits, and lead to a more efficient operation and improved margins.”

She points out that over 80% of people on HIT training programmes say they will stay with their employer longer because they believe the employer has made an investment in them and that they are therefore a valued member of the team. “If you invest in training, pay a decent wage,

The New Pub Company Leased pub company Star Pubs & Bars has rolled out an e-learning package for all its lessees, run by CPL Online, encompassing 24 accredited staff training and personal development courses.

For £250 a year, lessees can access the interactive training from any computer 24 hours a day to fit around their shifts.

The modules are grouped into three main areas: compliance, covering topics such as age verification, food hygiene and handling and health and safety; soft skills, ranging from up-selling to cellar management and personal development; and staff appraisal and time management skills.

It was trialled by staff, including managers, at The New Pub Company, which operates seven pubs in London.

They include Mahdis Neghabian (pictured), BII Licensee of the Year 2012 and manager of the Camden Eye. “The e-learning courses are very easy to use, and have now got managers across the sites on the same training level, ensuring customers will receive a consistent, great service at any New Pub Company site,” she says.

Peter Linacre, head of The New Pub Company, adds: “We do not want to just give staff in managerial roles compliancy courses, but supply them with the knowledge that will progress them further in their careers.You have no idea what someone’s potential is until you help them develop and see what they can achieve.” treat people fairly, ensure your employees know they are valued and say thank you when they do a good job, the word will soon go around that you are a good employer and people will want to work with you.”

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epos

Remote control Epos systems are about more than just tills – they can support loyalty systems and stock control

W

ith competition fierce in the bar and club sector, there is more need than ever to keep on top of business data. “With consistently high staff turnover and a high percentage of cash transactions, business intelligence solutions are vital in helping to transform operational management,” says Richard Dorf, managing director of PXtech which specialises in IT solutions for the hospitality sector. “One of the biggest contributors in helping bars improve efficiency is the growing use of real-time data linked to advancing web-based technologies. As a business owner, you can’t physically be on the ground across all opening hours.”

The latest innovations in epos technology allow business owners to access real-time reports of on-site activities. Alerts can also be set up, tailored to the individual business parameters, which provides senior management with immediate feedback on unusual – and potentially fraudulent – transactions, to their smartphone, computer or tablet. “This gives businesses the invaluable opportunity to respond rapidly to issues and implement immediate change,” Richard explains. “Live business intelligence solutions are often highly scalable, so they can grow efficiently alongside your business and still provide a tailored approach that is unique to your company. This should be a key criterion in selecting a solution.”

Zonal supports Pizza Kitchen & Bar with loyalty

This technology can also act as a labour management tool, detecting when you have too many, or too few, staff at work and identifying the optimum deployment option, meaning you can plan your staffing structure more effectively. Alongside this, actual staff hours can be monitored live to ensure that staff and managers are following the agreed plan and where necessary reacting to changing business needs. “In this everchanging business environment, utilising live data can be the most certain way of improving your span of control and ensuring your business performance is as secure and profitable as possible,” Richard adds.

Operator Orchid Group has invested in a new system that integrates loyalty, reservations and till data that could transform its approach to marketing and sales opportunities. Piloted at the company’s Pizza Kitchen & Bar sites across the country, the purpose-built system is the first of its

kind to be comprehensively rolled out. It will allow managers to access and analyse information on all purchases made by members of the Pizza Kitchen & Bar loyalty card scheme, Slice.

“For the first time a pub group will be able to see and understand the needs and habits of loyalty scheme customers, taking into account the various ways they interact with us in the online environment and how that helps to drive a sale offline,” explains Maria Hamilton, senior marketing manager for digital and loyalty at Orchid Group. “By linking purchase data from our till system with the data we already have on our Slice card holders, we can better target our marketing and sales initiatives and time our promotions and offers to align with purchases that our customers are most likely to want to make, at times when they are most likely to take advantage. It is a dedicated and comprehensive system that marks a real step forward in pub till and reward technology.”

Manage data

Artisan in Manchester, part of Living Ventures

This idea has been used in supermarkets to reward card holders with points offers and discount vouchers that match their shopping habits but it has not been used in the pub and bar sector in this way or on this scale. “We will now be able to generate typical spend and purchase reports and see data on when loyalty card holders visit or redeem vouchers very easily and in a usable way,” Maria says. “There is a lot of data at our fingertips and bringing it together will give us huge insight into our customers.”

Orchid has set up the system with Zonal, a leading supplier of hospitality epos systems. Its iZone Loyalty module – part of the iZone suite of marketing tools – allows www.barmagazine.co.uk |55

epos bars and pubs to operate tailored loyalty schemes through their epos terminals so customers can collect points, accumulate “cash back” or receive bonus items or discounts. Zonal’s managing director Stuart McLean says: “Customer engagement is more important than ever because outlets have to retain and build a good relationship with as many customers as possible to be successful in the long term. However, traditional loyalty systems have been time consuming to set up and run, plus often do not take account of the fact that consumers are very different in terms of the number of times they visit an outlet and the products they purchase when they are there.”

He says iZone Loyalty overcomes this by providing an easy and practical solution for operators by giving them all the tools they need to develop bespoke loyalty schemes that reflect the nature of their business, the behaviour of customers and their individual purchasing habits. “By linking individual customers to their product choice and spend data, it allows outlets to develop tailored, one-to-one marketing at the touch of a button. They can use it to encourage and reward loyal behaviour among targeted customers rather than just giving blanket discounts to everybody and wasting resources in the process which has often been the case.”

In sync

Using the tills as the hub, staff only ever give the rewards and discounts that have been programmed into the system at head office level which leaves very little room for error and makes training straightforward. “iZone Loyalty ensures all systems, including promotions, pricing and stock ordering, are in sync with the loyalty programme which delivers efficiencies in so many areas and also reduces fraud. It also allows operators to run multiple benefits and schemes if they wish and set date ranges for rewards as they are required. Ultimately, it provides operators with a state-of-the-art system tailored to the specific needs of their business and their customers that will help build a better relationship with key consumers and generate increased loyalty in the years ahead.”

Epos systems and other platforms can also be combined with solutions to help bar and pub operators to maintain a tighter grip on costs and stock. GS Systems helps operators such as Baa Bar, Living Ventures and San Carlo to establish cash and stock controls to drive business growth. “Bar operators can only really gain control of their costs by implementing 100% watertight procedures within their solutions,” explains GS Systems managing director Niels Nielsen. “That’s the only way they can have full visibility of what’s happening within their operations.”

56| www.barmagazine.co.uk

Solutions from GS Systems are based on MAX Suite, its own evolving modular, fully-scalable software suite designed to streamline operations and improve efficiencies, which is combined with traditional epos hardware and new platforms such as mini iPads. “Our MAX GP module helps monitor and analyse business performance and provides all the necessary business intelligence to control costs and grow margins,” Niels adds.

His message ties in with the latest benchmarking survey from the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers which, while showing operators’ capital expenditure and like-for-like sales trending upwards, warns that failure to control costs is the biggest barrier to sustained growth. Neils says that having 100% watertight procedures in place enables bar operators to constantly see the cash and stock flow through their business.

“Procedures help them benchmark and measure their operational performances.

All transactions, purchases and stock movements are transparent, trackable and traceable. Procedures embedded within a solution eliminate operational loopholes and protect businesses, giving them genuine control over their costs.”

Bars are now increasingly reliant on IT infrastructure to support epos as well as wi-fi and other broadband-linked solutions, says Paddy Carney, business development manager for hospitality and leisure for network provider Vodat International. “Bars now depend on a supplier for an ‘always on’ network provision,” he says. “Through the means of wi-fi, bar owners are deploying wireless devices, mobile epos, PDQs and tablets to create a better customer experience and ensure all possible outlets for increasing revenue are available at all times.”

Always on

He says the reliance on an “always on” network has led to operators opting either to have a backup ADSL broadband connection or, for added resilience, a private 3G data network from Vodat.

“By using Vodat’s ADSL 3G router, which automatically fails over to 3G, retailers will never lose service,” he explains. “With such reliance on IT networks for both their businesses and customers, it is invaluable for all bar owners to now ensure they have the right deployment for the future.”

Whichever system an operator chooses, it is vital to be clear upfront about ongoing costs, according to a new independent report from hospitality technology specialists Caternet. The survey of managers in the food and beverage sector found that 64 per cent felt their organisation had been misled by IT suppliers and, as a result, were now saddled with upfront and ongoing spiralling costs. In fact, 81 per cent

Institute of Directors For the past seven years, the Institute of Directors (IoD) in London’s West End has used an epos solution from TISSL to support its bar and restaurant operations. TISSL is installed and automates the points-of-service and back-office operations from 17 PC-based touchscreen terminals for restaurant, cocktail bars, wine bar, brasserie and the 123 café.

“We do all our accounting with TISSL, from cashiering through to P&L,” says general manager Serge Pradier. “Across every area, TISSL gives us the reports and information that we want. Its weekly summary of sales by range is a very powerful document. We can analyse spend by cover, by activity and by area.”

The system is easy to set up, with each dish and beverage item associated with a button. “All our wines are colourcoded – red, pink, white – and displayed by region and in price order,” Serge explains. “This makes it swift and easy for staff to operate the tills and place orders.

We use fingerprint recognition to sign onto the tills for point-of-sale operations and for time and attendance.”

TISSL epos integrates with the IoD’s stock management system from Fourth Hospitality. “All our 2,500 food and beverage items are now on the system,” Serge says. “It took eight months to do this but it means all our orders are electronic.” He now looks forward to incorporating new systems such as handheld POS devices and communicating with members via smartphone apps.

of managers said they were unhappy with their current IT system. Caternet’s managing director Jerry Brand says operators needed to be clear at the start about cost, performance and contract terms. “In an economy where the struggle to control costs and make margins is a prime concern for many, anything that makes this harder to achieve is very counter-productive for business.”

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technology

Food for thought Bars, pubs and restaurants are turning to new technology to improve food quality and service

P

oor service in bars and restaurants prompted entrepreneur Ron Hounsell to develop a new system that allows customers, kitchen staff and managers to communicate directly with waiters at the touch of a button. Called Utellme, it comprises a table-top device, a kitchen unit and waiter calling system and helps to maximise table occupancy, increase food and drink sales and enhance customer satisfaction. “I wanted to come up with a product that would ensure poor service didn’t kill a person’s restaurant experience as well as provide waiters with a device that would help them when they were busy,” Ron explains. “The table-top unit speaks directly with the waiter’s own device using wifi, allowing customers to request the bill or ask for urgent service by pressing a button. The kitchen unit communicates in exactly the same way with the waiter’s device ensuring food is picked up on time or order queries sorted out quickly.”

He says the software is like a “virtual restaurant manager” that highlights if waiters are attending to tables on time and if the food is arriving quickly. “It automatically transfers tables to other waiters if one has to log off to go on a break or deal with something at a table out of the norm, ensuring customers always receive the best possible service.”

With funding from Business Gateway Lanarkshire, Ron is in talks to supply the system to restaurant chains and five-star hotels. It is already used at KG Café at

Ron Hounsell and his table-top device

58| www.barmagazine.co.uk

CST’s ConnectSmart Kitchen at Drake & Morgan’s The Anthologist in London

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow. Gordon Atterson, operations manager for Encore Hospitality Services, which runs the café, says: “Utellme lets staff know immediately what the customer wants and how they are paying – the remote card reader equipment can be taken straight to table with the bill – and stations with multiple ‘calls’ on screen can now be assisted with additional resources instantly.”

Restaurant automation systems are widespread in the US but are only starting to take off in the UK. Bars and restaurants using Call Systems Technology’s kitchen automation system, ConnectSmart Kitchen (CSK), which was developed by QSR Automations in the US, find it improves how the kitchen operates and reduces overall monetary outlay. From front of house through to the kitchen, CSK helps all staff work as a team. The kitchen automation system can link directly to a site’s epos so that orders go straight from front-of-house computer screens or portable terminals to screens at each chef’s station in the kitchen.

CSK’s software tells chefs which food items to focus on and how to prepare those items, taking into consideration prep times of each dish on a particular order so that all items for the table complete at the same time. The screens have easy-to-understand graphics, presenting staff with all the information they need when and where they need it.

CSK allows chefs to focus on cooking, without worrying about allocating orders or prioritising, making them more productive and cutting labour costs. It also ensures consistency when different

chefs are on duty and reduces food wastage by minimising errors and ensuring food is not spoiled by waiting on the hot plate to be collected. Operators using CSK include Drake & Morgan and Dishoom in London.

ChainDine, an internet-enabled restaurant management software system, has been introduced by technology specialist ChainPos, mainly aimed at multiple operators. It was developed for bars, pubs and restaurants by Rob Watson who says that, after trials in outlets, it helps to cut overheads by reducing IT, personnel, hardware, software licences, training, support and travel and also improved monitoring and control of sales through the tills. It also enables more flexible pricing and promotions, online reservations from any device, comprehensive reporting and up-tothe-second accuracy.

It is Cloud-based, giving greater protection to sensitive data, and provides data through online reservations and the smartphone app, helping operators to understand their customers and run targeted incentives. Its chain management module allows groups of any size to roll out changes to menus, prices and promotions in seconds. New businesses within the chain can be added within minutes rather than days. “This completed product is ideally suited to a single large progressive organisation with multiple outlets,” Rob explains. “Whichever company buys into ChainDine will gain an immediate competitive advantage. At present the industry stumbles along with disjointed, outdated, inefficient and expensive management systems. It’s remarkable how many groups have been left untouched by the digital age.”

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bar essentials

From a ‘wet dog glass smell’ to bars on wheels The story of one of Britain’s best known bar fitments manufacturers On August 1 this year – Yorkshire Day, no less – ServaClean celebrated its silver anniversary. It is 25 years since the Bradfordbased company launched with a set of racks on which to store washed glassware in bars and avoid that “wet dog glass smell” which comes from storing damp glasses on flat shelves and makes you think “the beer’s gone off!”

At that time, the major brewers – who owned and operated most of the pubs in the UK – were striving to achieve a perfectly clean glass in which to present “the perfect pint” and ServaClean’s GLASSRack was found to complete the process.

One thing led to another and it wasn’t long before bar operators were asking for solutions to other niggling problems behind their bars. ServaClean quickly responded with shelves for glasswasher baskets; space-saving sink units; insulated ice chests for cocktail service; etc, etc.

But the big jump came following the creation of BARFrame – a screw-together stainless-steel counter building structure to replace traditional timber construction which, let’s face it, just doesn’t stand the tests of time or hygiene in the unavoidably wet and sticky environment of most bar counters.

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By this time, ServaClean had gained a lot of experience from their life behind bars and were surprised at the lack of operational planning in many bar designs. So the company invested in CAD technology to offer free bar planning with three-dimensional drawings which show bar operators exactly what will fit and how a particular layout will ensure an efficient, behind-the-bar operation.

The planning works and, when it’s possible to compare “before and after” sales, increases of 20% are not uncommon. In one case, a holiday camp bar recorded a massive 54% jump in turnover whilst operating with three fewer staff.

ServaClean’s latest product is a top-quality range of mobile bar units called MOVERBar which uses different combinations of their standard fitments for each style of operation – from draught beers through to cocktails and even coffee service.

The company wouldn’t claim to be a “mighty oak” just yet but they certainly have many more “branches” to their business than when they planted that first “acorn” back in 1988.

Contact 01274 390038 or wmail@servaclean.co.uk or visit www. servaclean.co.uk.

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Developed by Ireland-based temperature monitoring specialist Kelsius, FoodCheck eliminates the paperwork and massively reduces the staff time involved in food monitoring.

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Head Office: West Coast Park, Bradley Lane, Standish, Wigan, Lancashire WN6 0YR Tel: 01257 478540 sales@deralam.co.uk www.deralam.co.uk

t +44 (0) 1953 854 009 e sales@craftwood-uk.com w www.craftwood-uk.com

Leisure Interior Solutions

Interior fit out & Bar specialists Bars . Fit-Out & Refurbishment . Furniture Commercial Kitchens . Air Conditioning Bespoke Fabrication . Design & Build +44 (0)161 684 7879 sales@dawnvale.com www.dawnvale.com

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Connections ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES Nasha Beverages Ltd The Gosford Arms, 65-66 Far Gosford street, Coventry CV1 5DZ UK T: 07940573480 E: sales@nashawines.com W: www.nashawines.com

Comtrex Systems Ltd Contact: Clive Keywood, Sales Manager, 2 Gatwick Metro Centre, Balcombe, Road, Horley, Surrey, RH6 9GA E: sales@comtrex.co.uk Point of sale with Comtrex Everything Posible W: www.comtrex.co.uk

Bose Professional Systems Division 1 Ambley Green, Gillingham Business Park, Kent, ME8 0NJ T: 0870 741 4500 E: uk_pro@bose.com W: www.bose.co.uk/business_solutions

Kai Design Ltd Unit B2, 1B Mentmore Terrace, Ment House, London Fields, London, E8 3DQ T: 0203 638 3473 M: 0780 063 4691 W: www.kaidesign.co.uk

Avonics Ltd Northstage, 78 Broadway, Salford, M50 2UW T: 0161 872 7001 F: 0161 872 7002 E: info@avonics.co.uk W: www.avonics.co.uk

Supercover Ltd Sovereign House, Trinity Business Park, Wakefield, WF2 8EF T: 0845 844 5000 F: 01924 200010 E: info@supercoverltd.co.uk W: www.supercoverltd.co.uk

INTERIOR FIT OUT & BAR SPECIALISTS Dawnvale Units 1&2, Albert Street, Hollinwood, Oldham, Greater Manchester, OL8 3QP T: 0161 684 7879 E: sales@dawnvale.com W: www.dawnvale.com

Socket Mobile T: 07787112109 E: emea@socketmobile.com W: www.socketmobile.com Tevalis Limited 32 Metro Centre, Dwight Road, Watford, Herts, WD18 9SB T: +44 (0)1923 294446 E: info@tevalis.com W: www.tevalis.com Twitter: tevalis_epos

BALLOONS, BUNTING & FLAGS B-Loony Ltd Sunnyside Road, Chesham, Bucks, HP5 2AR T: 01494 774376 F: 01494 791268 E: sales@b-loony.co.uk W: www.b-loony.com

County Insurance Northwest County Insurance Northwest Block N2, Chorley Business & Technology Centre, Euxton Lane, Chorley, Lancashire, PR7 6TE T: 0800 781 8604 E: phillipk@countyinsurancenw.com W: www.countyinsurancenw.com

iControl Hospitality Ltd Amberside, Wood Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertforshire, HP2 4TP T: 0330 010 1000 T: 0800 6122 868 F: 03300101001 E: info@icontrolepos.com W: www.icontrolepos.com

AUDIO VISUAL

ENHANCE THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE WITH A BOSE SOUND SOLUTION

INSURANCE

LIGHTING Dali Lighting Ltd Walker Avenue, Stratford Office Village, Wolverton Mill, Milton Keynes, MK12 5TW T: 01908 324050 E: sales@dalilite.com W: www.dalilite.com

ESPRESSO MACHINES

BAR ACCESSORIES

Including : napkins, coasters, stirrers, beer-mats

Deltalight UK 94 Webber Street, Waterloo London, SE1 0QN T: 0870 757 7087 F: 0207 620 0985 E: design@deltalight.co.uk W: www.deltalight.co.uk

Celebration Paper & Plastics Ltd Stanley Street, Burton Upon Trent, Staffordshire, DE14 1DY T: 01283 538259 F: 01283 510085 E: sales@celebration.co.uk W: www.celebration.co.uk MiniFridge.co.uk Midland House, Wharf Road, Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 0AD T: 0845 527 1385 E: sales@minifridge.co.uk W: www.minifridge.co.uk

IMC Unit 1, Abbey Road, Wrexham Industrial Estate, Wrexham, LL13 9RF T: 01978 661155 F: 01978 729990 E: garyb@imco.co.uk W: www.imco.co.uk

Junckers T: 01376 534700 F: 01376 514401 E: sales@junckers.co.uk W: www.junckers.co.uk Atkinson & Kirby T: Ormskirk 01695 573234, T: London 0208 577 1100, E: sales@akirby.co.uk W: www.akirby.co.uk

BESPOKE DIGITAL WALLPAPER

Forrest & Jones 517 Garstang Road, Broughton, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 5JA T: 0845 370 0134 E: info@featherandjones.com W: www.featherandjones.com

CATERING EQUIPMENT Shop-Equip Limited Park View, North Street, Langwith, Mansfield, Notts, NG20 9BN T: 01623 741500 F: 01623 741505 E: info@shop-equip.com W: www.shop-equip.com

DRINKS DISTRIBUTION Nectar Imports Ltd The Old Hatcheries, Bells Lane Zeals, Wiltshire, BA12 6LY T: 01747 840100 F: 01747 840467 E: sales@nectar.net W: www.nectar.net

DRAINAGE Auline Group Cyprian Torralba, 59-62 Briindley Road, Astmoor Industrial Estate, Runcorn, WA4 1NU T: 01928 563532 F: 01928580224 E: enquiry@alulinegroup.com W: www.alulinegroup.com

EPOS CCR Systems 142 Bebington Road, New Ferry, Wirral, CH62 5BJ T: 01516448296 F: 01516458981 W: www.ccrsystems.co.uk

Aurora Multimedia Ltd T: 020 7183 1593 E: info@aurora-multimedia.co.uk W: www.aurora-multimedia.co.uk

Broadleaf Head Office: 01269 851 910 London: 0207 371 0088 W: www.broadleaftimber.com/ commercial

BAR EQUIPMENT

Digetex Contract 1, Waterside, Old Trafford, M17 1WD T: 0161 873 8891 E: sales@digetexcontract.com W: www.digetexcontract.com

MULTIMEDIA

FLOORING

OUTDOOR SOLUTIONS Indigo Awnings Ltd Sales & Adminisration Bryn Bellen, Bryn Road Mold, CH7 5DE W: www.indigoawnings.co.uk

SIGNAGE

FURNITURE Agua Fabrics Ltd Hyde House, The Hyde, London, NW9 6LH T: +44 208 205 0050 F: +44 208 205 0660 E:lisa@aguafabrics.com W:www.aguafabrics.com Geometric Furniture Ltd Geometric House, Lark Hill, Townley Street, Middleton, Manchester, M24 1AT T: 0161 653 2233 F: 0161 653 2299 E: sales@geometric-furniture.co.uk W: www.geometric-furniture.co.uk

Heath Advertising Pub Signs T: 01299 877605 M: 07778564882 E: pubsignsuk@aol.com W: www.heathadvertising.co.uk

SOFT DRINKS Tynant Spring Water T: 44 (0) 1974 272 111 F: 44 (0) 1974 272 123 E: info@tynant.com W: www.tynant.com

SOUND TECHNOLOGY

Hill Cross Furniture Cramble Cross, North Cowton, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL7 0HL T: 01325 378 307 F: 01325 378858 E: info@hillcrossfurniture.co.uk W: www.hillcrossfurniture.co.uk Wish Interiors Rowlands House, King Edward Street Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, DN31 3LA T: 01472 230332 T: 07802382732 E: info@wishinteriors.com W: www.wishinteriors.com

GIANT UMBRELLAS & OUT DOOR PRODUCTS M&D GEE LLP Churchill House, Stiring Way, Borehamwood, Herts WD6 2HP T: 020 8736 0536 F: 020 8736 0537 E: enquiries@mdgee.com W: www.mdgee.com

Velocity Event Tech Ltd Banks Mill, 71 Bridge Street, Derby, DE13LB T: 01332 268619 E: info@velocityeventtech.co.uk W: www.velocityeventtech.co.uk

TECHNOLOGY Retail Systems Technology Campsie Industrial Estate, Mclean Road, Eglington, Londonderry, BT47 3XX T: 02871 860069 F: 02871 860517 E: ciaran.coyle@rstepos.com W: www.rstepos.com

TOILET & DRAIN TOOLS Monument Tools No.1 in the No.2 Business T/F: 07092 894 317 E: sales-team@drain-tools.com Use Partner/ Promotion Code BARDIR for 15% Discount W: www.drain-tools.com

To ad ve r tise on our conne ctions page s c all 01795 50 910 9

diary

bar

Staffing >>

Warning over holiday pay pong balls into cups of beer.

For punch pong, the beer is replaced by punch, with each bar given a Monin syrup flavour at random for creating a new recipe. After 13 heats, the final is being held at Covent Garden Cocktail Club in London on October 7 during London Cocktail Week.

Not content with making his mark on the UK bar scene, Ryan Chetiyawardana (pictured) is making a splash in New York City. He has devised a list of “inventive and experimental” cocktails as creative director of new cocktail bar Henry at Manhattan’s boutique Hudson Hotel. His drinks include The Living Cocktail, made with miso caramel, homemade carrot vinegar and reposado tequila. Ryan has worked at some of the UK’s top bars including Bramble in Edinburgh and 69 Colebrooke Row, Purl and the Worship Street Whistling Shop in London and, back in the UK, is launching new bar White Lyan with bartender Iain Griffiths in Hoxton, London, this month.

Throughout September, bars across the UK have been battling it out in the Underground Punch Pong League, created by JJ Goodman, co-founder of London Cocktail Club (LCC) bars, with Monin UK. It is inspired by the traditional drinking game, beer pong, where teams try to get ping

66| www.barmagazine.co.uk

Inventive cocktails evoke the spirit of 19th-century adventure at Hoxley & Porter, the latest venture from bar operator Costa Tofan.

Michael Pendergast, formerly at Powder Keg Diplomacy in Battersea, London, has come up with cocktails such as Whatever Doesn’t Kill You (pictured), which is garnished with an absinthe-coated scorpion that changes colour from blue to bright purple.

The bar in Islington, London, was designed by Michaela Reysenn of Kai Design, bringing together the flavours of Victorian gentlemen’s clubs with “colonial Poirot, Egyptian noir and surrealist jungles”.

Fashionistas had no shortage of choice last month for cocktail refreshment to tie in with London Cocktail Week. A signature serve was devised for Cointreau with fashion designer Simone

Rocha for serving at a pop-up at St Martin’s Lane hotel in London’s West End called Cointreau Privé. The Cointreau Wild Rose mixes the liqueur with a few drops of rose water, topped up with soda. London Fashion Week also inspired bartenders at The Dorchester and Vista Bar at the Trafalgar Hotel. At Buddha-Bar London, Kester Thomas created a fivestrong list of fashion-themed cocktails such as a twist on a French 75 as a homage to model Kate Moss (pictured).

Details of all the cocktails are at www.barmagazine.co.uk.

With bars exploring “liquid history” through vintage spirits, a unique new angle comes from The Robin Collective, the self-styled purveyors of curious events and experimental food.

They have created Historical Bitters – made using moisture scientifically extracted from homes and hangouts of iconic British figures such as Winston Churchill, Charles Dickens and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Each has been infused with around 15 different ingredients, both traditional and of special significance to each of the figures, such as the moisture from Churchill’s Cabinet War Rooms (pictured) in London.

They are being presented at the Experimental Food Society Spectacular exhibition in London on November 8 and 9. Other sessions include “Alcohol in Space” from food and drink innovators Bompas & Parr.Visit www. experimentalfoodsociety.com.

Alex Mizzi, associate at business advisers HowardKennedyFsi

B

ar operators could soon find themselves facing expensive employment tribunal claims for holiday pay. A tribunal decided in a recent case that EU law requires that a worker’s holiday pay should be calculated using not only salary but also overtime payments – even if overtime is not compulsory. This has prompted many businesses to review their holiday pay arrangements, including John Lewis, which is now paying out £40million to staff in back-dated payments.

With the publicity over the John Lewis payments, we anticipate that workers in sectors where overtime is widely used, including the hospitality industry, will bring claims for back-dated pay. Workers can bring claims for underpayments going back to 1998 (or the start of their employment, if later) so the liability could be substantial.

The tribunal’s decision is currently being appealed and may be reversed.

However, we recommend that businesses begin preparing themselves now, both for possible claims and for implementing changes to their holiday pay systems if the decision is upheld.

In particular, they should ensure their payroll and overtime records are accurate. Assess what changes to payroll systems would be needed and start to gather the information required to calculate the monies owed to each worker. We recommend that businesses seek specialist legal advice on these issues.

There are two crumbs of comfort. First, the decision applies only to the four weeks’ holiday guaranteed under EU law.

Businesses can still calculate pay for the additional 1.6 weeks granted by UK law using basic salary only.

Second, workers generally must bring such claims within three months of the last underpayment. As a result, only current workers and recent leavers are likely to be able to bring claims. The key advice at this stage is not to panic but to keep a close eye on developments in this area and prepare for the worst. n www.howardkennedyfsi.com

Discover

The Authentic Belgian Craft Beer - Family brewed since 1747 -

PALM is a smooth-drinking Belgian craft beer that is full flavoured up front but with a clean finish. Special PALM malts determine its honey-like mellowness and fine aroma hops from Kent are added to create this unique, well-balanced craft beer!

Available on draught, 330ml bottles and 330ml cans.

Ask your supplier for PALM: • Madison Drinks - www.madisondrinks.co.uk • Nectar - www.nectar.net • Amathus Drinks - www.amathusdrinks.com • Euroboozer - www.euroboozer.co.uk • Utobeer - www.utobeer.co.uk • Pig’s Ears - www.pigs-ears.co.uk • Bath Ales - www.bathales.com • Inn Express - www.inn-express.com • Colemans ABC - colemansabc.co.uk • Edwards Beers and Minerals - www.edwardsdrinks.com

Want to try PALM? Visit www.palmbreweries.com/PALMuk to book your tasting session!

PALM Breweries Steenhuffeldorp 3 B - 1840 Steenhuffel Tel. 07538 714747 Andy.Bennett@palmbreweries.com www.palmbreweries.com

S C H N A P P S

Teichenne is the original fruit liqueurs range made with natural ingredients and fresh fruit essences. Produced in a family owned Spanish distillery, the schnapps offers a unique range of flavours that mix perfectly into delectable cocktails.

Autumn Burst Teichenne Raspberry, Teichenne Peach and Vodka lengthened with Cranberry Juice and poured over block Ice. Garnish with berries and a lemon wedge.

ourite The bartenders fav

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