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September 1, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Stand Out with Weird Holidays: Sept. 2022

Stand Out with Weird Holidays: September 2022

by David Klemt

Want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Then commit to keeping it weird.

Several “holidays” are set against every date on the calendar, and September is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to “weird.”

Pay attention to the latter to raise eyebrows, carve out a niche for your restaurant or bar, and attract more guests. Why do what everyone else is already doing?

Of course, you shouldn’t try to celebrate every holiday, weird or otherwise. And this month’s list in no way includes every odd holiday.

Focus on the days that are authentic to your brand; resonate with your guests; and help you grab attention on social media.

For August’s list, click here.

September 5: Be Late for Something Day

You know what’s a great reason to be late from something? Enjoying an awesome meal or some great drinks with friends. Your bar or restaurant can provide that awesome meal and great drinks.

September 6: National Read a Book Day

As you know if you’ve been visiting KRG Hospitality throughout the week or subscribe to our newsletter, we love recommending good books. Cookbooks, cocktail books, hospitality industry history books, leadership books… We’re all about learning.

This is an excellent day to promote swapping books, recommending books, sharing books, etc.

September 8: National Ampersand Day

If there was ever a day that demands food/and or drink combos, it’s National Ampersand Day. For example, this is the perfect bar holiday to create a beer and shot limited-time offer menu.

September 13: National Positive Thinking Day

Restaurants and bars are the cornerstsones of their communities. One way operators and their teams can support their community is by ensuring they provide a positive experience.

On this day, encourage your community to stop in for a bite, a drink, a chat, and an overall happy, healthy time.

September 14: National Eat a Hoagie Day

No, hoagies aren’t weird…in Philadelphia. Everywhere else, it can sometimes be a “weird” thing to call a submarine sandwich. At any rate, guess what food you should create an LTO around on this holiday.

September 17: National Monte Cristo Day

You don’t have to agree with me, but this weird sandwich is my favorite. Sure, burgers are cool. But have you ever dipped a ham’n’cheese or turkey’n’cheese in egg, fried it, then dusted it with powdered sugar? Even weirder, have you used corn flakes as breading and then fried it? Put a few Monte Cristos on your menu to celebrate this glorious sandwich holiday.

September 22: Car Free Day

This one’s pretty simple: Encourage and incentivize your guests to use any mode of travel that isn’t a car/truck/SUV to come to your restaurant or bar. I, for one, will be opting for my motorcycle, which I don’t need to mention here but I’m going to anyway because I love it.

September 24: Innergize Day

First, a disclaimer: This isn’t a day celebrating a “performance” drink brand. Rather, Innergize Day is about relaxing and recouping. I’m sure you can see where your restaurant, bar or hotel fits in with this holiday.

September 25: National One-hit Wonder Day

This one’s simple: Commit to playing only one-hit wonders. People love nostalgia, particularly when it comes to music. Either create a playlist or hire a DJ, and if you’re feeling creative, put some themed drinks on your menu.

September 27: National Crush a Can Day

You don’t have to encourage your guests to literally crush cans to celebrate this day. Really, this is a great way to make people aware of your craft beers, RTDs, canned wines, and other canned beverages on your menu.

Image: Dan Parlante on Unsplash

August 12, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Celebrate Two August Bar Holidays with Rum

Celebrate Two August Bar Holidays with Rum

by David Klemt

If you and your team have a commitment to programming and promotions, you have to love all the bar holidays available to you in August.

Not only are there six wine holidays in August, there are two holidays that call for rum. In fact, August is National Rum Month.

On August 16 you have the opportunity to program for National Rum Day. Obviously, rum is a legendary spirit with loads of history. So, you’ll want to honor it correctly—get creative and pull out all the stops.

Of course, one excellent way to celebrate rum is with famous perfect builds of classic rum cocktails. One of these classics is the iconic Mai Tai. Oh, yeah—that’s the other rum holiday in August!

After you program for Tuesday, August 16, prepare for Mai Tai Day on Tuesday, August 30.

June 30 is NOT Mai Tai Day

Now, if you Google “National Mai Tai Day” or “Mai Tai Day,” you’ll get an interesting result. You’ll see that some say National Mai Tai Day is June 30.

Well, Trader Vic’s says that’s absolutely not the case. In fact, a proclamation from the City of Oakland declares August 30 is Mai Tai Day.

On August 30, 2009, at-large councilmember Rebecca Kaplan made it official.

But why, I hear you asking (maybe, possibly), should we take Kaplan’s word for it? For me, it’s because Trader Vic’s themselves confirm that August 30 is “the real” Mai Tai Day.

Okay, but why should we take Trader Vic’s word for it? Because Trader Vic himself is the inventor of the Mai Tai.

Fact not Fiction

As I often point out when diving into cocktail history, much of what we “know” about certain drinks is lore. Either we simply can’t be 100-percent certain about a cocktail’s origins or multiple people are given the credit.

I mean, in some cases multiple people take the credit (and the glory) for themselves.

However, that’s not the case with the legendary Mai Tai. We know that Victor J. “Trader Vic” Bergeron is the classic cocktail’s creator.

Getting inspiration from traveling and operator peer Donn “Don the Beachcomber” Beach, Bergeron transformed his bar Hinky Dink into Trader Vic’s.

So, what do many (most, if we’re honest) operators like to do when they open or rebrand their business? Come up with a signature drink or dish.

In the case of Trader Vic’s, the Mai Tai was born.

The Real Mai Tai

Interestingly—perhaps sadly—the Mai Tai is often the subject of “mistreatment.” In part, we can blame Trader Vic for this.

Now, before you break out your pitchfork, I’m not vilifying Trader Vic. However, he did refuse to share his Mai Tai recipe with others. Author Wayne Curtis explains that this secrecy is “why we have so many bad Mai Tais with pineapple juice and other hideous additions.”

Those hideous additions? Juices, an array of rum styles, floats, garnishes beyond a lime shell and mint sprig… It’s likely you’ve never seen consistency in Mai Tai builds.

As Trader Vic himself tells it: “I took down a bottle of 17-year old rum. It was J. Wray & Nephew rum from Jamaica—surprisingly golden in color, medium bodied but with the rich pungent flavor particular to the Jamaican blends.”

So, that dispels the notion that you use a light rum and a dark rum to build a Mai Tai. He also only added orgeat, orange curaçao, rock candy syrup (the recipe calls for demerara simple), and fresh lime juice.

To be fair, it’s said that the popularity of the Mai Tai forced the J. Wray & Nephew rum (almost) to “extinction.” Rumor has it that original bottles can command auction prices of $50,000 or more.

Trader Vic’s Original Mai Tai Recipe

A lot of us like to put our spin on things. However, there’s an official recipe from the official creator of the Mai Tai.

So, let’s honor Trader Vic and his iconic creation. Below is the recipe that most closely follows the Trader Vic’s spec. Obviously, nobody expects you to track down a $50,000 bottle of rum to follow the original with ruthless precision.

1 oz. Light rum
1 oz. Dark rum
Fresh lime juice (keep half of the squeezed lime’s shell)
0.5 oz. Orange curaçao
0.25 oz. Orgeat
0.25 oz. Simple syrup
Fresh Mint Sprig
1 cup Crushed ice

Add crushed ice to a shaker. Some bartenders also add some ice cubes. Next, add the liquid ingredients, and shake. Pour—without straining—into a double Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with the lime shell and mint spring. That’s right—the original recipe doesn’t call for a pineapple wedge or cherry.

Image: Blake Wisz on Unsplash

August 2, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Stand Out with Weird Holidays: August 2022

Stand Out with Weird Holidays: August 2022

by David Klemt

Want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Then commit to keeping it weird.

Several “holidays” are set against every date on the calendar, and August is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to “weird.”

Pay attention to the latter to raise eyebrows, carve out a niche for your restaurant or bar, and attract more guests. Why do what everyone else is already doing?

Of course, you shouldn’t try to celebrate every holiday, weird or otherwise. And this month’s list in no way includes every odd holiday.

Focus on the days that are authentic to your brand; resonate with your guests; and help you grab attention on social media.

For July’s list, click here.

August 5: National Work Like A Dog Day

It probably sounds like this day is all about being as productive as possible at work. However, National Work Like a Dog Day is a celebration of service animals (mainly dogs). So, this is the day to invite your guests with service animals to grab a bite and drink and make new friends—four-legged and otherwise—at your bar or restaurant.

August 8: National Happiness Happens Day

This is a day that focuses on finding happiness wherever we can. And as we know, there’s plenty of happiness to be found in local restaurants and bars. National Happiness Happens Day is a blank canvas on which to create a fun, engaging promotion.

August 8: National Dollar Day

For the history nerds out there—and I say that with reverence, not ridicule—the first US dollar was minted in 1794. Leveraging this holiday is as simple as offering a food or drink item for $1. Of course, that’s if such a discount is legal where you’re operating. And I recommend requiring the purchase of a full-price item to receive the discount.

August 11: National Rasberry Bombe Day

If you’re not familiar with the raspberry bombe, you’re probably not alone. This tasty treat isn’t a commonly known dessert item. A raspberry bombe is a pastry that consists of heavy cream, sugar, candied fruit (raspberries, in this case), and nuts placed in a spherical design. The bombe is then frozen before being served. Bonus points for adding rum before freezing.

August 12: National Vinyl Record Day

There are a couple ways to celebrate this holiday. One, you can require your house DJ or hired gun to spin actual records. Two, you can team up with your local vinyl store to create a mutually beneficial promotion. Get a little creative and celebrate that warmest of sonic mediums, the vinyl record.

August 15: Discovery Day

This day likely isn’t very weird to Canadians. In particular, it’s well-known among those familiar with the Yukon. But for the rest of us, this is a celebration of the discovery of gold in this famed area. Celebrate with gold-flaked F&B items, caramel-drizzled desserts and cocktails, and whatever else you can think of where gold makes sense.

August 20: World Honey Bee Day

Where would we be without the honey bee? Not in a good place at all, that’s where. Perfect your Bee’s Knees and other cocktails that feature honey. And, of course, feature honey in some creative places on your food menu as well.

August 27: National Just Because Day

Obviously, this is another awesome blank-slate cocktail. You can essentially create any promotion you want to celebrate this day. Why? Because whatever you choose to do, it’s just because.

August 29: According to Hoyle Day

Here’s an odd one for you. On According to Hoyle Day, you live life according to one of the 300 (!) games for which Edmond Hoyle wrote the rules. This day certainly requires getting creative but card games and cocktails do go hand in hand.

August 31: National Eat Outside Day

Hey, guess how this day is celebrated…

Image: Dan Parlante on Unsplash

July 27, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

One White Wine, Two Wine Holidays

One White Wine, Two Wine Holidays

by David Klemt

In August, operators and their front- and back-of house teams can celebrate two restaurant and bar holidays with one white wine.

Obviously, that means two bites at the apple—or grape (my apologies, I’ll see myself out)—in the same week. In turn, that generates revenue and move wine inventory.

Okay, so what wine does double duty in August? Albariño, a popular white wine with origins in Portugal. In fact, there are two countries that dominate Albariño production, Portugal and Spain.

On Monday, August 1, your guests have the opportunity to celebrate International Albariño Day. Just three days later, August 4, we have National White Wine Day. How convenient!

As we know, while many of today’s guests have their favorites and stick to them, they like to try new things. This August, add Albariño to your Chardonnay, Moscato, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc lineup.

So, what do you need to know about Albariño? Let’s take a look at this refreshing white wine below.

The Wine Nerd Stuff

As I say above, Albariño traces its origins to Portugal. In its home country, this varietal’s name is Alvarinho.

Most people who are familiar with Albariño are familiar with bottles from Spain. So, Albariño is the same grape as Alvarinho.

Call it by either name, this white wine is an Old World wine. In fact, some of these vines are a few hundred years old. For those wondering, Old World wines come from Europe, speaking generally. And New World wines? Well, they come from anywhere not in Europe.

However, there is indeed New World Albariño. Also, if you happen to operate a restaurant or bar in North America, these New World versions can be easy to acquire.

Unsurprisingly yet conveniently, there are wineries producing Albariño in California. Of course, these California Albariños are different than their Portuguese and Spanish counterparts. California’s Central Coast wine region is warmer than Spain’s cool Galicia region.

The Flavors and Aromas

Alright, so what’s Albariño like on the nose and palate, and how does it finish? To answer these questions, let’s look at the Old World wine first.

Again, I’m speaking about this white wine in broad strokes. You and your staff will need to taste a few bottles to understand their nuances.

So, Portuguese and Spanish Albariño tends to be light-bodied and dry, with high acidity. On the nose, expect peach and citrus like grapefruit, lemon, and lime. You may also detect a hint of wet stone, owing to its minerality.

On the palate, there’s usually a touch of salinity, plenty of acid, and notes of grapefruit, honeysuckle, nectarine, honeydew, and granite. Expect a long, dry finish.

Now, since Old World versions tend to be grown in cool climates, they tend to be light-bodied. Since Californian Albariño grows in a warmer climate, its characteristics are different.

Generally speaking, California Albariño is medium-bodied in comparison to its Old World counterparts. The Californian wines tend to have both floral and tropical notes on the nose. Along with the notes one would expect from Spanish and Portuguese wines, California Albariño can also feature orange and elderberry flavors.

Don’t Forget the Food

Obviously, wine pairs well with food—that should go without saying. And it would have too, but I said it.

Anyway, maximize guest spend by including your back-of-house team for your International Albariño Day and National White Wine Day promotions.

For this varietal, think lighter foods. Seafood, freshwater fishes, chicken, tofu, salads, grilled vegetables, and fruits pair well with Albariño.

Of course, you’ll also want to consider cheese pairings. So, try your Albariños with Chèvre, Manchego, Burrata, Feta, Gruyère, and Brie.

You have time to add some crisp, delicious Albariños from multiple regions to your menu. Create two promotions that showcase these wines and lure in your guests with irresistible pairings.

Cheers!

Image: World of Wine Porto, Portugal (Hayffield L on Unsplash)

July 1, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Stand Out with Weird Holidays: July 2022

Stand Out with Weird Holidays: July 2022

by David Klemt

Want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Then commit to keeping it weird.

Several “holidays” are set against every date on the calendar, and July is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to “weird.”

Pay attention to the latter to raise eyebrows, carve out a niche for your restaurant or bar, and attract more guests. Why do what everyone else is already doing?

Of course, you shouldn’t try to celebrate every holiday, weird or otherwise. And this month’s list in no way includes every odd holiday.

Focus on the days that are authentic to your brand; resonate with your guests; and help you grab attention on social media.

For June’s list, click here.

July 5: Workaholics Day

We may be in the midst of the Great Resignation but people are still working too hard. They’re too busy and experiencing too much stress.

So, this Workaholics Day, encourage your overworked, workaholic guests to unwind with your and your staff. They need to sign out, unplug, and escape.

July 7: National Dive Bar Day

Ah, the dive bar. Whether you consider this hospitality institution a dive, neighborhood bar, or local watering hole, it’s worthy of celebration.

If you’re a dive or neighborhood bar owner, this is your day to pull out all the stops. You run a cornerstone of your community—time to party with the neighborhood!

July 8: Video Games Day

Okay, video games in and of themselves aren’t weird. Well, the weird games are weird but you know what I mean.

Have TVs and consoles? Arcade games? Put them front and center with your marketing. Come up with a tournament and get your guests playing. And, of course, a limited-time, themed cocktail menu also works.

July 12: National Simplicity Day

We all know what KISS (not the band) stands for: Keep It Simple, Stupid. Quick note: I’m not calling you stupid.

Simple, of course, tends to be quicker, and people appreciate fast service when they’re thirsty. This is definitely the day to perfect highballs and two- or three-ingredient cocktails.

July 13: Embrace Your Geekness Day

Look, we’re all geeks about something. A geek doesn’t have to conjure stereotypical images of so-called nerds. Certainly, the term shouldn’t mean someone’s an outcast.

A geek is passionate and that should be admired. You should know what your guests are into and how to engage with them about their passions.

July 17: World Emoji Day

Hey, want to create a creative LTO that will be fun for guests to decipher? Come up with ways to name and, if you really want to get into it, describe your F&B with emoji.

July 20: National Moon Day

You and your team can celebrate this day a couple of ways. Of course, the obvious way is to craft a moon, space-, sci-fi, and/or astronaut-themed LTO.

Or, for a more outside-the-box promotion, you can always look up moon-based conspiracy theories and make that your theme.

July 23: National Hot Dog Day

It’s obvious that hot dogs aren’t inherently weird. However, you can encourage your kitchen team to put their heads together and come up with truly “weird” or unusual (but enticing) LTO hot dogs.

July 29: National Get Gnarly Day

Eager to engage your bar team? Looking to push them to come up with some unique cocktails and beer-and-shot combos? This is the holiday to get them to get gnarly and creative.

July 31: National Mutt Day

If your bar or restaurant is dog friendly, this holiday is your time to shine! Encourage your guests to bring their adorable mutts. Bonus points for offering an LTO menu featuring dog-safe F&B.

Image: Dan Parlante on Unsplash

June 19, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Raise a 7&7 to National Dive Bar Day

Raise a 7&7 to National Dive Bar Day

by David Klemt

We celebrate one of the most hallowed of drinking establishments on July 7, also known as National Dive Bar Day.

Look, we love a visit to a high-end, luxurious cocktail bar. But there’s nothing quite like discovering a casual, comfortable, unpretentious bar that feels like home.

Often times, the local watering hole is a cornerstone of a given community. So, we’re looking forward to the fifth annual National Dive Bar Day in just over two weeks.

You should have plenty of time if you’re a dive or neighborhood bar owner to create your National Dive Bar Day promotion.

A Little History

It’s hard to believe that National Dive Bar Day is a mere five years old. In fact, Seagram’s 7 Crown launched the first annual celebration in 2018.

Not only does this holiday honor a true institution, Seagram’s donated $25,000 to the National Trust for Historic Preservation on its inception. (This year, Seagram’s 7 Crown is supporting Main Street Alliance.)

This makes a lot sense when you think about it. After all, dive bars are often located in a historic building or are landmarks themselves.

Some people may not like it, but drinking culture is an integral part of many a community across not just America, not just North America, but the world.

Not so long ago a bartender could set beers and shots in front of two people with opposing views and they’d find common ground to bond over. The optimist in me hopes we can return to those days, visiting our local neighborhood bars and focusing on what we all have in common rather than letting ourselves grow further divided.

Where some people see a “just” a dive bar, those of us in the know see social and cultural centers that support neighborhoods and communities.

Given their commitment to unpretentious and welcoming service, we need to support and protect our local dives.

What Makes a Dive Bar?

There are some key elements that set dive bars apart from other drinking establishments.

Characters on both sides of the bar, inexpensive drinks, familiar bar food, and an approachable feel are, I would say, the hallmarks.

Now, there are those who think a dive bar also includes an “earthy” smell, to be generous. They may also feel that they call dirty buildings with questionable structural integrity home.

However, “dive” doesn’t have to mean filthy. First and foremost, a dive bar needs to be comfortable and welcoming. Filth tends to give off an unwelcoming, dangerous vibe. That’s not exactly the spirit of hospitality.

Just as a great dive bar should be clean, it should also have a solid F&B program. Inexpensive doesn’t have to mean cheap. Oh, and no, the staff doesn’t have to be surly and untrained.

Dives are Neighborhood Bars

When I first learned about Nickel City, as an example, I saw what a dive bar should be. Both locations, Austin and Fort Worth, are described by co-owner Travis Tober as “anytime bars.”

Nickel City commits to serving the community, and they’re open when people need them. In fact, as you’ll learn during episode 50 of the Bar Hacks podcast, Tober made sure they were open to serve people during the infamous winter storm of 2021 that shut down much of Texas.

In speaking with Tober and reading other interviews with him, I learned that he prefers the term “neighborhood” to “dive.” Due in part to the negative perception some have of dive bars, I can understand his preference.

In my opinion, the difference lies in subtle but important nuances. However, I’ll probably still refer to neighborhood bars as dive bars.

Either way, Nickel City is a dive bar done right and a concept that other operators should certainly study. Nickel City is exemplary, a standard that dive/neighborhood bars should aspire to reach.

The 7&7

As far as Seagram’s is concerned, the 7&7 is “the quintessential Dive Bar drink.” It’s difficult to argue: it’s a highball, it’s fast and simple to make, it’s refreshing, and it shouldn’t be pricey.

But, hey, if you’ve never made or ordered one, here’s the recipe:

1.5 oz. Seagram’s 7 Crown
0.5 oz. 7UP
Slice of lime to garnish

Simply prepare a highball glass with ice, add Seagram’s 7 Crown and 7UP, and stir. Then just stir, garnish, and serve.

Cheers!

Image: Florencia Viadana on Unsplash

June 1, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Stand Out with Weird Holidays: June 2022

Stand Out with Weird Holidays: June 2022

by David Klemt

Want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Then commit to keeping it weird.

Several “holidays” are set against every date on the calendar, and June is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to “weird.”

Pay attention to the latter to raise eyebrows, carve out a niche for your restaurant or bar, and attract more guests. Why do what everyone else is already doing?

Of course, you shouldn’t try to celebrate every holiday, weird or otherwise. And this month’s list in no way includes every odd holiday.

Focus on the days that are authentic to your brand; resonate with your guests; and help you grab attention on social media.

For last month’s list, click here.

June 4: National Bubbly Day

Fine, so maybe sparkling wines aren’t weird. Sometimes I just add holidays that have the potential to be fun while driving traffic and revenue to these lists.

As I’m sure you’re already guessing, National Bubbly Day is the perfect time to make your guests aware of your sparkling wines. Bubbly is even more attractive to guests as temperatures rise.

June 5: National Veggie Burger Day

There’s no question that plant-based food items are only growing more popular with consumers. This is the day to showcase your veggie burgers and other meat and dairy alternatives.

June 10: National Herbs and Spices Day

Without herbs and spices, where would F&B be? Task your kitchen and bar teams with creating dishes and drinks that are made better with herbs and spices. Tell your bartenders to break out the torches and light the rosemary!

June 13: International Axe Throwing Day

If you’re an eatertainment venue, bar, or restaurant with an axe-throwing setup, this is one-hundred-percent your day to shine.

June 14: International Bath Day

There are a few different ways to design a promotion around this holiday. One, you can feature distillers who specifically produce gin expressions labeled “Bathtub Gin.” Ableforth’s, for example, is one such producer. Two, you can purchase bathtub-shaped drinkware. Three, you can combine the first two for an LTO pour.

June 16: National Dump The Pump Day

It’s not exactly a secret that gas prices are rising across the nation. With that in mind, it shouldn’t be too difficult to encourage your guests to arrive at your business by bicycle, scooter, skateboard, foot, electric car, or other means of conveyance that doesn’t use gasoline or diesel for fuel.

June 20: American Eagle Day

Interested in a holiday that requires very specific planning? Try American Eagle Day.

One way to celebrate is to design a promotion around award-winning Eagle Rare bourbon. And no, they didn’t pay us to mention them. They just make really good whiskey that works great for this holiday.

June 25: National Leon Day

There’s an entire contingent of people who simply can’t wait for Christmas to come around each year. In fact, they don’t think it’s fair that they only get to celebrate it once a year.

National Leon Day is celebrated every June 25th because it’s the midway point to Christmas. So, forget Christmas in July—celebrate Christmas in June with your guests and specialty LTO menus.

June 29: National Waffle Iron Day

Your guests may be surprised to learn the number of foods that can be waffled. Create an LTO menu that showcases how creative your kitchen team can get with waffle irons. For bonus points, include your bar team with waffled garnishes.

June 30: National Social Media Day

I suppose it was only a matter of time from social media reaching ubiquity to this form of media having its own holiday. Mashable launched the first National Social Media Day in 2010.

Create post-worthy F&B items, come up with your own hashtags, and ask your guests to post pics using those tags to promote your business.

Image: Dan Parlante on Unsplash

May 18, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Drinks for Your World Whisky Day Menu

Drinks for Your World Whisky Day Menu

by David Klemt

This Saturday is the eleventh annual celebration of World Whisky Day, the perfect day to highlight your whisky and cocktail menus.

One revenue-generating method of drawing in guests is a promotion showcasing popular, lesser-known, or rare whiskies. Operators can also create a whisky and beer combo promotion.

Of course, there’s also the specialty cocktail menu. There are a few different approaches to this promotion.

An operator and their bar team can focus on one specific cocktail, offering three or four “takes” on it. Another way to make this work is to take the same cocktail and feature a different whisky in each one.

A different approach is to create a World Whisky Day menu consisting of three or more of the most popular whisky cocktails. To help you identify which drinks to feature we looked into the top whisky drinks. Check them out below.

Old Fashioned

C’mon—you knew this was going to be on the list before you read past the title of this article. Drinks Digest ranked the Old Fashioned the number-one cocktail of 2021.

VinePair‘s list didn’t rank their most-popular cocktails overtly but this classic got its expected mention.

Manhattan

Just like the Old Fashioned, you expected this drink to make this list. While it can certainly be made with bourbon or an array of single malt American whiskies, the Manhattan shines when made with rye.

Whisky Sour

As Drinks International points out, the Whisky Sour may not be the top drink in most bars. In fact, it may not make it into their top three.

However, the simple but refreshing Whisky Sour is at least in the top ten of several bars, making it a solid choice for your specialty menu.

Boulevardier

Want to get some of the cocktail aficionados among your guests to flip out? Tell them loudly and confidently that the Boulevardier is better than the Negroni. That’ll certainly get them talking.

Or, hey, don’t do that. Just perfect this bourbon cocktail, a cousin of the Negroni, and highlight your build for World Whisky Day.

Mint Julep

The Kentucky Derby may be over but summer is just around the corner. People are still craving this centuries-old cocktail and VinePair called it “essential” last year.

Sazerac

Like many classics, the Sazerac was “medicinal” when it was first created in the 1830s. In 2008, this drink was made the official cocktail of New Orleans by the Louisiana state legislature.

The Sazerac is another cocktail recipe that VinePair said was an essential one for bars in 2021.

Vieux Carré

It’s difficult to overstate the important role New Orleans has played and continues to play in American cocktail culture.

The recipe, created about 100 years after the Sazerac, combines American whisky (rye, traditionally), Cognac, Bénédictine, sweet vermouth, and Peychaud’s bitters.

Penicillin

Created by Sam Ross when he was behind the stick at Milk & Honey, this is my favorite whisky cocktail. The recipe was one of Punch’s most popular last year, and it was on Drinks International’s top 50 list for 2021.

On a personal note, this is one of my all-time favorite whisky cocktails. In fact, the Penicillin is one of my favorite cocktails in general.

Honorable Mentions

These may not be top sellers for most bars (if any) but they’re worth consideration for World Whisky Day.

The Chauncey is a 1:1:1:1 combination of rye whisky, Cognac, gin, and sweet vermouth plus two dashes of orange bitters, served up.

Of course, there’s also the Mule, which lends itself to an incredible number of riffs. Select a whisky or two to come up with specialty Mules of your own.

Irish whisky stands out in an Irish coffee, which can be served iced/frozen when it’s hot outside.

And then we have the Rob Roy. If you want to be glib about it, this is a Manhattan made with Scotch rather than rye whisky.

Your Own Data

There’s an excellent resource for determining what drinks to feature at your restaurant or bar. It’s quite literally at your fingertips: your POS.

If you want to know what your guests are drinking and what they want, run a report.

How deep you get into the data is up to you, of course. Monthly, quarterly, seasonally, annually… There are myriad methods to determine your World Whisky Day’s best options.

Sure, you can probably safely assume that your top whisky cocktails are the same as those above. But why not be absolutely certain with your own data? You invest money and time into your POS—wring everything you can out of it.

Also, your bar team and servers. Ask them what whiskies guests have been asking for that you don’t have.

Use your POS to identify the whiskies gathering dust in your stockroom, then find a way to move them quickly (a well-priced LTO should work) and replace them with what guests want.

Image: YesMore Content on Unsplash

May 2, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Stand Out with Weird Holidays: May 2022

Stand Out with Weird Holidays: May 2022

by David Klemt

Want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Then commit to keeping it weird.

Several “holidays” are set against every date on the calendar, and May is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to “weird.”

Pay attention to the latter to raise eyebrows, carve out a niche for your restaurant or bar, and attract more guests. Why do what everyone else is already doing?

Of course, you shouldn’t try to celebrate every holiday, weird or otherwise. And this month’s list in no way includes every odd holiday.

Focus on the days that are authentic to your brand; resonate with your guests; and help you grab attention on social media.

For last month’s list, click here.

May 3: National Two Different-colored Shoes Day

Promotions don’t need to be complicated to generate traffic, revenue, and social media engagement. Encourage guests and staff to wear mismatched shoes and program around that call to action.

May 6: International No Diet Day

The fact that this holiday comes at the start of the weekend is awesome. It’s Friday, this holiday is all about indulging food and drink cravings, and people want to get back out there after being unable to gather for more than two years. Put your most decadent F&B items front and center!

May 8: National Have a Coke Day

Are you a Coca-Cola account? If so, great—create specialty menu items using Coke and promote them.

Not a Coke account? Well…you can always take a play out of some of the cheeky QSR brands’ playbooks and counter-program on this holiday.

May 13: National Crouton Day

Ah, the mighty-but-mini crunchy treat that is the crouton. Not only are they great in soups and salads, they can be an appetizer or shareable on their own. Better yet, they’re easy to make in-house, such as the revered grilled cheese crouton.

May 16: National Sea-Monkey Day

As we pointed out last week, Datassential has identified drinks that evoke nostalgia are a trend to watch this year. The infamous Sea-Monkeys have been around since the 1960s and also resonate with ’70s, ’80s, and even ’90s kids.

May 17: National Graduation Tassel Day

Most colleges hold their graduations in May. So, if you operate a restaurant or bar in a college town, this is your time to shine. A simple food and/or drink promotion aimed at new graduates is an excellent way to drive traffic and generate much-needed dollars.

May 22: National Craft Distillery Day

You most likely have at least a few products from craft distilleries on your menu. This is the day to highlight them, particularly if they’re local to your business.

May 24: National Scavenger Hunt Day

There are a few ways to program for this holiday. One way, of course, is to focus on your own operation(s) and come up with a scavenger hunt that keeps guests on property.

However, you can also team up with surrounding businesses to create a multi-venue scavenger hunt that engages the entire community and drives business to small operators.

May 25: National Sing Out Day

Do you host karaoke? Are you operating a piano bar? What about a raucous supper club? If your restaurant or bar is set up for singalongs, this is the holiday for you.

May 30: National Creativity Day

Hey, guess what you should do on this holiday? Tap into you and your team members’ creativity and come up with a promotion that’s truly unique.

Image: Dan Parlante on Unsplash

March 25, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Who Was the Legendary King Gambrinus?

Who Was the Legendary King Gambrinus?

by David Klemt

Just who is Gambrinus, the cultural icon beer lovers honor and celebrate on April 11, King Gambrinus Day?

Most simply, he’s an excellent excuse to enjoy a pint. More importantly, he’s a fantastic reason for operators to execute a beer promotion to drive traffic and revenue.

But who was Gambrinus? And was he actually a king?

Let’s dive in!

A King?

Gambrinus may want a word with Budweiser. After all, they’ve claimed the title “King of Beers” since around the 1950s.

If one runs a search for Gambrinus and scans the results quickly, he was a king. Although, other sources identify him as a duke. Or maybe he was a count.

Intriguingly, he’s often referred to as the inventor of beer. Sometimes, he’s lauded as the patron saint of beer.

Gambrinus is also known as the embodiment of joviality, conviviality, and incredible feats of drinking. Legend has it, he could put away 144 beers in a single sitting.

And how did he become credited with this most magnificent of creations? In a completely natural way, of course.

As the totally reasonable story goes, Gambrinus was taught the secret to brewing beer over 500 years ago by the Egyptian gods Osiris and Isis.

However, a German historian has said this character was based on another mythical character: Gambrivius. This German king, who may also have been named Gampar, also learned beer brewing by Isis and Osiris.

In other words…Gambrinus very likely never existed.

Gambrinus, Cultural Icon

Real or (most likely) not, Gambrinus is deeply embedded in beer and brewing culture.

There are breweries, restaurants, and bars that feature Gambrinus—as a king, of course—around the world.

In fact, if one takes a look at a can of Victoria beer, they may find the fabled king in the logo. He’s wearing regal finery and holding a beer aloft, admiring it.

And should anyone find themselves in Porte Alegre, Brazil, they’ll find Restaurante Gambrinus. Guess who the restaurant’s name pays homage to.

Of course, the king has made it America. Reportedly, Pabst Brewing has commissioned at least three Gambrinus statues. The first iteration was crafted in 1967 and is named King Gambrinus, Legendary Patron of Brewing.

So, fine—King Gambrinus Day doesn’t honor a “real” king. Is that such a bad thing? What we’re really celebrating on April 11 is beer itself.

We’re paying homage to brewers, breweries, and beer lovers across the globe. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating what some call the nectar of the gods, and others call the drink of kings.

Before April 11, take a look at your beer menu and program. Review how your bar team pulls and serves a pint. Make certain you know what beer-loving guests want to drink, and have plenty on hand.

Let’s all raise a pint to Gambrinus, king, duke, count, or mythical figure. Cheers!

Image: engin akyurt on Unsplash