Cocktail | KRG Hospitality

September 24, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Bee’s Knees Week: Save the Bees!

Bee’s Knees Week: Save the Bees!

by David Klemt

What if you could help the planet with a simple but refreshing three-ingredient cocktail, a photo, and a hashtag?

Would you do it? We think you and your guests would.

Today marks the start of Bee’s Knees Week, which runs through October 3.

Learn more about how you, your business, and your guests can participate below!

Bee’s Knees Week

We all know Negroni Week. In fact, the ninth annual Negroni Week concluded this past Sunday.

Lesser known but making a name for itself is Bee’s Knees Week. First launched in 2017, this is the campaign’s fifth year.

Nearly 1,000 bars participated in Bee’s Knees Week last year. Since 2017, participants have raised more than $70,000.

We’d love to see more than 1,000 bars take part this year, so click here to register your business to participate.

Save the Bees

So, why save the bees? They’re an integral part of our planet’s ecosystem.

As we know, bees pollinate flora and crops. That means these keystone insects help develop and maintain habitats, and also ensure sufficient food supplies.

Unfortunately, bee populations are on the decline. Simply put, if the bees die, most of life on Earth dies next.

So, when you participate in Bee’s Knees Week and encourage your guests to do so as well, what’s the result?

For every photo posted to social media of a Bee’s Knees cocktail that includes #beeskneesweek and @barrhillgin, Barr Hill Gin will plant ten square feet of bee habitat.

Simply put, it can’t be any easier to participate in this eco-friendly campaign. Once you register your restaurant, bar, entertainment venue, or hotel, build a Bee’s Knees, snap a photo, tag and post it, and use it to promote your participation to guests and followers.

Build the Cocktail

The Bee’s Knees cocktail is a straightforward, three-ingredient drink with a simple garnish:

2 oz. Gin
0.75 oz. Honey syrup (make your own: 2 parts honey, 1 part hot water, let cool)
0.75 oz. Fresh lemon juice
Lemon twist to garnish

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A post shared by BARR HILL (@barrhillgin)

First, chill a cocktail glass. In a mixing tin, combine the three ingredients with ice. Second, shake and double strain into the prepared glass. Third, garnish with a lemon twist.

Next, serve and ask your guests to post a photo of their refreshing cocktail that includes the tags #beeskneesweek and @barrhillgin.

And that’s it—you’re helping save the bees and the planet.

Image: Dmitry Grigoriev on Unsplash

White Claw Ruby Grapefruit and pizza poolside

August 30, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

How to Use RTDs for LTOs

How to Use RTDs for LTOs

by David Klemt

The RTD, aka ready-to-drink, category continues to grow and gain greater market share, particularly in the US.

However, the common association with RTDs is that consumers mostly drink them at home.

That begs a simple question: How can operators generate revenue with this popular, in-demand beverage category?

Massive Growth

Unsurprisingly, the RTD cocktail category is still one the rise.

These drinks are convenient. New brands come to market regularly. They tend to fall in line with rising consumer desire for lower-ABV options. And many brands speak to consumer desires—sustainability and outdoor interests, for example—via their visions and missions.

Per the IWSR, the US leads the charge when it comes to demand for RTDs. North America as a whole is driving growth.

However, the category grew 43 percent globally in 2020 alone. According to multiple sources, RTDs are worth USD $782.8 million. Projections have the category more than doubling by 2028: $1.7 billion.

Tequila and gin RTDs appear to be the most popular within the category, but rum, whiskey, and vodka are also growing.

So, what’s the point of all these numbers? Operators need to know what consumers are drinking and leverage that demand for the benefit of their businesses.

Simple LTOs

One of the most obvious ways to deliver on RTDs is to treat it like beer. Add a “Canned Cocktails” section and list your options. Or, hey, do what some venues do and add White Claw and other RTDs to the beer list.

After all, millions of people order canned beers every day in restaurants, bars, hotels, and entertainment and sports venues.

However, there are guests who perceive ordering an RTD instead of a traditional cocktail at a bar as a sub-par experience.

The bartender, after all, is just popping a top and handing over a can.

One way to elevate the experience is via limited-time offers. A great example comes from Nickel City, which has two locations in Texas: Austin and Fort Worth.

The award-winning neighborhood bar offers a monthly Boilermaker, and this month’s was the Rise & Shine:

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A post shared by Nickel City (@nickelcityatx)

As you can see, a High Noon Grapefruit Vodka Soda comes with a 50/50 pour of Aperol and Altos Tequila for just $8.

Other restaurants and bars—with vessels large enough—are offering riffs on the Corona-rita with RTDs. The bar team builds the cocktail as usual, then inverts and inserts the RTD.

Such a drink can certainly be leveraged via monthly LTOs.

There are a few keys to succeeding with RTDs: understanding your guests, knowing your market, and getting creative. Guests willing to spend on the RTDs they enjoy at home while at your restaurant or bar? Great. Guests unwilling unless there’s added value? Convene your bar team and tap their creativity.

Image: Maria Oswalt on Unsplash

Fishers Island Lemonade cans and flavors

April 22, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Multi-gen Recipe Becomes RTD

Multi-gen Recipe Becomes RTD

by David Klemt

Not just another RTD, Fishers Island Lemonade is a premium brand that transforms a multi-generational recipe into a can cocktail.

Now, the brand is launching four new expressions, right in time for summer.

Let’s take a look at these craft RTD cocktails.

A Recipe with History

There’s only one place to drink on Fishers Island in New York, the Pequot Inn. The restaurant and bar is known for its signature cocktails.

One intrepid member of the Shillo family, who owned the Pequot for more than two decades, is putting her spin on one of the signature cocktails into cans.

Bronya Shillo tended bar at the Pequot when it was under her family’s ownership. She launched Fishers Island Lemonade (FIL) in 2014.

FIL’s original expression is a 9.0-percent blend of premium vodka, barrel-aged whiskey, lemon and honey. Now, the Original spiked lemonade has four new friends: Spiked Tea, Pink Flamingo, Fizz, and Frozen Spirits Pops.

Brand Expansion

Like Original FIL, the brand’s new lineup consists of signature cocktail recipes. In fact, you’ll find several FIL recipes on the brand’s website.

FIL Spiked Tea and Pink Flamingo both ring in at 7.0 percent ABV. The former is the original recipe with black tea, while the latter is made with cranberry.

Fishers Island Fizz is the lower-ABV version of Original FIL, coming in at a more sessionable 5.0 percent ABV.

Perfect for summer, FIL Frozen Spirits Pops are exactly what they sound like: popsicles made with Original FIL.

Finding FIL

Currently, FIL is available in Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island.

However, the brand is utilizing direct-to-consumer sales to reach consumers across America. FIL is also available on Drizly.

A four-pack of FIL RTDs have an SRP of $15.99. The Frozen Spirits Pops come in ten-packs with an SRP of $27.99.

Images provided by Fishers Island Lemonade

March 12, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Are You Ready for St. Patrick’s Day?

Are You Ready for St. Patrick’s Day?

by David Klemt

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner. Operators need to make sure they’re ready for in-person, delivery and takeout guests eager to celebrate.

An interesting element for this year’s holiday is that many people will be celebrating at home. That makes themed delivery, takeout and pickup packages important.

Over the past 12 months, consumers have grown to correlate drinking occasions with drinking at home. That shift in behavior can make it more challenging to succeed with holidays.

Of course, challenges also present opportunities. Working from and drinking at home has made weekday day-drinking more common. Operators can leverage new behaviors to offer in-person, delivery and takeout packages starting earlier for St. Patrick’s Day.

Such packages can include Irish Coffees for the morning or early lunch, Irish beers for lunch or dinner, Irish whiskey and beer packages for dinner and late-night…you get the idea. Classic and modern riffs on St. Patrick’s Day food mainstays are also a crucial element. The key is to get creative with inventory and offers, attracting a combination of in-person and off-premise consumers.

To give you a helping hand, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite Irish, Canadian and America whiskeys. We’re including the standards but also focusing on innovative and single malt expressions that boost guest spends and overall revenue.

Irish Whiskeys

One thing all operators know when it comes to St. Patrick’s Day: Irish whiskey and high-visibility brands must be represented.

After all, according to the Spirits Business, Irish whiskey generated well over $1 billion for distillers last year in the United States alone.

Jameson, Bushmills, Tullamore DEW, Kilbeggan and Redbreast shine on St. Patrick’s Day. Proper No. 12 is just a few years old but is on its way to becoming a St. Patrick’s standard.

In markets that can bear it, premiumization can help generate more revenue during this year’s holiday.

There’s nothing wrong with OG Jameson but consider premiumization with Jameson Black Barrel or 18 Years, which is finished in first-fill barrels.

When it comes to Bushmills, the original expression is great. Rare Cask 01, however, is the distillery’s Cognac cask premium dram.

For the adventurous guest, Cider Cask Finish, XO Caribbean Rum Cask Finish, and Old Bonded Warehouse Release from Tullamore DEW will get their attention.

Operators who feature Kilbeggan would do well to consider premiumization in the forms of Single Pot Still and Small Batch Rye.

Redbreast 12 Cask Strength and Redbreast Lustau are undeniable elevations of traditional Irish whiskey.

Canadian Single Malts

When people hear or think about St. Patrick’s Day, they tend to immediately leap to Irish whiskey. However, this holiday can be a time to highlight whiskeys from other countries.

Central City crafts Lohin McKinnon Single Malt with “pure British Columbia” water, per their website. The distiller recommends adding a splash cold, filtered water, a tip you can share with your guests.

Another Central City single malt takes Canadian in an interesting direction. Lohin McKinnon Tequila Barrel Finished instills single malt with unique flavors.

Eau De Claire boasts the distinction of being Alberta’s first craft distillery and first single malt whisky producers. The distillery uses only Alberta barley and rye to craft their liquid.

American Single Malts

There are a number of superlative American single malt whiskeys to consider promoting on St. Patrick’s Day.

Westland produces American single malt in Seattle, Washington. The distillery’s Outpost Range—Garryana, Colere, and Solum—celebrates American tradition, innovation and Pacific Northwest provenance.

Westward aims to craft and bottle the spirit of the American Northwest. Westward Pinot Noir Cask and Stout Cask elevate the distillery’s American single malts.

Those searching for a Rocky Mountain single malt need look no further than Stranahan’s. Each of their expressions is thoughtfully crafted, so it can be hard to choose just one. However, Blue Peak is interesting because it undergoes high-altitude distillation and is also finished using the Solera Method.

Also hailing from Colorado is Deerhammer. The distillery’s American Single Malt mash bill can experience temperature swings of well over 40 degrees in a single day.

Image: Stéphan Valentin on Unsplash