Cocktails | KRG Hospitality

November 4, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: November 2022

5 Books to Read this Month: November 2022

by David Klemt

This month’s engaging and informative book selections will help you hone your culinary, cocktail, and leadership skills to dial in your menus and operations.

To review October’s book recommendations, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Shaya: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel: A Cookbook

The next time you visit New Orleans, plan to dine at least once at the James Beard Award-winning Shaya. I’ve had the opportunity to do so and the experience was stunning. Of course, you’ll also want to check out Domenica and Pizza Domenica while in NOLA. To give you an idea of what to expect, pick up the Shaya cookbook.

Chef Alon Shaya’s personal journey through cooking is truly unique, embracing Israeli, Italian, and American Southern cuisines. Shaya tells Chef-operator Shaya’s moving story and more than 100 incredible recipes. Pick it up at Amazon.

Turkey and the Wolf: Flavor Trippin’ in New Orleans

After moving to New Orleans and working in fine dining, Chef Mason Hereford opened his own restaurant and put his stamp on the scene: Turkey and the Wolf. Both the restaurant and this cookbook focus on creative and enticing takes on Southern cooking.

Fancy deviled-egg tostadas? Fried bologna sandwiches absolutely heaving with potato chips? How about purposely burnt tomato casserole? Well, you’ll find these recipes and 92 others in this book, along with photographs and illustrations. This is sure to get you salivating and get your creative wheels turning. Grab Turkey and the Wolf here on Amazon.

Last Call at Coogan’s: The Life and Death of a Neighborhood Bar

As those of us in the industry know, restaurants and bars are the cornerstones of the communities they serve. Last Call at Coogan’s is the true tale of a neighborhood bar that, unfortunately, closed its doors for good during the pandemic after more than 30 years in operation.

From Amazon: “This book touches on many serious issues facing the country today: race relations, policing, gentrification, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Along the way, readers will meet the bar’s owners and an array of its most colorful regulars.” Purchase here via Amazon.

Spiritual Coffee

Bar co-founder, bartender, brand ambassador, and author Martin Hudak’s informative and exciting cocktail book is available now for purchase. Hudak is one of the brilliant minds behind Sydney destinations Maybe Sammy and Sammy Junior. Also, he’s a brand ambassador for Mr. Black, the ridiculously tasty coffee liqueur.

Spiritual Coffee focuses on coffee cocktails, a passion of Hudak’s. However, you’ll get more than recipes when you purchase this entertaining book. In these pages you’ll also find a wealth of coffee history, knowledge, and stories. Buy here!

The Future Is Analog: How to Create a More Human World

This book, from award-winning author David Sax, asks poignant culture questions about our rush toward a digital world, an undertaking that was supercharged during the pandemic.

“Is our future inevitably digital? Can we reject the downsides of digital technology without rejecting change?” Sax asks. “Can we innovate not for the sake of productivity but for the good of our social and cultural lives? Can we build a future that serves us as humans, first and foremost?” Purchase here via Amazon.

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

October 17, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

The Delicious ‘Mistake’ Causing an Uproar

The Delicious ‘Mistake’ Causing an Uproar

by David Klemt

Are you hearing your bar team or fellow bartenders debating Negroni specs or catching them rolling their eyes when a guest orders a particular variant?

Well, there’s a good reason. For some reason, the Negroni Sbagliato is getting roasted across social media.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mover & Shaker (@moverandshakerco)

Perhaps it’s for the way it’s apparently being ordered. If the memes are anything to go by—a portion of a sentence I can’t believe I just typed—guests are asking for, “A Negroni Sbagliato, with Prosecco.”

It’s possible that some bartenders are bristling at the “with Prosecco” portion of the order. A Sbagliato, which translates to “mistake,” “bungled,” or “incorrect” from Italian, is a gin-less Negroni. As you may already know or are putting together by now, sparkling wine stands in for the gin.

There’s also another possibility as well: some bartenders can’t stand when a cocktail suddenly explodes in popularity and it’s all they seem to make for weeks on end.

Of course, it could just be that some bartenders don’t feel that the drink is worthy of the hive-mind ordering frenzy. I’ve seen more than one comment on social media posts (again, I can’t believe that’s a relevant method of providing context, but here we are) pointing out that there’s nothing groundbreaking about the Sbagliato.

“All that’s happening is gin being swapped out for sparkling wine,” is a common refrain. It’s a good point.

If the phrase, “No Negroni without Campari,’ holds true, how can a Negroni be a Negroni without gin?

Guest Experience

So, that’s the gist of this “scandal” or “outrage.” Really, it just seems like a bit of fun from the bartender and cocktail communities. Why not vent a little spleen at something innocuous if nobody gets hurt?

Unless, of course, the guest experience is being affected negatively. There was a time not long ago during which a number of “serious” cocktail bar teams belittled guests for any number of reasons, and seemed to get away with it.

Didn’t know something about a particular element of ingredient of a drink? Ridicule. Asked for a drink “beneath” the bar team? Outward contempt.

Not great, as you can imagine, for the guest experience, growing a loyal base, and earning repeat visits.

Personally, I have no issue with front-of-house team members rolling their eyes at someone causing problems. Being rude or creepy to team members and/or guests? Difficult guests get what they deserve if they’re mocked, set straight, and kicked out.

But for ordering what they want to drink, well within reason? Sorry, but I don’t feel like that’s worthy of outward scorn. It’s not the spirit of hospitality, and it’s certainly not good for business.

However, I don’t think anyone has addressed the Negroni Sbagliato (non)issue as well as bartender Giuseppe González via Instagram:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Giuseppe González (@giuseppe_gonzalez)

If you don’t want to check out the post, even though you should, here’s a relevant snippet:

“So I say this with love: Unless they are ordering a Pumpkin Spice Negroni Sbagliato, let it go and look at this human knowing one thing: it’s actually a really cool drink and I’m not mad at it.”

Negroni Sbagliato

Remember, one of the keys to the balance that defines the original Negroni is the 1:1:1 ratio. For this riff on the classic, that ratio remains the same—it’s an ingredient change that makes the difference.

As you’ll see below, the Sbagliato recipe calls for Prosecco rather than gin. While the substitution is simple, the change to the cocktail is significant in terms for flavor and mouthfeel.

I’d also say this an fun fall or winter cocktail, so why not put one on your menu?

1 oz. Campari
1 oz. Sweet vermouth
1 oz. Prosecco
Orange slice or peel to garnish

First, prepare an Old Fashioned glass with a large ice cube or sphere. Next, add ice, Campari and sweet vermouth to a mixing glass. Stir until well chilled, then strain into the prepared glass. Now, add the Prosecco to the glass and stir once more. Finally, garnish with orange slice or peel.

If you so choose, you can build this drink entirely with Campari portfolio elements. There’s Campari itself, of course. Then there’s Cinzano Vermouth Rosso and Cinzano Prosecco.

Image: Matheus Frade on Unsplash

October 5, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: October 2022

5 Books to Read this Month: October 2022

by David Klemt

This month’s engaging and informative book selections will help you develop next-level leadership skills and dial in your F&B menus.

To review September’s book recommendations, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Down and Out in Paradise: The Life of Anthony Bourdain

First things first: This biography by author Charles Leerhsen about chef and modern philosopher Anthony Bourdain isn’t authorized. However, this book purports to offer a deep dive into the late, revered chef’s life, from childhood to his final days.

Just be forewarned that this book is already and for good reason considered controversial.

Down and Out in Paradise will be available on October 11. Click here to pre-order this book today.

The Ethical Leader: Why Doing the Right Thing Can Be the Key to Competitive Advantage

Written by Morgen Witzel, The Ethical Leader addressed ethical behavior in business. Far too often, for far too many business owners and leadership team members, behaving ethically isn’t a non-negotiable. Rather, doing the right thing in business is “nice,” not “necessary.”

For this leadership book, Witzel explains why gaining and maintaining the trust and respect of team members and customers is crucial to the success of any business. “Trust engenders loyalty and good reputation, which in turn builds brand value… Ethical behavior is the key to trust-building, but it needs to go deeper than something managers do out of a sense of moral duty.”

Pour Me Another: 250 Ways to Find Your Favorite Drink

It may not happen every shift but bar team members and servers do encounter the restless guest from time to time. Their go-to drink, for whatever reason, just isn’t cutting it during a particular visit. Of course, this is an excellent time to improve their visit and the guest experience. And it’s the perfect time to introduce a guest to their new favorite drink.

JM Hirsch’s Pour Me Another helps people find that new favorite. Bar professionals and servers will find it useful for guiding guests through a cocktail discovery process. Click here to pre-order this book for its October 4 release.

Twist: Your Guide to Creating Inspired Craft Cocktails

The classics are a litmus test for any bar professional. It’s all well and good to invent and craft signature drinks, but if you can’t nail the classics there’s something wrong. Author Jordan Hughes, over the course of 75 recipes, combines the classics with creation in Twist.

This new book, set for release on December 13, teaches the classics. However, Hughes also helps the reader develop the skills to riff on these timeless recipes to put their stamp on the industry. Pre-order today!

Boards and Spreads: Shareable, Simple Arrangements for Every Meal

So, you’re familiar with how much people on Instagram love a good cheese and charcuterie board. In fact, you have some artisanal, eye-catching boards just waiting to be photographed and posted to social media by your guests. But do they really just sit around until someone orders either cheese, charcuterie, or a combination thereof?

It doesn’t have to be that way. Yasmin Fahr’s book Boards and Spreads provides plenty of other uses for your fancy Instagrammable boards. Oh, and there just happen to be several dip and spread recipes to refresh your menu.

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

August 17, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

End the Month with this Sour Cocktail

End the Month with this Sour Cocktail

by David Klemt

End the month of August with a promotion focusing on one of the most popular members of the iconic sour cocktail family.

As I’ve been saying in several of this month’s articles, August is full of bar holidays. This month we celebrate Albariño, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Prosecco. And that’s just the wine holidays, which also include National White Wine Day and National Red Wine Day.

Additionally, National Rum Day and Mai Tai Day in August. Apparently, however, eight bar holidays just isn’t enough. And that’s awesome.

You see, we have another bar holiday to celebrate this month. National Whiskey Sour Day takes place on Thursday, August 25.

The Sour Family

Family, category, type… There are several ways to distinguish groups of cocktails.

And depending on your source preference, there are either a handful of families or at least twenty. Hey, why make things easy when we can obsess over minutiae and argue with our peers?

One of the most popular lists of families comes from Gary “Gaz” Regan, an icon in his own right. Sadly, he died on November 15, 2019. Regan’s 2003 book Joy of Mixology identifies “sours” amongst 19 other families.

In 1862, Jerry Thomas included several sours in his book The Bar-Tenders Guide. (a.k.a. How to Mix Drinks). You’ll find the Brandy Sour, Gin Sour, Santa Cruz Sour, and Whiskey SOur. However, a cocktail need not include “Sour” in its name to be part of this cocktail family.

Consider the characteristics of a sour: a base spirit, lemon or lime juice, and a sweetener. In some cases, also egg whites.

So, those defining elements place the Collins, Daiquiri, Margarita, French 75, Gimlet, Mojito, Paloma, Rickey, Sidecar, and Southside in the sour family. However, some would place the members of this group that call for a carbonated element into either the Champagne or so-called “sparkling sour” family.

Now, if you really want to get pedantic, the Whiskey Sour could be a member of the Punch family as well.

The Whiskey Sour

So, does it surprise you to learn that we don’t know the exact origin of the Whiskey Sour? As in, we don’t know precisely who to credit for creating this classic?

Well, it shouldn’t, as cocktail history is quite often murky and mysterious at best.

However, we know that the first appearance of the Whiskey Sour recipe is from Jerry Thomas’ The Bar-Tenders Guide. So, that means the cocktail was known in 1862.

Yet, it’s believed that this recipe was known for at least a hundred years prior. Interestingly, one can argue that the Whiskey Sour is sibling to Grog. In the 1700s, British Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon commanded captains to allow sailors to purchase sugar and limes to make their watered down rum rations taste better.

Hey, sounds like a base spirit, lemon or lime juice, and sweetener to me.

Alright, that’s enough history for you to share with your guests. To celebrate National Whiskey Sour Day, create a handful of LTOs. This can be as easy as offering a Whiskey Sour menu featuring an array of bourbons or other whiskeys. Additionally, you can menu a signature Whiskey Sour and have variants such as the New York Sour or Penicillin accompany it.

Also, if your local legislature permits the discounting of alcohols, you can offer a discount on Whiskey Sours. For food pairings, consider barbecue pork dishes, Cheddar cheese, or brie.

“Gaz” Regan’s Cocktail Families

For the curious, below is the list of cocktail families according to “Gaz” Regan, in alphabetical order:

Beer- and Cider-based
Bottled
Champagne
Cobblers
Duos and Trios
French-Italian
Frozen
Highballs
Hot
Infusions
Jelly Shots
Juleps
Milanese
Muddled
Orphans
Pousse-cafes
Punches
Snappers
Sours
Tropical

Image: Ambitious Creative Co. – Rick Barrett on Unsplash

August 3, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

8 Books to Read this Month: TOTC Edition

8 Books to Read this Month: Tales of the Cocktail Edition

by David Klemt

This month’s engaging and informative book selections consist of the eight finalists from two of the 2022 Spirited Awards writing categories.

For your convenience, the award winner kicks off each category below. To review July’s book recommendations, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Best New Cocktail or Bartending Book

WINNER: The Japanese Art of the Cocktail

This is the first cocktail book written by Masahiro Urushido, the award-winning bartender from NYC’s Katana Kitten. After just one year with Urushido at the helm, Katana Kitten took home a 2019 Spirited Award. The Japanese Art of the Cocktail features 80 recipes and serves as a deep dive into a unique approach to cocktails and technique.

Death & Co: Welcome Home

The third book from Alex Day, Nick Fauchald, and David Kaplan, the team behind Death & Co., features more than 400 recipes. Now, while this book targets home bartenders, it’s also beneficial to bar professionals as it delves into the Death & Co. cocktail development program. Is that worth a $35 investment? Absolutely. Pick up Death & Co. Welcome Home today.

The Cocktail Seminars

As the story goes, author Brian D. Hoefling taught his fellow Yale students about cocktails and build techniques during his senior year. The Cocktail Seminars is a collection of five of Hoefling’s education seminars and spans 30 cocktail recipes. Along with technique, readers will learn about the history of cocktails, which they and their bar teams can leverage to engage with guests.

The Way of the Cocktail: Japanese Traditions, Techniques, and Recipes

The Way of the Cocktail comes from Julia Momosé, one of the minds behind Chicago cocktail destination Kumiko. From classics to new riffs, the recipes in this book are based on 24 micro-seasons.

Best New Book on Drinks Culture, History, or Spirits

WINNER: The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails

David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum team up for likely the deepest dive into the role alcohol plays in human history. The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails is everything you ever wanted to know about fermentation, distillation, aging, cocktails, cocktail bars, and more. In addition to global techniques and processes, readers will be treated to illustrations, a guide to making drinks, and even a timeline of distillation and spirits.

Bourbon: The Story of Kentucky Whiskey

Clay Risen is considered an authority on spirits. In particular, he’s lauded as an expert on whiskey. Bourbon lovers will appreciate the Bourbon: The Story of Kentucky Whiskey box set for what it is: a definitive history of America’s native spirit. Along with profiles of Kentucky distillers, Risen has included interviews and photographs to tell the story of bourbon.

Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization

Edward Slingerland takes a look at not just the history of imbibing but what has motivated humans to catch a buzz with alcohol. Drunk goes far beyond anecdotes, myth and lore and uses science to address why alcohol is so important to so many people. More case study than well-spun yarn, Drunk is as entertaining as it is investigative.

Girly Drinks: A World History of Women and Alcohol

Written by Mallory O’Meara, Girly Drinks takes a hard look at the gendering of bars, brewing, distillation, and drinking culture. O’Meara also delves into the history and cultural importance of women bartenders like Ada Coleman, creator of the Hanky Panky.

“Filling a crucial gap in culinary history, O’Meara dismantles the long-standing patriarchal traditions at the heart of these very drinking cultures, in the hope that readers everywhere can look to each celebrated woman in this book—and proudly have what she’s having.”

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

July 25, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Blasphemy! National Scotch Day Cocktails

Blasphemy! National Scotch Day Cocktails

by David Klemt

Psst! Don’t tell the purists but this article encourages the adulteration of Scotch by combining it with other ingredients to make *gasp!* cocktails.

Now, I jest…mostly. To be fair, I don’t often encounter purists who scoff or outright lost their minds if someone doesn’t enjoy their favorite spirit neat. However, it does happen every now and again. Seriously, it shouldn’t really matter how someone decides to order and enjoy their drinks. Want to order Johnnie Walker Blue Label with soda? Go for it.

So, below you’ll find cocktails rather than bottles for National Scotch Day. Sure, you can contact your reps, incur costs, and bring in some boast-worthy bottles. However, you can also spotlight what you already have on hand with revenue-generating Scotch cocktails.

No, you won’t find Scoch & Soda or the Rusty Nail among the recipes below. I would hope you and your bar team already have those down since they’re essentially two-ingredient drinks.

Also, I’ll award bonus points to anyone who locks eyes with a Scotch snob as they gulp down a Glenmorangie Signet Penicillin. Sure, that’s petty of me; it’s also fun. What are the bonus points good for? Hey, why are you asking so many questions?

A quick note: If you’d rather go with food on this holiday, check out our Scotch and cheese pairing article.

Penicillin

So, I’m going to start with my personal favorite Scotch cocktail. If you’re a KRG Hospitality regular, you already know this is one of my favorite drinks in general.

This is a modern-day classic—the Penicillin dates all the way back to the early 2000s. Operator, bartender, and cocktail creator calls for two types of Scotch to make this delectable drink.

2 oz. Blended Scotch
0.75 oz. Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
0.75 oz. Honey-ginger syrup (1 cup honey, 1 cup water, 1 6-inch bit of peeled and thin-sliced ginger)
0.25 oz. Peaty Islay Scotch to float
Candied ginger to garnish

Prepare a rocks glass with ice. Add first three ingredients to a shaker with ice, and shake until well chilled. Strain into the rocks glass and float Islay Scotch on top. Then, garnish and present.

For the syrup: Combine syrup ingredients in a saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce, simmer for five minutes, and set aside overnight in refrigerator. The next day, strain through cheesecloth.

Rob Roy

If you want to be flippant about it, the Rob Roy is a Scotch Manhattan. Of course, it’s easy to make that argument as cocktail historians believe the Rob Roy is an homage. At any rate, both are true classics, dating back to the late 1800s.

One of the fun elements of the Rob Roy is creating a signature version. Obviously, the Scotch and vermouth selection will impact the flavors of this drink. So, come up with a combination all your own to make this one of your bar’s specialties.

2 oz. Scotch
0.75 oz. Vermouth (equal parts sweet and dry vermouths to make a Perfect Rob Roy)
0.75 oz. Angostura Bitters
Brandied cherries to garnish

You’ll want to ensure you have chilled cocktail or Nick & Nora glasses on hand before starting this build. Combine the first three ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir unti well chilled and strain into chilled glass. Spear cherries, garnish, and serve.

Bobby Burns

Interestingly, some believe this cocktail is a riff on the Rob Roy. So, why not have Rob and Bobby on your National Scotch Day drink menu?

Now, the drinks are similar, but the flavor profiles are vastly different. After all, the ratio of Scotch to vermouth is 1:1, and the recipe uses Bénédictine rather than bitters.

1 oz. Blended Scotch (supposedly, this should be at least 12 years old)
1 oz. Sweet vermouth
0.5 oz. Bénédictine
Lemon peel to garnish

Of course, this is where the argument that the Bobby Burns is a version of the Rob Roy gets stronger. See the build instructions for the Rob Roy above? Do the same, but garnish with a lemon peel.

Blood & Sand

Oddly enough, we don’t know the creator of this drink. We do know it appears in Harry Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book, published in 1930. However, we don’t know for certain that he’s the inventor.

At any rate, we do know this 1:1:1:1 cocktail is delicious and a hit with whiskey fans.

0.75 oz. Scotch
0.75 oz. Cherry Heering
0.75 oz. Orange juice, freshly squeezed
0.75 oz. Sweet vermouth
Orange peel to garnish

Again, make sure you have chilled glassware to build this cocktail. In this case, coupes and cocktails. Combine all ingredients but the garnish in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Next, strain into the glass, then garnish and present.

Rusty Compass

So, this build is a bit different from the others in that it calls for a particular Scotch and two specific liqueurs. Also, this one is bold as the Scotch you’ll use is rather powerful.

Obviously, this is a bit like a Rusty Nail, so you shouldn’t have any trouble with the recipe.

2 oz. Compass Box The Peat Monster
01.75 oz. Drambuie (for making Rusty Nails, too)
0.5 oz. Cherry Heering (which you have on hand for making Blood & Sands)
Orange twist to garnish

As you’re probably already guessing, you combine all the ingredients but the garnish in a shaker with ice for this build. Shake it, strain it, and garnish it. Oh, and you’ll want to present this in a coupe.

Image: Ambitious Creative Co. – Rick Barrett on Unsplash

July 4, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: July 2022

5 Books to Read this Month: July 2022

by David Klemt

This month’s engaging and informative book selections will help you develop next-level beverage techniques and drink menus throughout 2022.

To review June’s book recommendations, click here.

Let’s jump in!

The Bartender’s Manifesto

Spirits, cocktail and industry author Emma Janzen partners with Toby Maloney and the bar team at the Violet Hour. Since 2007, the Violet Hour has not only been serving incredible cocktails in Chicago, the bar has also been leading the way in cocktail training.

So, who better to learn from to nail the fundamentals, tap into your creativity, and understand every element of crafting cocktails? Pick up The Bartender’s Manifesto today. As of publication of this article, Amazon is offering $2.70 off the hardcover.

Black Mixcellence: A Comprehensive Guide to Black Mixology

Marketing strategist and award-winning author Tamika Hall collaborates with one of my favorite industry people, Colin Asare-Appiah, to bring us this awesome book.

Black Mixcellence delves into the impact of Black entrepreneurs, educators, and mixologists on the hospitality, spirits, and cocktail spaces. Along with the incredible stories, there are 70 cocktail recipes included in Black Mixcellence. Place your pre-order today!

Smoked Cocktails: From Mixology To Smoking Techniques

You and your bar team may have noticed that smoking cocktails is once again “on trend.” To be fair, I don’t think this cocktail build and presentation technique ever became unpopular.

In Smoked Cocktails you’ll learn not only how smoke plays with and enhances other flavors and aromas, author Benji O’Day also covers cocktail history, bartending techniques, and much more. Grab the paperback from Amazon today.

Cocktail Chemistry

Leveraging nostalgia and pop culture can be a lucrative way of boosting traffic, generating revenue, and increasing social media engagement. Written and curated by Nick Fisher, Cocktail Chemistry features cocktail recipes from iconic and beloved movies and television shows.

In addition, this informative cocktail book includes how-tos spanning a range of important bar techniques, from making clear ice to creating your own infusions. Pick up this hardcover now.

The Concise Guide to Wine and Blind Tasting: Volume 1

Do you have a robust wine program? Are you interested in demystifying wine and enhancing your front-of-house team’s knowledge of wine? Do you just not want your bar team or servers to answer guests’ wine questions with a frustrating “I don’t know”?

This guide, according to The Times Literary Supplement, delivers a “comprehensive education in wine.” Included in The Concise Guide to Wine and Blind Tasting: Volume 1 are the philosophy and history of wine, the distinctive characteristics of several wine regions, the science and art behind blind wine tasting, and more.

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

June 29, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

This Year’s Big Trend: Moderation

This Year’s Big Trend: Moderation

by David Klemt

Beverage-top media platform Ripples is reporting 2022’s big drink trend, focusing heavily on Gen Z imbibing habits.

The unique company produces devices that make it possible to print images atop drinks. With beverages of all types as their focus, the company is a great position to study drink trends.

Interestingly, Ripples focuses primarily on Gen Z drinking habits. However, the company’s data identifies an intriguing trend that transcends a single generation.

Let’s jump in.

Zero-proof Beverage Growth

At KRG Hospitality, we appreciate numbers; we’re a data-driven agency. Well, amongst all the stats Ripples latest findings reveal, two are massive.

First, in comparison to 2019, zero-alcohol products are up 166 percent. Second, the non-alcohol category is growing four times faster than its low-ABV counterpart.

Another impressive number? Non-alcohol spirits have grown by over 113 percent since 2020.

Per Ripples, Gen Z is driving the growth in the no-alcohol space. According to the beverage-tech company, this is likely due to social media presence.

I’m sure you read articles at least from time to time about Gen Z social media habits. Those written by their older counterparts make it seem like Gen Z doesn’t understand the risks of recording their every action.

Well, it’s highly likely that much of Gen Z would rather not have their drunken shenanigans on display on every social platform.

Values Drive Purchase Decisions

Beyond risk aversion, Ripples identifies values as key to Gen Z purchase and consumption decisions.

Generally speaking, members of Gen Z value transparency and authenticity. Brands that share those values are more likely to succeed with Gen Z.

And, again, speaking broadly, smaller, independent brands are often perceived as more transparent, authentic, and responsible. Large, mainstream brands are often seen as anything but green and responsible, never mind transparent or authentic.

Ripples posits that small indies aren’t encountering daunting barriers to entry. So, small-batch, craft non-alcohol brands are apt to find Gen Z support.

Craft sodas, RTDs offering health benefits, and zero-proof cocktails in cans or bottles are flooding the market. And they’re finding success. In fact, according to Ripples, RTD sales are up 400 percent on Drizly since 2019.

The Big Trend

If you’re a listener of our Bar Hacks podcast you’ve likely heard our episodes with David Allison. If you haven’t heard them, they’re episode 46 and episode 67.

As the founder of the Valuegraphics Project, Allison isn’t a fan of focusing on demographic stereotypes. Instead, he recommends a focus on values in conjunction with demographic and psychographic data.

In part, the Valuegraphics Project approach encourages business owners and operators to identify and target their customers’ values. This is, according to Allison, far more powerful than focusing on age and sex. As important is the fact that demographics tend to divide us, and stereotypes are dangerous.

So, he and the Valuegraphics Project team probably wouldn’t like all the focus on a single generation in this article and Ripples’ findings. Well, there’s some good news and it pertains to what’s likely this year’s biggest drinking trend.

Across all generations, one drinking trend is common: Moderation. An interest in no- and low-alcohol beverages is shared among all generations.

In fact, according to Ripples, 78 percent of consumers purchasing zero-proof drinks aren’t doing so exclusively. These consumers are still buying they’re favorite full-alcohol beverages.

Takeaway

Leveraging the moderation trend is fairly simple. The growth of all zero-proof categories means operators can succeed with alcohol-free spirits, beer, and wine.

RTD cocktails—full-, low- and zero-proof—are selling very well and work in restaurants and bars.

In short, ensure you have low-ABV and zero-alcohol versions of your full-ABV drinks on your menu. Include these in a dedicated non-alcohol section.

Operators don’t need to be afraid of guests drinking more moderately. The stereotype that guests who choose zero- or low-proof drinks are bad for the bottom line simply isn’t true.

Image: Chris Curry on Unsplash

June 21, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Tales Announces Top Four Awards Finalists

Tales Announces Top Four Spirited Awards Finalists

by David Klemt

It’s official: The Tales of the Cocktail Foundation announces the top four finalists in each of the 2022 Spirited Awards categories.

I don’t envy the judges who have to narrow down the top ten nominees to the top four finalists. Equally as daunting: deciding on the winner of each award in each category.

We’ll know who’s taking home each Spirited Award in just over a month. The ceremony will take place on Thursday, July 28 at the Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans. For those attending the 20th anniversary Tales of the Cocktail, the Ritz-Carlton is this year’s headquarters hotel.

Purchase Spirited Awards tickets here, and check out the digital playbill here.

See you at Tales, y’all! Cheers.

US Categories

US Bartender of the Year presented by Del Maguey

Josh Davis (16th Street Bar, Chicago, IL)
Chris Hannah (Jewel of the South, New Orleans, LA)
Masahiro “Masa” Urushido (Katana Kitten, New York, NY)
Christine Wiseman (BarLab Hospitality Group, Miami, FL)

Best US Bar Mentor presented by BarSmarts

Meaghan Dorman
Sean Kenyon
Nectaly Mendoza
Jeffrey Morgenthaler

Best US Brand Ambassador presented by Libbey Glass

Chris Cabrera (Bacardí USA)
Tad Carducci (Gruppo Montenegro)
Vance Henderson (Hendrick’s Gin)
Lynn House (Heaven Hill)

Best US Bar Team presented by William Grant & Sons

Half Step (Austin, TX)
Jewel of the South (New Orleans, LA)
Katana Kitten (New York, NY)
The Roosevelt Room (Austin, TX)

Best US Cocktail Bar presented by Absolut Vodka

Bar Goto (New York, NY)
Katana Kitten (New York, NY)
The Roosevelt Room (Austin, TX)
Thunderbolt (Los Angeles, CA)

Best US Hotel Bar presented by Grey Goose

Dear Irving on Hudson at the Aliz Hotel (New York, NY)
Hey Love at The Jupiter (Portland, OR)
Little Rituals at the Residence Inn/Courtyard by Marriott (Phoenix, AZ)
Silver Lyan at the Riggs Washington DC (Washington, DC)

Best US Restaurant Bar presented by Maison Ferrand

Café La Trova (Miami, FL)
Cleaver: Butchered Meats, Seafood & Classic Cocktails (Las Vegas, NV)
Jewel of the South (New Orleans, LA)
Kumiko (Chicago, IL)

Best New US Cocktail Bar presented by Aviation Gin

Double Chicken Please (New York, NY)
Happy Accidents (Albuquerque, NM)
Temple Bar (New York, NY)
Yacht Club (Denver, CO)

International Categories

International Bartender of the Year presented by Patrón

Lorenzo Antinori (ARGO / Four Seasons Hotel & Resorts, Hong Kong, China)
Keith Motsi (Charles H. Seoul at the Four Seasons Hotel, Seoul, South Korea)
Rémy Savage (🔶🟥🔵 A Bar with Shapes for a Name, London, UK)
Matt Whiley (RE, Sydney, Australia)

Best International Bar Mentor presented by Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic

Monica Berg
Renato “Tato” Giovannoni
Lauren Mote
Agostino Perrone

Best International Brand Ambassador presented by Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic

Martin Hudák (Mr. Black Spirits)
Daniyel Jones (House of Angostura)
Ricardo Nava (Bacardí Latin America)
Nicola Riske (The Macallan)

Best International Bar Team presented by House of Angostura

ALQUÍMICO (Cartagena, Colombia)
MAYBE SAMMY (Sydney, Australia)
The Clumsies (Athens, Greece)
Two Schmucks (Barcelona, Spain)

Best International Cocktail Bar presented by Tequila Fortaleza

MAYBE SAMMY (Sydney, Australia)
Satan’s Whiskers (London, UK)
Tayēr + Elementary (London, UK)
Two Schmucks (Barcelona, Spain)

Best International Hotel Bar presented by Perrier

Charles H. Seoul at the Four Seasons Hotel (Seoul, South Korea)
Fifty Mils at the Four Seasons Hotel (Mexico City, Mexico)
Lyaness at Sea Containers London (London, UK)
The American Bar at The Stafford London (London, UK)

Best International Restaurant Bar presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

Danico (Paris, France)
Le Mary Celeste (Paris, France)
Pujol (Mexico City, Mexico)
Sexy Fish (London, UK)

Best New International Cocktail Bar presented by Stranger & Sons

🔶🟥🔵 A Bar with Shapes for a Name (London, UK)
ARGO (Hong Kong, China)
Schofield’s Bar (Manchester, UK)
SIPS (Barcelona, Spain)

Global Categories

Best New Spirit or Cocktail Ingredient presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

Abasolo Ancestral Corn Whisky
Citadelle Gin Jardin d’été
Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic – Italian Orange
Nixta Licor de Elote

World’s Best Cocktail Menu presented by Diageo Bar Academy

Little Red Door (Paris, France)
Lyaness at Sea Containers London (London, UK)
Swift Soho (London, UK)
Tayēr + Elementary (London, UK)

World’s Best Spirits Selection presented by Beam Suntory

In-Situ Mezcaleria (Oaxaca City, Mexico)
Jack Rose Dining Saloon (Washington, DC)
Sexy Fish (London, UK)
Swift Soho (London, UK)

Writing and Media Categories

Best Cocktail & Spirits Publication presented by Diageo Bar Academy

CLASS magazine
Discard the Zine
VinePair
Whisky Magazine

Best Broadcast, Podcast, or Online Video Series presented by Diageo Bar Academy

Radio Imbibe
Shōshin Art Club
The Cocktail Lovers Podcast
The Speakeasy Podcast

Best Cocktail & Spirits Writing presented by Diageo Bar Academy

“Get Real: The bar world looks beyond feel-good measures on sustainability and climate change” by Max Falkowitz, for Imbibe Magazine
“Has the Coronavirus Pandemic Destroyed American Bar Culture?” by Jeffrey Morgenthaler, for Daily Beast
“Meet the Eco-Packaging Innovations Transforming the Drinks Industry” by Betsy Andrews, for SevenFifty Daily
“The Greatest Drinking Contest in History” by David Wondrich, for Daily Beast

Best New Cocktail or Bartending Book presented by Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic

Death & Co: Welcome Home by Alex Day, Nick Fauchald, and David Kaplan
The Cocktail Seminars by Brian D. Hoefling
The Japanese Art of the Cocktail by Masahiro Urushido and Michael Anstendig
The Way of the Cocktail: Japanese Traditions, Techniques, and Recipes by Julia Momosé with Emma Janzen

Best New Book on Drinks Culture, History, or Spirits presented by Diageo Bar Academy

Bourbon: The Story of Kentucky Whiskey by Clay Risen
Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization by Edward Slingerland
Girly Drinks: A World History of Women and Alcohol by Mallory O’Meara
The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails edited by David Wondrich with Noah Rothbaum

Image: Tim Hüfner on Unsplash

June 3, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: June 2022

5 Books to Read this Month: June 2022

by David Klemt

These engaging and informative book selections will help you develop next-level food and beverage skills, and motivate you throughout June, 2022.

To review May’s book recommendations, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Doctors and Distillers

As the historians in our industry have known for a while, cocktails were once considered medicinal. Of course, in some ways that’s still the case.

Industry author, speaker, and educator Camper English shows us how medicine and alcohol have long been connected throughout human history in Doctors and Distillers. Have you head of using wine as a dewormer? How about treating wounds with beer? Would you ever consider using spirits to heal a snakebite? Well, humans have done those things and more with booze. Pre-order this book today!

A Bartender’s Guide to the World

I’m just going to be blunt here: Lauren Mote probably knows more about spirits, liqueurs, and cocktails than you. That’s not a slam—she loves sharing her knowledge and helping people improve their craft and business.

Available for pre-order now for an October launch, A Bartender’s Guide to the World shares not only Mote’s journeys around the world but also more than 75 cocktail recipes. The book’s recipes are organized by their base ingredient. Additionally, there’s an entire chapter just addressing alcohol-free drinks.

The Portugal Cookbook

Chef Leandro Carreira shares well over 500 recipes in The Portugal Cookbook. These dishes range from traditional Portuguese cuisine to modern recipes.

Every region throughout Portugal is represented in this informative and mouth-watering book, including the Duoro Valley and Algarve coast. Portugal is known as a global destination for foodies and this book will definitely help you add some delicious, on-trend recipes to your menu.

Hacking the New Normal: Hitting the Reset Button on the Hospitality Industry

The world around us has changed. The food & beverage industry has changed. The hospitality industry has changed. But will some ways of life change for the better? In Doug Radkey’s second book, Hacking the New Normal, he asks the following: “Do you think you can hit the reset button on your approach to business? Do you think you can help hit the reset button on this industry? I have made the decision to do so. The question remains, have you?”

Trust and Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others

Stephen M.R. Covey, author of The Speed of Trust, addresses the leadership crisis we face today. As the author of Trust and Inspire points out, the world is changing but leadership styles remain the same. That simply won’t work moving forward. It’s crucial we change how we view leadership, and develop new leadership styles and strategies if we’re going to succeed from now on.

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash