Drink | KRG Hospitality

June 16, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Father’s Day Food & Beer Pairings

Father’s Day Food & Beer Pairings

by David Klemt

Father’s Day is right around the corner and while it isn’t usually quite as busy as Mother’s Day, this year could be different.

After all, states and provinces are reopening, and the weather is getting warmer. In fact, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced yesterday that restaurants and bars are no longer subject to social distancing restrictions.

And hey, who isn’t looking for an excuse to get out and return to restaurants and bars?

Now, I’m going to assume that most operators who plan to celebrate Father’s Day this weekend have their promotions in place. However, to help give those promos a boost, I want to share beer pairings for classic Father’s Day menu items.

Of course, these pairings work well on any day of the week, and they’re in no way limited to dads. Anyone who enjoys beer will appreciate operators putting an emphasis on food and beer pairings.

Burgers

One of the most popular foods, particularly for those seeking out comfort, burgers and an array of beers go together. For a classic hamburger, suggest an IPA, APA or Lager. Known for your mushroom and Swiss cheese burger? Brown ales, amber ales and porters work well. Pale ales go well with bacon burgers, and wheat ales and Witbier pair with veggie burgers.

Chicken

Fried chicken is certainly right up there with burgers in terms of comfort foods. And it’s certainly great for Father’s Day. Suggest pairing fried chicken with a Kölsch, Märzen, Helles, and Hefeweizen. For barbecue chicken, recommend a light lager, Pilsner, Saison, Hefeweizen and Witbier. Honey glazed chicken (baked or as wings) work very well with a Kölsch.

Pork

If you have ribs on the menu, there are a few ways to go with beer pairings. Porters, stouts and German lagers are medium- to full-bodied and can stand up to bold, rich flavors and compliment smoke. On the other hand, pale ales and IPAs (lighter versions tend to work better) are lighter but can compliment barbecue flavors as well. Porters and American pale ales sip well with pulled pork sandwiches. A Märzen, Hefeweizen or Porter pairs nicely with pork chops.

Steak

Just like there are several cuts of beef for steaks, there are several beer types that pair well with steak. Brown ales, stouts, porters, IPAs, lagers and IPAs work well for different reasons. Cuts that are more flavorful (ribeye, top sirloin, porterhouse, T-bone) pair well with darker beers (generally speaking). But cuts like filet mignon, known to be lighter in flavor, work well with lighter beers (some lagers and IPAs).

Seafood

Much like steak, seafood presents plenty of variety for beer drinkers. You’ll find that Pilsners compliment many different types of seafood. Generally speaking, lobster dishes pair well with a Pilsner or an IPA (that isn’t too assertive). Pilsners work great with an array of fish, so suggest one with your fish and chips or tilapia. When it comes to many crab dishes, lagers and—yep—Pilsners are excellent recommendations. Wheat beers pair well with mussels, and sours and Goses drink well with oysters.

Grilled Vegetables

When it comes to grilled and charred vegetables, dark beers with roast coffee, malty and chocolate flavors pair very well. Imperial stouts can certainly hold their own with grilled, roasted and charred veggies. However, black lagers and porters are lighter than imperial stouts with similar flavor characteristics, meaning they won’t overpower the vegetables.

Of course, the best way to make winning pairing suggestions is to try them yourself. Even better, include kitchen staff, servers and bartenders and get their feedback. There’s no substitute for being able to make pairing recommendations based on personal experience.

Image: Edward Franklin 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