Drinks | KRG Hospitality

Quarter Proof Light Gin bottle and cocktail

December 15, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

ABV: Does it Have to Be All or Nothing?

ABV: Does it Have to Be All or Nothing?

by David Klemt

In the discussion of alcohol, it seems to be an all-or-nothing topic: spirits and drinks are either full-proof or zero-proof.

Innovations in the space take two paths. There are brands like Seedlip that create alcohol-free spirits using botanicals, herbs and other ingredients. Resulting products are original creations with unique flavor profiles.

Another path is taken by brands such as Lyre’s. Rather than creating entirely new spirits, these producers craft alcohol-free that mimic their full-proof counterparts. For example, Lyre’s vast range includes a zero-proof bourbon and rum.

When it comes to drink builds, things get a little deeper. Yes, the all-or-nothing approach still applies to a point. Obviously, there are standard and high-proof cocktails. And yes, there are alcohol-free, zero-proof cocktails, also known as “mocktails.”

However, there’s also a third approach: low-ABV cocktails. Two popular build techniques are:

making low-proof liqueurs and wines the stars in Spritzers and other drinks; and
reverse cocktails.

When the conversation around lower-proof cocktails first gained steam, Spritzers, Fizzes and other options were brought to the forefront.

Then came the reverse cocktails, which I’ll explain briefly using a Reverse Martini build:

Let’s say your traditional recipe calls for two ounces of gin, a half-ounce of sweet vermouth (we can fight about this some other time), and a dash of orange bitters. To build the Reverse Martini, half the gin, quadruple the sweet vermouth, and keep the bitters the same.

Crafting reverse cocktails isn’t an overly complex process. But what if there was a third entry in the full-proof versus zero-proof battle?

Quarter Proof

It turns out, there is another path those seeking to consume lower-proof cocktails can take.

As the brand Quarter Proof says (or asks), “Who said it had to be all or nothing?” As the name implies, this brand intends to craft spirits that ring in at a quarter of the proof of their traditional counterparts.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Quarter G/N (@quarterproof)

The brand’s first product, G/N, is produced in the same manner as full-proof gin: copper pot distillation. Like traditional gin, G/N is made with juniper berries.

However, because the resulting liquid is just 12-percent ABV and not 37.5 percent, European law says it can’t be designated “gin.” So, Quarter Proof got creative with the name.

Quarter Proof G/N is like a full-proof London Dry Gin in every way—aroma, flavor profile, mouthfeel, finish—save alcohol content. Along with juniper berry, expect coriander, sweet orange, and grapefruit on the nose and palate.

This is an intriguing development in the world of spirits and I’m eager to see what Quarter Proof crafts next. “Light spirits” produced to deliver the full drinking experience with moderation from the ground up are a compelling option.

Image: Quarter Proof

December 13, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Winter Sangria for the Holidays

Winter Sangria for the Holidays

by David Klemt

Most people may associate Sangria with summer months and tropical locales.

However, Sangria can certainly shine during the winter months and holiday parties.

All you really need is a rich and perhaps somewhat sweet red wine and seasonal spices.

What is Sangria?

We celebrate National Sangria Day on December 20. That may seem strange to people who view it as a summer drink.

However, with the right wines and spices, Sangria easily transforms into a season-specific libation.

At its core, Sangria is a punch. It’s commonly accepted that this wine-based drink was created during the 18th century. Supposedly, the predecessor to Sangria (“bloodletting” in Spanish) was served cold or hot.

However, the cold version found its way onto American shores in the 1940s. There are stories that claim Sangria took off in the mid-1960s because of the 1964 World’s Fair.

So, what are the basics? Traditionally, Sangria consists of:

Red wine (Rioja is most traditional)
Chopped fruit (local fruits are most traditional)
Fruit juices (in place of some or all chopped fruits)
Sweeteners (orange juice and/or sugar)
An alcohol boost (brandy or liqueur)
Sparkling water or soda (for texture)

There are also Sangria recipes that use white wine, sparkling wine, and even combinations of red and white wine.

Winter Red Wines

Since you’ll be using seasonal fruits and spices to flavor your Sangria, the case can be made that the red wine base doesn’t matter.

However, your housemade recipe will benefit from careful consideration. Also, your guests will appreciate you putting some thought into your recipe.

The following red wines are excellent during the winter:

Red Zinfandel
Malbec
Petite Sirah
Petit Verdot
Merlot
Cabernet Sauvignon
Shiraz
Sirah/Syrah
Sangiovese
Grenache/Garnacha
Tempranillo

These varietals tend to have warming flavors and aromas, along with medium to full bodies.

Of particular note are Grenache, Garnacha and Tempranillo. Those varietals, along with red Riojas, are commonly used to make Sangria in Spain. By the way, Grenache and Garnacha are the same grape; it’s called Garnacha in Spain, Grenache anywhere else.

Winter Fruits and Spices

This is where you really make your winter Sangria stand out.

First, select your wine. Obviously, you don’t need to use one of your pricier wines. Get to know it, tasting it with your bar team. Consider what fruit notes and body characterize the wine. Note its level of sweetness.

Next, consider the spices that define the holiday and winter season. Cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, clove, ginger, and allspice all come to my mind.

Now, the fruits. Pears, pomegranates, cranberries, kiwis, oranges, grapefruits, Meyer lemons, kumquats, persimmons, and tangerines are all in season in the winter.

After that, decide if you want to add a modifier like Gran Marnier, brandy, ginger ale, or just sugar.

Then, experiment with your wine choice, spices, and fruits until your housemade Sangria is to your liking and authentic to your brand.

The final step? Costing and pricing. This will be a seasonal item or LTO, so you can probably get away with charging a bit more for it than you would for a standard cocktail.

Make sure to jot down your recipe. That’s not only so it remains consistent. Doing so will also help you create new Sangria recipes for each season.

And there you have it. Not only will you be able to wow your guests on National Sangria Day, you now have a Sangria recipe you can modify on a seasonal basis.

Image: Ralph (Ravi) Kayden on Unsplash

December 3, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: December

5 Books to Read this Month: December

by David Klemt

Flipping through an open book

This month’s fun and informative book selections will help you develop next-level culinary, beverage and leadership skills this December.

To review November’s book recommendations, click here.

Let’s dive in!

Can I Mix You a Drink?

Superstar T-Pain partners with mixologist Maxwell Britten, formerly the bar director for James Beard Award winner Maison Premier. The fifty recipes in Can I Mix You a Drink? match up with a lyric or sentiment from T-Pain songs. There are amusing and insightful anecdotes from T-Pain, and the high-end, glossy photography in the book match the high-end recipes. Overall, this book is a vibe, much like a great cocktail bar.

The Oxford Companion to Spirits & 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.

The Alchemist Cocktail Book: Master the Dark Arts of Mixology

When one thinks of chains, they tend to think of global fast-food and fast-casual brands. However, The Alchemist stands in stark contrast to that thinking. The Alchemist is a chain of stunning, experimental cocktail “theaters.” These cocktail bar and restaurant venues elevate the cocktail to new heights, paying just as much attention to experiential and atmosphere details as drink build details. The Alchemist Cocktail Book shares 100 original Alchemist recipes, including low- and no-alcohol drinks.

Market Fresh Mixology Presents Life, Love, Happiness & Cocktails

If you’ve ever wondered what inspired someone when they were creating a now-famous cocktail, this is the book you want. Not only does mixologist Bridget Albert, senior national director of education for Beam Suntory and founder of the Academy of Spirits and Fine Service, tell the stories behind 40 cocktail recipes, she invites others to join her. Life, Love, Happiness & Cocktails features Tony Abou-Ganim, Julie Reiner, and more telling the personal stories behind their recipes.

Hacking the New Normal

Are you ready to take your restaurant, bar, lounge, hotel or resort from concept to reality in 2022? Treat yourself this holiday season to a gift that will help you achieve your goal and dream of operating a successful hospitality venue. Do you know someone who has been talking about opening a restaurant, bar or hotel but hasn’t made their move yet? Hacking the New Normal is the perfect gift for them this holiday season.

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

Upscale tequila bar with luxury bottles on back bar

November 19, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Código 1530 Tequila Closes the Loop

Código 1530 Tequila Closes the Loop

by David Klemt

The evidence that consumers are showing increasing interest in luxury spirits continues to mount, with tequila benefiting greatly.

According to DISCUS, the luxury category of tequila continues to grow. Sales volume is up 30.7 percent annually since 2015 for luxury tequila brands.

While it’s easy to point to brand recognition, cache and perception, there may be another reason for this growth.

In a word, “responsibility.”

Sustainability is Sexy

Episode 57 of Bar Hacks features Collin De Laval. He’s the company mixologist for Código 1530 Tequila, and he’s intimately familiar with the brand.

So, De Laval knows more than every nuance of each Código 1530 expression. He also understands the ethos that drives the brand and its processes.

One of Código’s values is responsibility, which it manifests through sustainability efforts. As De Laval explains, “we try and close a lot of the waste loop, as much as we can.”

Not only does Código utilize naturally filtered water, they cut the water back out of their heads and tails. That water is then reused. The brand uses broken pieces of barrel and spent agave to char new barrels.

Further, Código is a small craft distiller. They don’t level thousands upon thousands of agave each day. Instead, they’re selective and take only what’s necessary.

“We’re treating the land a lot better in that way,” says De Laval.

These efforts are increasingly appealing to consumers. It’s not just the liquid in the bottle that matters. How that liquid got into the bottle is important to them.

“Now it’s like, ‘I know this brand. I know they do good stuff,'” De Laval says.

That “good stuff” doesn’t reference only the quality of the spirits but a brand’s responsibility and sustainability.

Drinking Better

“People are drinking ‘up’ now,” says De Laval. “Gone are the eras of, ‘Let me get whatever’s well.'”

He’s not talking about how a guest orders their drink. By “up” De Laval means they’re choosing top-shelf spirits.

Six years of steady growth for luxury or ultra-premium spirits supports this claim.

De Laval isn’t the only Bar Hacks guest who notices this trend. During episode 56, Pernod-Ricard Prestige sales manager Maxime Lecocq mentions the trend as well.

If luxury spirits and wines had suffered during the pandemic, that would’ve made sense. It could’ve been explained as people being cautious with their money.

Indeed, consumers were cautious. However, not in the way that many would assume. The numbers support the belief that consumers were spending more to drink higher-quality bottles.

Interestingly, drinking better doesn’t appear to refer only to quality or price. Many small, luxury craft distillers enjoy the perception as more responsible than large, industrial producers.

Drinking better now seems to mean drinking what’s better for the environment. And if what’s more responsible and sustainable happens to be ultra-premium, consumers are willing to pay for it.

Image: Spencer Pugh on Unsplash

Black glass Coca-Cola bottle with black background

November 16, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Stir Up This Authentic Mexican Cocktail

Stir Up This Authentic Mexican Cocktail

by David Klemt

A simple, three-ingredient cocktail can make a big impact on guests when it’s authentic and the build is part of the presentation.

A perfect example of authenticity and a wow-factor cocktail build is the Batanga.

During episode 57 of Bar Hacks, Collin De Laval recommends this deceptively simple drink.

La Batanga

When De Laval is creating, it’s important to him that he remains faithful to a particular country, region or town.

As the company mixologist for Código 1530, that means honoring tequila in an authentic way.

Not only is De Laval a “blanco drinker, through and through,” he’s also unafraid of things getting “rowdy.”

So, while he isn’t the creator of the Batanga, he is a big fan.

One reason, as he mentions on Bar Hacks, is that the drink seems like it shouldn’t work. After all, the recipe combines tequila blanco, lime juice, and Coca-Cola.

Now, one could say that this is “just” a Cuba Libre with tequila stepping in for rum. However, that’s far too dismissive; the flavor profiles are vastly different.

In fact, I’m fairly certain that nobody has raised an eyebrow at a Cuba Libre and said the ingredients shouldn’t work together.

Impactful Build

You may find yourself wondering how this simple cocktail can possibly wow guests. Really, what’s impressive about combining tequila, juice and cola, and stirring?

Well, it’s the stirring that’s the secret.

Per several sources, the Batanga’s creator had a trick up his sleeve when he came up with the recipe. And that trick was a big knife with a wood handle.

Don Javier Delgado Corona created the Batanga in 1961 at La Capilla, his bar in Tequila, Mexico. When it came time to finish his build, he stirred the drink with the aforementioned wood-handled knife.

Even better, Don Javier is reported to have explained, if that knife has been used to cut limes, salsa ingredients, or ingredients for guacamole.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that unless they’ve had a Batanga made in Mexico, not many guests have watched a bartender stir their drink with a big knife.

Of course, not just any knife will have real impact, so I recommend using the biggest knife your highball or specialty glassware will accommodate.

The Recipe and Technique

Obviously, you can decide which of your tequilas to use when adding the Batanga to your menu.

Of course, you can also build it with whatever tequila your guest requests.

However, we’re going to use Código 1530 tequila for this recipe. After all, the brand certainly speaks to authenticity.

Additionally, Código 1530 also speaks to consumer desire to drink better and seek out ultra-premium spirits. Tequila is one of the luxury spirits categories benefitting most from this consumer trend, with sales volume increasing 30.7 percent annually since 2015.

La Batanga

Recipe created by Don Javier Delgado Corona at La Capilla

2 oz. Código 1530 Blanco
0.5 oz. Fresh-squeezed lime juice
Coca-Cola to top (per De Laval, only Mexican Coke in the glass bottle will do)
Salt for rim

Salt rim of highball glass or other tall glassware with decent width. Add ice to glass. Combine Código 1530 Blanco and lime juice. Top with cola. Most importantly, stir with a big knife and serve to wowed guest.

Image: Jeanson Wong on Unsplash

Luxury concept featuring Champagne coupes on silver tray

November 12, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

As Guests Learn More, Luxury Grows

As Guests Learn More, Luxury Grows

by David Klemt

Consumers are drinking better and the luxury categories of several spirits, wine and Champagne are benefitting.

Interestingly, this growth no longer appears to be driven solely by a desire to stand out and be seen.

Instead, according to one Bar Hacks podcast guest, consumers seem to be more carefully allocating their dollars.

Luxury Continues to Rise

The word “luxury” tends to conjure thoughts of expensive, high-end items.

Indeed, that’s certainly still a part of luxury. However, the concept of luxury as unattainable to most people is seemingly falling to the wayside.

Maxime Lecocq, Prestige sales manager in Las Vegas for Pernod-Ricard, shares a similar thought on episode 56 of Bar Hacks.

“The consumption style started to change during the pandemic,” says Lecocq. “So, people are more careful on what they’re drinking, where they’re spending their money.”

Intriguingly, Lecocq doesn’t mean that people were looking to spend as little as possible. Rather, they wanted higher quality for their dollars.

“Instead of having just any Scotch, they’re gonna research more,” Lecocq says. “Instead of spending, like, $25, they’re gonna be like, ‘Oh, I’m gonna spend $40 but I’m gonna be more careful about what I’m gonna drink.'”

As far as Lecocq is concerned, consumers doing more research is benefiting the luxury segment.

Why does he think that? Because it appears that research is leading consumers to spend more on luxury spirits and wine.

Numbers Support Luxury Growth

Early last month, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) shared their research into luxury spirits.

DISCUS data shows that during the period from 2015 to 2020, luxury spirits brands saw sales growth of 125 percent. Further, looking at the first half of 2021, luxury spirits volume is up 25 percent.

For the curious, DISCUS considers any brand that sells 750mL bottles at retail for $50 or more to fall within the luxury segment. So, $10 more than the example Lecocq provides during his Bar Hacks appearance.

There are six luxury categories tracked by DISCUS: American whiskey, Cognac, Irish whiskey, Japanese whisky, Single Malt Scotch, and Tequila.

On his podcast episode, Lecocq discussed three of those categories: Cognac, Single Malt Scotch, and Tequila.

Growth Categories

Per DISCUS, American whiskey has seen annual growth since 2015 of 41 percent. For Japanese whisky, that rate of growth is 42 percent.

Irish whiskey and Single Malt Scotch are also healthy annual growth. However, Irish whiskey’s annual growth is only a third of that of its Japanese counterpart at 14-plus percent.

Single Malt Scotch, in the first half of 2021, is up 5.6 percent.

According to DISCUS, Cognac’s annual growth is nearly 16 percent. Lecocq posits that this rise in interest in Cognac is down to shifting consumer perception.

Once thought of as “your grandparents’ drink,” younger consumers are now more eager to explore this type of brandy.

It’s perhaps tequila that sees the most interesting growth. Given its explosive and seemingly unwavering popularity, I thought the luxury tequila category would see growth in excess of 42 percent.

However, per DISCUS, luxury tequila brands are up 30.7 percent annually since 2015. Obviously, that’s impressive growth, and the category represents 28 million bottles sold.

That’s more than American, Irish, Japanese and Single Malt Scotch whiskeys combined.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that operators should abandon their less expensive spirits and wines. It does, however, show that consumers are willing to pay more for what they perceive to be higher quality brands.

Image: Billy Huynh on Unsplash

November 2, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: November

5 Books to Read this Month: November

by David Klemt

This month’s fun and informative book selections will help you develop next-level culinary, beverage and leadership skills this November.

To review October’s book recommendations, click here.

Let’s dive in!

Cook as You Are

The Great British Baking Show contestant Ruby Tandoh is a food writer with a half-dozen books to her name. Her latest will likely change how you look at food and its preparation. In particular, the “mini” version of Cook as You Are aims to be as inclusive as possible. The free download makes it easier for people who learn differently or require assistance in the kitchen to enjoy cooking. Cook as You Are features 100 original recipes created by Tandoh that don’t require hours of preparation or professional-grade kitchen equipment to execute.

The Bullhearted Brand

Expert Joseph Szala explains why operators should view branding as a strategic endeavor. Branding is more than a clever name, eye-catching logo, and slick tagline. Szala, as he explains, “lay(s) out the foundational elements and details about creating and scaling restaurant brands” in The Bullhearted Brand, drawing from years of real-world experiences.

Bourbon’s Backroads

Bourbon is one of the few spirits that America can truly claim as its own. Myths and legend abound, such as the claim that whiskey can only be called bourbon if it’s produced in Bourbon County. Karl Raitz conducted extensive research to uncover the full history of bourbon in the United States for Bourbon’s Backroads.

Gilded Age Cocktails

Author Cecilia Tichi takes readers on a cocktail journey spanning three decades. The Gilded Age, which took place between 1870 and the early 1900s, is known as the Golden Age for cocktails. Readers will be able to learn the stories of not only classic Golden Age cocktails to pass on to others, but also the stories of their creators. Gilded Age Cocktails transports us back to the pre-Prohibition Era, a time when bartenders first became famous and helped us all drink better.

Hacking the New Normal

Doug Radkey, president of KRG Hospitality, author of Bar Hacks and Hacking the New Normal, makes the case for making meaningful, impactful change in order for the hospitality industry to survive and thrive moving forward. As he explains during bonus episodes of the Bar Hacks podcast, as have multiple podcast guests like Chef Brian Duffy, the industry won’t truly recover unless we change our mindsets and the way restaurants, bars, hotels, resorts, entertainment venues, and arenas operate and treat staff.

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

Stay Weird neon sign with purple background

November 1, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Stand Out with Weird Holidays: November

Stand Out with Weird Holidays: November

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 November is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream—Thanksgiving Eve and Thanksgiving, anyone?—to food-centric 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 October’s list, click here.

November 1: World Vegan Day

Obviously, this holiday isn’t weird for vegans or vegetarians. There are, however, those who still find this particular diet odd. Well, this is the perfect holiday to learn more about vegan cooking and eating. Pass on that knowledge by adding delicious vegan dishes to your menu.

November 4: National Candy Day

Do you have a surplus of candy now that Halloween is over? Trying to fight the temptation to eat it all yourself? Various candies perform well as garnishes for cocktails. There’s also another way to approach this holiday, like featuring starters such as candied bacon.

November 6: National Nacho Day

So, this holiday is more fun than weird, really. However, you can probably see the potential to deviate from the standard nacho builds. Instead, ask your kitchen staff to get creative and come up with intriguing takes on nachos that will grab the attention of your guests.

November 9: National Scrapple Day

One of the best ways to cut back on food waste in restaurants, bars, and hotels is to utilize as much of a given ingredient as possible. Scrapple, of which our Philadelphia audience will no doubt be very well aware, consists of pork scraps. Guests outside of Pennsylvania may have never tried scrapple before, so this holiday is the perfect time to tempt them with a new taste sensation.

November 12: National Pizza with the Works Except Anchovies Day

It’s not this pizza that’s weird, of course. It’s the very specific pizza this holiday is celebrating. I’m guessing that you know exactly what to do to celebrate this holiday with your guests.

November 14: Pickle Day

The (in)famous Pickleback. Bloody Mary made with pickle juice. A Dill Pickle Martini. Pickle appetizers and starters. If you’ve got pickles and some degree of creativity, it’s pretty clear what needs to be done on November 14.

National 15: National Spicy Hermit Cookie Day

This is another very specific holiday. This cookie, the Spicy Hermit, features flavors that couldn’t be any more perfect for fall: cinnamon, clove, allspice, and nutmeg. You can Google a recipe, of course, but we found this one and it seems delicious.

November 17: National Take a Hike Day

We’re big fans of encouraging guests and staff to get outside. There are thousands of trails throughout the United States and Canada, ranging from the easy-peasy to the truly treacherous, so the sky’s the limit. Encourage guests to take a hike and grab a bite and drink at your establishment to rest and recover. Have them tag your spot and their meal, of course.

November 28: Red Planet Day

It seems like billionaires and millionaires can’t get enough of Mars. Over the past few years, space travel has focused almost exclusively on the idea of reaching the Red Planet and figuring out how to live on it. So, if you’ve got dishes and drinks that are predominantly red in color, put them at the forefront on November 28.

Image: Dan Parlante on Unsplash

Cheeseburgers and French fries in takeout containers on pass

October 12, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

SevenRooms Announces Olo Partnership

SevenRooms Announces Olo Partnership

by David Klemt

SevenRooms continues to grow and develop innovative partnerships.

The platform’s newest partnership benefits the hospitality industry, operators, and consumers.

In joining forces with Olo, SevenRooms further helps restaurants, bars, and hotels position themselves to succeed in an increasingly digital world.

The Bleeding Edge

Olo, which literally stands for “Online Ordering,” predates the iPhone.

In fact, the company launched before smartphones were more than niche devices.

Upon its inception, Olo’s service consisted mainly of sending mobile coffee orders to restaurant printers via text message.

Like SevenRooms, Olo seeks to stay ahead of the consumer behavior curve:

2005: Olo launches, anticipating coffee drinkers will eagerly embrace mobile ordering.
2008: The company predicts fast-casual restaurants will become faster than fast food.
2012: Olo envisions the redesigning of kitchen restaurants to include pickup windows.
2015: The platform sees the future for foodservice is delivery.

Now, Olo is dedicated to making sure online ordering customers benefit from the industry’s digital transformation.

The Partnership

SevenRooms ensures clients who also use Olo can capture their off-premise customers’ information. That data then creates profiles for those customers automatically.

This partnership leverages SevenRooms CRM and marketing automation integration. Operators will be able to send post-order surveys to off-premise, online ordering customers automatically.

So, operators can learn what is and isn’t working off-premise; elevate the experience of off-premise customers to increase online order frequency; convert those customers to in-person guests; encourage repeat visits; and increase profitability.

Moving forward, SevenRooms and Olo users will get to know their off-premise customers better.

“To meet the ever-evolving needs of our hospitality clients, we’ve continued to seek out strategic partners who help us provide an even more comprehensive solution to operators,” says SevenRooms CEO and founder Joel Montaniel. “Our integration with Olo delivers on our promise of offering a 360-degree platform focused on helping operators build deeper, direct relationships across on- and off-premise experiences. This partnership facilitates better operational efficiency and online data capture, ultimately helping operators optimize the profitability of their delivery and takeout business while strengthening customer relationships. We are excited to welcome Olo to our partner network, and look forward to our continued collaboration to drive better, more streamlined solutions for the industry.”

Learn more about SevenRooms here. Click here to learn more about Olo.

Image: call me hangry 🇫🇷 on Unsplash

October 8, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

6 Bottles for National Mezcal Day

6 Bottles for National Mezcal Day

by David Klemt

October 21 is National Mezcal Day, the perfect time to introduce guests to the wide range of agaves producers use to make this rustic spirit.

This bar holiday is also a great time to dispel the myth that all mezcals are simply smoke bombs that overwhelm the palate. Indeed, there are expressions that are incredibly light on smoke and heavy on mineral, vegetal, floral, citrus, and savory notes.

If you’d also like to work tequila into your mezcal celebration, check out recommendations from this year’s National Tequila Day.

Below are six bottles of mezcal to recommend to your guests, representing six types of agave. ¡Salud!

Arroqueño

Also known as Agave Americana, this variety of agave can grow to massive proportions and take anywhere from 20 to 30 years to mature. As such, some producers are implementing sustainability projects to protect Arroqueño.

El Jolgorio Arroqueño

El Jolgorio crafts a wide range of mezcals focusing on the rare, wild and semi-wild, Arroqueño among them. Owing to sustainability efforts, this is a small-batch expression and can be difficult to find. Expect tropical notes balanced by minerality, agave, and grass.

Espadín

This is the most common type of mezcal. In fact, some estimates regarding how much mezcal carries the Espadín designation reach as high as 90 percent.

Mezcal Vago Elote

As the bottle’s name suggests, corn plays a significant role in this mezcal’s production: elote is Spanish for “corn.” Made from Espadín agave, Mezcal Vago Elote undergoes a toasted corn infusion. The result is smoke with toasty notes of corn.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mezcal Vago (@mezcalvago)

Salmiana

Known as “the green giant,” this wild agave tends to imbue mezcal with less smoky notes. Instead, these mezcals impart vibrant earthy and vegetal notes.

Derrumbes San Luis Potosí

Guests seeking to try something other than the typical Espadín mezcals will appreciate this bottle. First and foremost, this expression of mezcal imparts agave flavor rather than overwhelming them with smoke.

Tepeztate

Another agave that takes a long time to mature—25 years or more—its use in mezcal also has producers concerned about sustainability. Perhaps owing to this agave’s penchant for growing on dangerous cliffsides, the flavors it produces are intense and rich.

Bozal Tepeztate

Similar in their mission to El Jolgorio, Bozal specializes in producing mezcals from a wide variety of agaves. Your guests really can’t go wrong with any Bozal expression, and Tepeztate is no exception. Guests can expect an intriguing mix of floral, citrus, spice and mineral notes, along with smoke.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bozal Mezcal (@bozalmezcal)

Tobalá

If your guests are seeking rare and complex mezcal, you want to offer them a Tobalá. This type of mezcal, referred to by some as “the king of mezcal,” is made from an agave that’s hard to find and hard to grow.

Montelobos Tobalá

This is a joven expression, meaning the liquid is either bottled right after distillation or is aged for less than two months. To give guests a general idea of what to expect from Montelobos Tobalá, you or your bartenders can explain that it has characteristics of both Espadín and Salmiana mezcals: there’s smoke but there are also vegetal notes.

Tobaziche

If savory, herbaceous notes appeal to a guest, recommend a quality Tobaziche mezcal.

Del Maguey Tobaziche

The Scotch drinkers among your guests will find that this bottle resonates with them. If they enjoy Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Talisker, they’ll appreciate the peat, smoke and earth from Del Maguey Tobaziche.

Image: Meritt Thomas on Unsplash