Event | KRG Hospitality

The Batching Superpower of Sūpāsawā

by David Klemt

One of our favorite products from WSWA’s Access LIVE 2024 event in Las Vegas can save operators and bar teams time and money.

Access LIVE, the annual Wine & Spirit Wholesalers of America (WSWA) event is always chock full of notable items. However, this one in particular stood out to me and my colleagues.

Coming out of Deluxe Distillery in Belgium, Sūpāsawā Seriously Sour Cocktail Mixer is here to make lives easier.

Of course, it’s not surprising that this mixer is so impressive. Sūpāsawā is produced alongside high-quality stablemates, after all: Blind Tiger Handcrafted Gin, Mary White Premium Vodka, and Yusibi Honey Based Aperitif.

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In short, this innovative mixer can replace citrus. Importantly, it’s also widely available around the world. Speaking to the core of our audience and clients, it’s available in Canada and the US. When I asked about availability in the US, I was told it’s in 30 states currently.

Operators in the UK, Europe, Australia, and many more regions should also be able to get their hands on Sūpāsawā.

So, what is this magical mixer, exactly? It’s a simple and clean stand-in for expensive and time-consuming citrus.

Deluxe’s super sour mixer is distilled water, citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, phosphoric acid, and succinic acid. The liquid is crystal clear, aroma-free, and an incredibly convenient substitute for lemons and limes.

Real-life Scenario

Consider the following real-life hypothetical that shines a light on Sūpāsawā’s real-life benefits.

Let’s say someone hires an operator for a catered event. Included in this event is bar service, and involves more than pouring wine and beer.

Along with a handful of calls, the client and their guests expect a signature cocktail. Well, batching a cocktail or two ahead of the event would be a smart move.

However, we all know what that means: purchasing and juicing citrus. And we also all know what else that means: labor costs for all that prep.

What if one bartender or bar back could batch a cocktail in less than five minutes? Yes, I’m talking under five minutes for the entire batching process.

That scenario is nearly identical to Deluxe Distillery’s Access LIVE 2024 situation.

Deluxe showed the convenience and superpower of Sūpāsawā at their booth via batching. According to the bartender and ambassador who prepared the standout cocktail, he added all the ingredients—including the super sour mixer—to a jug, shook it, and it was ready to go in less than five minutes.

Real-life Benefits

Does this mean you’ll never have to buy lemons and/or limes again? For the vast majority of bars, no. However, the more drinks you can make with Sūpāsawā, the more you can plan for and control the cost of citrus.

Per Deluxe, operators can expect to save 15 minutes per liter of citrus juiced. The distillery also says each bottle of Sūpāsawā represents 35 pieces of fruit an operator won’t have to purchase. On average, a single cocktail requires just 20 ml of Sūpāsawā, or 2/3 of an ounce. With each bottle coming in at 700 ml, that’s 35 individual cocktails per.

When I asked about unit cost at their Access Live 2024 booth, Deluxe said operators can expect a price of $9 per unit. People who do the math can see the benefit of getting their hands on Sūpāsawā for individual, kegged, and batched cocktails.

In terms of storage, the slim bottle can last for about two years unopened. After it’s opened, Sūpāsawā should last for up to a year. Compare that to the two- to three-day shelf life of lemon or lime juice.

Notably, using Sūpāsawā leads to consistency. Because it always tastes the same, drink consistency is improved. And, of course, using this super sour mixer leads to producing less food waste.

Click here to learn more about Sūpāsawā and what it can do for an operator’s bar program, catering, and bottom line. Oh, and click here for recipes. Cheers!

Disclaimer: Neither the author nor KRG Hospitality received compensation, monetary or otherwise, from Deluxe Distillery, WSWA, or any other entity in exchange for this post.

Image: Irina on Unsplash

Summer Stimmy, Hot Vax Summer

by David Klemt

When considering event programming, operators should consider the zeitgeist of the current era in which we find ourselves.

Big brands monitor and leverage the cultural climate of a given time.

Operators can do the same, as long as they embrace authenticity, show a sense of humor, and avoid disrespect and appropriation.

Here are a couple examples operators can use for Summer 2021.

Summer Stimmy

Bud Light is tapping into America’s federal response to the pandemic—stimulus checks, to be exact—with creativity and a sense of humor.

Is it too soon? It doesn’t seem so—the levity is a welcome respite.

For all intents and purposes, it appears Bud Light is leaning heavier into the creative and promotional aspect than just humor.

Bud Light’s Summer Stimmy is a proposal to “make Summer 2021 even awesomer for people across America.”

The brand explains each “proposal” item as though they’re components of a bill up for consideration. For example, Part I, Section 1 of the Bud Light Summer Stimmy proposal carries the subtitle “Tons of Tix.” Bud Light proposes to give away 100,000 tickets for MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, NWSL and WNBA events.

Part I, Section 2, More Awesomeness, proposes the nomination of Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski as Secretary of Summer. Additionally, the section proposes May 14 as National Gronk Day, his birthday.

Of course, Bud Light owns the term Summer Stimmy now. However, clever operators can get in on the fun (and profits) through their Bud Light rep. Or, they can get creative and come up with their own Summer 2021 promotions that leverage pent-up demand.

Hot Vax Summer

Even though it seems like forever ago, who can forget 2019 and Hot Girl Summer?

Megan Thee Stallion, one half of the infamous “WAP” duo, gets the credit for coining the phrase and creating the movement.

The “rules” for Hot Summer were simple: Women and men just needed to be “unapologetically them,” make having a good time a priority, and be free.

We all know what happened in 2020. There certainly wasn’t a Hot Girl Summer, Part Two.

Meeting new people, dating, hooking up… For the most part, none of that happened without Covid-19 tests and quarantining. That is, if those activities occurred at all.

But now we have multiple vaccines: Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. AstraZeneca and Novavax have yet to be authorized by the FDA.

So, what are the Hot Vax Summer rules? Pretty simple: Get vaccinated (fully), get back out there to meet, interact and hook up.

And where do people tend to go to meet others? Restaurants, bars, nightclubs and dayclubs.

Whether to confidently and comfortably meet friends they haven’t seen for several months, make new friends, or kickstart dating, our businesses are where people want to be.

Operators need to ensure their venues are ready for the initial crush of guests clamoring to finally reclaim their social and romantic lives. So, prepare your outdoor areas; make sure indoor areas meet guest expectations for comfort so they can interact freely; and ensure your staff is ready for the welcome onslaught of eager guests.

Image: Photo by Drew Beamer on Unsplash