History | KRG Hospitality

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 18, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

How Two Boston Hotels Modernized America

How Two Boston Hotels Modernized America

by David Klemt

To understand how far we’re moving forward with hotel design and hospitality we can look at two historic and influential Boston hotels.

In part, this dive into hotel history finds its inspiration from a Time Out list. Recently, the publication revealed their 2022 list of the world’s top cities.

According to Time Out, Boston, the location of two historically significant hotels, is 29th in the world. It’s also one of just six American cities to make the list. For some context, number 28 is Lisbon, Portugal, and number 30 is Mexico City.

Now, it’s impressive for a city to be the home of one influential hotel. That Boston is home to two is extraordinary.

Both hotels trace their openings to 1800s America. One is, to many, the first modern hotel in the US. The other is America’s longest continually operating hotel.

Tremont House

Now, neither of the hotels I’m writing about are the first hotel in America. That honor goes to the City Hotel in New York City.

However, the Tremont House in Boston, which traces its opening to October 16, 1829, delivered many other firsts. Sure, it’s not the first building designed and built to be used as a hotel. But look at the other firsts this historic hotel brings to the table:

Tremont House is the first hotel in America with a reception area.
Also, this is the first hotel in the US to employ bellboys.
Another impressive first for Americans and American hotels? Locking hotel rooms.
And behind the locking door of that hotel room, free soap.
Arguably the most important American hotel first ties into the free soap. The Tremont House is the first hotel in America with indoor plumbing.

Sadly, the Tremont House’s history ends just 66 years after first opening its doors. In 1895, the historic hotel was demolished. If you want to visit the site, head to 73 Tremont Street and check out the office building occupying the space.

Omni Parker House

So, the Omni Parker House obviously isn’t the first hotel in the US. And it doesn’t boast the first reception area, locking hotel rooms, or indoor plumbing in an American hotel.

However, this hotel brings with it other firsts. On top of that, the Omni Parker House is still operating today. Seriously—you can book a stay right now.

Another awesome detail of the Omni Parker House? Well, it’s literally across the street from the Tremont House’s former site. So, you can book a stay or pop by for a bite or drink, then walk across the street to stand where America’s first modern hotel once stood.

Also of note, the Omni Parker House opening date. This landmark hotel opened for business on October 8, 1855. So, the same month as the Tremont House, which was across the street, 26 years later. These historic hotels, then, were competing against one another in Boston for 40 years.

Upon opening, the Omni Parker House became the first hotel to separate room rates and fees for meals. Showing how much hotels in Europe influenced American hotel operators as they became more modern, this separation of fees was known as “the European Plan.” Prior to this development, guests paid an all-inclusive rate and had to eat when the hotel made meals available. The Omni Parker House gave more control over if and when guests ordered their meals.

In terms of firsts for Boston, the Omni Parker House has quite an impressive list:

The first hotel to offer cold and hot running water.
This is the first Boston hotel to feature an elevator for guests.
Oh, and this is where the Boston Cream Pie was created.
And let’s not overlook the Omni Parker House is also the home of the Parker House Roll.

Enduring Legacies

Clearly, the Tremont House’s influence on modern hotel design and amenities is undeniable. Once an afterthought, the lobby is now a prominent space in hotels. To show how far we’re taking the lobby, consider the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco (Time Out 25).

Incredibly, this space measures 42,000 square feet and stands 17 stories tall. Today, modern hotels are crucial design elements.

Indoor plumbing? Hot and cold water and toilets in rooms? We certainly take these design features for granted now.

Today, you can find hotel rooms that feature jetted tubs, steam showers, heated floors, multi-head showers, saunas, and views. And that’s to say nothing of the free soap, now often provided in partnership with the finest skincare companies.

Additionally, consider how we enter our hotel rooms now. One hotel in America had to be the first to feature locking hotel room doors. Now, we can access rooms through apps on our phones. There are also hotels that feature biometric technology. Not only can a guest access their room with this tech, they can complete check-in with biometrics.

When it comes to culinary influence, the Omni Parker House ushered in a new era. The power to order from a menu on your own schedule? It’s almost unbelievable that guests didn’t have that type of control until the mid-1800s.

Per historians, Harvey D. Parker was incredibly particular about his hotel’s culinary program. On average, chefs were paid $418 per year back then ($14,236 today). Parker paid a French chef $5,000 per year ($170,293 today).

We have to look backward to appreciate how far we’ve come. And we must tap into that appreciation to move forward.

Image: Omni Hotels & Resorts

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

Sazerac cocktail and mixing glass on bar

March 22, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

National Cocktails: Canada & America

National Cocktails: Canada & America

by David Klemt

We’re taking a look at two cocktails that can trace their roots to America and Canada for this year’s National Cocktail Day.

Further, KRG Hospitality has a headquarters in each country. So, we’ll be focusing on the cocktails for which Canada and America are known.

Celebrate National Cocktail Day, March 24, with the recipes below. Cheers!

Canada’s Official Cocktail

Let’s kick things off with Canada. There’s no cocktail with as close an association to the Great White North as the Caesar.

In fact, it’s Canada’s national cocktail. So ubiquitous, it’s woven into the fabric of Canadian pop culture.

Consider this Letterkenny exchange as exhibit A:

Darryl: “I’d have a Bloody Caesar.”

Wayne: “Do you wanna know what? I’d have a Caesar, too.”

Squirrely Dan: “I could have a Caesar if you guys are havin’ Caesars.”

Darryl: “Hard to see a Caesar and not want a Caesar.”

Wayne: “That’s actually how they market Caesars.”

According to cocktail lore, the city of Calgary and province of Alberta get to call themselves the home of the Caesar.

Disputed Origins

As the story goes, Walter Chell invented the cocktail in 1969. Chell was a restaurant manager at the Calgary Inn, now a Westin property.

Oh, wait. There’s also Walter Winchell and the Smirnoff Smiler cocktail. Tracing mentions back to 1953, this drink is made with vodka, tomato juice, clam juice, and Worcestershire sauce.

Hang on… In 1959, Charles Addams—y’know, the creator of the Addams Family—said he created the Gravel Gertie in Manhattan, New York. This cocktail calls for vodka to be mixed with tomato juice, clam juice, and Tabasco sauce.

Well, Chell was onto something when he combined every ingredient in the Smiler and Gertie. To me, this an original that stands far above any perceived predecessors.

Chell also crafted the recipe using a “rule of four”:

one shot of vodka;
two dashes of hot sauce;
three dashes of salt and pepper; and
four dashes of Worcestershire sauce

Prepare a glass with a celery salt or salt and pepper rim. Add ice, then add the above ingredients. Top with Caesar mix (Clamato juice, these days), and garnish with a celery stock and lime.

America’s Unofficial Cocktail

Now, onward to America. So, we don’t have an official national cocktail here. Clearly, our neighbors to the north know how to have more fun.

We have a native spirit—bourbon—but that’s where it ends.

However, we do have New Orleans. And in New Orleans we have the birthplace of American hospitality.

We have something else in New Orleans. In 2008, the Louisiana state senate passed a bill that named an official cocktail for the city.

That cocktail? The Sazerac.

Two Bases, One Drink

Cocktail historians will tell you that there are essentially two recipes for the Sazerac. They’ll also tell you that the origins of this cocktail are under dispute.

Are you beginning to see a pattern with cocktail history? It’s never clear, is it?

First, let’s address the original, assuming it’s America’s first (or at least oldest known) cocktail. From the 1850s to 1870s, it was made with Cognac. And not just any Cognac, Sazerac de Forge et Fils.

Depending on who you ask, either bar owner Aaron Bird or Antoine Amedie Peychaud invented the Sazerac. The cocktail recipe includes two dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters, so it’s easy to understand why some credit Peychaud with creating this drink.

Then, there’s the version that took off in the 1870s. Again, depending on the source, either American tastes changed or a phylloxera outbreak affected Cognac production. Perhaps both are true, converging to alter the Sazerac recipe.

Either way, rye whiskey replaced absinthe, and Herbsaint replaced the absinthe. Some bartenders also substitute bourbon for the rye.

The Recipe

It’s not difficult to make a Sazerac, just like it isn’t difficult to find one in New Orleans.

You’ll need two Old Fashioned (aka rocks) glasses, or one Old Fashioned and a mixing glass.

Rinse a chilled glass with absinthe or Herbsaint, and add ice. In the mixing glass or second glass, add ice, two ounces of Cognac, rye whiskey or bourbon, a half-ounce of simply syrup, and three dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters. Stir until well chilled.

Before straining, discard the ice and any excess absinthe or Hersaint from the prepared glass. Now, strain into prepared glass, express a lemon peel, and use that peel as garnish.

Alternatively, you can split the base and do Cognac and rye or bourbon, paying homage to each version of the Sazerac.

Image: Johann Trasch on Unsplash

March 21, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Share These Vermouth Facts with Guests

Share These Vermouth Facts with Guests

by David Klemt

Today is World Vermouth Day, so here are some interesting facts you and your bar team can share to engage with guests.

Before we dive in, a few vermouth basics.

First, contrary to what some believe, vermouth isn’t a spirit. Rather, vermouth is a fortified wine.

In most cases, vermouth producers boost—or fortify—alcohol content with a neutral grape spirit.

Centuries of History

Vermouth can trace its history back to at least the 16th century. However, it’s possible it goes as far back as 12th century China.

Like so many products behind the bar, the exact origins are in dispute. Some say vermouth is a Chinese creation, some say its home is Greece, crediting Hippocrates with its creation. Still others attribute its invention to Germany.

Regardless, many believe that vermouth is one of the oldest types of beverage alcohol.

Doctor’s Orders

As is the case with plenty of intoxicants, this fortified wine has roots in medicine.

From the 16th century until about midway through the 18th century, Italian vermouth was recommended by doctors to settle upset stomachs.

This makes sense given its makeup: Vermouth is a wine combined with a spirit, infused by roots, herbs, and spices. The array of botanicals found in vermouth can certainly aid in digestion.

In fact, offering vermouth on your menu as an aperitif or digestif is a smart move.

Booze Relatives

You, your bar team, and guests may find this connection interesting. Vermouth and absinthe are family members.

According to some alcohol historians, “vermouth” is a French pronunciation of the German word “wermut.” Wermut translates from German to English as “wormwood.”

Centuries ago, German and Hungarian fortified wines contained wormwood.

An argument can be made that amaro is also a relative of vermouth. While not a requirement, amaro can contain wine. If an amaro has that component, it can technically be a vermouth.

Modern Vermouth

Toward the end of the 18th century, Antonio Benedetto Carpano created what’s now considered modern vermouth.

As the story goes, Carpano was studying to be an herbalist. In 1786, in Turin, Italy, he blended a white muscatel with herbs and spices. Modern vermouth was born.

Owing to modernization and commercialization, some paint vermouth with two broad brushes.

There are those who refer to all red vermouths as Italian vermouths. They then categorize all white vermouths as French. This is, in part, due to the French overwhelmingly producing dry, white vermouths.

Even More Modern

Well, maybe not exactly more modern. Perhaps it would be more accurate to refer to a particular style as “more recently recognized.”

During Prohibition, American producers made vermouth. According to my research, these were not looked upon favorably. In fact, they were considered cheap and poorly made.

That’s not the style I’m talking about here. Starting in the 1990s, and initially attributed to Californian producers, American vermouth production came out swinging with Western Dry.

In general, this style of vermouth leans heavier on the wine and uses different botanicals.

Not Just a Clever Shirt

You have probably seen bartenders or other hospitality professionals wearing this Mover & Shaker shirt:

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A post shared by Mover & Shaker (@moverandshakerco)

In case it doesn’t load for you, it says, “If you’re reading this put vermouth in the fridge.” That’s not a joke—keep it in the refrigerator.

Perhaps due the misconception that vermouth is a spirit, some people treat it as such. In other words, they just leave their vermouths out.

Being a fortified wine, vermouth can go bad in just a few months once open. So, this World Vermouth Day, if you haven’t already, put vermouth in the fridge.

Image: Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash