Reading | KRG Hospitality

March 4, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: March 2025

5 Books to Read this Month: March 2025

by David Klemt

Our March book selections focus on outdoor cooking, miniaturized cocktails, restaurant design, hotel design, and prioritizing the right things.

To review the book recommendations from February 2025, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Tiny Cocktails: The Art of Miniature Mixology

Several years ago, Tales of the Cocktail featured an event highlighting Mar-tiny’s, miniature serves of an array of Martinis. Over the years, I’ve come across mini drinks at bars and pop-up events, and people have always seemed to find the concept compelling. Couple this interesting way of serving with today’s apparent preference for imbibing less alcohol and we have a recipe for successful drinks.

From Amazon: “Tiny Cocktails offers a unique and creative approach to mixology for those who want to savor delicious cocktails without overindulging. The recipes showcase smaller drinks with big flavors—an ideal way to explore new flavors and refine your mixology skills without making a full-drink commitment. Each drink comes in around 3-6 ounces, with about half the alcoholic punch of a full-sized cocktail.”

Order your copy here!

Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out: 100 Recipes That Redefine Outdoor Cooking

Funnily enough, this also reminds me of an awesome, engaging Tales of the Cocktail event. Not too many TOTCs ago, Kimpton Hotels hosted an event during which every food item (save for a couple of cheese boards) was prepared outside, over fire. The result was a fantastic dinner that showcased how the simplest form of cooking, when coupled with creativity, can produce something spectacular.

From Amazon: “In Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out, Michael Symon offers 100 recipes for outdoor cooking including desserts and drinks too. Featuring fan-favorite recipes from his popular Food Network show, Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out, and brand new recipes, this cookbook is sure to excite budding and expert grillers alike. From live-fire classics like Bacon-Cheddar Smash Burgers to unexpected dishes like Fettuccine with Smoked Tomato Sauce, cooks who take it outside will find all kinds of creative ways to use their grills year-round.”

Pick yours up today!

Tasteful: New Interiors for Restaurants and Cafés

I’ve had the opportunity to speak to multiple hospitality-focused interior designers on the KRG Hospitality-produced Bar Hacks podcast. In each case, I’ve asked about their process for helping clients share their vision for a restaurant, bar, or other concept and transform it into a tangible design.

To that end, I present Tasteful, which I hope will help spark creativity in anyone considering the interior design of their own concept, and explain what they’re visualizing to others.

From Amazon: “The ever-evolving landscape of the gastronomic industry never fails to surprise with new ideas and trends—and Tasteful is a testament to that. A follow-up on the earlier gestalten title Appetizer, this book is a curated selection of the most eye-catching interiors of new restaurants, cafes, bars and all kinds of food places. Featuring a variety styles from a host of diverse locations around the planet, Tasteful serves as both a travel guide for intrepid foodies and an inspiration for those passionate about design.”

Grab a copy now!

Design: The Leading Hotels of the World

On the most-recent episode of the Bar Hacks episode I speak with Michael Suomi, an award-winning architect and interior designer who specializes in unique and complex hotel projects (along with restaurant and bar designs). That episode, and this book, should inspire those opening a hotel to knock their design out of the ballpark, and create a narrative for their property.

From Amazon: “Embark on a stunning visual journey through The Leading Hotels of the World, a collection of the world’s most exclusive independent luxury hotels, which consistently dominates prestigious awards, securing top honors in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards and Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards.”

Click here to order your copy!

Undoing Urgency: Reclaim Your Time for the Things that Matter Most

One of our goals for KRG Hospitality clients sounds simple on the surface: spend less time on their business. Imagine having the ability to step away for multiple weeks throughout the year, to actually unplug and not even think about your bar, restaurant, cafe, nightclub, or hotel. We want that for all of our guests, because while we can help make brands, brick-and-mortar businesses, and menus, and make operations run more smoothly, none of us can make more time.

Undoing Urgency, likewise, is about time, and what we do with it.

From Amazon: “Undoing Urgency…details the GAME Plan (Goals, Actions, Metrics, and Execution), which turns core values into high-priority goals and minimum effective dose actions for maximum impact. The GAME Plan works for all goals, having been used at the highest levels in business, health, life, and the most personal ambitions. It takes readers on a journey of personal discovery to identify what brings them value and joy. Ultimately, Reynolds wants to help people break free of urgency and start living a value-driven life dedicated to what is most important to them.”

Buy it now!

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

February 7, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: February 2025

5 Books to Read this Month: February 2025

by David Klemt

Our February book selections focus on bartender techniques and cocktail balance, mushrooms, fusion, leadership, and mastering the fundamentals.

To review the book recommendations from January 2025, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Mushroom Gastronomy: The Art of Cooking with Mushrooms

On a recent episode of the Bar Hacks podcast, the topic of mushrooms in cocktails came up briefly. While mushrooms are somewhat divisive in the beverage space, they remain an important culinary staple. To that end, we want to put Mushroom Gastronomy on your radar.

Authored by culinary writer and mushroom specialist (seriously, don’t try foraging without expertise; consuming or serving the wrong mushrooms can severely, permanently harm or kill your, your team, and your guests) Krista Towns, this book shares just about everything you could hope to know about more than a dozen edible mushrooms, and features more than 100 recipes, along with fantastic photos.

From Amazon: “The book explores 25 of the most popular edible and delicious mushrooms. Stunning photographs introduce each variety, including their unique nutritional values, ideal cooking methods, culinary tips, and flavor pairings, making this book a go-to resource for anyone interested in cooking with mushrooms.”

Grab the hardcover today.

The Cocktail Balance 2.0

As the title of this book suggests, this is the followup to The Cocktail Balance, written by Stanislav Harcinik. The Cocktail Balance 2.0 dives even deeper into bartending and mixology, focusing on theory, practice (including infusion and carbonation), inspiration, and, of course, recipes. Nearly 300 pages are packed with knowledge, recipes, and beautiful photography. The first batch of books sold out quickly, but pre-orders are open for April of this year.

From the website: “Divided into three sections—theoretical, practical, and inspirational—the book provides in-depth knowledge on various aspects of bartending. The theoretical section includes detailed Excel sheets covering margins, cocktail costs, inventory management, and profitability, giving insights into the financial aspects of bartending. It also delves into advanced mixology techniques such as carbonation, clarification, and the use of enzymes, which have recently become more popular in bars.”

Pre-order yours here!

Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success

We’ve recommended multiple books written by professor and researcher Adam Grant, including Think Again and Originals. Give and Take may be just over ten years old, but it’s lessons and message or no less relevant than they were in 2014.

From Amazon: “For generations, we have focused on the individual drivers of success: passion, hard work, talent, and luck. But in today’s dramatically reconfigured world, success is increasingly dependent on how we interact with others. In Give and Take, Adam Grant, an award-winning researcher and Wharton’s highest-rated professor, examines the surprising forces that shape why some people rise to the top of the success ladder while others sink to the bottom. Praised by social scientists, business theorists, and corporate leaders, Give and Take opens up an approach to work, interactions, and productivity that is nothing short of revolutionary.”

Order the paperback here.

Cutting Up in the Kitchen: Food and Fun from Southern National’s Chef Duane Nutter

I don’t usually include more than one pre-order in a monthly roundup. In fact, I try to avoid including them too often. However, this book came up on my radar, and I want to share it with you.

Cutting Up in the Kitchen is written by Chef Duane Nutter, known for fusing Southern food with other cuisines and flavors, whether regional or international. Further, Chef Nutter isn’t afraid to infuse his writing with humor. Those looking for culinary innovation and inspiration should pre-order this book today.

From Amazon: “This cookbook, full of sophisticated yet approachable recipes, is organized like a comedy act with chapter titles such as The Set Up (Cocktails), Stock Material (Sauces and Condiments), Open-Mikers (Appetizers, Salads, and Soups); Bit Parts (Side Dishes); The Hook (Fish and Seafood Main Courses); Headliners (Main Courses), and Curtain Calls (Desserts). You will find recipes for Spiced Rum Iced Coffee and Coconut Negroni to whet your whistle; Smoked Paprika Compound Butter and Mustard Green Chimichurri to flavor dishes; Arugula Salad with Golden Beets, Pickled Grapes, and Spiced Pecans along with Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs to start the meal; Sautéed Royal Red Shrimp with Bourbon Maque Choux or Lamb Burger Helper for a main course, and Buttermilk and Honey Ice Cream, Citrus Bread Pudding, or Cheesecake Flan to close the show. A good time will be had by all!”

Pre-order here!

Bar Hacks: Developing The Fundamentals for an Epic Bar

If you haven’t read Bar Hacks yet, this is KRG president and principal consultant Doug Radkey’s first book. In his this book he explains the importance of nailing the fundamentals in order to:

start your operator journey in the best possible position;
stabilize your business; and
scale when the time comes, if that’s what you want.

From Amazon: “This informative and conversational book is the perfect read for aspiring or seasoned bar, pub, lounge, or even restaurant owners, operators, and managers looking for that competitive edge in operations! If you’re looking for both fundamental and in-depth planning methods, strategies, and industry focused insight to either start or grow a scalable, sustainable, memorable, profitable, and consistent venue in today’s cut-throat industry–Bar Hacks is written just for you!”

Click here to get your copy today!

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

January 2, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: January 2025

5 Books to Read this Month: January 2025

by David Klemt

Our January book selections focus on changing the way we approach hospitality, mastering the fundamentals, America cuisine, bourbon, and more.

To review the book recommendations from December 2024, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Hacking the New Normal

Doug Radkey‘s followup book to Bar Hacks! The world around us has changed. The food and beverage industry has changed. The hospitality industry has changed. But will some ways of life change for the better? Will perhaps the restaurant, bar, and hospitality industry come out even stronger? With the right changes to the previous status quo, it is possible. There’s no question, resets are major undertakings, but a major reset will provide us with a clean start and that’s what this industry needs.

From Amazon: “Whether or not you’re a hotelier, restaurateur, bar owner or a front-line staff member—this book will position you for success in the new normal. With a spotlight on hybrid business models, real estate, profit margins, technology, guest experiences, culture, diversity, and mindset, Hacking the New Normal is the guidance you need.

Grab your copy here.

Bar Hacks: Developing The Fundamentals for an Epic Bar

It’s the last book roundup of the year and yes, I’m taking the opportunity to recommend KRG president and principal consultant Doug Radkey’s first book. In his this book he explains the importance of nailing the fundamentals in order to:

start your operator journey in the best possible position;
stabilize your business; and
scale when the time comes, if that’s what you want.

Click here to get your copy today!

Let There Be Havens: An Invitation to Gentle Hospitality

We find inspiration everywhere at KRG Hospitality. As important to us is sharing that inspiration to help our clients, partners, and readers hone their vision for hospitality concepts. This book, Let There Be Havens, is a look at “gentle hospitality,” an approach to providing impactful hospitality to those who visit your home. Operators and front- and back-of-house teams welcome guests to their “other” home every shift, and this book can improve every professional’s approach to service and hospitality.

From Amazon: “When one person reaches for another, makes an offering, and believes we all hold such worth. No matter what we have in our pockets or where we’ve been up until now, we take care of each other―whether we’re strangers on a sidewalk or families around a table. Each day, we create trails of beauty and connection. One open door opens the next. And then it happens: our streets fill with lamplight, our lives lift with spirit, and our homes become circles of gold.”

Click here to order the hardcover.

Bourbon Land: A Spirited Love Letter to My Old Kentucky Whiskey

Chef Edward Lee’s favorite spirit is bourbon. While this book, Best New Cookbook of Spring 2024 by Eater, Epicurious, and Food & Wine, dives into bourbon’s history, how to taste it, and famous distilleries, there’s another key element that should motivate you to buy it. Namely, how to cook with bourbon, and 50 accompanying recipes.

From Amazon: “Knowledgeable, entertaining, and more than a little infatuated with his subject, award-winning food writer and chef Edward Lee gives us his insight into bourbon, telling us everything we should know about the mellow honey-brown treasure that’s put Kentucky on the global map: How bourbon is made. Its history. How to read a label. A look inside the famous distilleries. The influence of oak. Tours of Kentucky’s bourbon regions. How to taste bourbon like a professional.”

Get it here.

Buttermilk Graffiti

Oh, Chef Lee is also an award-winning writer. In 2019, his book Buttermilk Graffiti won the James Beard Award for Best Book of the Year in Writing. It was also nominated for other awards. Chef Lee traveled the US, learned the personal and food stories of the people he encountered, and shared more than a dozen of those stories in this book, which also includes 40 recipes.

From Amazon: “American food is the story of mash-ups. Immigrants arrive, cultures collide, and out of the push-pull come exciting new dishes and flavors. But for Edward Lee, who, like Anthony Bourdain or Gabrielle Hamilton, is as much a writer as he is a chef, that first surprising bite is just the beginning. What about the people behind the food? What about the traditions, the innovations, the memories?”

Follow this link to buy your copy.

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

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December 3, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: December 2024

5 Books to Read this Month: December 2024

by David Klemt

Our December book selections focus on nailing the fundamentals, an infamous drink, themed sips and bites, non-conformists, and more.

To review the book recommendations from November 2024, click here.

Let’s jump in!

The Hour of Absinthe: A Cultural History of France’s Most Notorious Drink

It’s undeniable that, until relatively recently, absinthe has been one of the most misunderstood beverages on the market. Who hasn’t heard or read that one of its most infamous effects is hallucinations? Well, it turns out that the people most famous for imbibing this legendary drink were just drinking so much of it, they were hammered out of their minds. There are no psychoactive ingredients in absinthe.

So, what else have we gotten wrong about “the green fairy”? This book answers that question, and so many more.

From Amazon: “At the height of its popularity in the late nineteenth century, absinthe reigned in the bars, cafés, and restaurants of France and its colonial empire. Yet by the time it was banned in 1915, the famous green fairy had become the green peril, feared for its connection with declining birth rates and its apparent capacity to induce degeneration, madness, and murderous rage in its consumers. As one of history’s most notorious drinks, absinthe has been the subject of myth, scandal, and controversy.”

Order your copy now.

The World Central Kitchen Cookbook: Feeding Humanity, Feeding Hope

We at KRG Hospitality support World Central Kitchen with donations, and have done so for years. WCK’s values align with our own, and its a charitable organization that truly supports people, and provides hope.

Their first-ever cookbook, aptly titled The Word Central Kitchen Cookbook, won a James Beard Award this year. Now, you can support the WCK and their campaigns, and recreate or find inspiration from their recipes. This book is well (and creatively) organized, with chapters titled Empathy, Urgency, Adaptation, Hope, Community, Resilience, and Joy.

From Amazon: “In their first cookbook, WCK shares recipes inspired by the many places they’ve cooked following disasters as well as inspiring narratives from the chefs and volunteers on the front lines. Photographs captured throughout the world highlight community and hope while stunning food photography showcases the mouthwatering recipes. ”

Get the spiral-bound version here!

Puncheons and Flagons: The Official Dungeons & Dragons Cocktail Book

There’s no doubt that Dungeons & Dragons has grown in popularity over the years. It appears this interest in the game can be credited at least partially to podcasts and videos of actual game play. In fact, I listen to three D&D-themed podcasts regularly, and try others from time to time…and I’ve never played the game.

If you operate a concept that encourages gamers to gather, play, socialize, drink, and eat, you’ll find value in the pages of Puncheons & Flagons. Alongside shareable snack recipes are cocktail and zero-proof drink builds. Basically, everything your gamer guests need to keep game play going strong.

From Amazon: “Entertain fabulously while you adventure in your next D&D campaign! Puncheons & Flagons is a delightful and fun-filled cocktail and snacks book filled with fare that would be served up at your character’s favorite tavern, inn, or market along the Sword Coast. All seventy-five dishes, created by a professional recipe developer, are easy to prepare and provide everything you need for hosting and entertaining with D&D flair.”

Hardcover available here.

Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World

While we all need to understand and master the fundamentals, every operator and hospitality professional takes a personal journey to and through this business. We categorize concepts but each is different, and the vast majority are based on a unique vision. It’s a key driver for the team KRG Hospitality; we love learning about our client’s projects, where we can help, and working alongside them to bring their vision to reality.

In other words, this is an industry of non-conformists hellbent on making their own way. This book is a deep dive into the mindset that drives so many hospitality pros.

From Amazon: “Learn from an entrepreneur who pitches his start-ups by highlighting the reasons not to invest, a woman at Apple who challenged Steve Jobs from three levels below, an analyst who overturned the rule of secrecy at the CIA, a billionaire financial wizard who fires employees for failing to criticize him, and a TV executive who didn’t even work in comedy but saved Seinfeld from the cutting-room floor. The payoff is a set of groundbreaking insights about rejecting conformity and improving the status quo.”

Order the paperback here.

Bar Hacks: Developing The Fundamentals for an Epic Bar

start your operator journey in the best possible position;
stabilize your business; and
scale when the time comes, if that’s what you want.

Click here to get your copy today!

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

Book Below to Setup a 30-Minute Complimentary Discovery Call and Request for Proposal.

November 1, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: November 2024

5 Books to Read this Month: November 2024

by David Klemt

Our November book selections focus on recognizing your own potential, developing and enhancing culinary and cocktail skills, and leadership.

To review the book recommendations from October 2024, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Soups, Salads, Sandwiches: A Cookbook

Who doesn’t appreciate dining on a soup, salad, and sandwich? It’s one of the most famous food-based trinities in the world. Each of these individual items is a blank canvas for creativity from your kitchen team; they can be as simple or complex and inventive as you and your team desire. A soup, salad, or sandwich can introduce guests to new flavors. When presented as a trio, they can also tell a cohesive, compelling culinary story. In this aptly named cookbook, Matty Matheson tells interesting stories, and shares more than 120 recipes.

From Amazon: “Packed with character, personal stories, 126 scrumptious recipes, and vivid photographs of a day-in-the-life with Matty and his family, Soups, Salads, Sandwiches will have you fearlessly whipping up your own combinations in the kitchen.”

Order your copy today on Amazon, or wherever you get books.

Unsliced: How to Stay Whole in the Pizzeria Industry

Mike Bausch, the author of Unsliced, was one of the first guests on the Bar Hacks podcast. If you’d like to give his episode a listen, it’s number number 18 (Spotify link | Apple Podcasts link). In his book, Bausch lays everything out for pizzeria operators, from leadership and marketing to adjusting your mindset.

These two sentences from the description of Unsliced say it all, and they resonate with me and my partners at KRG Hospitality: “It’s hard not to get discouraged in this business. But with the right perspective, smart systems, and hard work, your restaurant can thrive.”

From Amazon: “If you own a pizzeria, you know something most people don’t: the pizza business is more cutthroat, stressful, and multifaceted than Wall Street. Every day is a constant struggle to manage overhead, attract loyal customers, stand out from the pack, and keep your employees motivated.

“Running a pizzeria is hard. But it doesn’t have to be as hard as you think.”

Pick this book up here.

The Bartender’s Pantry: A Beverage Handbook for the Universal Bar

Published earlier this year, The Bartender’s Pantry by Jim Meehan and Bart Sasso offers a unique departure from the standard cocktail recipe book. As you glean from the word “pantry” in the title of this book, Meehan and Sasso encourage bartenders to take a culinary approach to crafting drinks. However, The Bartender’s Pantry is also aimed at cooks. Really, this is a great book that should help bring the front and back of houses together. There are more than 100 recipes, and this book is available in a flexibound version, which makes it infinitely cool.

From Amazon: “Each chapter features artfully illustrated recipes incorporating the featured ingredients that bring the reader into the kitchens of some of the world’s most revered bartenders, baristas, importers, and chefs. Their innovative takes on traditional recipes including horchata, matcha, Turkish coffee, sorrel, kvass, and ice cream are followed by full-page photos of over 50 cocktails that incorporate them including modern classics like the Gin Basil Smash, Earl Grey MarTEAni and Penicillin.”

Grab the flexibound version from Amazon.

Beyond the Hammer: A Fresh Approach to Leadership, Culture, and Building High Performance Teams

Author Brian Gottlieb identifies three challenges that just about every business faces: leading staff to take ownership of the work they do; friction between departments or separate teams; and producing inconsistent results. He also presents a strategy in Beyond the Hammer to overcome these challenges, in addition to high employee turnover, and burnout.

From Amazon: “These common issues create high turnover and force managers into crisis mode where they’re consumed putting out daily fires. Over time, the very nature of the business changes and a new culture emerges; one shaped by the lowest level of acceptable behavior.”

Hardcover available on Amazon.

Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things

If you’ve listened to episode 100 of the KRG Hospitality-produced Bar Hacks podcast (Spotify link | Apple Podcasts link), you’ve heard Tako Chang talk about discovering the Double Chicken Please team’s hidden talents. Moreover, you’ve heard how impressed she is with the team’s skills, and encouraging each member to develop them further. That’s an example of great leadership.

This book, written by organizational psychologist Adam Grant, addresses finding and exploring your own potential; doing the same for others; and why we should focus more on learning than working ourselves to the bone to achieve success.

From Amazon: “Hidden Potential offers a new framework for raising aspirations and exceeding expectations. Adam Grant weaves together groundbreaking evidence, surprising insights, and vivid storytelling that takes us from the classroom to the boardroom, the playground to the Olympics, and underground to outer space. He shows that progress depends less on how hard you work than how well you learn. Growth is not about the genius you possess—it’s about the character you develop. Grant explores how to build the character skills and motivational structures to realize our own potential, and how to design systems that create opportunities for those who have been underrated and overlooked.”

The hardcover costs less than the paperback right now on Amazon.

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

Looking to Start, Stabilize, or Scale? Book Below to Setup a 60-Minute Result-Driven Impact Session.

October 2, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: October 2024

5 Books to Read this Month: October 2024

by David Klemt

Our October book selections focus on restaurant and bar interior design, developing leadership skills, an infamous liqueur, and themed cocktails.

To review the book recommendations from September 2024, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Dining Out: The New Restaurant Interior Design

Impactful bar, restaurant, and hotel design is paramount. Your space is how your guests interact with your brand in person and online. It’s much more than just four walls; your venue is the physical manifestation and representation of your concept. Therefore, it’s important that you nail your design details. I think you’ll find Dining Out inspiring.

From Amazon: “The book takes the reader on a journey to some of the most cutting-edge examples in restaurant design and architecture from around the world. With a descriptive text for each project, it focuses on the craftmanship, color schemes, decorative details, lighting and furnishings that form the identity of the space, serving as a source of inspiration and reference for professional designers, foodies and other people involved in the restaurant business. Interior and exterior photographs, as well as blueprints of each design, present the reader with a rich range of styles, from modern minimalist spaces to ones defined by bold contemporary colors, a sleek industrial look or designs that look to the past for inspiration.”

Order your hardcover copy here.

Reset: How to Change What’s Not Working

Part of being an entrepreneur or member of a leadership team is implementing new initiatives. And sometimes, after monitoring these new initiatives for a set amount of time, we find out that they’re just not working. So, what do you do? This book will help you take decisive, timely action.

From Amazon: “Changing how we work can feel overwhelming. Like trying to budge an enormous boulder. We’re stifled by the gravity of the way we’ve always done things. And we spend so much time fighting fires—and fighting colleagues—that we lack the energy to shift direction.

“But with the right strategy, we can move the boulder. In Reset, Heath explores a framework for getting unstuck and making the changes that matter. The secret is to find ‘leverage points’: places where a little bit of effort can yield a disproportionate return. Then, we can thoughtfully rearrange our resources to push on those points.”

Place your pre-order for this book today.

Cocktails and Consoles: 75 Video Game-Inspired Drinks to Level Up Your Game Night

At the end of August, I shared some interesting information from a Datassential report. According to the intel agency, close to 200 million Americans are gamers, and that interest in gaming spans all ages. Further, gamers spent well over $50 billion on this particular hobby in 2023. Datassential also found that 45 percent of gamers have made F&B decisions after consuming video game-related ads or content, so this info is relevant to restaurant and bar operators.

From Amazon: “Created especially for video game fans, this cocktail book features controller-friendly recipes that all offer playful homage to favorite games and characters including The Oregon Trail Buck (The Oregon Trail), Pom of Power (Hades), The Miles Edgeworth MarTeani (Ace Attorney), The Cake Is a Lie (Portal), Stardrop Swizzle (Stardew Valley), Miriel, Pastor of Vows (Elden Ring), Ether (Final Fantasy XIV), Liquid Snake (Metal Gear Solid), Lady Dimitrescu Fizz (Resident Evil Village), Sardegna Simulator Spritz (Gran Turismo), Falcon Punch (Super Smash Bros.), and more. Cocktails and Consoles has the perfect drink for every player and every video game!

Click here to order your copy.

Malört: The Redemption of a Revered and Reviled Spirit

So, perhaps I’m a bit odd, but I like the taste of Malört. Strangely, even though I grew up outside of Chicago and began my journey in bars and nightclubs in the city, I didn’t try Malört until I moved to Las Vegas. If you haven’t tried it, and you have a distributor who can get it for your bar reliably, you, your staff, and your guests are in for an experience.

From Amazon: “Author and beer expert Josh Noel unpacks a uniquely American tale, equal parts culture, business, and personal relationships—involving secret love, federal prison, a David vs. Goliath court battle, and, ultimately, the 2018 sale of Jeppson’s Malört, which made Pat Gabelick, a 75-year-old Chicago woman who spent much of her life as a legal secretary, into an unlikely millionaire.”

Grab yours here!

Bar Hacks: Developing The Fundamentals for an Epic Bar

Yep, I’m taking the opportunity to recommend Doug Radkey’s first book. Radkey is, as you may know, the president of KRG Hospitality. In his this book he explains the importance of nailing the fundamentals in order to:

start your operator journey in the best possible position;
stabilize your business; and
scale when the time comes, if that’s what you want.

Click here to get your copy today!

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

Book Below to Setup a 30-Minute Complimentary Discovery Call and Request for Proposal.

September 4, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: September 2024

5 Books to Read this Month: September 2024

by David Klemt

Our September book selections focus on the 2024 Spirited Award finalists and winner of the Best New Book on Drinks Culture, History, or Spirits category.

These books cover an array of topics, from mastering ice and drink ratios to foraging for botanical cocktail ingredients.

To review the book recommendations from August 2024, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs, and Juice: A Cocktail Recipe Book Cocktails from Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks

Toni Tipton-Martin’s book has earned not only a Spirited Award, it’s a James Beard Award nominee, and has been hailed as one of the best cookbooks of the year by several publications. The story of the impact of Black drinking culture on drinking culture as a whole is told through more than 70 recipes.

From Amazon: “Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs, and Juice spotlights the creativity, hospitality, and excellence of Black drinking culture, with classic and modern recipes inspired by formulas found in two centuries’ worth of Black cookbooks. From traditional tipples, such as the Absinthe Frappe or the Clover Leaf Cocktail, to new favorites, like the Jerk-Spiced Bloody Mary and the Gin and Juice 3.0, Toni Tipton-Martin shares a variety of recipes that shine a light on her influences, including underheralded early-twentieth-century icons, like Tom Bullock, Julian Anderson, and Atholene Peyton, and modern superstars, such as Snoop Dogg and T-Pain.”

Get your copy today.

How to Taste: A Guide to Discovering Flavor and Savoring Life

Tasting, whether food or beverage, is a key component of any hospitality professional’s skillset. To help people get the most out of tasting—and to make it a less-intimidating process—Mandy Naglich has written How to Taste. There are under 100 people with the Advanced Cicerone certification, and Naglich is one of them. I’d say, then, that she’s well qualified to teach others how to maximize a tasting.

From Amazon: “Take a seat beside highly-trained cheese analysts, world-class sommeliers, competitive whiskey tasters, internationally recognized chefs, and sensory scientists as experts divulge the secrets to discerning the notes in a range of ingredients, from a dab of honey to a spoonful of olive oil—and even a sip of mineral water.”

Pick up this book here.

ICE: From Mixed Drinks to Skating Rinks–a Cool History of a Hot Commodity

This may seem like a strange thing to say, but ice, as a commodity, has been “a thing” in America for not much more than 200 years. I think it’s safe to say that it’s also something we tend to take for granted. After all, it’s just frozen water, right?

From Amazon: “In Ice, journalist and historian Amy Brady shares the strange and storied two-hundred-year-old history of ice in America: from the introduction of mixed drinks “on the rocks,” to the nation’s first-ever indoor ice rink, to how delicacies like ice creams and iced tea revolutionized our palates, to the ubiquitous ice machine in every motel across the US. But Ice doesn’t end in the past. Brady also explores the surprising present-day uses of ice in sports, medicine, and sustainable energy—including cutting-edge cryotherapy breast-cancer treatments and new refrigerator technologies that may prove to be more energy efficient—underscoring how precious this commodity is, especially in an age of climate change.”

Buy it now!

The Maison Premiere Almanac Cocktails, Oysters, Absinthe, and Other Essential Nutrients for the Sensualist, Aesthete, and Flaneur: A Cocktail Recipe Book

Since opening its doors for the first time in Brooklyn, NY, in 2011, the Maison Premier has established itself as one of the most important and influential drinking and dining establishments in America. One can argue quite easily that it’s considered one of the best bars and restaurants in the world. The Maison Premiere Almanac features 90 cocktail recipes, and it’s a James Beard Award nominee along with being a Spirited Award finalist.

From Amazon: “As captivating as the bar itself, The Maison Premiere Almanac is both a visual delight—drawing on photography, illustration, and graphic design—and a detailed guide to the rarefied subjects that make Maison Premiere unique, including deep explorations into the art of the cocktail and cutting-edge bartending techniques and equipment.”

Grab yours today.

Bar Hacks: Developing The Fundamentals for an Epic Bar

start your operator journey in the best possible position;
stabilize your business; and
scale when the time comes, if that’s what you want.

Click here to get your copy today!

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

August 5, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: August 2024

5 Books to Read this Month: August 2024

by David Klemt

Our August book selections focus on the 2024 Spirited Award finalists and winner of the 2024 Best New Cocktail or Bartending Book.

These books cover an array of topics, from mastering ice and drink ratios to foraging for botanical cocktail ingredients.

To review the book recommendations from July 2024, click here.

Let’s jump in!

The Ice Book: Cool Cubes, Clear Spheres, and Other Chill Cocktail Crafts

The winner of the 2024 Spirited Award for Best New Cocktail or Bartending Book. This is much more than just a guide for making crystal clear ice cubes or sphere. While that’s certainly a focus, The Ice Book includes tips on embossing and branding ice, creating huge slabs, and even making ice bowls for punches and other large-format drinks. Truly, this book will help you master ice.

From Amazon: “In The Ice Book, internationally renowned cocktail icepert Camper English details how to use directional freezing to make perfectly pure ice in a home freezer, carve it up into giant diamonds and other shapes, and embed it with garnishes, including edible orchids and olives. You’ll learn how to create a frozen bowl for Negroni punch, serve a Manhattan inside an ice sphere, and infuse cubes with colors and flavors to create cranberry cobblers, a color-changing Gin and Tonic, and other awesome drinks.”

Grab this book now.

Slow Drinks

With a shift in mindset you’ll likely notice the incredible world of cocktail ingredients at your fingertips during something as simple as a walk around your neighborhood. The author of this book, Danny Childs, is an ethnobotanist who can guide you through that change. Further, this informative book is more than just a list of botanicals you can grow and forage. You’ll learn how to pickle, infuse, and even ferment, taking your cocktail creation to incredible new heights. If there was ever an excuse to start and maintain a garden dedicated to your bar team, it’s picking up this book.

From Amazon: “Organized by season, Slow Drinks teaches home cooks, industry pros, homebrewers, and foragers how to transform botanical ingredients—whether gleaned, grown in the garden, or purchased from the store—into singular beverages and cocktails. With transporting photography and gorgeous color illustrations, Slow Drinks is the definitive guide to backyard mixology that can live just as comfortably in your basket on a foraging trip, as it can on the coffee table as a conversation piece.

Click here for the hardcover.

Tropical Standard: Cocktail Techniques & Reinvented Recipes

What if a bartender married modern cocktail-crafting techniques to dozens upon dozens of classic cocktail recipes? Well, odds are they’d be Garrett Richard, bar manager of Sunken Harbor Club. And documenting this marriage would be drinks author Ben Schaffer.

When it comes to drinks, some bartenders feel the original variants are sacred; techniques, ratios, and ingredients aren’t to be altered. However, there’s no reason classics can’t be honored and built in more modern ways, for modern palates.

From Amazon: “Crucial techniques are clearly detailed, including how to balance syrups, flash blend, handle carbonation, tackle tinctures, cordialize citrus, and power up juice with acid adjusting. Over the course of 84 recipes, vintage cocktails like the Rum Barrel, Mai Tai, and Ray’s Mistake are reimagined just as future classics are revealed, including the Beachcomber Negroni, Winter in L.A., and Field of Mars. These drinks honor founding legends such as Donn Beach, Trader Vic, and Harry Yee as well as modern icons, including Dale DeGroff, Audrey Saunders, Julie Reiner, and Dave Arnold.”

Pick it up here.

The Book of Cocktail Ratios: The Surprising Simplicity of Classic Cocktails

Speaking of cocktail ratios…this is your book if you and your bar team want to achieve a deeper understanding of balance. If you think about it for a moment, you’ll understand the importance than ratios and balance have on a cocktail. It goes beyond ensuring a particular drink tastes great. And it goes further than guaranteeing consistency. Shift one ingredient enough and you’re not just altering the taste, you’re likely making a different drink entirely. As author Michael Ruhlman points out, a Gimlet, Daiquiri, Bee’s Knees are the same cocktail; it’s the ratios that separate them.

From Amazon: “As Michael Ruhlman explains, our most popular cocktails are really ratios—proportions of one ingredient relative to the others. Organized around five of our best-known, beloved, classic families of cocktails, each category follows a simple ratio from which myriad variations can be built: The Manhattan, The Gimlet, The Margarita, The Negroni, and the most debated cocktail ever, The Martini.”

Order yours now.

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

Click here to pick your copy up today.

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

July 2, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: July 2024

5 Books to Read this Month: July 2024

by David Klemt

Our inspiring July book selections will give you a new perspective on developing leadership skills, identifying your core values, effective branding, and more.

To review the book recommendations from June 2024, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Wawa Way: How a Funny Name and Six Core Values Revolutionized Convenience

Core values is one of the topics that came up during the inaugural Flyover Conference, which took place in Cincinnati, Ohio. In fact, keynote speaker Dave Kaplan of hospitality group Gin & Luck (Death & Co.) shared his approach to identifying personal and brand core values. (Yes, I’ll be writing an article on that for publication in the near future.) This book, written by Howard Stoeckel, vice chairman of Wawa, illustrates the importance of identifying, adhering to, and revisiting core values on a regular basis to forge a path toward long-term success.

From Amazon: “Grahame Wood opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 as an outlet for Wawa dairy products. Since then, the convenience store has grown into a well-known company that competes against the biggest industry players in the world in three areas: fuel, convenience, and food, all while maintaining their personal approach and small business mentality. Now, almost 50 years later, Wawa has opened its first store in Florida and begun to play on the national field. How did it happen? What are the reasons for their success? Why have they been able to go up against the big guys with nothing more than homegrown talent?”

Pick up the paperback here.

The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right

Interestingly, The Checklist Manifesto credits the US Air Force with implementing checklists to great success. As a former airman myself, I can attest to the USAF’s strict usage of this simple but effective tool. So, it should come as no surprise that I—and the rest of the KRG Hospitality team—are firm believers in operators using checklists every day. Indeed, one of the services we provide is creating tailor-made checklists for our clients.

Moreover, Dave Kaplan recommended this book during the Q&A session of my Flyover Conference session. Now, I’m recommending this book to you and our clients.

From Amazon: “We live in a world of great and increasing complexity, where even the most expert professionals struggle to master the tasks they face. Longer training, ever more advanced technologies—neither seems to prevent grievous errors. But in a hopeful turn, acclaimed surgeon and writer Atul Gawande finds a remedy in the humblest and simplest of techniques: the checklist. First introduced decades ago by the U.S. Air Force, checklists have enabled pilots to fly aircraft of mind-boggling sophistication. Now innovative checklists are being adopted in hospitals around the world, helping doctors and nurses respond to everything from flu epidemics to avalanches. Even in the immensely complex world of surgery, a simple ninety-second variant has cut the rate of fatalities by more than a third.”

Get your copy today.

Protocol: The Power of Diplomacy and How to Make It Work for You

Are you aware there’s a position within the US Department of State dedicated to advising president, vice president, and secretary of state on diplomatic protocol? The person in this role is the chief of protocol, and they claim the ranks of assistant secretary of state, and ambassador. Among their responsibilities, this person ensures those in the highest offices are aware of and understand cultural gestures. Further, these people know how powerful seemingly “small” gestures are in influencing interactions and experiences.

Savvy operators will see parallels in the experiences they deliver to guests. Protocol was written by Capricia Penavic Marshall, former chief of protocol to former President Obama. In its pages you’ll learn the importance of etiquette, diplomacy, implementing and training your team on SOPs, and how there are no “minor” details in hospitality.

From Amazon: “Sharing unvarnished anecdotes from her time in office—harrowing near misses, exhilarating triumphs, heartwarming personal stories—Marshall brings us a master class in soft power, unveiling the complexity of human interactions and making the case that etiquette, cultural IQ, and a flexible mind-set matter now more than ever. When the notion of basic civility seems to be endangered, Protocol reminds us how critical these principles are while providing an accessible guide for anyone who wants to be empowered by the tools of diplomacy in work and everyday life.”

Buy it here!

Day Trading Attention: How to Actually Build Brand and Sales in the New Social Media World

As an operator, your time is your most-valuable resource. Therefore, you need to make sure you spend it wisely and take massive action. This relates to marketing and branding, as creating content is a waste of time if it’s not impactful, relevant, and engaging in order to result in traffic and sales.

From Amazon: “In his latest book, [Gary] Vaynerchuk argues that today’s fast-growing businesses, brands, content creators, and influencers have one thing in common: They mastered storytelling in areas of underpriced attention, which predominantly exists across a handful of social media platforms. Informed by 20+ years of business and marketing success, he contends that the biggest transformation and opportunity is the “TikTokification of Social Media.” Increasingly, platforms are distributing content based on what users are interested in, rather than who they follow.”

Grab yours now.

Bar Hacks: Developing The Fundamentals for an Epic Bar

start your operator journey in the best possible position;
stabilize your business; and
scale when the time comes, if that’s what you want.

Click here to get your copy today!

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

June 5, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: June 2024

5 Books to Read this Month: June 2024

by David Klemt

Our inspiring June book selections will give you a new perspective on goal-setting and teamwork, develop leadership skills, and improve your F&B program.

To review the book recommendations from May 2024, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Love & Whiskey: The Remarkable True Story of Jack Daniel, His Master Distiller Nearest Green, and the Improbable Rise of Uncle Nearest

I first had the opportunity to hear Fawn Weaver tell her story, the story of Uncle Nearest, and boldly proclaim the superiority of Tennessee whiskey to Kentucky bourbon six or seven years ago at Tales of the Cocktail. Her presentation, literally kneeling on a bar for nearly an hour so everyone in the room could see and hear her, blew me away. I’ve been a huge fan every since. If you ever get the chance to hear Weaver speak, don’t think about it, just do it. And make sure to pre-order this book today because this story is incredible.

From Amazon: “Embark on a captivating journey with Love & Whiskey. New York Times bestselling author Fawn Weaver unveils the hidden narrative behind one of America’s most iconic whiskey brands. This book is a vibrant exploration set in the present day, delving into the life and legacy of Nearest Green, the African American distilling genius who played a pivotal role in the creation of the whiskey that bears Jack Daniel’s name.”

Pre-order this book here!

A Quick Drink: The Speed Rack Guide to Winning Cocktails for Any Mood

I can’t imagine that Lynnette Marrero and Ivy Mix need introductions at this point in their careers. Both are icons of the industry, and both have dedicated themselves to not only the crafts of bartending and hospitality but also giving back. Not only will you find more than 100 cocktail recipes in A Quick Drink, a portion of the proceeds are going to breast cancer charities.

From Amazon: “Award-winning mixologists Ivy Mix and Lynnette Marrero co-founded Speed Rack, a global all-women bartending competition where competitors show off their talents making both classic and original drinks as quickly as their arms can shake and stir—all in the name of raising money for breast cancer charities… Shining a spotlight on the most influential women behind the bar today and their inventive drinks, this hot pink celebration of the incredible Speed Rack community is an unconventional, inspiring resource for home bartenders and professionals alike.”

Order your copy today!

Open Wide: A Cookbook for Friends

Benny Blanco wears a lot of hats—artist, actor, music producer, and now author—and now he’s adding an apron to the mix. This cookbook is irreverent and informative, and I learned about it from a mention on Matty Matheson’s Instagram. If Matheson digs it, that’s all the endorsement I need to pick up a copy.

From Amazon: “I’ve been told some of the finest stories over meals. I’ve laughed so hard I thought I was going to actually die. I’ve fallen in love—sometimes with the food, sometimes with the person across the table. I’ve cried in good ways, and I’ve cried in bad ways. I hope you’ve been lucky enough to have all these same memories and then some. But if you haven’t, I can make you a promise. If you follow these three simple steps, it will all become a reality: Open this book. Open your heart. And open wide, baby.”

Pick it up now.

How to Lead with Purpose: Lessons in Life and Work from the Gloves-off Mentor

Look, you’re going to make mistakes as a leader. We all do, and we’ll continue to make them as life goes on. However, we can avoid some mistakes by learning from others’ experiences. Similarly, we can mitigate the damage when we make those same mistakes by, again, learning from others. Moreover, great leaders can make the world a better place by making a positive impact on the people they lead.

From Amazon: “Liam Black has been supporting social entrepreneurs and purpose-driven leaders for decades, and he understands what it takes to do work that goes beyond the bottom line – and what it can take out of you, too.

“In this no-bullshit, woo-woo-free book, he reveals how to align purpose and leadership, how to deal with uncertainty, imposter syndrome, anxiety and loneliness along the way, how to exercise authority (even in the face of endemic sexism), and when it’s right to walk away.”

Place your order or download it here.

Start Less, Finish More: Building Strategic Agility with Objectives and Key Results

As an entrepreneur or member of a leadership team, you’re likely familiar with the abbreviation “KPI.” However, the abbreviation “OKR” may be new to you. Whereas the former means, “key performance indicators,” the latter stands for, “objectives and key results.” To provide a quick explanation, the OKR approach usually consists of stating a huge goal, then creating a strategy around the measurable metrics that will help an organization know if they’re on track to achieving said goal. There are some people who prefer KPI to OKR. I think both can be implemented by different members within the leadership team.

From Amazon: “Written with senior leaders in mind, Start Less Finish More is an accessible and to-the-point manual that will give you practical, step-by-step tools for implementing OKRs in your organization. OKR leadership begins with the development of a lean, engaging, adaptive strategy that is translated into short term—typically 90-120 day—stretch goals. Leading OKRs is a transparent, engaging process that aligns the whole organization to your strategy, building collaboration, commitment and accountability at all levels.”

Get yours today!

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

May 3, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: May 2024

5 Books to Read this Month: May 2024

by David Klemt

Our inspiring and informative May book selections will help you improve your life and outlook, get a handle on operations, and build your leadership team.

To review the book recommendations from April 2024, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Now That I have Your Attention: 7 Lessons in Leading a Life Bigger Than They Expect

This book is listed as a pre-order but I was able to purchase mine a while back, and it arrived a couple of weeks ago. Nicolas Hamilton has overcome a lot in his life, to put it mildly. He has gone from being told he’d never walk to defying that expectation and driving in the British Touring Car Championship. In Now That I Have Your Attention, you’ll learn lessons, like rebelling against the rulebook, always walking the hardest path, and seeing rock bottom and never going back.

From Amazon: “Now That I Have Your Attention follows Nicolas’s remarkable journey and shares the valuable, tough, and often surprising lessons learned throughout his life.

“Nicolas’s journey has at times been hostile and has forced him to navigate periods of anger and resentment, but by building his mental strength and pushing himself beyond the physical limits of what anyone had ever expected of him, Nicolas has changed his life – and believes you can too.”

Pre-order your copy today.

Creativity, Inc. (The Expanded Edition): Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

Among other lessons, Creativity, Inc. drives home the importance of building an incredible team. However, that also includes building a culture of support and development.

From Amazon: “The co-founder and longtime president of Pixar updates and expands his 2014 New York Times bestseller on creative leadership, reflecting on the management principles that built Pixar’s singularly successful culture, and on all he learned during the past nine years that allowed Pixar to retain its creative culture while continuing to evolve.”

Purchase here.

The Cocktail Parlor: How Women Brought the Cocktail Home

On the surface, this is a recipe book. There are 40 “main” cocktail recipes along with 100 variants. But when we really dive in we see that The Cocktail Parlor is about giving women credit for shaping the past and present of cocktail culture.

From Amazon: “Journeying through the decades, this book profiles a diverse array of influential hostesses. With each historic era comes iconic recipes, featuring a total of 40 main cocktails and more than 100 variations that readers can make at home. Whether its happy hour punch à la Martha Washington or a Harlem Renaissance–inspired Green Skirt, readers will find that many of the ingredients and drinks they’re familiar with today wouldn’t be here without the hostesses who served them first.”

Pick it up today!

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It

Do you feel like you’re working at your business but not on your business? If you have a sense that you feel more like you’ve created a job for yourself than a business, this book may just help you turn things around as an entrepreneur.

From Amazon: “An instant classic, this revised and updated edition of the phenomenal bestseller dispels the myths about starting your own business. Small business consultant and author Michael E. Gerber, with sharp insight gained from years of experience, points out how common assumptions, expectations, and even technical expertise can get in the way of running a successful business.”

Order here.

Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business

As Doug Radkey, founder and president of KRG Hospitality says, a leader in this space needs strategic clarity. This book can provide insights into how to achieve that clarity, improve processes, and build a leadership team that can actually lead others.

From Amazon: “In Traction, you’ll learn the secrets of strengthening the six key components of your business. You’ll discover simple yet powerful ways to run your company that will give you and your leadership team more focus, more growth, and more enjoyment. Successful companies are applying Traction every day to run profitable, frustration-free businesses—and you can too.”

Buy it today.

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

April 2, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: April 2024

5 Books to Read this Month: April 2024

by David Klemt

Our inspiring and informative April book selections will help you improve operations, refresh and streamline F&B programming, and learn more about coffee.

This month, we look at books covering an array of topics: overcoming dysfunctions within teams; stepping outside of comfort zones; cocktail and Irish dish recipes; and repurposing existing buildings.

To review the book recommendations from March 2024, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Roundbuilding

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it seems like most cocktail books target home bartenders. In a refreshing change of pace, Roundbuilding is specifically for working bartenders. In case the name doesn’t give it away, this book is about crafting and serving consistent rounds of cocktails and ensuring a high standard of service.

From Amazon: “Roundbuiding is a practical guide to mixing cocktails, aimed at the working bartender. This is a book about ensuring that, for every round you serve, every drink is made to a consistently high standard, and that first sip always makes an impression. It’s the nuts and bolts of mixing drinks.”

Buy it today!

The World Atlas of Coffee (2nd Edition)

This bestseller enjoys a 4.8-star rating on Amazon with nearly 4,000 reviews on the platform. The World Atlas of Coffee also boasts a score of 4.4 on Goodreads.

Written by World Barista Champion James Hoffman (who’s also the co-founder of a successful coffee roaster operating out of London), this book will provide the reader with just about everything they need to know about coffee. The rise in popularity of cocktails like the Carajillo and the near-constant chatter about the Espresso Martini got me thinking: I should probably include a coffee book in one of these roundups.

From Amazon: “Coffee has never been better, or more interesting, than it is today. Coffee producers have access to more varieties and techniques than ever before and we, as consumers, can share in that expertise to make sure the coffee we drink is the best we can find. Where coffee comes from, how it was harvested, the roasting process and the water used to make the brew are just a few of the factors that influence the taste of what we drink. Champion barista and coffee expert James Hoffmann examines these key factors, looking at varieties of coffee, the influence of terroir, how it is harvested and processed, the roasting methods used, through to the way in which the beans are brewed.”

Pick your copy up now.

The Complete Recipe Writing Guide: Mastering Recipe Development, Writing, Testing, Nutrition Analysis, and Food Styling

This book isn’t even a year old but has already made waves. In fact, it was listed as one of Chef Eric Ripert‘s (Le Bernardin in New York City) books of the month just a couple of months after publication.

From Amazon: “The Complete Recipe Writing Guide shows you how to create professional recipe content from development to publication. Raeanne Sarazen, a registered dietitian and chef, shares her expertise from over 20 years of working with recipes as a test kitchen professional, recipe developer, food writer, and editor, along with insider tips from top industry professionals. Like a master class on recipes, this comprehensive resource guides you through the variety of skills needed to create and share successful recipes.”

Get your copy here.

Bar Hacks: Developing The Fundamentals for an Epic Bar

This informative and conversational book written by KRG Hospitality president Doug Radkey is the perfect read for aspiring or seasoned bar, pub, lounge, or even restaurant owners, operators, and managers looking for that competitive edge in operations! If you’re looking for both fundamental and in-depth planning methods, strategies, and industry focused insight to either start or grow a scalable, sustainable, memorable, profitable, and consistent venue in today’s cut-throat industry, Bar Hacks is written just for you.

Pick up the paperback from Amazon today!

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

Doug’s followup book to Bar Hacks! The world around us has changed. The food and beverage industry has changed. The hospitality industry has changed. But will some ways of life change for the better? Will perhaps the restaurant, bar, and hospitality industry come out even stronger? With the right changes to the previous status quo, it is possible. There’s no question, resets are major undertakings, but a major reset will provide us with a clean start and that’s what this industry needs.

Pick up KRG Hospitality president Doug Radkey’s second book today! Click here.

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

March 20, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

USBG Announces First-ever Book

Serving Up History: USBG Announces First-ever Book

by David Klemt

Coming out in May, the United States Bartenders’ Guild has written a book that shares the story of the first 50 years of this crucial advocacy organization.

It’s not often that I publish a press release on its own. However, I find this announcement so important and interesting that I’m going to let the release do the talking.

I’ll be including this book in an upcoming monthly roundup. For now, please read the release below for more information.

Cheers!

LIQUID LEGACY: A TIMELESS TRIBUTE TO THE FOUNDERS OF THE UNITED STATES BARTENDERS’ GUILD TO DEBUT MAY 2024

War, Peace, James Dean, and the First 50 Years of the USBG…Through the Eyes of the Bartenders Who Started It All

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, MARCH 14, 2024 – The United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG) today announces the release of its first book Liquid Legacy: A Timeless Tribute to the Founders of the United States Bartenders’ Guild. The book will initially be available at the shop at usbg.org.

While plenty has been written about yesterday’s and today’s hospitality scene and the operations behind it, few have undertaken a deep dive into the role bartenders play in society and their communities. From neighborhood organizing, labor movements, and equal rights, to late nights, spirits history, and the story of the bar that served James Dean his last drink – a glass of milk, Liquid Legacy is sure to join the canon of must-have volumes for anyone interested in the hospitality industry.

Jose Acona, Co-founder, former President, and Lifetime Member of the United States Bartenders Guild, opens this historic look at the nation’s only guild for bartenders with the admission that “while the rich history of our Guild cannot be traced back in its entirety, this collection is an amazing celebration of what was accomplished in the first 50 years. If you are a bartender, you need to read this book.”

The Guild traces its roots across the Atlantic to early 20th century Europe as the hospitality industry up-ticked with new taverns and places to drink opening at a rapid pace and requiring plenty of employees to staff them. Bar staff gathered regularly to discuss professional matters, leading to the formation of the International Barkeepers Union, in Cologne, Germany, by 3 Germans and 2 Americans. After a sharp downturn over the following 35 years owing to two world wars, a drought in the US, and Prohibition, bartenders got back to legally plying their trade around 1933.

Over the next fifty years, bartenders created and rode drink trends, striving to deliver the very best experience for their guests.

After bartenders in California formed the first American offshoot chapter of the United Kingdom Bartenders’ Guild in 1948, competitions became a proving ground that hatched the next wave of cocktail trends. The book highlights the winners of the USBG’s National Competition, from Charles Berner’s 1950 win with the Bernice, a combination of vodka, Galliano, Pernod, lime and simple syrup, all the way through the 1998 winner, Conga Line, from Jose Rusieco.

The winners, and other competitors, were passionate bartenders, like Egidio “Angus” Angerosa who was a founder of the UKBG and a founding member of the California chapter. This chapter eventually spawned the USBG and is the first US-based stepping stone that brings us to modern bartending legends like Tony Abou-Ganim, Dale DeGroff, Charles Joly, Bridget Albert, Tiffanie Barriere, Martin Cate, Jen Ackrill, Julio Cabrera, and more.

These trailblazers have their own take on historic cocktails, all of which can be found in the pages of Liquid Legacy along with the recipes of the USBG’s National Competition winners from the first 50 years of the Guild.

Follow the USBG through multiple social media channels: IG/FB/TWITTER: @usbg/@TheUSBG/@TheUSBG.

About the United States Bartenders’ Guild

Founded in 1948, the United States Bartenders’ Guild® is the national, member-led not-for-profit association of bartenders and other hospitality professionals that unites and elevates the bar industry through education, community, and advocacy. Through its network, the USBG connects members with peer-to-peer learning, expert instruction, service projects, and skills-based competition, all while fostering a fun and healthy environment and reinforcing the importance of the ‘third place’ in neighborhoods across the country.

Image: Brandi Redd on Unsplash

March 4, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: March 2024

5 Books to Read this Month: March 2024

by David Klemt

Our inspiring and informative March book selections will help you improve operations, refresh F&B programming, and consider a design update.

This month, we look at books covering an array of topics: overcoming dysfunctions within teams; stepping outside of comfort zones; cocktail and Irish dish recipes; and repurposing existing buildings.

To review the book recommendations from February 2024, click here.

Let’s jump in!

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

In a departure from most business books, the author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team presents useful lessons in the style of a fictional tale. This approach makes this book—which has more than 13,000 reviews on Amazon—a compelling read.

From Amazon: “Equal parts leadership fable and business handbook, this definitive source on teamwork by Patrick Lencioni reveals the five behavioral tendencies that go to the heart of why even the best teams struggle. He offers a powerful model and step-by-step guide for overcoming those dysfunctions and getting every one rowing in the same direction.”

Pick up your copy today.

The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook

I doubt you need a reminder but just in case, St. Patrick’s is just two weeks away. So, what better time to pick up this best-selling cookbook featuring Irish classic and modern fare? Flip through this book, check out some interesting recipes, and put your own spin on them so they fit with your concept.

From Amazon: “Pubs in Ireland are the cornerstone of their communities, relaxed places where locals and visitors can experience the best of traditional Irish hospitality. Many pubs have also become the place to go for a great meal, with a choice of both traditional and contemporary dishes. In recent years Irish cooking has been transformed, with skillful cooks making the most of wonderful fresh local produce to create delicious new dishes and giving a twist to many classics. This tasty cookbook includes the best of both worlds – with best-loved favorites s Irish Stew, Corned Beef and Split Pea and Ham Soup and newer recipes, like Scallop Chowder or Oatmeal and Raspberry Cream to set your taste buds tingling.”

Order The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook now!

Drink: Featuring Over 1,100 Cocktail, Wine, and Spirits Recipes

This is a seriously big book. After all, it really does contain more than 1,100 recipes. KRG Hospitality president Doug Radkey recently picked up this book and flipped through its many, many pages.

Along with well over a thousand recipes organized by spirit, Drink looks at bar tools, housemade ingredients, and ice. Further, it includes interviews with bartenders. If you’re looking for a recipe book that will inspire a drink menu refresh, this is the one you want.

Grab this tome today.

Cool is Everywhere: New and Adaptive Design Across America

Last month, we dove into the biophilic design methodology. This book, Cool is Everywhere, is a photo-driven look into the adaptive reuse design movement. Very briefly summarized, this is a design movement that focuses on repurposing existing architecture rather than knocking down buildings and putting up new construction. This approach tends to be eco-friendly, and as you’ll see from the photos in this book, it also creates cool buildings.

From Amazon: “Cool Is Everywhere highlights remarkable designs that have transformed ordinary buildings into works of art. From North Adams, Massachusetts, to Oakland, California, join Michel as he explores the skyscrapers and quaint neighborhoods that led him to believe that cool is, in fact, everywhere.”

Pick up this book now.

The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort To Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self

This book from author Michael Easter asks a fairly simple question: What if the modern world’s conveniences are making our lives more difficult? When we look deeper into our lives, we may find that our health is being impacted negatively by building and remaining in our comfort zones. Certainly, entrepreneurs can find that refusing to step outside of their comfort is hurting the business side of their lives.

From Amazon: “In many ways, we’re more comfortable than ever before. But could our sheltered, temperature-controlled, overfed, underchallenged lives actually be the leading cause of many our most urgent physical and mental health issues? In this gripping investigation, award-winning journalist Michael Easter seeks out off-the-grid visionaries, disruptive genius researchers, and mind-body conditioning trailblazers who are unlocking the life-enhancing secrets of a counterintuitive solution: discomfort.”

Order it today!

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

February 5, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: February 2024

5 Books to Read this Month: February 2024

by David Klemt

Our inspiring and informative February book selections will help you and your team transform your operations, business acumen, and F&B programming.

This month, we look at books covering an array of topics: design; learning to negotiate better; learning cocktail balance and build techniques; and finding your inner chef.

To review the book recommendations from January 2024, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Biophilic Design: The Theory, Science and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life

This book was co-authored by the late Stephen R. Kellert, one of the developers of the biophilic design methodology. To learn more about biophilic design, click here. Then, pick up this book.

From Amazon: “This book offers a paradigm shift in how we design and build our buildings and our communities, one that recognizes that the positive experience of natural systems and processes in our buildings and constructed landscapes is critical to human health, performance, and well-being. Biophilic design is about humanity’s place in nature and the natural world’s place in human society, where mutuality, respect, and enriching relationships can and should exist at all levels and should emerge as the norm rather than the exception.”

The Cocktail Balance

Written by Stanislav Harcinik, The Cocktail Balance is about more than building cocktails. Readers will learn about the role senses play in cocktails and balance, along with presentation and service.

From thecocktailbalance.com: “My work isn’t focused solely on experienced bartenders, students are part of the target group. By including potential new bartenders, this book wishes to push the upcoming students into a broader, more creative mindset. The book itself is divided into 3 main sections – theory, practical part and legacy from the best bartenders in Slovakia. Theory, contains the basics and building blocks that allow the development of a professional approach, it also focuses on how to present yourself and how to take care of guests. Whereas in the practical section, readers will be able to learn to price a cocktail and to effectively go through a structured creative process. Other chapters also include gastrophysics and neurogastronomy. In other words how an aroma, a physical characteristics, a sound as well as visual stimulation affect the final flavour of a cocktail, and create a comprehensive and unforgettable experience for guests.”

Pick up your copy today.

Craft Cocktails at Home: Offbeat Techniques, Contemporary Crowd-Pleasers, and Classics Hacked with Science

Some bar professionals and guests like to understand the “why” behind what they consume. Why does this taste good? Why and how do certain processes affect spirits? Kevin Liu’s book answers these questions, and more. On top of that, there are 65 recipes to try.

From Amazon: “In Craft Cocktails at Home, you’ll embark upon a one-of-a-kind journey as you learn how to make some of the world’s most innovative, unique, and delicious cocktails. Taste scientists, engineers, and talented bartenders with decades of experience all contributed their expertise to create this must-have guide for novices and professionals alike. Ever wondered what makes water taste good? Curious about what really happens during the barrel-aging process? Interested in which “molecular” ingredients have the best texture? These questions and more, answered inside.”

Order the paperback here.

The Forgotten Chef

Simply put, this book is intended to inspire younger generations to pursue cooking as a career. If you know someone who has an interest in cooking but hasn’t taken steps to become a chef, this is the book you should gift them.

From Amazon: “The book moves quickly through food stories, tips and techniques to inspire and ignite the passion of its targeted reader. Through anecdotal food related stories, the book covers important topics such as the right mindset for cooking success, quality over quantity, kitchen organization (mise en place), kitchen tools (the Dirty Thirty), the celebrity chef conundrum (why people get discouraged in their cooking journey), introduction to knife skills/care, cookbook basics, food preservation and safety and other fun chapters such as saving Grandma’s recipes from extinction, the lost art of sharing (food), and the new-old method of cooking, sous vide.”

Click here to order the paperback.

Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In

Everyone needs to know how to negotiate. It’s a valuable skill not just for business but for life in general. Getting to Yes is a how-to manual that teaches you the art of negotiation, a skill you’ll need to develop if you’re an entrepreneur, aspiring business owner, or professional looking to progress in their career. And, as I’ve already said, it will help you in situations you’ll find yourself in outside of business.

From Amazon: “Getting to Yes offers a proven, step-by-step strategy for coming to mutually acceptable agreements in every sort of conflict. Thoroughly updated and revised, it offers readers a straight- forward, universally applicable method for negotiating personal and professional disputes without getting angry-or getting taken.”

Get it today.

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

January 3, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: January 2024

5 Books to Read this Month: January 2024

by David Klemt

Our inspiring and informative January book selections will help you and your team transform your operations and F&B programming.

This month, we look at books covering an array of topics: becoming a great boss; gaining perspective when analyzing your business; and more.

To review the book recommendations from December 2023, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Single AF Cocktails: Drinks for Bad B*tches

You may roll your eyes at the title of this cocktail book but there’s no denying it has your attention. In that way, it’s much like a well-curated, themed cocktail menu split into cleverly named sections. In fact, this book is separated into sections that match its overall theme. For example, Honeymoon Phase, Betrayal, Devastation, and Resilience. If you have reality show fans among your guests, they’ll likely know author Ariana Madix from Vanderpump Rules and Dancing with the Stars. So, they’ll probably dig these drinks.

From Amazon: “The newly solo Ariana serves up her own recipes and perspective in a unique exploration of the stages of a doomed relationship. In her own words, Ariana takes back the narrative of her very public breakup while inspiring others to find inner strength in their own troubles. Each drink tells part of the story from her point of view, from when she first met her ex, through the insidious affair and its painful aftermath, and to her present state, coming out the other side, stronger than before.”

Grab it today!

How to Be a Great Boss

Entrepreneurs, when working with a team, need to be leaders. That means being a great boss. However, that doesn’t mean being a tyrant. If you want to earn buy-in from your team, if you want to get the most out of each person, you need to get them excited and engaged.

From Amazon: “Studies have repeatedly shown that the majority of employees are disengaged at work. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Often, the difference between a group of indifferent employees and a fully engaged team comes down to one simple thing: a great boss.

“In How to Be a Great Boss, Gino Wickman and René Boer present a straightforward, practical approach to help bosses at all levels of an organization get the most from their people. They share time-tested tools that have worked for more than 30,000 bosses in every industry. You can learn to be a great bossand dramatically improve both your organization’s performance and your team’s excitement about their work.”

Pick up the hardcover today.

Same as Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes

As a business owner, it’s smart to see what’s changing. However, it’s also crucial to identify what’s not changing to gain perspective and understand the whole picture.

From Amazon: “With his usual elan, Morgan Housel presents a master class on optimizing risk, seizing opportunity, and living your best life. Through a sequence of engaging stories and pithy examples, he shows how we can use our newfound grasp of the unchanging to see around corners, not by squinting harder through the uncertain landscape of the future, but by looking backwards, being more broad-sighted, and focusing instead on what is permanently true.

“By doing so, we may better anticipate the big stuff, and achieve the greatest success, not merely financial comforts, but most importantly, a life well lived.”

Click here for the hardcover, or here for the paperback.

Bar Hacks: Developing The Fundamentals for an Epic Bar

Pick up the paperback from Amazon today!

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

Pick up KRG Hospitality president Doug Radkey’s second book today! Click here.

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

December 4, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: December 2023

5 Books to Read this Month: December 2023

by David Klemt

Our inspiring and informative December book selections will help you and your team transform your operations and F&B programming.

This month, we look at books covering an array of topics. There’s an alcohol-free cocktail recipe book, an exploration of some of America’s most unique hotels, and more.

To review the book recommendations from November 2023, click here.

Let’s jump in!

The Mocktail Club: Classic Recipes (and New Favorites) Without the Booze

Some people find the word “mocktail” is one of the best to label their alcohol-free drinks. Others find the word condescending. Regardless of which camp you find yourself in, The Mocktail Club should help you expand your zero-proof menu.

From Amazon: “The Art of Mixology meets mocktails in this beautiful collection of 75 alcohol-free recipes for classic drinks, new flavor concoctions, and twists on old favorites, so you can experience the joy of cocktail creation without the booze!”

Pre-order it today. This book is available on January 2, 2024.

Hotel Kitsch: A Pretty Cool Tour of America’s Fantasy Getaways

We love a creative independent hotel brand, unique resort, or one-of-a-kind motel. Any place with endless details to discover and appreciate that places value on offering unforgettable experiences during a guest’s stay. This book captures such hotels and motels in a series of photographs that should inspire operators to follow through with their incredible visions.

From Amazon: “From the photographers and inveterate travelers behind the social media sensation A Pretty Cool Hotel Tour, Hotel Kitsch celebrates dozens of creative, nostalgic, one-of-a-kind hotels that span the heart of the Poconos and across the United States to Mexico, Spain, and the UK. Discover, in the middle of Iowa, a jungle room with fake trees and foliage surrounding the bed as if it had taken its cue from Where the Wild Things Are. Or Jules’ Undersea Lodge in Key Largo where the rooms are reached by scuba diving. An Arctic Cave room at a hotel in Kentucky with its carved blue walls and not a window to be found. And on the California coast, the iconic Madonna Inn featuring 110 rooms, each themed and no two alike.”

Grab it today.

The Hospitality Mentality: Create Raving Fans Through Your Guest Experience

This book is so new it isn’t available until tomorrow, December 5. New book, fresh ideas to lead you into the new year.

The Hospitality Mentality is all about empowering your team to deliver impeccable service and unforgettable memories, keeping guests coming back to your venue for more.

From Amazon: “Business leaders will gain inspiration to take their service standard to the next level, knowing that this is an area that cannot plateau. Readers will be motivated to go above and beyond guests’ expectations through creating hyper-personalized experiences, amplifying enthusiasm, anticipating needs, and crafting superior ‘wow’ moments that solidify memories that take satisfaction to the next level. By maximizing the benefit of guest feedback and directly addressing complaints, service providers can strengthen their relationship with their guests, ultimately leading to business/brand loyalty.”

Get the paperback today!

Reinvent: Navigating Business Transformation in a Hyperdigital Era

This business book has earned a number of accolades since its publication earlier this year:

Wall Street Journal bestseller
Silver for Best Business Book in the 2023 Globee® Awards for Business, The 21st Annual American Business Awards®
2023 Best Business Book of The Year, Silver Stevie Winner

The hospitality industry, as operators are all too aware, has been making massive strides when it comes to technology the past few years. However, as Reinvent also says, you can’t just plug in a tech solution, expect it to work, and say your brand and business are transformed.

From Amazon: “From top to bottom, organizations will be compelled to change entire mindsets, attitudes, and assumptions about how they operate, how they can grow, and even the very reason for their existence. This book introduces readers to ideas, concepts, and a comprehensive framework (LIFTS) that they can use to better position themselves and their organizations to reap the greatest number of benefits that business and digital transformation can afford. It’s a journey rich with promise that explains complex concepts in an understandable common language.”

Order the hardcover today.

Bar Hacks: Developing The Fundamentals for an Epic Bar

This informative and conversational book is the perfect read for aspiring or seasoned bar, pub, lounge, or even restaurant owners, operators, and managers looking for that competitive edge in operations! If you’re looking for both fundamental and in-depth planning methods, strategies, and industry focused insight to either start or grow a scalable, sustainable, memorable, profitable, and consistent venue in today’s cut-throat industry, Bar Hacks is written just for you.

Pick up the paperback from Amazon today!

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

November 3, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: November 2023

5 Books to Read this Month: November 2023

by David Klemt

Our inspiring and informative November book selections will help you and your team transform your operations and F&B programming.

This month, we look at a new branding and marketing book. We also dive into agave spirits and cuisine from the Canadian Prairies.

There’s an eye-opening exploration into the topic of technology, culture, and the “alignment problem,” as well.

To review the book recommendations from October 2023, click here.

Let’s jump in!

The Restaurant Marketing Mindset: A Comprehensive Guide to Establishing Your Restaurant’s Brand, from Concept to Launch and Beyond

If you haven’t had the opportunity to hear Chip Klose speak, look into his books. His latest The Restaurant Marketing Mindset, came out in early October. As the title suggests, this book is for anyone who’s struggling with branding and marketing, or who simply wants a fresh perspective on this crucial element of operations.

From Amazon: “Restaurants boast some of the highest failure rates of any industry, yet even worse is the sheer number of concepts that struggle just to break even. In The Restaurant Marketing Mindset, Chip Klose introduces a series of mindset shifts and actionable frameworks to help owners and operators finally take control of their marketing.

With more than twenty years of operational experience—plus an MBA in food marketing—Klose has the authority, experience, and track record needed to speak confidently on the subject. Each lesson stacks one on top of the other, giving the reader a step-by-step plan to attract more diners, retain those diners, and spark word of mouth with the ones who matter most.

This book is for any chef, owner, or operator who’s ever felt overwhelmed when it comes to marketing their restaurant. Each chapter is filled with powerful insights to help you build a more profitable (and sustainable) business.”

Pick it up today!

Prairie: Seasonal, Farm-Fresh Recipes Celebrating the Canadian Prairies

This engaging cookbook features 1oo traditional and creative recipes highlighting Canadian Prairie cuisine. These seasonal, farm-to-table recipes are sure to impress your guests.

From Amazon: “No matter the season, the Prairies are all about preserving every ounce of food, so of course there’s also tons of helpful tips and tricks on reducing food waste. There’s even a Staples chapter with recipes for stocking your pantry to keep you cooking all year long. Both a love letter to Canada’s grandest provinces and an indispensable collection of recipes, Prairie is as inviting and bountiful as the region it celebrates.”

Agave Spirits: The Past, Present, and Future of Mezcals

The authors of this informative book visited eight Mexican states to learn all they could about mezcal. By extension, they learned not only about traditional production but also where this hugely popular spirits category is headed for the future.

From Amazon: “The result of the authors’ fieldwork and on-the-ground interviews with mezcaleros in eight Mexican states, Agave Spirits shows how traditional methods of mezcal production are inspiring a new generation of individuals, including women, both in and beyond the industry. And as they reach back into a rich, centuries-long history, Nabhan and Suro Pinera make clear that understanding the story behind a bottle of mezcal, more than any other drink, will not only reveal what lies ahead for the tradition―including its ability to adapt in the face of the climate crisis―but will also enrich the drinking experience for readers.”

The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values

When we build automated systems, we’re placing a lot of trust in our expertise. And because humans are fallible, the systems we build are far from perfect.

From Amazon: “Today’s ‘machine-learning’ systems, trained by data, are so effective that we’ve invited them to see and hear for us—and to make decisions on our behalf. But alarm bells are ringing. Recent years have seen an eruption of concern as the field of machine learning advances. When the systems we attempt to teach will not, in the end, do what we want or what we expect, ethical and potentially existential risks emerge. Researchers call this the alignment problem.”

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

The world around us has changed. The food and beverage industry has changed. The hospitality industry has changed. But will some ways of life change for the better? Will perhaps the restaurant, bar, and hospitality industry come out even stronger? With the right changes to the previous status quo, it is possible. There’s no question, resets are major undertakings, but a major reset will provide us with a clean start and that’s what this industry needs.

Pick up KRG Hospitality president Doug Radkey’s second book today! Click here.

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

October 4, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: October 2023

5 Books to Read this Month: October 2023

by David Klemt

Our inspiring and informative October book selections will help you and your team transform your vision for your business into a successful story.

This month, we’re taking a good look at independent hotel operations, including checking out the wonderful guest experience a rustic lodge can deliver. We also dive into operations and brand strategy.

Oh, and we get inspiration from a company founder who turned $50 into a $30 billion-per-year, globally recognized brand.

To review the book recommendations from September 2023, click here.

Let’s jump in!

INDIE HOTEL: Why Hoteliers Are Breaking Free from Chains and Choosing Independence

I picked up INDIE HOTEL just a day or two after it was released. Written by Jeremy Wells, one of the brilliant minds behind the recently opened Ozarker Lodge, this book examines the shifting hospitality landscape.

From Amazon: “The hospitality industry is exciting and always evolving. One of the most exciting shifts in recent years is the growing popularity of independent, boutique hotels. While chains are here to stay, I believe the days of franchise domination are numbered. Traveler preferences are changing, and technology, once available only to chains, is becoming more accessible. As a result, more and more hoteliers will continue to make the leap into independence—breaking free from chains and enjoying a newfound freedom.”

Order your copy today!

Lodge: An Indoorsy Tour of America’s National Parks

We’re firm believers of looking everywhere for inspiration. Lodge may not be a how-to book for hoteliers but it speaks to the importance of the guest experience. Moreover, it shows that while midscale and luxury hotels and resorts seem to popping up all over, a rustic lodge that encourages disconnecting and recharging definitely still has its place in hospitality.

From Amazon: “Max Humphrey shines a light on 10 rustic National Park lodges in all their airy, timeworn splendor. No historic photos here; the images of the architecture and interiors are as they look today, highlighting these storied places in a fresh, alluring way. Sure, the lobbies are the main stage, but Humphrey touches on grand dining rooms, guest rooms, and rustic canteens alike. He writes about the buildings themselves in terms of the historical goings-on at the time, why they were built, and the players involved, highlighting notable architectural moments and period-specific furnishings. A smattering of pop culture history adds extra bursts of levity throughout.”

Grab it today.

Future Hospitality: Impactful Brand Experiences that Drive Sustainable Growth, Happier Guests, and Inspired Staff

Since the latest Jeremy Wells book kicks off this list, let’s take a look at his first book.

Future Hospitality drives home a simple but powerful principle that KRG shares. Put simply, hospitality is a mindset. This book also explains how an operator’s brand strategy plays a significant role in embodying that important principle.

From Amazon: “The purpose of this book is to help you understand the significance of making people feel good, and how the principles of strategic brand development can dramatically influence how you go about doing it.

“Without the core foundational component of a brand strategy in place at your business, I believe that you’ll be fighting an uphill battle that you don’t need to fight. If your business means anything to you, then you need to make it mean something to others.”

Order your copy here.

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE

Again, we don’t always have to look at the hospitality industry for inspiration or lessons. We can learn from businesses that appear to have nothing to do with our own.

There are several lessons we can learn from Phil Knight and his leadership of Nike. For example, the following quotes are attributed to Knight:

“Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.”
“Let everyone else call your idea crazy; just keep going. Don’t stop. Don’t even think about stopping until you get there, and don’t give much thought to where ‘there’ is. Whatever comes, just don’t stop.”

From Amazon: “In 1962, fresh out of business school, Phil Knight borrowed $50 from his father and created a company with a simple mission: import high-quality, low-cost athletic shoes from Japan. Selling the shoes from the boot of his Plymouth, Knight grossed $8000 in his first year. Today, Nike’s annual sales top $30 billion. In an age of start-ups, Nike is the ne plus ultra of all start-ups, and the swoosh has become a revolutionary, globe-spanning icon, one of the most ubiquitous and recognisable symbols in the world today.”

Pick up your copy.

Bar Hacks: Developing The Fundamentals for an Epic Bar

If you have yet to read Bar Hacks, written by KRG Hospitality president and Bar Hacks podcast creator Doug Radkey, you need to pick your copy up today.

Without an understanding and appreciation of the fundamentals, long-term success is essentially an impossibility.

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

September 11, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: September ’23

5 Books to Read this Month: September 2023

by David Klemt

Our inspiring and informative September book selections will help you and your bar team take your front of house and bar program to the next level.

For this month’s list we’re showcasing the 17th annual Spirited Awards finalists in the Best New Book on Drinks Culture, History, or Spirits category. So, below you’ll find the top-four nominees in that particular category, plus an additional self-improvement book.

To review the book recommendations from August 2023, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Modern Caribbean Rum: A Contemporary Reference to the Region’s Essential Spirit

Join me in congratulating authors Matt Pietrek and Carrie Smith for earning the 2023 Spirited Award for Best New Book on Drinks Culture, History, or Spirits!

This 825-page tome is a deep dive into modern Caribbean rum—as the title clearly states—split into four distinct sections:

An overview of this spirits category, including common misconceptions;
The process of producing rum, including flavor science;
A look at the business of rum, including brands and trade organizations; and
The stories of 20 modern Caribbean rum-producing regions, including profiles of more than 70 producers.

Whether you’re a rum aficionado, rum-curious, or someone looking to learn as much as possible about the rum category, this book is a must-read. Purchase here.

A SENSE OF PLACE: A Journey Around Scotland’s Whisky

Author Dave Broom was born in Glasgow. As he says, “I am a Glaswegian who gets paid to drink spirits and then write about them. I’ve been getting away with this for over 20 years and have somehow won various awards along the way, but being Scottish I don’t go on about it.”

This book, A SENSE OF PLACE, is more than an analysis of Scotch whisky. Rather, this is a personal story, delivering on its title—this book gives the reader a sense of place.

From Amazon: “In this beautifully crafted narrative, award-winning writer Dave Broom examines Scotch whisky from the point of view of its terroir—the land, weather, history, craft and culture that feed and enhance the whisky itself. Travelling around his native Scotland and visiting distilleries from Islay and Harris to Orkney and Speyside, Dave explores the whiskies made there and the elements in their distilling, and locality, which make them what they are. Along the way he tells the story of whisky’s history and considers what whisky is now, and where it is going.”

Pick up the hardcover today.

Doctors and Distillers: The Remarkable Medicinal History of Beer, Wine, Spirits, and Cocktails

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.

Order the paperback today!

Unreasonable Hospitality

Absolutely no disrespect or offense to the authors of Modern Caribbean Rum, this is the title that I thought would take home the Spirited Award. When Will Guidara took over the famous Eleven Madison Park, the restaurant had just two stars and he was only in his mid-twenties. Before his 40th birthday, the changes and strategies he implemented helped the restaurant earn the title of the Best Restaurant in the World.

One of cornerstone’s of Guidara’s was “bespoke hospitality.” He and his team truly went above and beyond. Examples of the Eleven Madison Park team’s approach to hospitality illustrate just how over the top they went to deliver memorable guest experiences. If you’re looking for inspiration to step up your hospitality, pick up or download Unreasonable Hospitality today.

The Power of Habit

This New York Times Bestseller is another book that the KRG Hospitality team has discussed during our company meetings. Developing and understanding of operations and building a world-class team that you lead with empathy and empowerment are important. However, so is developing positive habits in business and in life.

From Amazon: “In The Power of Habit, award-winning business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. Distilling vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives that take us from the boardrooms of Procter & Gamble to the sidelines of the NFL to the front lines of the civil rights movement, Duhigg presents a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential. At its core, The Power of Habit contains an exhilarating argument: The key to exercising regularly, losing weight, being more productive, and achieving success is understanding how habits work. As Duhigg shows, by harnessing this new science, we can transform our businesses, our communities, and our lives.”

Order the paperback today!

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

August 2, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: August 2023

5 Books to Read this Month: August 2023

by David Klemt

Our inspiring and informative August book selections will help you and your bar team take your front of house and bar program to the next level.

For this month’s list we’re showcasing the 17th annual Spirited Awards finalists in the Best New Cocktail or Bartending Book category. So, below you’ll find the top-four nominees in that particular category, plus an additional self-improvement book.

To review the book recommendations from July 2023, click here.

Let’s jump in!

The Bartender’s Manifesto: How to Think, Drink, and Create Cocktails Like a Pro

First up, this book from June 2022 by Toby Maloney with Emma Janzen. Not only has this book won a James Beard Award, it took home this year’s Spirited Award for Best New Cocktail or Bartending Book.

From Amazon: “Take a raucous romp through the essential stages of fashioning cocktails and learn the hows and whys of bartending with acclaimed mixologist Toby Maloney and the team from The Violet Hour. When the pioneering cocktail bar opened in Chicago in 2007, it set a high standard with an innovative training program that teaches not just how to replicate classic cocktail recipes flawlessly, but how to embrace ingenuity, make smart decisions, and create original, inspired recipes from rote.”

Pick up the hardcover here.

Mindful Mixology: A Comprehensive Guide to No- and Low-Alcohol Cocktails with 60 Recipes

Next, Mindful Mixology by Derek Brown, with a foreword by Julia Bainbridge. As all operators should know by now, low- and no-ABV cocktails are here to stay. From aperitivo hour and zero-alcohol to simply drinking less but better, consumers are changing their relationships with cocktails. This book will help operators and their teams navigate the moderation movement.

From Amazon: “Creating these drinks isn’t as simple as removing the alcohol. No- and low-proof cocktails still have to be balanced and still have to be delicious, but they don’t operate exactly like cocktails with alcohol. The drinks Brown presents in this book are meticulously choreographed around taste, texture, body, and piquancy to result in surprisingly complex ‘adult beverages’ minus the booze.”

Grab the hardcover today.

Modern Classic Cocktails: 60+ Stories and Recipes from the New Golden Age in Drinks

Robert Simonson is also a James Beard Award-winning author up for a 2023 Spirited Award. Not only are there more than 60 cocktail recipes in Simonson’s book, he explores what it means for someone to create a modern classic cocktail. No, your bar team can’t simply “invent” a new drink and declare it a modern classic—there are actual considerations, like public opinion, that make it so.

From Amazon: “What elevates a modern cocktail into the echelon of a modern classic? A host of reasons, all delineated by Simonson in these pages. But, above all, a modern classic cocktail must be popular. People have to order it, not just during its initial heyday, but for years afterward. Tommy’s Margarita, invented in the 1990s, is still beloved, and the Porn Star Martini is the most popular cocktail in the United Kingdom, twenty years after its creation.”

Make sure to get your hardcover copy today.

The New York Times Essential Book of Cocktails (Second Edition): Over 400 Classic Drink Recipes With Great Writing from The New York Times

If you want hundreds of cocktail recipes and amazing writing, this is the book for you. There are more than 400 recipes in this book, from classics to modern craft drinks. Oh, and there are essays from an array of fantastic writers, including Rebekah Peppler, David Wondrich, Robert Simonson, and Jim Meehan. There are also interviews with icons like Ivy Mix and Sother Teague.

Truly, this is one of the most comprehensive cocktail books every printed.

Pick up this book in hardcover format now.

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

A couple of weeks back, we had a KRG Hospitality team meeting about habits. Habits we’re proud to have developed, habits we’d like to focus on developing, and habits we’d like to work on losing. This book, from James Clear, is one of the resources we talked about.

From Amazon: “Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, listeners will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field.”

Order the paperback today.

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

July 4, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: July 2023

5 Books to Read this Month: July 2023

by David Klemt

Our inspiring and informative June book selections will take your front and back of house to the next level, and help develop your leadership skills.

To review the book recommendations from June 2023, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Sugar Shack Au Pied de Cochon (Cabane à Sucre Au Pied de Cochon)

This is the English-language edition of the 2012 World Gourmand Book of the Year. You can pick it up at Amazon via this link, but it will cost you over $150 to do so. So, here’s the link to the book from the Au Pied de Cochon online store.

Those who have read this book describe it as one part recipe book, one part art piece. It’s difficult to categorize this book at all, really. It’s a journal, a recipe book, a culinary masterpiece, and a collection of scientific knowledge. In less than 400 pages, Martin Picard chronicles a year in the life of his restaurant, and shares 100 recipes and 2000 photographs, along a depth of culinary information, the value of which can’t be overstated. Pick it up today or find it at a library if you can.

Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human

If you look at your role in foodservice as more than just a paycheck, you already view cooking as important. It has real value and inspires you, stoking your passion for this business. But what if the importance of cooking is beyond just “important”? What if it’s directly responsible for human evolution? This book by anthropologist and primatologist Richard Wrangham puts forth and defends this evolutionary theory.

From Amazon: “In a groundbreaking theory of our origins, Wrangham shows that the shift from raw to cooked foods was the key factor in human evolution. When our ancestors adapted to using fire, humanity began. Once our hominid ancestors began cooking their food, the human digestive tract shrank and the brain grew. Time once spent chewing tough raw food could be used instead to hunt and to tend camp. Cooking became the basis for pair bonding and marriage, created the household, and even led to a sexual division of labor.

“Tracing the contemporary implications of our ancestors diets, Catching Fire sheds new light on how we came to be the social, intelligent, and sexual species we are today. A pathbreaking new theory of human evolution, Catching Fire will provoke controversy and fascinate anyone interested in our ancient origins – or in our modern eating habits.”

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

If you prefer your self-improvement and leadership books coated in gobs of sugar and wrapped in sheets of positivity, prepare for a shock. Author Mark Manson isn’t a sunshine, daisies, unicorns, and lemons-to-lemonade type of person. Instead, Manson thinks people need to toughen up and learn how to simply deal with being handed lemons. However, this isn’t a nonstop punch to the gut or blast to the chops. Rather, Manson wants people to change their mindset and focus on what should matter.

From Amazon: “Manson makes the argument, backed by both academic research and well-timed poop jokes, that improving our lives hinges not on our ability to turn lemons into lemonade but on learning to stomach lemons better. Human beings are flawed and limited – “not everybody can be extraordinary; there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault”. Manson advises us to get to know our limitations and accept them. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties, once we stop running and avoiding and start confronting painful truths, we can begin to find the courage, perseverance, honesty, responsibility, curiosity, and forgiveness we seek.

“There are only so many things we can give a f*ck about, so we need to figure out which ones really matter, Manson makes clear. While money is nice, caring about what you do with your life is better, because true wealth is about experience. A much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-look-you-in-the-eye moment of real talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives.”

Pick this book up here!

Samsung Rising: The Inside Story of the South Korean Giant That Set Out to Beat Apple and Conquer Tech

During a recent team meeting, KRG Hospitality executive chef and culinary expert Nathen Dubé recommended this book. And while it’s the story of a massive corporation, it doesn’t read like a collection of boring essays. Rather, Samsung Rising is the true story of a family-run business that has grown from 40 employees to more than 300,000. After taking big risks and committing to building a technology empire, Samsung has nearly doubled in size in comparison to rivals Apple and Google. However, the road to creating a dynasty has been anything but smooth.

From Amazon: “Forty years ago, Samsung was a rickety Korean agricultural conglomerate that produced sugar, paper, and fertilizer, located in a backward country with a third-world economy. With the rise of the PC revolution, though, Chairman Lee Byung-chul began a bold experiment: to make Samsung a major supplier of computer chips. The multimillion- dollar plan was incredibly risky. But Lee, wowed by a young Steve Jobs, who sat down with the chairman to offer his advice, became obsessed with creating a tech empire. And in Samsung Rising, we follow Samsung behind the scenes as the company fights its way to the top of tech. It is one of Apple’s chief suppliers of technology critical to the iPhone, and its own Galaxy phone outsells the iPhone.”

Grab Samsung Rising today.

Salt & Straw Ice Cream Cookbook

Recently, we had the opportunity to attend a pre-opening event for the first Las Vegas location of Salt & Straw. Those who have visited a Salt & Straw ice cream shop know how creative the brand is when it comes to flavors. We also found their team’s service to be impeccable.

The Salt & Straw Ice Cream Cookbook, as you may imagine, shares the brand’s recipes. Impressively, these all spring from a “base” recipe that takes just five minutes to make. This recipe book should help to inspire your own desserts.

From Amazon: “Based out of Portland, Oregon, Salt & Straw is the brainchild of two cousins, Tyler and Kim Malek, who had a vision but no recipes. They turned to their friends for advice—chefs, chocolatiers, brewers, and food experts of all kinds—and what came out is a super-simple base that takes five minutes to make, and an ice cream company that sees new flavors and inspiration everywhere they look.

“Using that base recipe, you can make dozens of Salt & Straw’s most beloved, unique (and a little controversial) flavors, including Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons, Roasted Strawberry and Toasted White Chocolate, and Buttered Mashed Potatoes and Gravy.

“But more importantly, this book reveals what they’ve learned, how to tap your own creativity, and how to invent flavors of your own, based on whatever you see around you. Because ice cream isn’t just a thing you eat, it’s a way to live.”

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

June 2, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: June 2023

5 Books to Read this Month: June 2023

by David Klemt

Our engaging and informative June book selections will take your front and back of house to the next level, and help develop your leadership skills.

To review the book recommendations from May 2023, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

This book written by Simon Sinek is considered one of the best books ever written about leadership. “Start with Why” isn’t just a clever title, it’s an important beginning point for all entrepreneurs and leaders.

Further, this book introduces the reader to what Sinek calls the Golden Circle. True leaders don’t micromanage. They don’t just delegate. Effective leaders inspire their teams, providing more motivation than, “Do what I say.” Grab this best seller today: click here.

The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen

We saw this book while we were walking the floor in Chicago at the 2023 National Restaurant Association Show. I snapped a photo, looked up the book, and not only has it been named the Best Cookbook of 2017 by several publications, it’s also the 2018 James Beard Award winner for Best American Cookbook.

From Amazon: “Here is real food—our indigenous American fruits and vegetables, the wild and foraged ingredients, game and fish. Locally sourced, seasonal, “clean” ingredients and nose-to-tail cooking are nothing new to Sean Sherman, the Oglala Lakota chef and founder of The Sioux Chef. In his breakout book, The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen, Sherman shares his approach to creating boldly seasoned foods that are vibrant, healthful, at once elegant and easy.”

The Maison Premiere Almanac

If you’ve been the Maison Premiere in Brooklyn, you know it’s a unique experience. That’s saying a lot given the level of the bars, restaurants, and hotels in that iconic borough. One of the standout features is an “absinthe drip” that was inspired by the legendary New Orleans saloon Old Absinthe House.

From Amazon: “As captivating as the bar itself, The Maison Premiere Almanac is both a visual delight—drawing on photography, illustration, and graphic design—and a detailed guide to the rarefied subjects that make Maison Premiere unique, including deep explorations into the art of the cocktail and cutting-edge bartending techniques and equipment.

“There are also primers on absinthe (a Maison specialty) and recipes for highly refined cocktails, including martinis, toddys, punches, and mint juleps. Tutorials on oysters include how to confidently select and prepare them at home and how to eat them with style. And while packed with curious information and useful knowledge on cocktails and bartending for both enthusiastic beginner bartenders and seasoned cocktail lovers, the Almanac is also a visually arresting objet d’art that will make a perfect addition to any bookshelf.” For all of this and 90 recipes, click here.

Tropical Standard: Cocktail Techniques & Reinvented Recipes

This book is the result of a collaboration between bartender Garret Richard and writer Ben Schaffer. As every great bartender knows, producing great drinks comes down to technique and understanding ratios.

From Amazon: “Crucial techniques are clearly detailed, including how to balance syrups, flash blend, handle carbonation, tackle tinctures, cordialize citrus, and power up juice with acid adjusting. Over the course of 84 recipes, vintage cocktails like the Rum Barrel, Mai Tai, and Ray’s Mistake are reimagined just as future classics are revealed, including the Beachcomber Negroni, Winter in L.A., and Field of Mars. These drinks honor founding legends such as Donn Beach, Trader Vic, and Harry Yee as well as modern icons, including Dale DeGroff, Audrey Saunders, Julie Reiner, and Dave Arnold.”

Grab this book today!

The Seasonal Cocktail

All the data support the statement that today’s guests are choosing to drink better. Better spirits, better ingredients, better drinks.

The Seasonal Cocktail is the perfect cocktail book for addressing this change in consumer behavior. Author Jason Hedges is the mastermind behind several of the world’s best cocktail programs, such as L’Ecole and Gotham. F. Paul Pacult has been called “the J.D. Power of liquor,” which is an incredible endorsement.

Together, these two beverage powerhouses share what it takes to build sophisticated yet simple seasonal drinks. Timely, given that we’re now hitting the summer months. Click here to grab this book now.

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

May 2, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: May 2023

5 Books to Read this Month: May 2023

by David Klemt

Our engaging and informative May book selections will take your front and back of house to the next level, and help develop your leadership skills.

To review the book recommendations from April 2023, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Contagious You: Unlock Your Power to Influence, Lead, and Create the Impact You Want

This is one of three books KRG Hospitality’s Jennifer Radkey read in February. It’s the sequel to a book titled Contagious Culture, which we featured last month.

From Amazon: “For anyone who’s sought to create change, or felt sucked into the drama and chaos of a toxic work environment, this book will advance the notion that everyone at an organization is a leader—for good or for bad—and that leaders have tremendous power to influence those who follow their example. The quality of our leadership is based upon our intentions, energy, and presence. By emphasizing authorship, self-care, and response-ability (not responsibility) as leadership skills and therefore cultural amplifiers, Contagious You shows you how to walk the path of more effective leadership while navigating the road blocks in your way. Whether these road blocks are working with negative co-workers with secret agendas and unrealistic expectations, or just the general ‘busyness’ of life and its excessive demands, this book will take you on a journey to create more space, more courageous leadership, and stronger collaboration to influence others and create the impact you desire.”

Grab this book today: click here.

Chef’s PSA: Culinary Leadership Fundamentals

If Chef’s PSA sounds familiar, that’s probably because it’s a series of four books. We included another book in the series, How Not to be the Biggest Idiot in the Kitchen, last December in our last book roundup of 2022.

Culinary Leadership Fundamentals is intended to prepare chefs to lead a brigade. It’s one thing to know how to prepare food; it’s another to know how to be the leader in the kitchen. Of course, this book is also full of valuable information for owners and operators. After all, they should know how their chef is approaching their role.

From Amazon: “When you become a Chef for the first time you may be put in a position where you know how to cook but not how to lead and manage. This book will teach you everything you need to know to become a Chef Leader in the kitchen. From how to manage costs, build a team, market yourself and overcome adversity. This is the book every Chef needs if they want a competitive edge in running a successful kitchen.”

Pick it up today!

Southern Cooking, Global Flavors

Chef Kenny Gilbert’s journey through the culinary world is epic. By the age of seven he had shown such an interest in the art of BBQ that his father bought him his first grill, a small Weber. After high school he moved from his hometown to Cleveland to attend the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute. After graduation, Chef Gilbert entered into an apprenticeship at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, in Florida. By age 23, Chef Gilbert earned the role of Chef de Cuisine. He has also opened restaurants and led the culinary programs at restaurants and hotel properties not only throughout Florida but also Colorado, Georgia, throughout the Caribbean, France, Japan, and Spain. Oh, and there was Chef Gilbert’s Top Chef season seven appearance, plus the development of his own line of spices and rubs.

His newly released book features 100 recipes that put international spins on southern classics. Pick up Southern Cooking, Global Flavors today!

The Ice Book: Cool Cubes, Clear Spheres, and Other Chill Cocktail Crafts

We’ve addressed the need to compliment your cocktail menu with a dedicated ice program. This book, available now for pre-order, is from world-renowned cocktail and spirits writer Camper English. Not only does it include easy-to-follow instructions for you and your bar team to elevate your cocktail program, from full-proof to zero-ABV drinks. The Ice Book, then, is aptly titled—it’s everything you need to introduce a memorable drinking experience.

From Amazon: “In The Ice Book, internationally renowned cocktail icepert Camper English details how to use directional freezing to make perfectly pure ice in a home freezer, carve it up into giant diamonds and other shapes, and embed it with garnishes, including edible orchids and olives. You’ll learn how to create a frozen bowl for Negroni punch, serve a Manhattan inside an ice sphere, and infuse cubes with colors and flavors to create cranberry cobblers, a color-changing Gin and Tonic, and other awesome drinks.”

The Book of Cocktail Ratios: The Surprising Simplicity of Classic Cocktails

Long-time subscribers to KRG Hospitality’s newsletters and readers of our articles know that I love a controversial take on cocktails. Take, for instance, the origin of the Margarita. Well, the opening sentence from the description for The Book of Cocktail Ratios certainly got my attention.

From Amazon: “Did you know that a Gimlet, a Daiquiri, and a Bee’s Knees are the same cocktail? As are a Cosmopolitan, a Margarita, and a Sidecar. When hosting a party wouldn’t you enjoy saying to your guests, ‘Would you care for a Boulevardier, perhaps, or a Negroni?’ These, too, are the same cocktail, substituting one ingredient for another. Or if you’d like to be able to shake up a batch of whiskey sours for a party of eight in fewer than two minutes, then read on.

“As Michael Ruhlman explains, our most popular cocktails are really ratios—proportions of one ingredient relative to the others. Organized around five of our best-known, beloved, classic families of cocktails, each category follows a simple ratio from which myriad variations can be built: The Manhattan, The Gimlet, The Margarita, The Negroni, and the most debated cocktail ever, The Martini.”

This book should provide you and your bar team with a totally different perspective when it comes to drink ratios. Pre-order your copy today!

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash