FIRST SIP
®
A
Winning Ways
January/February 2013
Vol. 24 No. 1
Executive Vice President,
Group Publisher
Charles Forman
Tel (845) 426-6072
cforman@m2media360.com
lot of work goes into creating and
implementing a great beverage
program—selecting the right type and
brands of beer, spirits, and wine, developing
unique drink recipes and promotions, setting
service standards and training staff and
marketing the offering. And when you have
to develop and roll out a beverage program in
multiple locations across vastly different markets,
the challenges multiply.
That's why our 2013 Beverage Excellence
Award recipients are so impressive. Too often
chain restaurants don't get enough credit for
innovation in the drinks department. But many
have stepped up their game by developing
unique cocktails, embracing craft beer and
significantly improving their wine programs.
They're also investing in staff training to
ensure that customers consistently have a good
experience and keep coming back. In many ways, the chains are now setting the trends
rather than following them. This year's BevEx winners are proof of that.
From Tavistock Restaurants' signature sangrias and Ruby Tuesday's big beer program
to Carrabba's Italian Grill's multifaceted wine merchandising and Celebrity Cruises'
molecular mixology, there's something to learn from each of these chain operators. Our
congratulations to all our BevEx winners, especially to Hard Rock for taking the top award
for Best Chain Overall Beverage Program.
Our profiles of the 2013 BevEx winners start on page 16; for more in-depth articles
on what makes these programs award-worthy, visit http://bit.ly/BevEx. And if you're an
independent operator with a beverage program you're proud of, be sure to enter the 2013
Cheers Benchmark Awards, which honor the nation's top wine bar, beer bar and cocktail
lounge. You'll find an entry form on page 23; the deadline for entries is March 1.
Speaking of cocktail innovation, the article "New Spins on Gin" on page 28 looks at how
operators are mixing with and serving up the venerable botanical spirit. And the feature
"Beer Service is Specialized" on page 24 points out the benefits of staff training so that
servers understand such complexities as describing beer flavor nuances, using the right
glassware and proper pouring technique.
Also in this issue we launch California Wine Central, our multipart series celebrating
the great wine regions of California. Our snapshot of the North Coast, which boasts
elegant, cool-climate wines at an excellent value, begins on page 14. You'll find much more
throughout the year, at the new site www.CAWineCentral.com, such as exclusive features,
photos, podcasts and videos.
That's plenty to get you off to a great start for the coming year. Cheers to an exciting and
prosperous 2013.
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| JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013
Managing Editor
Jeremy Nedelka
Tel (203) 855-8499 ext. 213
jnedelka@m2media360.com
Art Director
Kathleen Sage
ksage@m2media360.com
Production Director
Mary Jo Tomei
Tel (760) 318-7000 ext. 220
mtomei@m2media360.com
Editor-at-Large
Liza B. Zimmerman
Contributing Editors
Jason H. Barker
Andrew Freeman
Michelle Paolillo Lockett
Kelly Magyarics
Melissa Niksic
Todd Price
Thomas Henry Strenk
Carolyn Walkup
Vice President of Sales,
Associate Publisher
Anthony Bongiovanni
Tel (248) 253-0108
tbongiovanni@m2media360.com
Senior Regional Sales Managers
Mark Marcon
Tel (248) 761-6231
mmarcon@m2media360.com
Debbie Rittenberg
Tel (215) 860-0306
drittenberg@m2media360.com
List Rental & Reprints
Cheryl Naughton
Tel (678) 292-6054
cnaughton@m2media360.com
ANDREA TOPALIAN
Melissa Dowling
Editor
Editor
Melissa Dowling
Tel (203) 855-8499 ext. 223
mdowling@m2media360.com
M2MEDIA360
President/CEO
Marion Minor
Vice President, Finance
and Operations
Gerald Winkel
Vice President, Circulation
and Collateral Services
Joanne Juda-Prainito
Tel (630) 543-0552
jjuda@m2media360.com
Vice President of Operations
Mary Jo Tomei
Tel (760) 318-7000 ext. 220
mtomei@m2media360.com
Conference Director
Cheers Beverage Conference
Hanna Empen
Mobile (805) 452-2794
hempen@m2media360.com
Cheers® is published by The Beverage
Information Group, a division of
M2MEDIA360
Editorial and executive offices at
17 High Street, 2nd Floor
Norwalk, CT 06851
www.cheersonline.com
