Cheers is dedicated to delivering hospitality professionals the information, insights and data necessary to drive their beverage business by covering trends and innovations in operations, merchandising, service and training.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/383488
www.cheersonline.com 14 Cheers • September 2014 By Melissa Dowling Customizing drinks on the fl y with a "bartender's choice" program is a great way to build relationships with guests and ensure their satisfaction. But offering this option in your bar requires a fair amount of preparation, training and follow up to be successful. Three seasoned craft mixologists shared their experiences with bartender's whim drinks in a July 18 session at Tales of the Cocktail. For starters, you have to be able to read people to get a sense of how adventurous or cautious they are, said Meaghan Dorman, head bartender at cocktail bars Raines Law Room and Dear Irving in New York. "Are they open, or are they really just looking for a safety net?" You also have to ask the right questions before you start mixing to get a feeling for the type of spirits and fl avors that will appeal to the customer, Dorman said. You should typically start by asking, "What are you in the mood for tonight," and then, "Is there anything that you're not in the mood for or don't like?" Katie Emmerson, bar manager for The Hawthorne in Boston, said she tries to use very specifi c terms when assessing guest preferences, such as, Do you like whiskey, rum, etc. Another strategy: "I try to get them to recall a drink that they've had before that they really liked," she said. Despite the barkeep's best efforts, sometimes the bar- tenders' whim is a miss. "It's easy to tell when guests don't like their drinks," said Theo Lieberman, head bartender of venerable cocktail den Milk & Honey in New York. And when that happens, he suggests approaching the guest casually and asking, "Is that working out for you? I can make you another.'" Keep in mind that some guests may be reluctant to admit that they don't like the bartender's choice, Lieberman noted. So if you see that a customer is not enjoying a cocktail, you might even just bring over a new drink and say, "I think you might like this better." It's well worth the few extra dollars in liquor costs to make the guest happy and more likely to return, said Lieberman, who also works at Lantern's Keep in the Iroquois Hotel and Raines Law Room. It can be a bit of a blow to the ego when the fi rst drink you have selected and made for a guest is a bust, Dorman said. But getting it right on the second try can be even more valuable, she said, "because not many people would take the time to get it right." —MD (For more on Bartender's Choice cocktail programs, see page 34.) SPIRITED AWARD WINNERS Tales of the Cocktail on July 19 presented its eighth annual Spirited Awards in New Orleans. The competition, which honored the world's best bars, bartenders, brands and drinks writers with awards presented in 24 categories wrapped up the cocktail industry conference's 12th annual event. A big winner of the night was The Dead Rabbit of New York, which won "Best American Cocktail Bar" and "World's Best Drinks Selection." The Dead Rabbit, which opened in early 2013, continues its roll: It last year won "World's Best New Cocktail Bar," "World's Best Cocktail Menu" and "International Bartender of the Year" for Jack McGarry. The only other New York bar to win a Spirited Award in 2014 was the NoMad, which took home the award for Best American Restaurant Bar, while Polite Provisions (San Diego), Trick Dog (San Francisco) and Clyde Common (Portland, OR) were West Coast winners. The award for the Best New American Cocktail Bar went to Chicago Tiki spot Three Dots and A Dash. See the full list of all the Spirited Awards winners for 2014 on the opposite page. BEST BETS FOR BARTENDER'S CHOICE DRINK PROGRAMS www.cheersonline.com 34 Cheers • September 2014 BARTENDER, SURPRISE ME! Off-the-menu cocktails appeal to guests who aspire to be part of the mixology magic CURAÇAO PUNCH FROM FOUNDING FARMERS. This would be a perfect drink for someone who wants a beverage that is fruit forward, not sweet, and has a little bit of a bite or edge. By Kelly A. Magyarics