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Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/422286
www.cheersonline.com 34 • November / December 2014 out their smartphones to access tasting notes about whichever whiskey they are drinking," notes Tim Riefel, general manager at Local Whiskey in State College, PA. "It makes people less intimidated to try new whiskeys." Despite the local in its name, the bar's collection of 220 whiskeys focuses on single-malt Scotch, with substantial depth in Japanese malts and Canadian, Irish as well as American whiskeys. Import prices range from as little as $5 for a shot of Bushmills to $25 for a glass of Yamazaki 18-year-old. The most expensive quaff is The Macallan "Flask" 22-year- old for $150 a shot. "Only 400 bottles were released, and we were lucky enough to get a bottle," says Riefel. NEW WHISKEY ENTHUSIASTS Whiskey is garnering interest beyond hard-core afi cionados chasing after rare bottles; its appeal is broadening to a wider demographic. "Popularity with women and millennials is leading the growth of whiskey," says Paul Brown, beverage manager for Front Burner Brands, the restaurant management company for The Melting Pot. Brown notes that 85% of Melting Pot guests are women, and two-thirds of its clientele are ages 18 to 39. The fondue-chain concept, which has more than 130 restaurants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, has been seeing more calls for whiskey- based cocktails. Fully half of the 17 whiskeys on the chain's core list are imports. "I think whiskey will play a bigger part in our beverage program in the future," predicts Brown. Consumers are following different paths to the whiskey trail, operators say. Some discover the brown spirit in a cocktail; others take an easy-drinking route with smooth Irish whiskey or fl avored variations. "There is a younger, educated consumer embracing the cocktail culture," says Raymond. At Reserve 101, orders for whiskey-based cocktails have jumped dramatically. "The foodie culture has helped; it mirrors the craft beer, cocktail and artisan distilling scenes. It's a perfect storm of trends," he says. Indeed, "The craft beer scene has sparked interest in new fl avor profi les, including hand-crafted spirits," agrees Brown. "That has opened up minds and palates." The Melting Pot is rolling out a new Irish whiskey cocktail nationally next year, and possibly more. THE APPEAL OF IRISH AND FLAVORED VARIETIES Leading an interest in imports among younger drinkers are the more-approachable Irish whiskeys. "Mostly thanks to its marketing efforts, Jameson has really taken off in the U.S. market, especially among the younger generation," says Raymond. "And that has encouraged trial of other Irish whiskeys." Also enticing millennials is the rapidly growing sub-segment of fl avored whiskeys, appealing to their sweet tooth. Canadian Fireball Whisky is hot, and Paddy's, Bushmills and Dewars have all recently debuted honey variations. "They are geared toward attracting a newer, younger crowd, to introduce them to whiskey—a training-wheels approach," notes Raymond. Reserve 101 attracts a diverse mix of customers, thanks to its proximity to the House of Blues nightclub, a Four Seasons Hotel, convention center and sports/entertainment complex. "We get concert-goers—the Jameson and Fireball crowd—and out-of-towners, as well as whiskey geeks who come to check out the latest and greatest," says Raymond. For those geeks, this fall Reserve 101 is debuting a rare single malt, a 1978 Glenmorangie Pride, which will sell for $750 a pour. About a year ago, the bar had offered a vintage 1963 Glenmorangie for $550 a shot; Reserve 101 sold out of it within 60 days. "We got the word out with a media blitz; a rare whisky like that appeals to a particular audience," Raymond says. Reserve 101 serves whiskeys neat in tulip-shaped Italian crystal glassware designed to deliver maximum aroma. The whiskeys also come with a carafe of fi ltered water so that customers can add a few drops to open up the bouquet. Rocks drinkers can opt for a 2-in. solid ice ball at no extra charge. EVENTS AND EDUCATION Restaurant and bar operators are working hard to intrigue and educate their customers, no matter their approach or level of interest in the world of whiskey. "Madison wasn't much of a whiskey town when we opened six years ago," recalls Bill Rogers, owner of The Malt House in Madison, WI. "We had a lot of educating about whiskey to do with our public." With a focus on craft beer, the bar started with about 30 whiskeys, but that collection has more than doubled in response to increasing customer interest, to about 80 labels, half of which are imports. "The fi rst thing we did was to create two build-your-own- fl ight menus," explains Rogers. There are two price tiers of three 1-oz. pours, for $10 and $15. "Most people could fi nd PHOTO BY JULIE SOEFER Mike Raymond co-owner of Reserve 101, says Japanese malt whisky is hot.