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.
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FIRST SIP www.cheersonline.com 5 January/February 2015 • January/February 2015 / Vol. 26 No. 1 Editor Melissa Dowling 203-855-8499 ext. 223 mdowling@specialtyim.com Associate Editor Kyle Swartz 203-855-8499 ext. 225 kswartz@specialtyim.com Managing Art Director Dodi Vessels dvessels@epgmediallc.com Production Director Cherri Perschmann 763-383-4425 cperschmann@epgmediallc.com Contributing Editors Andrew Freeman, Kelly A. Magyarics, Melissa Niksic, Jack Robertiello, Thomas Henry Strenk Senior Regional Sales Managers Bruce Kostic 203-855-8499 ext. 215 bkostic@specialtyim.com Mark Marcon 248-761-6231 mmarcon@specialtyim.com Debbie Rittenberg 215-860-0306 drittenberg@specialtyim.com List Rental MeritDirect, Jim Scova jscova@MeritDirect.com 914-368-1012 Reprints Robin Cooper rcooper@SpecialtyIM.com Cheers ® is published by EPG Media & Specialty Information Editorial offices at 17 High Street, 2nd Floor Norwalk, CT 06851 Tel: 203-855-8499 • Fax: 203-855-9446 CEO Marion Minor Sr VP/Audience Development Joanne Juda-Prainito Sr VP/Finance & Operations Gerald Winkel VP/Beverage Group Amy Collins Cheers (ISSN 1051-564X—USP Number 007-239) is published nine times per year (January/February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October, November/December) by EPG Media & Specialty Information, 17 High Street, Norwalk, CT 06851. Periodical Rate Postage paid at Norwalk, CT and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Cheers, P.O. Box 2123, Skokie, IL 60076-7823 SUBSCRIPTIONS: One-year subscription rates: USA $35.00; Canada $50.00; air mail to other countries $75.00. All subscriptions payable in U.S. dollars. Payment must accompany order. To subscribe write: Cheers, P.O. Box 2123, Skokie, IL 60076-7823, or call the Cheers customer service line at 847-763-9565, Fax 847-763-9569, M-F 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CST. Subscription customer service e-mail: cheers@ halldata.com. Copyright 2013 by EPG Media & Specialty Information, 17 High Street, Norwalk, CT 06851. Reproduction without the express written consent of the publisher is prohibited. EPG Media & Specialty Information, publishes Cheers, Beverage Dynamics, StateWays, Wine & Spirits Industry Marketing, Handbook Advance, Liquor Handbook, Wine Handbook, Beer Handbook and Fact Book. OLD VINES, NEW WINES WHEN I WAS INVITED TO A SEMINAR ON BULGARIAN WINE in New York last spring, I was eager to attend. My husband is from Bulgaria, so I knew quite a bit about the country and culture, but not too much about its specifi c wines. What surprised me was how many others were interested as well: Every seat was taken for the Bulgarian wine session, and there was a line of hopefuls looking to get in. Oftentimes at wine events there are more tasting mats and samples set up than there are attendees. It's not just Bulgaria, though: Interest in wines from other Eastern Europe countries has increased as well. For instance, I was shut out of a Wines of Moldova seminar that had fi lled up, and had to stand in the back during a recent Hungarian wine presentation and tasting. (We'll have to see what happens at an upcoming Wines of Croatia event.) Wines from Georgia, Romania and Slovenia are also generating buzz. So what's the big deal about Eastern European wines? For one thing, while these countries have been making wine for centuries, they've stepped up the quality of their wines drastically in recent years. Eastern European winemakers have learned to move away from the uninspired, mass-production practices of the Soviet era to crafting more specialized and premium offerings. And though they offer their own interpretations of globally popular wines, these countries are also embracing their unique varietals. True, some of these unfamiliar wines may require hand selling to guests, but there is more openness among consumers today about trying and discovering different wines. Plus there's the value proposition: Eastern European wines tend to offer an impressive price-quality ratio, especially in the $10 to $15 retail price range. I was in Bulgaria this past summer for my niece's wedding and was able to visit a few wineries. It was fascinating to learn about the country's ancient winemaking history and observe the modern practices and equipment used today—and of course, taste the wines. For more on this, see "Bulgarian Rhapsody" on page 15. Also in this issue we look at decadent dessert drinks (page 20), seasonal beer offerings (page 24) and wine on tap (page 28). And don't miss our cover story on gin. The botanical spirit's comeback has been a long time coming. Maybe this time it's truly, fi nally here. Cheers! Melissa Dowling Editor