Cheers

Cheers June 2015

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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www.cheersonline.com 16 • June 2015 currently gaining in popularity, according to some operators. When Paladar opened its first restaurant in Cleveland in 2007, customers were more interested in the spiced and flavored rums, according to Himmel. "Over the last few years as the whiskey craze has grown, people have grown comfortable drinking darker spirits, which has had a dramatic, positive impact on rum," he says. Paladar now sells more aged rums as sippers in logoed snifters or on the rocks, in ½-oz. tastes and 2-oz. pours. Prices range from $6.25 for a glass of spiced or light rum to as much as $30 for an aged pour. Zafra Cuban Restaurant & Rum Bar in New Haven, CT, has established itself as a destination for rum aficionados, with an inventory of nearly 300 varieties. "Our cocktail menu is rum-based, but it is the sipping rums that really get our guests excited," says owner Dominick Splendorio. Sippers, served in Riedel snifters, are priced $8 to $55— these latter are special-occasion pours, says Splendorio. Most popular are Diplomatico Exclusiva, Zia Gujjar, Vizcaya 12 Cask, Ron Zacapa and Rhum Clement VSOP. "People come here seeking rums they've never tried or even never heard of before, because we have that kind of variety," he says. Rum bar operators believe that whiskey drinkers can be won over to other dark liquor. "Does one bourbon really taste that different from another? It's nuanced, and not that perceptible to the average palate," argues Ferrara at The Rum Line. Rums, on the other hand, range from white to dark, sweet to dry, young to aged, and familiar to funky. The Rum Line's sippers range from $9 to $65 for a 2-oz. pour; one-of-a-kind Black Tot sells for $300 a glass. "The high end is a hand-sell," Ferrara adds. At Paladar, staff will ask guests if they are typically bourbon or Scotch drinkers and then guide them to the right rum for their palates. A "Rum 101" educational pamphlet is available for guests to study and take home. Another strategy the chain uses to snag whiskey lovers is to substitute rum in classic cocktails. For instance, Paladar's take on the Old Fashioned uses Ron Abuelo 7-Year-Old rum ($8.95) while a Sidecar incorporates Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva 12-Year ($10.95). MOJITO MADNESS Guests are requesting higher- quality rums, not only to sip but in cocktails, too, "with calls specifying Jamaican rum or rhum agricole," notes Windsor at the Power House. Sipping rums there start at $8 and run up to $55. Mount Gay Eclipse, Appleton Estate V/X, Plantation and the Australian rum Bundaberg are some popular calls. RAI S I N G CAN E " W e s e ll h u n d re d s o f Moj ito s o n a n i g ht ly bas i s; 50 0 o n a w e e k e n d pe r sto re. T hat ' s t h e n u m b e r- o n e way w e mov e ru m ." — Damian Windsor, general manager, Power House Directly above, The Rum Line bar atop the Loews Miami Beach Hotel opened this past fall and stocks 136 different rums. Left, Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar in Beachwood, OH, offers five variations on the Mojito: Traditional with 3-year rum; Supe- rior with 5-year rum; and three house-made flavors—strawber- ry, pomegranate-ginger and mango-cilantro.

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