Cheers

Cheers - July/August 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 27 July/August 2015 • Peking Tavern in Los Angeles offers a few baijiu cocktails, such as the Wong Chiu Punch (shown at left) and the Peking Coffee, above, made with baijiu, coffee and horchata. by old hutongs or alleyways of Beijing as well as vintage Hollywood's idea of old Chinatown. "We sell several brands of baijiu, from the inexpensive favorite Red Star Erguotou to Moutai—which is my favorite to sip neat, but it's very pricy," Chiu says. The other brands include Shui Jing Fang and HKB. The sorghum spirit is usually consumed in shots, either at room temperature, which is traditional, or with ice. A fresh celery juice chaser is paired with shots to cleanse the palate. Peking Tavern's menu includes a few baijiu cocktails, created by LA mixologist Cari Hah, such as the Wong Chiu Punch (baijiu, hibiscus and lemon juice) and the Peking Coffee (baijiu, coffee and horchata). The Beijing Boiler pairs a Yanjing beer from Beijing with a chilled shot of Erguotou baijiu. Baijiu cocktails average $10, and shots start at $5 and go up to $28 for the Moutai. A Tuesday promotion offers reduced pricing on cocktails, but hand-selling is key. "We tell our customers that baijiu has been widely consumed in China for literally thousands of years," says Chiu. "It's suitable for all occasions, however mostly seen served with a meal because the strong taste is very compatible with Chinese food." INDIA LINK: FENI Feni is fermented and distilled from cashew apples, the fruit surrounding the cashew nut; it can also be made from sap of the coconut palm tree. The proprietary liquor comes only from Goa, the smallest and richest state in India, known for its beaches and laid-back atmosphere. Dating back to the 1700s, feni is a staple of Indian culture, but just recently exported to the U.S. The taste is smooth with citrus and tropical fruit accents. It was recently given a geographic indication of origin. "Feni is to India as tequila is to Mexico," explains Prabhat Jayara, whose family owns India House, a Chicago-based restaurant group with three units, and the new Bombay Chopsticks Indian-Chinese fusion concept. India House recently began serving Spirit of India feni in its downtown Chicago location. Two cocktails that riff on classics show off the spirit's versatility, the Feni Sunrise and the Goan Colada (priced at $12 each). The drinks help cool down the spiciness of the restaurant's cuisine. "The drinks are doing very well because our customers are looking for an authentic Indian experience," says Jayara. Management originally thought feni would appeal to the Indian community, but the cashew fruit spirit has garnered interest among other customers, too. "It's great to have a liquor that is new and novel, especially in metropolitan Chicago where people are more adventurous," Jayara says. The program is working so well that the company is rolling out feni to all of its restaurants. IT'S ALL GREEK TO ME: TSIPOURO AND MASTIHA Birthplace of Western civilization, home to the Acropolis and the Parthenon, Greece is well known for its wine. But a few indigenous spirits with long traditions there are now reaching American shores. For instance, tsipouro is a brandy The Ink Bomb cocktail at Death Ave Estiatorio & Zythopoieio in New York tints the Greek brandy tsipouro with squid ink and mixes it with fresh lime juice. " We tell our customers that baijiu has been widely consumed in China for literally thousands of years. It's suitable for all occasions…" — Andrew Chiu, co-owner of the Peking Tavern

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