FIRST SIP ®
and consultants are coming into the fold. Th eir perspectives are high-energy, creative and often lack some of the assumptions that some of the "Old Guard" can have in our business. Surprisingly, they often get along seamlessly with industry veterans: which is always a good sign for where our business is headed. My perspective on on-premise trends is always
O
Th e New Face of Mixology
ur industry is always evolving. And it is particularly exciting to see how many younger—and female—bartenders
infl uenced by the roundtables that Cheers holds in diff erent cities. Th e one we host in Chicago during the National Restaurant Association (NRA) show is always fascinating and full of great personalities and ideas. Chicago is a dynamic and supportive restaurant town, where diff erent operators genuinely seem to like each other and are willing to hold an open and interactive discussion about what they doing in their operations. It is a town where the latest and most experienced professionals always seem ready to share ideas and their inspirations. It is something that has not always been seen in many of our great restaurant and drinks towns (in the U.S. and abroad). At the recent round table we hosted last month at the International Wine, Spirits & Beer
Event within the NRA show we had as many female attendees as males. Th at may be an exciting fi rst. Th ey also skewed very young (I would never ask a woman, or man, his or her age so I couldn't confi rm my belief). Th ey seemed to be very excited about the restaurants they work and consult for and not afraid to hang up their own shingle. I started covering the restaurant and bar business in the days in which many twenty-
somethings—of both genders—were hired primarily for speed and looks. It was an era in which dozens of vodka and tonics were furiously served up to the Wall Street crowd, without great concern for execution or technique. How times have changed. We are, thankfully, in a new restaurant and bar era where
quality, service and value matter more than ever before. It is really exciting to see a new generation stepping up to the responsibilities of moving our business, stylishly, ahead.
Cheers!
Liza B. Zimmerman Editor-in-Chief
June 2012 Vol. 23 No. 5
Executive Vice President, Group Publisher Charles Forman Tel (845) 426-6072
cforman@m2media360.com Editor-in-Chief
Liza B. Zimmerman Tel (415) 994-0130
Lzimmerman@m2media360.com
Managing Editor Jeremy Nedelka
(203) 855-8499 ext. 213 jnedelka@m2media360.com
Art Director Kathleen Sage
ksage@m2media360.com
Production Director Mary Jo Tomei
Tel (760) 318-7000 ext. 220 mtomei@m2media360.com
Ligaya Figueras, John Fischer. Andrew Freeman, Tony Abou Ganim,
Contributing Editors
Michelle Paolillo Lockett, Kelly Magyarics, Amy Sherman,
Thomas Henry Strenk
Vice President of Sales, Associate Publisher Anthony Bongiovanni Tel (248) 253-0108
tbongiovanni@m2media360.com
Senior Regional Sales Managers Mark Marcon
Tel (248) 761-6231
mmarcon@m2media360.com Jeanette Sims
Tel (415) 383-1762 jsims@m2media360.com
Debbie Rittenberg Tel (215) 860-0306
drittenberg@m2media360.com
List Rental & Reprints Cheryl Naughton Tel (678) 292-6054
cnaughton@m2media360.com
M2MEDIA360 President/CEO Marion Minor
Vice President, Finance and Operations Gerald Winkel
Vice President, Circulation and Collateral Services Joanne Juda-Prainito Tel (630) 543-0552 jjuda@m2media360.com
Corporate Conference Director Cheers Beverage Conference Katie Smith
Tel (440) 625-0597 ksmith@m2media360.com
Production & Operations Director Mary Jo Tomei
Cheers®
Information Group, a division of M2MEDIA360
is published by The Beverage Tel (203) 855-8499 • Fax (203) 855-9446
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8 | JUNE 2012 www.cheersonline.com
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