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.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/30177
MARKETING MATTERS By Carolyn Walkup Cheers Skinny Cocktails How mixoligists are capitalizing on the lean and clean eating revolution. A s shorts and T-shirt season approaches, weight-conscious folks are seeking more ways to shave off calories from their favorite treats, including their liquid ones. Bid hello to the “skinny” cocktail. Operators report getting increasing requests for low-calorie alcoholic drinks that taste as good as their higher-calorie counterparts. Some have even witnessed diners sneaking in with a packet of Sweet’N Low and creating their own drinks. As a result, several national and regional full-service restaurant chains, ranging from high-end steakhouses to Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar, have added entire skinny drinks sections to their bar menus. Applebee’s Skinny Bee cocktails (from left to right) include the Margarita, Long Island Iced Tea and the Mojito. While most people are aware that many food preparations pack on the calories, they often don’t think about calories contained in their favorite libations. Typical calorie counts for standard preparations can be as high as 780 for a Long Island Iced Tea, 740 for a Margarita with four ounces of tequila, 644 for a Piña Colada and 425 for a White Russian, according to Forbes magazine research. A typical shot of straight spirits without any mixes contains just 64 calories, notes Eric Boyd, bartender at Th e Bar at the Peninsula Chicago. “All calories come from complex carbohydrates and liquor has no carbohydrates,” he explains. “It’s what you add to it that makes it higher-calorie.” Many mixers, even fruit juices, contain natural sugars that turn into carbohydrates. So, Boyd avoids using juices in his skinny cocktail recipes, of which he currently has three: Pimm’s Royal at 170 calories for $18, JC Premiere at 200 calories for $16 and Strawberry Fields at 265 calories for $12. Pimm’s Royal contains Pimm’s No. 1, simple syrup, muddled mint leaves, lemon wedge, a strawberry and a cucumber slice. It’s shaken with ice, strained into a Champagne glass and topped with a little Champagne. Strawberry Fields uses diet citrus soda for sweetness, while the JC Premiere, a take-off on a Manhattan and suggested by a regular customer, uses blood orange bitters and Noilly Prat sweet vermouth with Blanton’s Bourbon. Each Peninsula Hotel around the world has its own drinks menu, although the beverage departments share recipes with each other upon request. Th e upscale bars attract a good contingent of local regulars, Boyd says. A NATURAL EVOLUTION Like Boyd, other mixologists usually start with classic cocktails and experiment 16 | MAY 2011 www.cheersonline.com