The Royal Caribbean fl eet serves up drinks such as the Wild Blossom (to the far left) and a Martini. At Hooters the Christmas Light Lemonade (above) was a success.
Private Stock label for its gin, tequila, triple sec and rum well brands as well. “We found that we could greatly improve the quality of our off ering without increasing our cost mostly because we own the branding and even picked the glass type for the bottles.”
THE APPEAL OF REGIONAL BRANDS Locally produced vodkas are also becoming popular. Modern
Spirits of Monrovia, California, is producing organic vodkas called Tru, both straight and in lemon and vanilla fl avors. Tito’s Handmade Vodka out of Mockingbird Distillery in Austin, Texas, is made from 100 percent corn. Chicago-produced Koval vodka, made from rye, is both organic and kosher. In some markets regional brands can require a hand-sell.
“Only because people aren’t aware of it,” says Daniel Gonzales, the Secreto’s master mixologist and bar manager. Sometimes, however, those brands sell themselves. Koval, one of the eight vodkas carried at Pensiero (priced from $9 to $11 for one and half ounce pours), “has taken off ,” Th omas says. Th e restaurant charges $11 for it. “Chicagoans are showing support for the local product. People are trying the boutique stuff , and Koval’s got a bit of a cult
24 | MAY 2011
following in Chicago. And since we’re a small boutique hotel, any time somebody’s in from out of town, they see something that’s unusual and they want to try a local product.” Pensiero might be “wine centric,” as Th omas says, but the
restaurant is always “looking to expand the experience for our guests by off ering them choices in their pre-dinner drinking and in receptions during private events.” Vodka, be it local or a national brand, is also Pensiero’s top selling pre-dinner spirit. Milligan concludes that, “I don’t think anyone will ever
knock vodka off as king of spirits. It would be impossible.” Adds Gonzales: “It’s staying on top of the hill for a long time,”
says Gonzales, noting that in his ten years in the business it has been “constantly the No. 1-selling spirit.” After all, Gonzales says, “Mixology is more about giving customers what they want.”
Johnny D. Boggs is an award-winning novelist based in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The Cheers’ handbooks are available at www.beveragehandbooks.com.
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