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/504798
FIRST SIP Cheers May 2015 / Vol. 26 No. 4 Editor Melissa Dowling 203-855-8499 ext. 223 mdowling@specialtyim.com Associate Editor Kyle Swartz 203-855-8499 ext. 225 kswartz@specialtyim.com Managing Art Director Dodi Vessels dvessels@epgmediallc.com Production Director Cherri Perschmann 763-383-4425 cperschmann@epgmediallc.com Contributing Editors Erika Bolden, Kelly Magyarics, Jeremy Nedelka, James Scarpa, Thomas Henry Strenk Senior Regional Sales Managers Bruce Kostic 203-855-8499 ext. 215 bkostic@specialtyim.com Mark Marcon 248-761-6231 mmarcon@specialtyim.com Debbie Rittenberg 215-860-0306 drittenberg@specialtyim.com List Rental MeritDirect, Jim Scova jscova@MeritDirect.com 914-368-1012 Reprints Robin Cooper rcooper@SpecialtyIM.com Cheers ® is published by EPG Media & Specialty Information Editorial offices at 17 High Street, 2nd Floor Norwalk, CT 06851 Tel: 203-855-8499 • Fax: 203-855-9446 CEO Marion Minor Sr VP/Audience Development Joanne Juda-Prainito Sr VP/Finance & Operations Gerald Winkel VP/Beverage Group Amy Collins Cheers (ISSN 1051-564X—USP Number 007-239) is published nine times per year (January/February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October, November/December) by EPG Media & Specialty Information, 17 High Street, Norwalk, CT 06851. Periodical Rate Postage paid at Norwalk, CT and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Cheers, P.O. Box 2123, Skokie, IL 60076-7823 SUBSCRIPTIONS: One-year subscription rates: USA $35.00; Canada $50.00; air mail to other countries $75.00. All subscriptions payable in U.S. dollars. Payment must accompany order. To subscribe write: Cheers, P.O. Box 2123, Skokie, IL 60076-7823, or call the Cheers customer service line at 847-763-9565, Fax 847-763-9569, M-F 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CST. Subscription customer service e-mail: cheers@ halldata.com. Copyright 2013 by EPG Media & Specialty Information, 17 High Street, Norwalk, CT 06851. Reproduction without the express written consent of the publisher is prohibited. EPG Media & Specialty Information, publishes Cheers, Beverage Dynamics, StateWays, Wine & Spirits Industry Marketing, Handbook Advance, Liquor Handbook, Wine Handbook, Beer Handbook and Fact Book. VODKA PAYS THE BILLS MANY BARTENDERS HAVE HAD a tricky relationship with vodka in recent years. Those who wanted to stay true to the classics—namely pre-Prohibition recipes— tried not to use or stock vodka at all. Not that it was all about historical accuracy. Mixologists were tired of customers defaulting to variations on the Vodka and Soda or the Cosmopolitan. Plus it was easy to dismiss vodka as fl avorless, since by defi nition, it is. But several hardcore vodka opponents have recently softened their stance on the spirit. For example, the Happiest Hour, opened last fall in New York by veterans of the city's craft cocktail bar scene, specializes in a "non-judgmental drinks menu" and will substitute vodka in any libation. Two other important New York cocktail spots, The Pegu Club and The Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog, have just added a vodka drink to their lists. Why now? For one thing, you can't deny that people like their vodka. As Tom Strenk points out in our cover story, "Everybody Loves Vodka," one out of every three bottles of spirits sold in the U.S. is vodka. Even with the interest in whiskey and bourbon stealing some of the spotlight and share of market from vodka, the white spirit isn't likely to be dethroned anytime soon. Perhaps more important, the classic/craft cocktail boom has increased interest in mixology overall, and made guests braver about venturing outside their comfort zones. Consumers are also becoming more sophisticated about spirits in general, including vodka. For instance, I did a blind vodka tasting with my family last month with six unfl avored vodkas from six different countries. These folks are not typically vodka drinkers, but they got really into it. I was surprised at the subtle nuances the amateur tasters were picking up. (The winner was one of the competitively priced European brands that's become known for its fl avors.) Vodka does indeed pay the bills at most bars, and it deserves some respect. Maybe it's fi nally getting it. Also in this issue we look at sauvignon blanc for summer (page 20), building a balanced beer selection (page 32), cocktail pairing strategies (page 36) and limited-time offerings (page 40). And we also induct eight brands into our new Growth Brands Hall of Fame (page 24). These brands have shown sustained growth since we started the program in 1997. Considering all the changes in the beverage alcohol industry since then, that's quite a big deal. Cheers! Melissa Dowling Editor www.cheersonline.com 6 • May 2015