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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/63431
the NCAA basket tournament where restaurant guests must key daily codes into their smart phones to pick winners in each match. Guests get prizes for picking the winning team. "We're really excited about this driving sales and traffi c," MillerCoors is also behind bracket-style competitions around says Adam Kass, district manager for the Green Turtle which operates 31 restaurants in the Mid-Atlantic and off ers an average of 20 to 24 beers on tap. Kass thinks this version of MillerCoor's promotion will work better than previous ones, "because guests have to come in to the restaurant every day to get the new code." For lesser-known beers, fl ights can be a good promotional solution. "Flight programs are really the best way to get people on board with some of the lesser-known, lighter profi le beers," says Hendricks of Bottleneck. "You can encourage buying behaviors by creating stories and an idea behind a fl ight of four beers." Bottleneck, for example, will be promoting a fl ight called "Dawn to Dusk," featuring a sampling of beers from light to dark with prices that are yet to be set. Likewise, Conklin at Euclid Hall is doing a "Sessionable Sampler," "with every one of those being an outreach beer." Many operators also promote the fact that light beer is an easier beverage into two separate menus, the company kept the food and beer link on the food menu, with light-beer pairings far outnumbering others. Th e menu off ers suggestions such as Amstel Light's, "Rich hoppy fl avor with moderate bitterness and smooth mouth feel," makes it a match for the Philly Burger or California Veggie Flatbread. Summer beer cocktails can also work well with light beers. "Mexican beers [Corona, Corona Light, Pacifi co, Tecate] are our most popular," says Lam at Wahoo's. "Our food is very light and the ticket average is $7, so, in a way, craft beer—with it's higher price and heavier profi le—can be self-defeating for us. We fi nd light-profi le Mexican beers to be the better fi t." When Quaker Steak and Lube recently separated food from match for food than strong, high-alcohol beer. At Coppelia in New York, which serves Spicy Cuban Diner Food 24-hours a day, the majority of dishes pair well with light beer. "Although the craft beer trend is booming, I've found that people still turn to light Mexican beer when eating Latin and Mexican dishes," says general manager Ricardo Palafox. Th e same is true pairing beer with inexpensive fi sh tacos. BJ's Restaurant Brewhouse varies up its light selections, including the Lightswitch Pilsner. Bartender Lisa Selman does a "Hop Skip & God Naked" drink at the Franklin Tap in Chicago, combining vodka, frozen lemonade and Coors Light. Wahoo's Fish Taco does well with the Sunny Side Up—a beer schooner full of frozen margarita mix with a mini-bottle of Corona Light upended into it. And at Coppelia, Palafox says Tecate and Corona Light are great in Micheladas. Looking ahead, some operators and brewpubs say there is room for more envelope-pushing, light-craft beer. Ryan Valentine, director of beverage for Columbus, OH- based www.cheersonline.com are a lot of hiccups within the craft beer supply chain, so, the challenge for brewers would be to fulfi ll demand," says Hendricks. Lam of Wahoo's agrees. "Th e problem with small batch is that it is not readily available. Since it's brewed only locally, there is a huge distribution problem for us to get it to six states. Th ere are also issues with quality and price." But the bigger shift making light-craft beers a potential reality Cameron Mitchell restaurants, which operates seven concepts and 16 restaurants—such as Ocean Prime, Cameron's American Bistro and Marcella's among them—agrees. "Craft brewers seem to look down on light beer instead of seeing it as a lucrative opportunity, which doesn't make sense. We would be very interested to see how craft light beers would perform next to other options at our restaurants." Getting there, however, would require better supply. "Th ere will be attitudinal, linked to a maturation of the market—both in attitudes beer geeks have toward lighter profi le beers, and, in attitudes bars have toward traditional light beer drinkers. Monica Kass Rogers writes about food, beverage and vintage recipes from Chicago at www.lostrecipesfound.com. MAY 2012 | 31