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/776571
www.cheersonline.com 33 January/February 2017 • MARKETING MATTERS $23 Martini, made from either Blue gin or Axberg vodka and stirred with dry vermouth and orange bitters. The Martini comes with a sidecar, pickled veggies and two bleu-cheese-stuffed olives. WINE FLIGHTS FLYING HIGH While wine flights have been around for years, this trend will continue to be strong, particularly as guests continue to become more educated and increasingly curious about wine. Focused wine flights are a great option for custom- ers vs. deciding on just one glass of wine or committing to sharing an entire bottle. Typically offered in 2-oz. pours of three different wines, the amount of wine is perfect for supplementing a meal or catching up with a friend. One glass usually isn't enough, two glasses is sometimes too much; a wine flight is just right. Flights allow the sommelier and staff to both introduce and educate their guests on what they consider some of the finest wines on the market. Guests can experience the wines in a casual yet highly informative format. Wine flights allow staff to curate unique combina- tions based on almost anything, such as regions around the world, obscure grape varietals, and wine styles. One Market restaurant in San Francisco features some of the finest and most rare productions of wine from California and other regions with its "Flight of the Month" program. Wine director Tonya Pitts bases each wine flight on sev- eral factors including the season and her expertise, as well as some of the exciting new things that winemakers are doing. El Paseo, a restaurant in Mill Valley, CA, owned by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Sammy Hagar, recently launched a "Secrets of the Old World" wine flight. Each week features a high-end flight of three different wines that showcase some of the premium wine producers from France, Italy, Spain and other regions throughout Europe. This program offers guests a unique opportunity to taste both rare and old vintage wines that Hagar has collected over the years. SAKE STEPS UP Craft sake breweries and bars are opening all over the U.S., educating customers on the intricacies of the spirit. Coinciding with the popularity of Japanese cuisine, it's no surprise sake is finally getting the love it deserves. For instance, Sequoia Sake Co. in San Francisco is part of the new American micro-sake revolution; it specializes in three types of sake: genshu, nigori, and nama. The sake bar Decibel in New York stocks more than 100 of Japan's finest sakes and also offers Japanese snacks and small plates. CANNED WINE CATCHING ON We've been seeing alternative packaging for wine on the rise, thanks to more casual consumption and a desire for recyclable and sustainable footprints. Several new wines offered in cans entered the market in the past year and are experiencing solid growth, according to Carolyn Wente. For instance, Union Wine Co. in Tualatin, OR, offers its Underwood wines in bottles as well as cans ($28 for a four-pack). Cans can be recycled infinitely with no loss of quality through a well-established and efficient process. And each can recycled substantially reduces the envi- ronmental footprint, according to the company: "Cans are ultra-efficient to transport, lightweight, unbreakable and provide superior product protection. We think those are all very good reasons to use them." Kegs were predicted to be the wave of the future for serving wine in restaurants, but adoption has been slow due to cost of installation and infrastructure for delivery with wholesalers. New distribution methods are afoot, so wine kegs may begin to gain traction with independent restaurants and chains. COCKTAIL CONSULTANTS BREAK OUT First we just had a guy (or gal) behind the bar who made us a drink and tended the bar. Then we had mixologists, and our drinks took three hours to make. We even had a brief stint with bar chefs. Now we're back to bartenders, and this past year saw the rise of "the culinary consultant." These cocktail ge- niuses are taking bar programs and training of bar staff to a whole new level. For example, Julian Cox and Josh Goldman, partners in the Los Angeles-based Soigne Group, create award-win- ning and trendsetting craft cocktail, beer and wine programs across the country. And New York-based mixologist Brian Van Flandern, founder of bartender-training program Creative Cocktail Consultants, designs corporate craft cocktail programs and educates bartenders in hotels, restaurants and resorts throughout the world. Food is no longer the main or only attraction; the cock- tail menu is a big draw and has a point of view as strong as what's coming out of the kitchen. Rock-star consultants are pushing the envelope and creating cocktail programs that stand out among the crowd. Andrew Freeman is president Andrew Freeman & Co., a boutique hospitality- and restaurant-consulting firm based in San Francisco. El Paseo restaurant in Mill Valley, CA, recently launched a "Secrets of the Old World" wine flight. PHOTO CREDIT: JULIE ALBIN