August 2015 Bar Business by Bar Business Magazine

the last few weeks out of summer Blending In: Squeeze by serving up some splendid blender drinks. The How-To Publication

BAR BUSINE$$ August 2015

M A G A Z I N E

A Big Shift No more posting notes: Better ways to plan promotions on-premise

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Iced is Hot!

ICED COFFEE IS THE HOTTEST DRINK TREND OF THE SUMMER. C A S H I N B Y F E AT U R I N G T H E R U M C H ATA A N D C A S A D E L S O L G I F T PA C K !

RumChata. Caribbean Rum with Real Dairy Cream, Natural and Artificial Flavors. 13.75% alcohol by volume.Bottled by Agave Loco Brands, Pewaukee, WI. Please Enjoy Responsibly. RUMCHATA and CHATA are Registered Trademarks of Agave Loco, LLC.

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On Tap august 2015

CONTENTS

10 SPA

sipping

HOW TO

Promotional Shift

Just around the blend

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Big Payback

New technology coming this Fall will enable bar owners to plan and execute on-premise promotions with more ease and efficiency. www.barbizmag.com

As the summer season winds down, we offer a look at the latest in blender equipment and techniques for making great frozen cocktails.

James Brown may have sang about it, but the payback practice on-premise is a dated policy that can cause serious problems. August 2015 Bar Business Magazine

On Tap

BAR BUSINE$$

CONTENTS

Features 28 Rising Spirits

Independent AfricanAmerican-owned beverage companies bring color, pride and ingenuity to bars and restaurants across the U.S.

Departments

32 opening night

4 Bar room drawl

36 Big six

6 Booze News

The Long Island beer, wine and booze scene is creating some stellar homegrown beverage products that deserve a good long look.

RumChata’s latest Freedom bottle raises money for Lone Survivor; New luxury Champagne arrives; Waterless restroom laws in California; two new apps make life easier and safer for patrons.

10 liquid Assets Sipping at the spa is the new black, apparently, and the trend of enjoying a drink while being pampered has created its own genre of health-conscious cocktails that can also play well on-premise.

When it comes time to finally open your new bar, there are legal hurdles you must get past, so we look at several of them and ways to get your business above the fray.

40 Inventory 42 holiday happenings 44 OWNING UP

Two new technologies have joined forces to make life easier for owners by streamlining scheduling and timesheet processes on-premise.

ON THE COVER The new BarShift technology allows bar owners to effortlessly plan and schedule promotions via their smartphones, tablets and desktop computers.

“Bar Business Magazine” (ISSN 1944-7531 [print], ISSN 2161-5071 [digital]) (USPS# 000-342) is published February, April, June, August, October, & December for $45.00 per year and January, March, May, July, September, & November will only be offered in a digital format at no charge by Simmons-Boardman, 55 Broad St 26th Fl., New York, NY 10004. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and additional mailing offices. Copyright © 2014 Simmons-Boardman. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. No part of the magazine may be reproduced in any fashion without the expressed written consent of Simmons-Boardman. Qualified U.S. bar owners may request a free subscription. Non-qualified U.S. subscriptions printed or digital version: 1 year US $45.00; Canada $90.00; foreign $189.00; foreign, air mail $289.00. 2 years US 75.00; Canada $120.00; foreign $300.00; foreign, air mail $500.00. BOTH Print and Digital Versions: 1 year US 68.00; Canada $135.00; foreign $284.00; foreign, air mail $384.00. 2 years US $113.00; Canada $180.00; foreign $450.00; foreign, air mail $650.00. Single Copies are $10.00 each. Subscriptions must be paid for in U.S. funds only. For subscriptions, address changes, and adjustments, write to: Bar Business Magazine, PO Box 1172, Skokie, IL 60076-8172. Instructional information in this magazine should only be performed by skilled crafts people with the proper equipment. The publisher and authors of information provided herein advise all reader to exercise care when engaging in any of the how-to activities published in the magazine. Further, the publisher and authors assume no liability for damages or injuries resulting from projects contained herein. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Bar Business Magazine, PO Box 1172, Skokie, IL 60076-8172.

Bar Business Magazine August 2015

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Bar Room Drawl By Chris Ytuarte Editor

Yes, We Have Great Taste "Most people hate the taste of beer to begin with. It is, however, a prejudice that many people have been able to overcome." — Winston Churchill One of the great aspects of the recent craft movement in the U.S., specifically within the beer and spirits categories, has been the return of the taste bud. Sure, for some legal age demographics, there will always be a focus on quantity over quality. Believe me, I understand. I went to college. Cheap beer had two things going for it: It was cheap, and it was beer. But more and more these days, as craft breweries and distilleries (as well as some of the big boys on campus) create a staggering array of high-quality, great-tasting products, consumers are once again remembering what it’s like to taste. So this issue of Bar Business has a little bit of that notion underlying its content. Four of our feature articles this month focus on flavor, during a time when titillating taste buds has once again become a goal, and even the Bar Business staff gets in on the act. We start off in New York, where, in an ironic twist, the Long Island beer, wine and spirits scene is making waves with great-tasting high-quality craft products, despite being the namesake for a most reviled Ice Tea cocktail all too familiar to most bartenders.

Bar Business Magazine August 2015

We also talk about ways to make cold blender drinks taste great as the summer season winds down, and longtime contributor Elyse Glickman doubles-up on her spirit-centric coverage this month with a feature on tasty health-conscious cocktails inspired by spa menus, plus a powerful profile on several up-and-coming African-American-owned beer and spirit companies that are achieving success by focusing on unique flavor profiles and craft production. But perhaps most exciting this month was Bar Business itself getting into the taste trenches to find out what’s happening in the industry in terms of top-notch beverage alcohol. That's me, top left, tasting Suntory’s new Hibiki Japanese Harmony whisky, and you can find more information about that on page 41. And on August 16, we hosted the inaugural Bar Business Spirits Competition in Austin, Texas, where a panel of three highly respected mixologists judged a wide selection of spirits, liqueurs, and mixers submitted by brands from all over the world. The winners, profiles on the judges, and all the results of our competition will be coming soon, so keep an eye out. At a time when it’s become cool to taste again, it was great for Bar Business, through our own spirits competition, to have a firsthand view of what it takes to be the best and what experts are looking for in high-quality spirits. It’s 2015. Embrace the taste!

BAR BUSINE$$ MAGAZINE

August 2015 Vol. 8, No. 8 Bar Business Magazine (ISSN 1944-7531) is published by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 55 Broad St 26th Fl., New York, NY 10004 executive offices

President Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr. Publisher Arthur J. Sutley 212-620-7247; fax: 212-633-1863 asutley@sbpub.com editorial

Editor Chris Ytuarte 212-620-7223; fax: 212-633-1863 cytuarte@sbpub.com art

Creative Director Wendy Williams wwilliams@sbpub.com Art Director Sarah Vogwill svogwill@sbpub.com production

Corporate Production Director Mary Conyers mconyers@sbpub.com circulation

Circulation Director Maureen Cooney mcooney@sbpub.com advertising sales

Art Sutley 212-620-7247; fax: 212-633-1863 asutley@sbpub.com

circulation department

800-895-4389 Bar Business Magazine is published monthly. All rights reserved. Nothing herein may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher. To Purchase PDF files of covers, layouts or hard copy reprints, please call Art Sutley at 212-620-7247 or email asutley@sbpub.com.

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A RICHER POUR.

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Booze News

Pictured left to right: Charlie Maas,RumChata global branding officer; Marcus Luttrell, Lone Survivor Foundation founder and chairman; Tom Maas, RumChata founder and master blender; Terence Jung, Lone Survivor Foundation director

RumChata® Freedom Bottle Program Raises $151K For Lone Survivor Foundation

his year’s RumChata Freedom Bottle program generated $151,245 for Lone Survivor Foundation (LSF). The not-forprofit organization restores, empowers, and renews hope for wounded service members and their families through health, wellness, and therapeutic support. The total raised for LSF from the first two years of the RumChata Foundation’s program is $289,800. RumChata’s limited-time collection of red, white and blue logoed bottles were on shelves from Memorial Day through the Fourth of July. Each bottle sold benefitted and supported LSF. In conjunction with the program, the RumChata Foundation donated $5.00 for every post on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #RumChata4LSF. The more than 1,800

Bar Business Magazine August 2015

social media posts doubled last year’s participation. In addition, RumChata’s Massachusetts distributor Horizon Beverage felt so strongly about the program’s mission, it donated $10,000 directly to LSF. “We want to thank all of our RumChata fans, distributors and retailers for another year of the tremendous support they gave to the Freedom Bottle program,” said Tom Maas, RumChata founder and master blender. “This year’s contribution will help continue Lone Survivor Foundation’s very important programs for our veterans.” More about RumChata and where it's available can be found at www.rumchata.com and on the RumChata Facebook page. www.barbizmag.com

The Lap of Luxury

his fall, Armand de Brignac Champagne will be introducing two new varietals to their collection of luxury Champagne, Armand de Brignac Blanc de Noirs and Armand de Brignac Demi Sec. These two new products join the awardwinning collection of Armand de Brignac, which is handcrafted using time-honored traditions. The artisanal production process is overseen by a select group of eight people exclusively dedicated to creating the three signature cuveĂŠs of Armand de Brignac and was established by the Cattier family, whose elite Champagne house has a rich and storied history of over 250 years. Armand de Brignac Blanc de Noirs is made with 100% Pinot Noir grapes. After releasing their flagship cuvee, Brut Gold, the Cattier family and winemakers decided there was an opportunity to deliver the ultimate statement of their winemaking expertise and style. Blanc de Noir is exceptionally refined, and its food pairing versatility make it an unusually special experience for fine food connoisseurs. Armand de Brignac Demi Sec is an incredibly elegant expression of Demi Sec, blended with 40% Pinot

Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier, and 40% Chardonnay grapes. While many in the wine industry disregard Demi Sec, the Cattier family wanted to prove that the varietal could be exceptionalâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and with the release of Armand de Brignac Demi Sec, they have succeeded. As to avoid heavy sweetness, the winemakers focused on keeping the dosage low, with the final dosage 34 gr/L, and used the oldest Armand wines available in the cellars. Armand de Brignac Blanc de Noir will retail for $759.99 and Armand de Brignac Demi Sec, at $359.99. Both will be available for purchase beginning in the fall, though pre-ordering has begun.

California Moving Closer to Waterless Restrooms

alifornia regulators have been speeding up water-efficiency standards for faucets, toilets, and urinals in response to the state's fourth year of drought. The new regulations, which have been signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown go into effect January 2016, with potential to affect bar and club owners statewide and possibly nationwide. According to Klaus Reichardt, president of Waterless Co. Inc., it is no wonder the emphasis has been on restrooms, for instance in offices or schools. "Invariably more water is consumed in restrooms than any other part of a facility." (The exception: Landscaped areas that must be irrigated.)

Here are the new restroom rules: 1) U rinals can flush no more than an one-eighth of a gallon of water per flush. While some urinals now flush about a half-gallon of water per flush, these are the exception. Most urinals use about one gallon of water or more per flush. 2) Faucets must be adjusted so that they use no more than 1.2 gallons of water per minute in homes and 1.8 gallons of water www.barbizmag.com

per minute in commercial facilities. Most traditional faucets use about 2.2 gallons of water per minute. 3) Toilets can use no more than 1.28 gallons of water per flush. The national regulated amount is 1.6 gallons per flush but just like urinals, many toilets flush two, three, or more gallons of water per flush. The new regulations apply to new construction and not to older buildings. However, Reichardt believes many older facilities are expected to retrofit their restrooms with more water efficient fixtures since it can help lower water consumption significantly. It is expected that by 2016, 10 billion gallons of water will be saved and eventually this will rise to as much as 100 billion gallons as new homes and commercial facilities are coming online. "As the oldest manufacturer of no-water urinal systems in the United States, we have seen the market four waterless urinals fluctuate over the decades," says Reichardt. "But because of what is happening in California and other western states, there is definitely an increase in interest in no-water urinals throughout North America." August 2015 Bar Business Magazine

Booze News Disco is Not Dead

hree University of California Berkeley grads are disrupting the nightlife industry in the same way Priceline and Kayak successfully changed the face of the travel reservations in the U.S. In an estimated $20 billion global nightlife reservation market, the creators of Discotech are bucking the “text or call me for a table trend” with a nightlife app that allows users to upgrade and manage their night out by easily making reservations for bottle service, signing up and adding their friends to guest lists or purchasing and downloading tickets to exclusive events and parties in their area before they leave the house. Launched in November 2013, Discotech has rolled out its app in several markets, including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Washington D.C., and Miami. In only 18 months, they have developed partnerships with more than 80 venues, including seven of the top 10 clubs in the country. While there are other companies that have a launched table reservation apps, no one has gained a one percent market share in the space, so the competition for market leader is on. Discotech is aiming to differentiate itself in the marketplace through a “one-

stop-shop” app that offers table reservations, guest-list sign-up and nightlife ticket sales. In January 2015, Discotech entered into a partnership with Wantickets, the largest ticketing provider in the nightlife/ EDM space to rollout the app on a worldwide basis. Their strategy is to displace promoters and grab as many club patrons as possible with broad service offerings. The competition is aggressively going after the bottle service market, but the opportunity is in access — everybody wants to be behind the velvet rope regardless of income. Discotech makes it possible. Since January 15, Discotech’s revenue has grown more than 300 percent with the new ticket sales offering. For more information, visit www.discotech.me.

Smartphone Technology Enables Safe Rides Home

ood decisions and safe rides home are now just a click away: Campari America and Kiip, a mobile rewards platform, have teamed up to promote responsible drinking and social safety by offering consumers credits for the popular ridesharing application Lyft. Using Kiip’s “Moments Targeting” technology, Campari America can engage consumers at the most relevant moment when it comes to drinking responsibly: before the ride back home. It’s part of the company’s ongoing

Bar Business Magazine August 2015

social responsibility campaign and an initiative designed to encourage well-being and inspire positive decision-making after a night on the town. Kiip leverages real-time location and timing data to determine when legal drinking age mobile users are apt to drink. As a result, when someone is on a Kiip-enabled app during peak drinking hours – such as weekend nights, happy hours and holidays – and in an area with a high concentration of bars and restaurants, they could receive a reward from Campari America. These featured rewards offer social drinkers credits for the ridesharing app Lyft, which allows users to easily order a ride home on their smartphones. Campari America is the first company to offer Lyft credits as a reward via Kiip’s mobile platform. This is also the company’s first multi-brand corporate social responsibility initiative with rewards powered by SKYY® Vodka, Wild Turkey® Straight Kentucky Bourbon and American Honey®. “Consumers are engaging with Campari America’s brands with mobile technology in a more significant way than ever before. We strive to meet consumers where they are and help them make smart decisions. This innovative partnership with Kiip and Lyft ensures we effectively promote responsible drinking by using the power of digital technology,” said Dave Karraker, Vice President, Engagement & Advocacy at Campari America. Kiip CEO Brian Wong agrees: “We’re thrilled to power such an impactful corporate social responsibility campaign. By providing value to consumers at the moment it matters most, we reward safety in a tangible way.” www.barbizmag.com

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Liquid Assets

Open Up and Say

“Spaaaaa!” Bar pros offer the “skinny” on how to make calorie counting add up to better flexibility, strong profits and customers’ peace of mind. By Elyse Glickman

ven in an increasingly health-conscious society, customers want to have their craft cocktails and drink them, too! Just ask staff lead mixologist David Ortiz of Villa del Palmar Resort & Spa in Loreto, Baja, Mexico, which draws U.S. clientele with its spa services, wellness packages, inhouse herb garden, numerous sports activities and year-round sunshine. He notes that when developing his resort’s beverage program, he was heavily influenced by U.S. mixology consultant Junior Merino (“The Liquid Chef”), whose professional courses he attended to help him expand the scope of his cocktail menus.

Bar Business Magazine August 2015

Given Villa del Palmar’s location in one of the more isolated areas of Baja, Ortiz has become quite adept at satisfying the changing demands of his U.S. customer base by taking advantage of Mexico’s agricultural bounty while creatively compensating for his limited access to other ingredients. And while some guests will no doubt splurge on his real fruit piña and fresa (strawberry) coladas, he acknowledges the desert climate prompts a demand for drinks lighter in calories and intensity that do not compromise the integrity of their favorite spirits. www.barbizmag.com

Giving Creativity a Workout “Just as a good bartender would, the spa staff will ask the customer if they like their drinks sweet, sour or savory, citric or berry-influenced,” says Ortiz. “Beyond the spa, there is a similar outlook on our kitchen and our bar teams when it comes to crafting cocktails. For example, we have a popular Lemongrass Martini that features a housemade syrup made with sugar and lemongrass, along with fresh grapefruit juice, orange juice and lime juice, with a touch of tequila.” Villa del Palmar’s garden includes peppermint, basil, bell peppers, cilantro and other herbs, giving Ortiz a number of choices when creating recipes with Serrano chiles, watermelon, cantaloupe and strawberries sourced from the area. He notes that when the fruit is fresh, less sugar is needed. In his Watermelon Mojito, he uses fresh peppermint and watermelon and notes much of the sweetness comes from the rum. He also argues that a cocktail with a more subtle sweetness is more refreshing in hot climates. When a calorie conscious customer requests a Tequila Sunrise, he makes the drink according to the recipes but substitutes pomegranate or cranberry juice for the grenadine. Another tip Ortiz advises is putting strawberries, mango and other fruits in the freezer, and when blending the drinks, not adding ice. Pieces of fruit get sweeter in freezing time, which means blended drinks that are less diluted and need less added sugar. Although Hilton Head Health (www.hhhealth.com) has led the charge in spa cuisine trends since the 1980s, this leading weight-loss resort made waves and stirred controversy by implementing a cocktail program three years ago. Chef Karla Williams notes that spa clients expressed concern over the presence of alcohol. However, Williams feels the addition of wine and cocktails two nights a week at the spa, in a controlled setting with controlled sizes and calorie count, would benefit clients when they transition back from the spa world to their real lives. “The majority of people like to enjoy a cocktail here and there, and the success of weight loss and attaining good healthy habits partially hinges on how they look at cocktails within the bigger picture of their diets,” Williams says. “Bringing craft cocktails into a healthy lifestyle, and making the idea of drinking in moderation more approachable is important. Through offering these www.barbizmag.com

light cocktails, we are teaching people how to enjoy what they love in a more responsible way.” William’s strategies include using fresh fruit as well as sparkling water in recipes to dilute the effects of the liquor while still allowing for great flavor to come through. With her skinny margarita recipe, she eliminates a pre-made sweet-and-sour mix, and replaces it with fresh lime juice and agave nectar. That said, creativity should not always equate with “elaborate.” Jacques Bezuidenhout, partner at David Ortiz Forgery in San Francisco, says that rather than creating a kitschy menu packed with buzzwords, a cocktail’s name or inspiration should be inspired by the recipe and the dominant elements. “We looked at things from another perspective,” says Bezuidenhout. “If we were to use a juice or a sugar, it had to be high quality and it has to be fresh. Instead of putting in a berry that’s also a buzzword like açaí, we are going to look at the components that make up a good drink. The more complicated you make a recipe, the more sugar there is and the less healthy a cocktail may become. Stick with a very simple idea, such as citrus, lemon lime, grapefruit, cranberries or other fruits with a naturally acidic and then look at the sweet fruits and elements, and the one or two spirits at the core 3-4 ingredients. The idea is that the more you put into a recipe, the more sugar you are putting into one’s body. It’s about keeping things simple.”

To Make A Garden (of Ideas) Grow Tad Carducci, co-founder of the a New York-based beverage consulting company Tippling Bros., on the other hand, would do away with the “skinny cocktail” paradigm if he could, just focusing on the ingredients. “I am more a believer in just making a great fresh cocktail and removing some of the added sugar instead of adding artificial sweeteners, because some of these things are so heavily processed that it almost defeats the purpose of why somebody would want to order healthier,” says Carducci. “We add more flavor with fresh ingredients in season. The V9 (one better than a “V8”) at Mercado in Chicago is a margarita to which we add a super green juice we make with kale, cilantro, pineapple and ginger. We’re taking the idea of juicing and adding it into a cocktail.” August 2015 Bar Business Magazine

Liquid Assets For the JW Marriott Hotels, Tippling Bros. created a cocktail program called Cocktails With Purpose, designed around using very fresh ingredients that are selected expressly for their nutritious properties, whether they have antioxidants, high vitamin content or minerals. Carducci points out that even such common things found in most recipes like lemon juice is very healthy. “We are giving guests something that they never knew they wanted,” Carducci says. “By seeing the menus, they understand that they can continue to go out and enjoy cocktails, but order drinks as they order their food, with an eye out for the best ingredients out there to feel better about the experience. The market as it stands now, has a newer demographic of drinkers supporting natural, sustainable and locally sourced foods. That’s terrific for us to see because it opens up a whole new subcategory of innovative ways we can play with cocktails, educate ourselves as bar professionals on these great ingredients, and share that story and experience with our guests.” Matt Ragan, the general manager and barman of Victor Tangos in Los Angeles, observes that among his clientele, reconciling healthier ingredients in cocktails is getting easier as they become more mainstream.

“Green juices, kombucha, kale and spinach are such a big part of how we eat and drink in the modern age that our palates have adjusted to actually enjoy the spiciness of several greens and vegetal notes in our cocktails and food,” Ragan says. “The trick from there is to make sure the cocktail is balanced. If you use a spicy green like arugula, you need to have something refreshing like cucumber or pear to balance it. Kale juice in small amounts provides a healthy dose of nutrients. Then add a little lemon, cracked black pepper, honey, gin and thyme.” Ragan then adds that as seasons change, and customers actively seek flavors they associate with late summer, fall and winter, the presence of fresh fruit and herbs support the natural flavors of different spirits. “The vanilla and baking spices in the whiskey accent and showcase those flavors, and both make you think of fall, the a fire in the fireplace, Thanksgiving and the first snowfall of the year,” he says.” There is more to “healthier” cocktails that meet the eye, and in the second part of our look at spa-inspired cocktails next month, we examine how bartenders are refining their choice of ingredients and their approaches to achieving that delicate balance.

Skinny Cinnamon Appletini Chef Karla Williams, Hilton Head Health, Hilton Head, SC 1½ oz apple soaked Vodka* ½ tbs Calvados (apple brandy) ½ tsp brown sugar simple syrup** 1½ oz apple cider *Bartender’s Note: To make the apple soaked vodka, dice three large apples and soak in vodka overnight.) **Simple Syrup: ¼ c brown sugar ½ c water

1 each vanilla bean 1 each Cinnamon Stick To make the simple syrup: Combine brown sugar, water, vanilla bean, and cinnamon stick in a small sauce pot. Heat sauce pot at a medium temperature, slowly bring to a simmer, and cook until sugar dissolves for about 5-7 minutes. Allow syrup to cool, then strain. To assemble the cocktail: Combine vodka, calvados, simple syrup, and cider in a glass shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously! Strain and serve in a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a sliced apple skewered cinnamon stick.

Watermelon Mojito Lust for Life

David Ortiz, Villa del Palmar, Loreto, Baja California

Matt Ragan, Victor Tangos, Los Angeles, CA ½ oz lemon ¾ oz Gifard Pamplemousse Top with Brut Champagne

Bar Business Magazine August 2015

1½ oz light rum of choice 2 oz watermelon, cut into cubes 8 mint leaves Top with low calorie lemon-lime soda Muddle watermelon and mint together Add rum to fruits in the shaker and shake. Pour into a tall glass and top with soda. Garnish with mint leaves and a watermelon cube. www.barbizmag.com

H3 White Russian Chef Karla Williams, Hilton Head Health, Hilton Head, SC 1 oz vanilla vodka ½ oz Kahlua Coffee Liqueur ½ oz brewed coffee 1 oz skim milk Combine all ingredients in a glass shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously! Strain and serve over fresh ice in a high ball glass.

Garnish with a few coffee beans. Bartender’s Note: Adding two teaspoons of heavy cream will give texture and froth to this beverage for an additional 10 calories. A Black Russian is the same tasty beverage excluding the dairy. Serve on the rocks. Shaking is not necessary.

H3 Skinny Margarita

Melon Margarita

Chef Karla Williams, Hilton Head Health, Hilton Head, SC

David Ortiz, Villa del Palmar, Loreto, Baja California

1 oz tequila, silver 2 tbs lime juice, fresh ½ tsp salt (optional) ½ tbs agave nectar

1½ oz Tequila 1 oz orange juice 2 oz cantaloupe, cut into cubes 1 oz agave syrup

Combine tequila, lime juice and agave in a glass shaker filled with ice. Rim one quarter of a margarita glass with salt by using a fresh lime wedge and dip the glass in salt. Shake the skinny margarita mix vigorously! Strain and serve over fresh ice into your salted glass, serve with a wedge of lime.

Muddle cantaloupe. Add tequila, orange juice and agave to muddled fruit and shake. Pour into margarita or tumbler glass. Garnish with citrus and melon cubes.

Pomegranate Champagne Punch Paulette Lambert, R.D., CDE, Director of Nutrition at Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village. (makes 6 servings) 2 c champagne 1 c pomegranate juice 1 c seltzer ½ c citrus vodka Lemon twists for garnish Combine champagne, pomegranate juice, seltzer and vodka in a large bowl or pitcher. Serve over ice with a twist of lemon.

Ginger Cognac Toddy Jacques Bezuidenhout, Forgery, San Francisco 2 oz Cognac Fill with: 5 oz mixture of Darjeeling tea 2 tablespoon of honey, 3-5 slices of Fresh Ginger Few thin lemon slices

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August 2015 Bar Business Magazine

How To:

Plan Your On-Premise Promotio ns

Shift Your Thinking Planning and pulling-off successful on-premise promotions shouldn’t be a once-a-month happening, and it doesn’t need to eat up hours of your time. Easy access to organized daily, weekly, and annual moneymaking events is now at your fingertips. By Chris Ytuarte Unlike most other businesses, bars are typically open 365 days a year, and therein lies a distinct challenge for tavern owners, who face those 365 days and nights wondering exactly what will be the lure that brings patrons through the door. You might have a great beer selection, amazing cocktails, and delicious food. But 365 days a year, many other venues can say the same. Consider this: According to market research firm IBISWorld, the U.S. bar and nightclub industry today includes about 70,000 establishments (single-location companies and branches of multi-location companies), which is up from an estimated 45,000 venues reported in 2012. While that obviously means more competition from more locations, IBISWorld also points out that, despite this physical expansion, revenue growth in the bar industry has been slow to recover since the recession, “hampered by shaky consumer confidence and stubbornly high unemployment, meaning people have been more content to drink at home rather than at bars or nightclubs.”

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Proactive bar owners for decades have been battling that notion with the on-premise promotion — a happening, an event, a cause, a reason, an excuse for people to head out to the tavern beyond just the standard fare offered by every other venue. And with the industry growing, this type of undertaking has never been more important. “The most successful businesses are the bars that always have something new and fresh and hot going on seven nights a week,” says Mike Matsinger. “The bars that die are the ones that say, ‘We have the best chicken wings in town and 10 flat screen TVs,’ and that’s good enough. But over the years, we’ve seen that bar owners get bogged down and burned-out running promotions, and creating and managing new events is the last thing on their plate. They just don’t have the time and energy to do it.” All that time and energy, however, may not be required any longer in order to build great (and frequent) onpremise promotions. Matsinger, president of World Tavern Entertainment and the creator of bar room gaming events August 2015 Bar Business Magazine

How To: such as World Tavern Poker and World Tavern Trivia, is preparing to release their newest technology, BarShift, which effectively takes the massive effort and endless hours of planning and executing promotions and makes the process efficient, easy, and most importantly, profitable. “Owners and managers often work in fast-paced environments in which they tackle a variety of business challenges, from inventory management to customer service to employee training and retention," says Chris Poelma, President and GM of NCR, a global leader in consumer transaction technologies. “It’s clear they need complete technology solutions that simplify their business and help improve efficiency and drive revenue.” And now that technology is here. “Essentially, BarShift is a library of turnkey promotions that bar owners can very quickly select from in order to create and promote hundreds of events a year in their bar,” explains Matsinger. “Users can plan an entire year of events in less time than it takes to watch a football game.” In likening the experience to using Netflix, Matsinger describes how a simple, three-step process via the BarShift web portal can open up a virtual catalogue of concepts, supply ideas, and marketing materials for on-premise promotions ranging from the obvious (Friday happy hours), to the grand-scale (Mardi Gras parties), to the obscure (Arbor Day drinks, anyone?). But each is a reason bar owners can give their customers to come down and have a few, and BarShift’s methods take much of the work out of the bar owner’s hands. Step 1: SELECT. “Simply click on the events you would like to add to your schedule,” says Matsinger. “BarShift will recommend dates and times, but you can always choose your own. Each time you select an event, it is automatically added to your calendar. BarShift even makes recommendations for months you may not have much planned.” 16

Bar Business Magazine August 2015

“In a matter of minutes, Barshift can allow venue owners and managers to create weeks, months, and even a year’s worth of promotions.” Step 2: CREATE. “For each of your events you can add food and drink specials to your menu, add entertainment and more, and BarShift even gives you a ton of ideas for each event that you can use,” Matsinger explains. Step 3: PROMOTE. “This is where your event really comes to life,” he says. “BarShift provides powerful designs for every event. Simply choose the one you like, and your information will appear on professional posters, flyers, club cards and even Facebook posts.” In a matter of minutes, Barshift can allow venue owners and managers to create weeks, months, and even a year’s worth of promotions that can help drive profits, whether that means boosting them on big nights like St. Patrick’s Day, or creating revenue that was never there before, on random nights when people had no reason to be there (or so they thought). The efficiency and the efficacy of the process, while reinvigorating bar sales, will also reinvent the way promotions are managed on-premise. “Think about the way restaurants and bars operated before POS systems,” Matsinger points out. “They hand-wrote tickets and put them up on the slide and the cook or bartender

had to keep track of 70 tickets. POS changed that. It made it much easier for them to track sales and streamline service. We see BarShift as the POS for bar events and promotions. It keeps everything in one spot and easy to manage.” Matsinger was inspired to create BarShift several years back when he received a catalogue in the mail that was basically selling children’s parties in a box for his then five-year-old daughter. “You could choose from Sponge Bob Square Pants or Dora The Explorer and so on,” he says. “I thought to myself, ‘Wow, imagine a catalogue of events for bars and restaurants to choose from.’” Creating a user-friendly interface was paramount to BarShift’s purpose, as ease and efficiency in planning promotions is the core of the business. The next step would be organizing a vast selection of events and concepts that spread out over 12 months into three categories, often with overlapping promotions for various days or weeks that allow bar owners to choose and differentiate: Seasonal Events are more date- or season-specific, such as Halloween, Oktoberfest, or even an Arbor Day Party (“Hug a Beer, Save a Tree!”; Weekly Events are regular events like Two-for-Tuesday or Wild

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Wing Wednesday, as well as regularly scheduled entertainment like karaoke, trivia or live music; and Anytime Events are designed to fill in the holes during slow holiday months. For example: add a Customer Appreciation Night, Bar Olympics, or even a Work Sucks Happy Hour Party. With the organizational component improving the overall quantity of promotions, the value of BarShift truly shines through once a bar owner has selected which promotions they want to run. Now, the software helps efficiently manage the timing required to pull these events off, making the office wall full of Post-it® Notes and messy reminders a thing of the past. “While you are creating your events, BarShift is working behind the scenes streamlining your task lists to make sure your event comes to life,” says Matsinger. “Each task is based on lead time before the scheduled event. For example, if you selected a DJ for your entertainment, BarShift will remind

“We see BarShift as the POS for bar events and promotions. It keeps everything in one spot and easy to manage.” you 45 days beforehand to hire the DJ. Other task reminders with lead times include running social media promotions, printing marketing materials, having a staff meeting, or creating a back-of-house poster. Now you can throw that stack of sticky notes away because all of your ‘to-do’s’ are right there on BarShift. And what’s really cool is that you can assign these tasks to others on your staff, taking the burden off of you.” BarShift will officially launch on October 1, 2015, with its first collection of over 100 promotional events available to subscribing customers for less than $3 a day (that’s

less than you spend on spilled liquor!). By January 2016, Matsinger expects to offer additions to the product, including a corporate version designed to facilitate multi-unit or franchise bar owners who can use BarShift to create promotions for all of their locations, for specific regions of locations, or even for individual managers to create promotions for their venue only. “With BarShift, there’s no reason a bar owner can’t manage 365 events a year,” says Matsinger. “Understanding that five of those a week — 250 in total — are weekly events you’re probably not going to change a lot, you have another 115 nights that are opportunities for events. This gives the bar owner the ability to do that.” It's time to plan for more promotions in your bar, and there is new technology out there to help you do just that. For more information and to receive a one-month trial, visit BarShift at www.barshift.com or www.biggercrowds.com.

DO THE

MATH...

• ONE DRINK WITH 1 OUNCE OF LIQUOR = $7.50 SALE • 20% OVER POUR = ONE DRINK LOST FOR EVERY 5 DRINKS POURED • AT LEAST 6 DRINKS LOST PER LITER BOTTLE

$45.00 IN LOST SALES PER BOTTLE HOW MANY BOTTLES ARE USED DURING A BUSY WEEKEND? Consistency in pouring speed is the key to pouring by count. A large national restaurant chain, testing the original Spill-Stop 285-50 against imported copies, concluded that the imported copies vary in pouring speed by as much as 20%, from pourer to pourer, while Spill-Stop’s poured at a reliably consistent speed. Think about it…a bartender using an imported pourer, over pouring by 20%, nets fewer drinks and fewer dollars out of every bottle. Does saving a nickel on an imported pourer still make sense? THE SPILL-STOP 285-50 MADE IN THE U.S.A

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1-800-323-0722 info@spill-stop.com www.spillstoppourer.com

August 2015 Bar Business Magazine

How To:

Get Better With Blenders

Bring Forth the Blended Drinks With summer in full swing nationwide, the appeal of an ice-cold blender drink is at its maximum on-premise, and bar owners should be prepared to push the button and make it buzz for customers. By Doug Olenick

he high-speed whir of a blender doing its job should create images of dollar signs in the mind of any bar manager, as these now incredibly high-tech devices can potentially add a significant amount to any establishment’s bottom line. This add-on profit not only comes from the additional price that can be charged for a blended or frozen drink, but the fact that the blender itself can help make a bar or restaurant extra money. The days when a bartender would have to stand by the blender as it crushes ice and mixes ingredients for a minute or so are long gone. The latest wave of blenders act as a force multiplier, automatically taking care of

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properly blending the drink, allowing the bartender to move off and take care of another customer. “We want the blender to do the work, the operator does not have to babysit it,” said Doug Jentzsch, marketing director for Blendtec. Not only does the blender increase a bartender’s ability to generate more revenue, but frozen and blended drinks alone have the ability to tack on a few more dollars to a drink sale. “Frozen drinks tend to be a little costlier to make with all the different ingredients, but you are able to make it up a little on the menu price. Your guests don’t mind paying a little more for something with fresh ingredients,” said Rocco Mangel, co-owner of

Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar in West Palm Beach, Florida. The end result may be the most important aspect of a blended cocktail, but the machinery behind the delectable drink is almost as important. Comparing a commercial blender to the one found in the average kitchen would be like comparing a Formula One racecar to a 1997 Saturn: They will both get you from point A to point B, but that is about all they have in common. “The blenders you see out there today are a far cry from what they were years ago,” Mangel said. “Advances in tech have given the restaurants more choices than they can imagine. Blenders can be August 2015 Bar Business Magazine

How To: automated to do almost everything now, and the different sizes give you a better option for showcasing these.” Jentzsch put into perspective all the effort that goes into making a blender that not only turns out great drinks, but also is a time saver and moneymaker for the establishment. Blendtec’s top-of-the-line Stealth blender comes pre-programmed with 42 blend profiles. These allow the bartender to put in the ingredients, hit a button and then walk away while the blender does all the work, and it turns off when the drink has reached perfection. However, since not every drink can be programmed ahead of time, the company has made this blender smart. Blendtec has created an online portal called Blend Wizard where establishments can go, create a drink profile and then download it from a computer and onto the blender via a USB port. To take this technology to the next step, Jentzsch said the company is working on a Bluetooth version. The blender drink profiles would be kept on an app and the

noise enclosure,” Jentzsch noted. There is also another option if a bar owner wants to serve a frozen drink, and that is to have a machine constantly churning out ready-made cocktails. “At Bodega, we feature a Kelvin Slushy Machine; it works on a continuous churn with rapid freezing to ensure our mixes stay fresh and freeze almost instantaneously. We always have a margarita in place or

on fresh components, and for the bar trade, some unusual ingredients. “The last couple of years the trend has moved towards using fresh ingredients that you would have never seen in a cocktail before. Examples of this are cilantro, jalapeño, basil, cucumbers, exotic fresh fruit, and herbal infusions — even pistachio syrup, as an example,” Mangel said. Canales has been no less inventive and has incorporated the restaurant’s

Advances in tech have given the restaurants more choices than they can imagine. Blenders can be automated to do almost everything now, and the different sizes give you a better option for showcasing these. bartender can then access whichever recipe is needed for a specific drink. One of the biggest, or loudest, implications of using a blender in a bar or restaurant environment is noise. For establishments looking to create a refined atmosphere, a blender blasting away in the background can be a major distraction. So to negate that impact blender manufacturers have gone to great lengths to dampen noise. However, that racket can be turned into gold. “Some places want a noisy blender so people know that they serve blended drinks, while others require a 20

Bar Business Magazine August 2015

some sort of the classic variation,” said Bryan Canales, bar manager at Bodega Taqueria y Tequila’s in Miami Beach, Florida. Mangel concurred, saying that for his operation he prefers an automated device because it is easy to clean and simple to obtain parts. It also enables bar owners, as Canales pointed out, to always have a blended drink at the ready. While the standard frozen drink, such as a margarita or daiquiri, are still in demand, and as Canales said, they will always be served, there is a new trend in blended drinks that leans

theme into his creation. “Since we have a Mexican influence with the taqueria, the variation on margaritas is important; we have our house classic, Pico y Picante, that features a cilantro and jalapeño base combined with pressed cucumber, tequila, and mezcal,” he said. However, once a restaurant or a bar has established with its customers that it has blended drinks on the menu, the job is only half done. A menu filled with drinks can be intimidating to a guest, so the wait staff has to step in and close out the sale.

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RECIPES: The three Basic Frozen Food Groups PiĂ&#x2018;a Colada

Frozen Margarita

3 oz rum 3 tbsp coconut milk 3 tbsp crushed pineapples

1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice 2 oz simple syrup 2 oz tequila 1 oz Cointreau 3/4 cup ice

Put all ingredients into an electric blender with 2 cups of crushed ice. Blend at a high speed for a short length of time. Strain into a hurricane glass and garnish with a slice of pineapple.

Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri 2 oz light rum 1/2 oz triple sec 1 oz lime juice 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1 cup ice 1/2 cup sliced strawberries

Combine lime juice, simple syrup, tequila and Cointreau in a blender and top with ice. Blend on high until ice is broken up. Garnish with a lime wheel and serve immediately.

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend well at high speed. Pour into margarita glass and garnish with a sliced strawberry.

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August 2015 Bar Business Magazine

How To:

Boost Your Bottom Line Profits

I.O.U.? 5

Reasons Why Paybacks

Don’t Work Over the Long Term

aybacks are monies owed to the bar out of a bartender’s tips to pay for any liquor shortages detected at the end of shifts. This is a common practice in the nightclub industry, where there is a lot of cash going across the bar between bartender and customer – and temptation is everywhere. Bar operators protect themselves by subjecting their bartenders to a weigh-out. In a nutshell, this is done by separating all the liquor into categories according to the color of a heat seal placed on the spout or a sticker. For example, red bottles go with red, blue bottles go with blue, and white bottles go with white. Some other forms of this also include product categories called “well, premium, super premium, deluxe.” At the beginning of a bartender’s shift, all the red bottles are weighed, followed by blue, then white. At the end of the shift, the process is repeated. The difference between the beginning and the end number determines usage, and the bar collects all ounces at retail.

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By Kevin Tam

In this system, no matter what you ring into the POS, the amount of money you actually end up giving to the bar as a bartender is determined by your weigh-out. For example: If you ring $600 in sales on your POS, but your weigh-out determines you used $1,000 worth of product, you must remit an additional $400 cash. This is what is known as a payback. In a payback system, theoretically you don’t even need to use the POS for your cash sales. Whether you submit your cash as a sale on the POS or a shortage on your weigh-out, the bartender still gives the bar the same amount of money. Paybacks are supposed to protect the interests of owners, due to the fact that the losses are collected back in cash at the time they occur. However, what often happens as a result of this kind of system is rampant theft of the worst kind. I have worked in places that do weigh-outs every night, collect paybacks and still have awful problems with theft. I have also August 2015 Bar Business Magazine

How To: worked in places (with extremely high volume, I might add) that do weigh-outs once per week and have very little to no theft. So why is it that the bar that has more controls fails to control shrinkage compared to the bar that has fewer controls? The theory is sound, but the opportunities for theft that payback systems create is the cause of these problems, and here is why: 1 Payback systems encourage short pouring. Every bartender who has ever worked in a busy nightclub with a payback system knows that the scam is to short pour. In this system, you know that you will end up remitting what your weigh-out says, regardless of your POS ring. So how do you make money? You take a bit off every drink that you can to build up a “surplus” amount of ounces, and then you sell those ounces for cash. You as the bar owner might be happy about collecting what the weighout said your bartender poured, but what you didn’t see was all the people he ripped off by pouring less than an ounce per drink. This family of scams also includes bringing in liquor to sell under the table, and watering down bottles. 2 Payback systems create a negative culture. You might be happy that, despite one of your bartenders not ringing in 40% of their sales, you still collected for it at retail, so you

Bar Business Magazine August 2015

The opportunities for theft that payback systems create can cause many different problems. didn’t “lose any money.” But what kind of a culture are you creating in your business? Here you have a staff member that didn’t ring in 40% of your sales. In a great company culture, ringing in 40% of your usage is unacceptable, even if the bartender has the money to pay for it out of tips. Bartenders who can consistently pay for their shortages have that money available because they either intentionally (or unintentionally)

did not ring in a cash sale. That is the only way that money

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How To: can be there. When a bartender is doing their job right, they ring in everything at 100% and you don’t need to collect for any shortages because there are none. That’s the difference between a good and bad culture. When you accept paybacks as a regular routine for doing business, you are

essentially saying it’s okay to not ring in 100% of your sales to your staff. The bars I know who are at 100% every week tell their staff the expectation is that weekly audits come back at 100% every week. If they are short, people will be fired. That’s all there is to it, and that’s why they get 100%.

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Bar Business Magazine August 2015

3 Happy employees are productive employees, and collecting paybacks does not make your employees happy. I have many friends who are still running old-school payback systems, and unsurprisingly, they have tremendous staff turnover. You don’t want people working for you who are afraid, as they will not drive business and give your guests the experience they deserve. Any time you have a demoralized bar team, it usually has to do with money, and paybacks are always a griping point. I cannot even tell you how many times I have seen shouting matches between bartenders and managers over paybacks. It’s negative for business and bad for your employees. 4 The monies collected from paybacks are always collected in cash, creating another opportunity for theft. One of the worst scams in the nightclub business is when managers collect paybacks from bartenders, and then give owners less than the full amount (because the owner doesn’t have a clue what’s going on). The only way this scam is averted is if there is a weekly inventory audit going on in the background that measures if there is any liquor inventory not accounted for in the sales, which includes the monies from paybacks. Very seldom are owners directly involved in their own weighout procedures, and because of that, the managers performing the weighouts can be tempted to skim off paybacks to make an extra buck. It is best to not even allow this to become a temptation by not collecting paybacks at all and just getting your staff ringing in 100% of their sales all the time. 5 Bars that use paybacks seldom ring their drinks in properly, and open up all kinds of opportunities for theft. Bars that collect paybacks usually have a POS menu that is similar to the categories of products they sell. They are generic buttons like “hi-ball,” “premium,” “domestic,” or

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“import.” Because those buttons are vague and can draw from multiple products, it is impossible to tell which specific bottle is missing from inventory if one is stolen. Even if you produce an audit report that measures ounces used vs. units sold, your variances can only be applied to a category of products — for example: 48 domestic beer short. If domestic beer happens to include Coors Light, Coors Banquet, Bud, Bud Light, Miller Genuine Draft, Canadian and Pilsner, you will not know which brand you are missing. This opens the door to theft for cunning managers and staff who understand variance reports and how they are affected by generic sales buttons. In these situations, your staff know they can walk out the back door with inventory or consume it in areas where it hasn’t been counted in the weigh-out (like the stockroom). The most you will be able to do as an owner in this situation a costed inventory, because producing an accurate variance report that is itemized and detailed is almost impossible. I have seen bars that use variance reports to coach and mentor staff, and bars that use variance reports to collect paybacks, and the difference is huge.

Bars that use variance reports tend to find staff that want to do well and take pride in being honest. These bars tend to have more longterm staff who are more active in other areas of the business. Everyone is more relaxed at work in places like this. Bars that collect paybacks have the opposite.

Kevin Tam is an operations consultant for the hospitality industry with a specialization in liquor inventory control. He is also a published author, speaker and trainer. His book – Night Club Marketing Systems: How to Get Customers for Your Bar, is available on Amazon. Contact him at kevintam@sculpturehospitality.com.

Bars that use paybacks seldom ring their drinks in properly.

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August 2015 Bar Business Magazine

Chanel Turner, founder of FOU-DRE Vodka.

RISING SPIRITS

By Elyse Glickman

Independent African-American owned beverage companies bring color, pride and ingenuity to bars and restaurants across the U.S.

t may be hard to believe, but it has been almost eight years since Barack Obama’s “Yes, We Can” mindset carried him to the White House. While many regard his election as a shining moment in American history, the years since have been marked with events that shed light on how far we need to go as a country before true equality is achieved for all citizens.

Bar Business Magazine August 2015

On a quieter level, the beverage and hospitality industries are going through their own evolution into a more lively, diverse and innovative period. Like many industries in America, racial and gender bias are still a factor, but entrepreneurs like Chanel Turner, founder of FOU-DRE Vodka, are ultimately not taking “no” for an answer. www.barbizmag.com

Dee Tutt created her Savile Rum Tea spirit based on a homemade recipe.

Heritage Link Brands markets Seven Sisters wines from South Africa.

“I sat down with a big number of distributors where, when we were chatting on the phone, everything looked fine,” recalls Turner. “When we sat down to talk, in a matter of speaking, things kind of fell by the wayside. While one issue was that I was not as experienced in the beverage industry as they may have expected me to be, I am sure there were some cases that some doors closed because I was a woman of color. As some of the big boys did not want to play with me, I had to go after smaller, more forward-thinking distributors. This worked out better in the end, because they gave us the attention we needed to succeed.”

A “Chanel” Original It may seem like a stretch to career-switch from an IT job at the Pentagon to the founder of FOU-DRE (www.fou-dre.com), a gluten-free, soon-to-be Koshercertified vodka made from non-GMO corn. However, Chanel Turner has succeeded precisely because of her inquisitiveness, focus, and ability to adapt to new situations — all skills required to excel in both fields. “When most people consider drinking a vodka, the first thing that comes to mind is what they are going to mix it with,” observes Turner. “I wanted to create a vodka (in tandem with a reputable distillery) that would taste great on its own, neat or over ice, without all the additives put into it to make it taste good. And as far as the bottle goes, I did not want my packaging blending in with all the others, compelling me to do something very edgy with my bottle right out of the gate, so we went for a different color and shape.” Then there was the issue of branding. Turner knew she wanted a powerful symbol, and lightening came to mind. As she did not like the English word “lightening,” she looked into the word in different languages and www.barbizmag.com

Harlem Blue founder Julian Riley rests on kegs of beer he brewed.

came across the French word for lightening, foudre (pronounced like “food”). After playing around with voice recognition software, she found FOU-DRE the perfect fit. “In our first year on the market, we managed to attain sales in 32 off-premise retailers, and made our first international distribution deal in Singapore,” details Turner. “During our second year, we wanted to pinpoint on-premise accounts that fit who we are as a brand.” Turner remains selective with on-premise accounts. Rather than get a reputation as a ‘nightclub’ type of beverage, she’s going for corporate accounts in boutique hotels, hotel groups, and upscale restaurant groups. “The fact that the product speaks for itself has helped us reach our customers and get attention from media like Fox 5 and NBC because they heard about us through word-of-mouth,” she says. While Turner hopes her strategies will help FOUDRE reach a wide audience, she credits the support of the African-American community in markets where it is carried. “They have seen people like Sean Combs be the face of a brand (like Ciroc), but many of them have not seen an African-American own a company like this,” Turner assesses. “While African-Americans have done all kinds of great things in a variety of industries, it’s a new thing to see somebody like me be a presence in an industry where (the presence of) women and of African-Americans is almost microscopic. In taking on a venture like this, a strong support system is necessary. As far as advice goes, keep up that strong support system, never give up — and yes, a lot of people thought we would never make it to market. Just keep pushing and you’ll do it.” August 2015 Bar Business Magazine

We created harlem blue as a brand that appeals to anybody who considers themself a world explorer. It’s less a black-and-white thing and more of a ‘Let’s try something new’ thing. A “Harlem” Renaissance While Harlem enjoyed a golden era of art and culture in the early 20 th century, Julian Riley, Founder & President of Harlem Blue (www.harlemblue.com), started siring in a new golden age for the area in 2014. His beer line includes the inaugural 1658 Ale and will grow to include City Ale, Pale Ale, Nutty Brown Ale, Blue Breakfast Stout, Ginger Sent Me, and Black Lager. It will ultimately parallel the customer base of Harlem, which has become increasingly cosmopolitan. “When hearing the word ‘Harlem,’ many outside New York will think, ‘black,’ and that’s fine,” muses Riley. “However, Harlem Blue will appeal to all urban demographics, ages (over 21) and backgrounds. We created Harlem Blue as a brand that appeals to anybody who considers themself a world explorer, who actively seeks new social and cultural opportunities, who travels outside his or her neighborhoods to try new restaurants, museums and so on. Its less a black-or-white thing and more of a ‘Let’s try something new’ thing.” Although Riley has long been a craft beer fan, the project, launched in early 2011, evolved from his desire to create a craft consumer product that would generate a community conversation, drive the local economy and offer a distinctive Harlem voice. He also wanted to shed light on Harlem’s pre-Prohibition brewing history, and make Harlem as prominent a neighborhood for its food and drink as Brooklyn. “Craft beers are trendy, and that contributed to my way of thinking for this project,” Riley continues. “My challenge was to find the perfect unity between craft and community, and beer was the perfect fit.” Riley took some of his inspiration and entrepreneurial spirit from his family, who has owned a jazz club in Boston since 1946, as well as his bartending through five years of college. A grassroots, hands-on approach to on-premise marketing is fueling the company, which Riley explains is still at the start-up level, with limited capital and an excellent local distributor that can help advance the brand up to a certain point. “Since we’re only in New York City right now, it is easy for me to visit our accounts and use social media 30

Bar Business Magazine August 2015

and emails to get friends and neighbors to come in to an account, where I will order up several bottles of Harlem Blue,” says Riley. “I will talk to the waitstaff and give them the pitch for Harlem Blue and tell them the story behind it. We will also do table menus and posters, and get involved in synergistic New York City events where we may be able to start relationships that may lead to potential partners or consumers while they are getting the opportunity to taste the beer.”

Savile Getting Ready to Rum-ba Chicago-based Dee Tutt had a successful two-decade run as a hair stylist. However, she made her biggest style statement with a concoction she served to family and friends. With their encouragement to take the product public, her special creation would evolve into her Savile (“Sa-Vee-Lay”) Rum Tea spirit, which can be served straight, over ice or transformed into other cocktails (www.drinksavile.com). Three years ago, Tutt took her first step toward her entrepreneurial dream by sending her kitchen recipe out to a flavor house to recreate it in a commercial recipe. The next was her decision to launch Savile in California in December 2014, and from that point, get word-of-mouth going through exposure during the celebrity-fueled “Awards Show Season.” “We started with California because it fits in with the climate and the lifestyle, down to its ‘Take Me Away’ tag line,” Tutt says with pride of her self-financed enterprise. “I started (promoting Savile) with The Black Film Institute’s post-Oscar Party, which ended up being our coming-out party. The response was so strong we received more invitations to serve at other celebrity events. This is how we’re getting traction in the market, along with social media.” The process of turning a crowd-pleasing drink into a viable business venture has become a family affair, with her cousin serving as her business partner and college-aged children pitching in to keep the momentum going. At press time, Tutt and her “support system” were off to a strong start. Dave & Buster’s “test market” store in Arcadia, CA was serving Savile, with Tutt negotiating placements at other locations. They also staged tastings at Philippe Chow and Chakra in www.barbizmag.com

A FOU-DRE Vodka cocktail and Harlem Blue Beer

Beverly Hills, which prompted their customers to buy cocktails with the spirit. Once Savile penetrates the California market, Tutt estimates it will take about two years for Savile to be available from coast to coast. “Savile has a universal appeal, so we’re not targeting any one market segment; we have promoted ourselves at rap concerts, the MT V Movie Awards, and Hollywood premieres,” says Tutt. “However, we’ve observed Savile is particularly successful with women because it is a ready-to-drink product, and all you have to do is shake it and pour over ice.” Tutt has found that when introducing Savile to beverage directors and bartenders, their top priority is making sure that anything they add to their beverage program will draw different kinds of customers and expand their options (and their customers’) in terms of cocktail creativity. “While Savile can stand on its own, bartenders on-premise can use it as a liqueur or accent with other spirits and mixers,” Tutt says. “One of the most popular drinks made with it is called a Cyclone, mixed with tequila. There is another with peach vodka. However, the quality has to be there no matter how it is served.” Tutt cites that Savile’s black bottle is another strong selling point for both consumers and commercial clients. While the bottle is sleek, chic and made in Europe, it has functionality protecting the spirit from light that may affect its freshness and flavor. In keeping her spirits up during this process, Tutt has adhered to her favorite spiritual teaching: “You can do what you set your mind to do.” However, the mindset needs to be accompanied by careful planning and a strong commitment to see the product through. “Before you give up your job or anything else, make sure this project is something you really and truly want to do, because it is hard work,” she advises. “I always liked to entertain and have people over. It’s in my blood to create a drink that brings people together. Don’t do this to make a quick dollar, as that’s the wrong reason to do anything.” www.barbizmag.com

Seven Sisters: We Are Family Selena S. Cuffe, President & CEO of Heritage Link Brands (www.heritagelinkbrands.com), along with her co-founder husband Khary, has scripted something that would be an American success story by anybody’s estimation. The company occupies the distinct niche of being the largest U.S. marketer of black-produced wine from Africa and the African Diaspora. While their offpremise list has an impressive roster that runs the gamut from Walmart to Whole Foods, Cuffe points out that Heritage Link Brands has enjoyed considerable success with on-premise accounts. “We show gratitude towards every account,” Cuffe says. “There is so much competition out there and so little education on South Africa and many of its wines that we are grateful when we get Seven Sisters into a new account. They can count on frequent training of their staff, while existing accounts will get (support in) hosting happy hours, and for various things they do in their community, such as local food festivals, restaurant weeks and other promotions. We show it through our education efforts on our products, which is continuous and flows right through to the guest.” The real-life “Seven Sisters” are the Brutus sisters, who grew up a two-hour drive from Stellenbosch, a wine production region outside Cape Town. Each wine in the Seven Sisters portfolio is named after each biological sibling. And while the packaging has undergone a few redesigns, the current iteration reflects the way the “Sisters’” stories have been told, with the sisters dancing in celebration and the varietal “Sister’s” individual story printed on the bottle’s back label. “This resonates with customers in the on-premise space, on a label placing in a wine list menu, or during happy hour,” reflects Cuffe. “The fact we keep the sisters dancing in celebration connects people in a way that crosses all categories of consumer and accounts. This is really about changing the trajectory of a country and its people.” August 2015 Bar Business Magazine

Want to Open a Bar? Expert Tips for Clearing Legal Hurdles

he neighborhood bar may be a fun place for patrons to kick back and forget their cares for a while. But for the owner — even with a pint in hand — it can be a source of stress and numerous expenses. Myriad legal hurdles must be cleared to open and operate a bar, and failure to comply with laws and regulations can result in fines or even closure. Prospective bar owners have to work with three layers of government and regulation, says Paul Saputo Jr., a lawyer in Dallas who previously owned and sold a bar in Durham, North Carolina. You must deal with federal, state and local bureaucracies, each with its own rules, he says. “You have to be in compliance with all these varying layers of government intrusion, and alcohol is a very political issue,” Saputo says. Government, he

Bar Business Magazine August 2015

By Emily Starbuck Crone says, will come after businesses not in compliance, regardless of size. “A lot of people don’t understand how intricate the whole process is and how many things there are to consider.” The process is also time-consuming. Once Ryan Whaley and his wife, Nikki, decided to open a tavern in Sandusky, Ohio, it took a year-and-a-half before the Volstead Bar was ready for business. Most permits took one to three months to obtain — sometimes because the couple had to wait on the government, and sometimes because it took them that long to make required changes. If you’re planning to open a bar, follow these expert tips to ensure you’re operating on the right side of the law — and consider hiring a lawyer to help you navigate the rules. www.barbizmag.com

1. Know Your State’s Quirks

Courtesy of Volstead Bar

Every bar in the U.S. must apply to sell alcohol through the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, but each state has its own permits and requirements. Some dictate when you can be open and sell alcohol. For example, some states, such as Pennsylvania, have a limited number of liquor licenses granted by the government. If you’re opening a new bar without an existing license and the limit has been reached, you must buy one from someone else. This can cost $80,000 to $200,000, says Alva Mather, a lawyer focused on alcoholic beverage law at Griesing Law in Philadelphia. In Tennessee, on the other hand, any business that meets the right criteria can have a liquor license, says Tucker Herndon, an attorney specializing in alcoholic beverage law at Bone McAllester Norton in Nashville. However, the state doesn’t allow “bars” that sell alcohol only. To get a license, an establishment must be a “restaurant” with a menu that includes at least a few hot items, Herndon says. To make things murkier, individual cities also have their own rules.

protection, Herndon says. It’s especially smart for bars, he says, since “there’s more liability in the bar industry because you’re serving alcoholic beverages and have more exposure.” But simply forming an LLC isn’t enough, Herndon says. You must have governing documents in place. “Without an operating agreement or bylaws, you lose the ability to know in advance” what the fallout will be “if things aren’t perfect,” he says. This is especially important if one of the owners wants out. Governing documents outline how an owner can leave the business, helping to avoid a legal battle.

3. Work With the Community for Zoning

Saputo says local zoning laws and ordinances are often hard to understand and are tinged with politics. It’s imperative that the location you pick for your bar be properly zoned for whatever you plan to do, be it selling alcohol or hosting live music. Some municipalities will provide variances and give you a break if you can bring value to an area, especially if it’s in the process of revitalizing, Whaley says. But Mather notes that trying to open a bar without proper zoning or obtaining 2. Make Your an exception to zoning laws Business Official can anger the neighbors, Many entrepreneurs open who might not like the bars with family or friends Ryan and Nikki Whaley idea of people out late and want to keep it casual. and drinking around their But experts recommend you property. So tread carefully. take it as seriously as any Go to the city offices and say, ‘This Bring in a lawyer before you other business relationship. is what I want to do,’ and see what buy property to ensure you A common mistake is failing type of feedback you get. can carry out your desired to draw up a business plan activities in the space, and and operating agreement and be aware of noise ordinances to avoid trouble to ensure that all owners are on the same page, says from neighbors. John Caine, who owns Hidive, Café Mars and Julie’s If you fear pushback, communicating with city Supper Club in San Francisco. officials and getting their support helps, Whaley If you’re going in with partners, the owners’ says. “Go to the city offices and local municipalities, individual lawyers should work out the arrangement say ‘This is what I want to do,’ and see what type of together, recommends Benjamin Newby, a nightlife feedback you get,” he says. He suggests talking to consultant in Chicago who has helped open bars across your local economic development corporation. It’s the the country. corporation’s role to bring in business, so you may Herndon says it’s also smart for most bar owners to find an ally. form a limited liability company. If you don’t, you’re a Zoning and permitting regulations may determine sole proprietor by default, leaving your personal assets whether you can have live music at your bar, or even at risk if you’re sued or you default on a business debt. such things as dart boards, so be sure to find out what Although there’s a small set-up fee and you may can and can’t fly in your area. have to pay separate taxes, LLCs get substantial www.barbizmag.com

August 2015 Bar Business Magazine

Ryan and Nikki Whaley opened the Volstead Bar in Sandusky, Ohio.

toilet seats because the ones he had were for residential use instead of commercial. He had to have some Every bar needs a license to sell alcohol, and any plumbing re-done because inspectors said water from establishment selling food needs health inspections, the taps on his sinks had to be but you may not be aware of a certain temperature. all the other permits and People need to decide how they Whaley learned through the licenses you need. want to protect themselves from process of opening the Volstead You must pay for the rights legal problems down the line. Bar that government agencies to play recorded music and often don’t work together and show televised sports, for may give conflicting instrucexample. Failure to do so could tions. One move that helped result in fines and possibly him was to bring the state lawsuits. The prices are generliquor agency rep, the city ally based on the size and inspector and the food departcapacity of your establishment. ment inspector together in the Saputo learned that his empty space at the same time municipality required an to figure out exactly what amusement permit for having needed to be done. darts, pool or electronic games. Caine says some municipalities, such as San 5. Get Liability Insurance Francisco, require an enter“People need to be making tainment permit for playing decisions about how they want live music, including DJs. to protect themselves from Newby says some of these potential legal problems down permits depend on the size the line,” Mather says. of your bar. For example, a Be aware of premises liabilpopular rooftop bar in Miami ity. If you don’t have a safe Ryan Whaley took a hit when it learned after environment, you can be held opening that, because the liable if, for example, someone bar’s capacity was over 99 hurts himself falling down people, it needed a public your stairs, Mather says. performance license for DJs. Then there’s dram shop If someone issues a noise liability. This is a law in most complaint and it’s found you don’t have proper states that holds bar owners liable if they over-serve permits, expect fines and potential damage to your alcohol and a third party is harmed (say, hit by your brand as you wait for permits to come through. patron in a drunk-driving accident). Bar owners should There are also costs to comply with regulations you make sure they have appropriate insurance to protect may not expect. An inspector asked Whaley to replace themselves for both types of liability, Mather says. 34

Bar Business Magazine August 2015

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top: Courtesy of Volstead Bar

4. Be Prepared for a Multitude of Small Licenses, Permits and Costs

Jesse Fox/Cincybeat

6. Put Clear HR Policies in Place Employee relations issues often bite bar owners, employee breaks, but Caine says his staff didn’t want Newby says. Without proper training and policies to take them, so he didn’t require them to. This later in place, you’re in a bad position if an employee tries became an issue when an employee lawsuit was filed to sue for a hostile work against Caine and records environment or other issues, showed people weren’t Make sure there’s an employee he explains. clocking out. After paying handbook that everyone signs. Then Owners should have all a settlement, Caine hired you’ve done your due dilligence. staff “go through sensitivity an HR company and began training as part of overall operating more strictly to training,” Newby says. “Make avoid such issues. sure there’s an employee handbook that everyone Bonus tip signs. Then … you’ve done There’s one thing all experts your due diligence.” agree on: Don’t publicly These and other efforts announce an exact opening help you create a “paper date. It’s common to encounter trail” that protects you. setbacks related to zoning, For example, if you tell an permits or other legal chalemployee verbally that he lenges, so consider telling or she isn’t doing a good people what season you plan job, email the managers to open instead. and let them know. If there’s To get more information a second incident, have the and compare funding options employee sign something for your small business, visit indicating it was discussed NerdWallet.com’s best busiand file it away. “Then if they ness loans page. mess up again, you’re in a And for free, personalized position where you can safely answers to questions about and legally terminate,” financing your business, Newby says. visit the Small Business Benjamin Newby He also recommends having section of NerdWallet’s Ask a disciplinary procedure in an Advisor page. place that’s understood by staff. As a side note, he encourages background checks Emily Starbuck Crone is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal when hiring, especially for security staff. finance website. Email: emily.crone@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @ Caine recommends sticking to labor laws and emstarbuck. This article originally appeared on NerdWallet on June 3, policies even if your employees seem unconcerned. 2015. http://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/small-business/expert-tipsFor example, state law dictates a certain number of legal-hurdles-opening-bar/ www.barbizmag.com

August 2015 Bar Business Magazine

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Strong Island Imbibing

he narrow, lengthy arm of land protruding off the eastern edge of New York State, known as Long Island, is forever in the shadow of its much tinier twin archipelago, Manhattan, when it comes to nightlife and overall cultural importance. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an area known more for producing Jerry Seinfeld than most anything else. But the fact is, today, some of the most interesting brands of craft beer, wine, and spirits are being created on Long Island, so this is not a show about nothing.

Bar Business Magazine August 2015

FROM THE VINE For the past few decades, dozens of wineries have sprung up along the eastern end of Long Island, as wine was the first beverage alcohol business to truly find a home here. Recently, The Daily Meal named the 101 Best Wineries in America for 2015, listing two Long Island winners amongst the big boys of California. At number 93, Shinn Estate Vineyard and Farmhouse in Mattituck is a pioneer of biodynamic viticulture, utilizing solar and wind power to generate www.barbizmag.com

Shutterstock: Christopher J. Martin

The national image of Long Island too often focuses on glitzy Hamptons parties or bad accents, and while both do exist, this regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s booming beer, wine, and spirits scene deserves some serious respect. By Chris Ytuarte

Shinn Estate Vineyard and Farmhouse in Mattituck, New York, utilizes solar and wind power to generate its grape harvests. sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinot blanc, merlot, and the region’s signature grape, cabernet franc. And at number 76 on the list, Channing Daughters Winery in Bridgehampton describes its winemaking as “artisanal experimentation” that translates to a wide range of wines — white, red, rosé, and other standard varietals. “They only started growing grapes here in the early 1970s, and now the vineyards are much more mature than they were when the wineries started, so that’s going to be reflected in the wines that are produced,” explains Richard Stabile, Founder of Long Island Spirits (www.Lispirits.com). “But Long Island is one of the first agricultural communities in the country. 350 years ago potatoes were planted here. So whatever craft beverage is being made, it’s made from the local source. If you look at it from that perspective, we’re probably making some of the best spirits in the entire country out here on Long Island,”

GET IN THE SPIRIT Stabile opened Long Island Spirits in 2007, becoming the first distillery on the Island since the 1800s and Prohibition. Surrounded by over 5,000 acres of potato farms, the distillery is located on the North Fork of Long Island, in the heart of the wine region Stabile spoke of. The company’s first product line was LiV Vodka, and they now offer Deepwells Botanical Dry Gin, Roughrider Whisky (Bourbon, single malt, and two ryes), and a line of flavored sorbetta liqueurs. www.barbizmag.com

“I always had a product niche in mind when we started,” says Stabile. “I wanted to evolve, but rather than trying to do everything at once, I had a one-year plan and a threeyear plan and a five-year plan, and it was timed to gain acceptance for certain spirits before introducing others, and that timeline has been very helpful in keeping us relevant and in giving us our innovative appeal.” Stabile’s entrepreneurial notion and desire to highlight Long Island culminated in the Long Island Spirits distillery, a beautiful wooden barn-like building in the town of Baiting Hollow on eastern Long Island. (“I’m a big believer in craft anything; I always wanted to start a business where I was hand-making something, so that was part of the DNA of our place,” says Stabile.) And it was a matter of timing, as well, that allowed the company to flourish. “The advent of the microdistillery in the early 2000s Channing Daughters Winery helped quite a bit in the ability for smaller distilleries to start up,” explains Stabile. “We were the third or fourth distillery to open in New York State, as laws and regulations were changing. We wanted to be in a place that had access to a lot of the agricultural products on the east end of Long Island, and we wanted to be on one of the main roads where we could be complimentary to the agro-tourism destinations of the wineries and farms. There’s not too many places that offer all that, but Long Island does.” Key to its success is Long Island Spirits’ ability to utilize and promote local ingredients; vodka and liqueurs from August 2015 Bar Business Magazine

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Long Island potatoes, whisky from local rye (“Rye is a cover crop for potatoes, so there is a lot here on eastern Long Island.”), and a key saltwater source surrounding the distillery in all directions. “It’s very important to use local ingredients, but even more important is making something that is absolutely delicious,” says Stabile. “And we won’t compromise quality just to go local, but we do use local as much as possible. Fortunately, some of the finest grains and potatoes are grown right here on Long Island, so we don’t have to compromise very often.”

BREWING UP BUSINESS While wine has been big business on Long Island for decades, and spirits are surging with the craft wave, beer has been a quiet component of the beverage alcohol industry here for several years. Blue Point Brewing Company in Patchogue was one of the early Long Island craft breweries on the scene, having opened in 1998 (it was purchased by AB InBev in 2014). That local beer tradition continues today with Oyster Bay Brewing Company (www.oysterbaybrewing.com), which, since 2012, has been committed to producing unconventional ales and lagers that defy styles and categories. Co-owners and founders Gabe Haim and Ryan Schlotter developed a passion for beer while in college, and after graduating spent six years testing every tap handle they came across to cultivate their taste buds and learn the nuances of different brews. “Ryan and I both started home-brewing for fun as a hobby,” says Haim. “My wife’s cousin was the head brewer at The Broad Ripple Brewpub in Indianapolis, so we went out there and spent some time with him and he showed us the difference between home-brewing and commercial brewing.” In making that shift, consistency of product was the biggest issue for Haim and Schlotter. “When you’re homebrewing you’re not really writing down things you might have done different this time versus the last time, or whether you fermented at 69 degrees instead of 67,” explains Haim. “So consistency is probably the biggest challenge in trying to make the same product over and over again.” The Oyster Bay Brewing Company is currently located in a small corner location in the town of Oyster Bay, which allows Haim and Schlotter to house several fermentation tanks as well as a bar where customers can sample their beers, take home growlers, and socialize. As Long Island natives (Haim is from nextdoor Bayville, Schlotter from nearby Centerport), both men are proud to bring their establishment and product line to the neighborhood. “Oyster Bay has gone through difficult times,” says Haim. “There are a few businesses that are strongholds in town, but there’s a few that have gone in and out. So we’re seen as 38

Bar Business Magazine August 2015

Oyster Bay Brewing Company has created IPAs, ales and many seasonal beers that are served in pints and in growlers to go. an opportunity to be reborn as the town becomes reborn, and the residents have really embraced it and supported us.” The brewery changes its offerings seasonally and produces beers like an American Imperial IPA, an Amber Ale, a Wheat Ale (ideal for summer sipping), and a Pale Ale. But the truly “local moment” came this past winter when Oyster Bay Brewing Company’s Barn Rocker, which Haim described as a session ale, was named the official beer of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League as the team was closing out its historic tenure at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale on Long Island (the team will now play in Brooklyn, which, technically, is still on Long Island). At the conclusion of the season, the team sent over a signed Islanders jersey, which hangs proudly in the brewery. “I think the craft beer business on the Island has tons of room to grow,” says Haim. “There is a lot of good beer being made, but I think there is room for a lot of great beer to be made. And because the industry is so young on Long Island compared to, say, California, there’s an opportunity to have Long Island be known for some really great craft beer.” Compared to wine and spirits, producing beer on Long Island is slightly more challenging when it comes to sourcing ingredients locally. “We use some New York State barley, but we don’t use any New York State hops, though we will, beginning this Fall,” says Haim. “When we started brewing we were using pelletized hops and there weren’t a lot of readily accessible pelletized New York State hops. It was all done in whole leaf. And all of our recipes were calculated in pellets. So it was difficult to convert to whole leaf. But because the hop industry is growing as well, there www.barbizmag.com

are a lot more hop farms that are making pelletized hops, and they’re coming along. Those farms, just like the wine and just like the beer, are young industries here in New York, so the product is going to improve over the years.” Oyster Bay Brewing Company’s beers are very well received and the business is trending upward. Currently, their product is being served in 60 bars across both Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island, and Haim says they plan to expand into venues in the five boroughs of New York City this Fall. The pair would love to eventually start distilling spirits as well, such as a local rum, and the company is in the process of moving into a larger space in the coming months, just a few hundred feet from the present location — still in Oyster Bay, still on Long Island. “We always wanted to be in Oyster Bay,” says Haim. “This was the first place we picked, mainly because of the history and being on the water, and because it’s one of the most wellknown towns on Long Island, with ties to Billy Joel and Teddy Roosevelt. Those are two really powerful names that Oyster Bay is known for.” And now, it’s known for its beer.

Long Island Spirits has expanded its portfolio with whiskies, gin, and sorbetta liqueurs.

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August 2015 Bar Business Magazine

Inventory Sapporo Introduces Premium Light Packaging

Woodford Reserve Unveils Distillery Series

Sapporo, the #1 selling Asian beer in the U.S., announces today the release of Sapporo Premium Light in larger 20.3 oz. (600 ml.) bottles. The new bottles will join Sapporo’s existing product line and will be available nationwide released to consumers for summer enjoyment. Lower in calories than other Sapporo offerings, this light beer is smooth and elegant in style with flavors inherited from the brewer’s flagship brand, Sapporo Premium. The launch of Sapporo Premium Light 20.3 oz. bottles will allow consumers to relax longer with the flavors of Sapporo’s lightest variety and come in a sharable bottle size to enjoy with a friend. The Sapporo Premium Light 20.3 oz. bottle will be added to the current Sapporo collection, which includes Sapporo Premium (available in 22 oz. silver cans, 12 oz. bottles, 16 oz. bottles, 20.3 oz. bottles, 12 oz. cans), Sapporo Reserve (22 oz. can, 12 oz. bottles) and Sapporo Premium Light 12 oz. bottles. The average caloric intake of Sapporo Premium Light is 119 calories for a 12 oz. serving size. Find our more at www.sapporobeer.com.

Woodford Reserve announces the release of Distillery Series, its latest line of complex offerings, which will be available for purchase at the Woodford Reserve Distillery beginning in late July. This new series showcases the brand’s continued commitment to providing an unmatched whiskey experience and leading the spirits industry through innovation and craftsmanship. The Woodford Reserve Distillery will release up to three expressions of the Distillery Series concurrently at various times throughout the year. The inaugural two offerings, Double Double Oaked and Sweet Mash Redux, will be available for purchase at the Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles, KY, with a suggested retail price of $49.99 for a 375ml bottle. These small-batch offerings range from finished whiskies to straight bourbons and other unique spirits. Master Distiller Chris Morris has spent the last several years developing and perfecting the individual expressions within the Distillery Series which, in true Woodford Reserve form, offer consumers a first-hand look into the brand’s creative dexterity. For more information on Woodford Reserve, visit www.woodfordreserve.com.

Limited Edition Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Jack Daniel’s Rolls Out Barrel Strength

MGP’s Lawrenceburg, Ind., distillery has been producing some of the world’s finest whiskeys for nearly 170 years. Building on this strong history, MGP announces the introduction of Metze’s Select, a limited edition Indiana straight bourbon whiskey. Metze’s Select combines some of MGP’s favorite whiskeys to produce a wellbalanced bourbon featuring a Lawrenceburg-style high rye characteristic that merges spicy notes with creamy vanilla and caramel. MGP’s Master Distiller Greg Metze has crafted only 6,000 hand-numbered bottles of this unique expression, which is the result of marrying three distinct straight bourbon whiskeys. The brand consists of 38% 2006 bourbon (21% rye), 3% 2006 bourbon (36% rye), and 59% 2008 bourbon (21% rye), all made by MGP. Metze’s Select is bottled at 46.5% alcohol by volume and will be available in 750ml bottles at a suggested retail price of $74.99. It is expected to be available at retail beginning in September this year. Metze’s Select follows the 2014 release of Metze’s Medley Indiana straight bourbon whiskey, a very limited release which was introduced in conjunction with Lawrenceburg’s inaugural Whiskey City Festival. Visit mgpingredients.com.

Bar Business Magazine August 2015

The Jack Daniel Distillery announces the nationwide release of the brand’s first-ever barrel strength offering within the coveted Single Barrel Collection, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Proof. The newest member of the Jack Daniel’s Family of Brands will hit shelves in August and will be available across the U.S. Barrel Proof, ranging from 125 to 140 proof, is the Jack Daniel Distillery’s second offering in the Single Barrel Collection which includes Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select. Select is a 94-proof single barrel Tennessee Whiskey with a robust, full-bodied flavor complemented by Jack Daniel’s smooth charcoal-mellowed character. Together, Select and Barrel Proof combine to create the world’s finest collection of single barrel Tennessee Whiskey. The collection uses Jack Daniel’s unique charcoal-mellowing process – helping to provide the signature depth of aroma and complex flavor that Jack Daniel’s friends know and love. Barrel Proof is crafted using the same cave spring water from the Jack Daniel’s Hollow, proprietary yeast and charcoal-mellowing process. To find out more visit www.jackdaniels.com.

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Suntory Whiskey Finds Harmony

The Beer Bible is Scripture

Hibiki Japanese Harmony encapsulates the harmony that exists between Japanese nature and people. Inspired by the riches and subtleties of Japan’s 24 seasons of the traditional Japanese lunar calendar and mastered by Suntory’s Art of Blending, Hibiki Japanese Harmony is a meticulous blend of the finest select whiskies from the House of Suntory Whisky. It is a symphony of at least 10 malt and grain whiskies, aged in five different types of casks, from Suntory’s Yamazaki, Hakushu and Chita distilleries. This delicate blend creates a oneness unfolding a full orchestra of flavors and aromas. The Suntory Whisky blending team is led by third-generation Master Blender and greatgrandson of the founder, Shingo Torii, and fourth Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo. Hibiki Japanese Harmony is heralded as the foundation of the Hibiki range, leveraging the same key malt and grain whiskies from the original Hibiki blend, Hibiki 17 Years and Hibiki 21 Years. American White Oak malt whiskies create a solid base. The rare Mizunara (Japanese oak) and sherry cask malt whiskies are the dressing. The smoky malt whiskies enact as subtle accents to create depth and further complexity. Learn more about this new spirit by visiting www.whisky.suntory.com

Beer lovers of the world, rejoice! Introducing THE BEER BIBLE—the result of years of research spanning over 17,000 miles, six countries, and 52 breweries. From the publisher of The Wine Bible, this is the first truly comprehensive, style-by-style guide to the beers of the world. Complete with detailed photographs, maps, infographics, and lively writing, THE BEER BIBLE will fascinate and educate every reader, whether new to the subject or a longtime beer enthusiast. THE BEER BIBLE (Workman, August 2015) by Jeff Alworth spans the globe from Germany to America, Japan to Scotland, and is a celebration of culture as much as it is a celebration of beer itself. At just under 700 pages, chapters deliver: The four beer families—ales, lagers, wheat beers, and tart and wild ales—each with in-depth profiles of more than 100 styles, from IPA to lambic, porter to pilsner, sahti to saison; An engaging narrative format that tells the story of each beer: the influences of geography and history, the little-known lore and amusing anecdotes, the ingredients and flavors, and the brews to try; A helpful “if you like X, try Y” feature that directs you to new beer discoveries based on your preferences; Infographics to explain and illustrate essential beer knowledge: the brewing process, appropriate glassware for each beer, how to decipher a label, how to say “Cheers!” in various languages, and more. Find it now on Amazon.com.

Cowboy Bourbon Rides Again

Influence Your Spirits with OakBottle®

Garrison Brothers Distillery is thrilled to announce the re-release of their critically acclaimed Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon™, coming to select liquor stores and accounts nationwide at the end of the Summer of 2015. Initially released in 2013, and named in Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible as the Micro Whiskey of the Year scoring a remarkable 96 points, Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon™ sold out instantly. Now for 2015, Garrison Brothers is raising the bar -- not only in regard to the quality of Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon™ but also in the amount produced -- making 5,200 bottles available to consumers this year. Just like the little distillery’s flagship bourbon, Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon™ is made from organic Panhandle corn, soft red winter wheat grown at the distillery, two-row malted barley and ultra-pure Hill Country rainwater. It has been aged in North American White Oak barrels for four years, making it the oldest bourbon ever produced in Texas, and twice as old as the 2013 release of Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon™. Whereas the 2013 release was packaged in small 375ml bottles, the new release is bottled in 750ml bottles but priced about the same Visit garrisonbros.com.

Many winemakers and master distillers believe what makes a truly great wine or spirit great is more a matter of what occurs in the field than what happens inside the winery or distillery. Oak Bottle® is a simple volume to surface area equation; it's easy to understand how a vessel with more surface area touching less volume can infuse the wine or spirit quicker. OakBottle makes the oak infusion process simple, fast, and cost effective--so that just about anyone can become a wine master from the comfort of their own home. The winemaker or master distiller can only highlight flavors and aromas that already exist, not invent flavor. That is what the art of oaking is all about. For centuries, winemakers and distillers have used oak to bring out the best in wine and spirits. The biggest problem aside from the cost of oak barrels is the amount of time it takes for the oaking process to work. The traditional use of 59-gallon oak barrels for wine making was impractical and expensive. In the past only the best winemakers had access to cooperages that made the best oak barrels. For more visit www.oakbottle.com.

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August 2015 Bar Business Magazine

Holiday Happenings

September 2015

4 Sept 4: Bring Your Manners to Work Day. Notify all your bartenders and wait staff of this holiday and see who really honors it. I’m sure they wish your customers would honor it as well. Good luck with that.

Sept 7: Google Commemoration. Google was founded on this day. We think. We’ll have to Google it.

Sept 8: Virgin Mary Day. 3 oz tomato juice 1/2 oz lemon juice Dash of Worcestershire sauce Celery salt Ground pepper Tabasco sauce Celery stalk for garnish Hold the vodka.

Sept 18: Chiropractic Founders Day. It is the hard work of these professionals that keeps your staff from stiffening up after slinging drinks and your customers able to slump over the bar night after night. So offer chiropractors a freebie on this holiday. And stand up straight.

Sept 19: National Gymnastics Day. After several rounds of drinks, challenge your customers on this night to see who can do the best cartwheel or backflip in the bar. Oh, and – DON’T DO THIS.

Sept 5: Be Late for Something Day. Notify all your bartenders and wait staff that they will NOT be honoring this holiday today.

17 Sept 17: International Country Music Day. We read somewhere that country music stations are the most profitable radio formats in America. That’s very sad. So…play some country music today, I guess? Whatever.

Bar Business Magazine August 2015

Sept 22: Car Free Day. The ultimate thanks to those designated drivers is honoring this holiday and making everyone walk to and from the bar tonight.

11 Sept 11: Banana Day. Remember that time, in Godfather II, when Fredo asked Michael how to say “Banana daiquiri” in Spanish? And Michael replied, “Banana daiquiri.” What a great movie.

23 Sept 23: Restless Leg Awareness Day. This is a serious thing people. Try flying six hours to Vegas with this. It’s not fun. But booze helps.

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Index of Advertisers Company

web site address

page #

Agave Loco LLC (RumChata)

www.RumChata.com

AMI Entertainment Network LLC

www.amientertainment.com

Barzz.net

www.Barzz.net

Beverage Business Expo

www.BevBizExpo.com

Coast to Coast Insurance

www.ctocinsurance.com

Custom Earpiece

www.customearpiece.com

DSSP

www.dssptech.com

G&G Closed Circuit Events

www.GGBOXING.COM

HarborTouch CA

iHarbortouch.com

Heineken Brewlock

www.BREWLOCKSYSTEM.COM

Innova Products US LLC

www.strahlbeverageware.com

Plug In & Pour

www.pluginandpour.com

Spill-Stop

www.spillstoppourer.com

Touchtunes

www.TouchTunes.com

Inventory Companies

Beer Bible, The

www.Amazon.com

Garrison Brothers Bourbon

www.GarrisonBros.com

Hibiki Japanese Harmony

www.Whisky.Suntory.com

Jack Daniel’s

www.JackDaniels.com

Metze’s Select Bourbon

www.MGPingridients.com

Oak Bottle

www.OakBottle.com

Sapporo

www.SaporroBeer.com

Woodford Reserve

www.WoodfordReserve.com

To advertise in Bar Business Magazine contact Art Sutley Phone: 212-620-7247, Email: asutley@sbpub.com

www.barbizmag.com

August 2015 Bar Business Magazine

Owning Up

Solving Scheduling and Timesheet Challenges On-premise

omebase (www.joinhomebase.com), which provides free software that helps thousands of businesses eliminate the paperwork of managing their hourly employees, announced it is teaming up with Square (www.squareup.com), a leading provider of payment and commerce solutions, to help bar owners better mange their businesses. Homebase’s free software will now be available to Square bar owners in the Square App Marketplace, according to Homebase founder and CEO John Waldmann. Square customers utilizing Square’s Employee Management features will now have access to Homebase’s free scheduling, timesheet, and communication tools. “We built Homebase to eliminate the paperwork and headaches of scheduling and time-tracking faced by millions of local businesses,” says Waldmann. “It is 2015, and too many businesses and employees are stuck managing these critical activities on paper or Excel. We are excited to make Homebase available to Square users and provide an easy, modern, and free way to make running a business easier. ” According to Waldmann, this integration will allow businesses to track time seamlessly across Square and Homebase. Employees will have an easy way to clock-in and business owners will have an easy way to track hours, overtime, and tips, reducing errors and the time spent on payroll. Square merchants will also have access to Homebase’s free scheduling tools, where they can publish a schedule online and send it directly to their employees via text and e-mail. Employees can manage time-off requests and trade shifts directly from a free mobile app. 44

Bar Business Magazine August 2015

According to BatSheva Vaknin, co-owner of Aharon Coffee & Roasting Co based in Beverly Hills, California, the new integration has made managing her business much easier. “Like Square, Homebase is elegant, user-friendly, and intuitive,” says Vaknin. “My employees clock-in right on the iPad and Homebase helps me organize their availability and time-off requests quickly and efficiently. As a business owner, I love that Homebase can text me every time an employee is late or hitting overtime. Our employees tell us over and over what a great program Homebase is for them, too.” The Square and Homebase integration will also give business owners new visibility into their labor costs and staffing. By opening Homebase’s mobile app, business owners can see who is clocked-in and track labor costs in real-time. With the addition of Square sales to Homebase, owners are now able to more accurately staff their businesses and manage their labor budgets. “I can see exactly how much I will be spending on payroll, and understand how these payroll costs relate to our sales in Square,” explains Vaknin. “I have incredible control over managing my team, saving us money, time and headaches.” Square merchants can create a free Homebase account by visiting the Square App Marketplace, and current Homebase users can connect to their Square account by visiting the store settings in Homebase. Homebase has helped small businesses track over $100M in payroll since its founding in 2013, and is based in San Francisco. Any business can sign up for a free Homebase account at www.joinhomebase.com. www.barbizmag.com

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