February 2020
THE HOW-TO PUBLICATION
BAR BUS NESS MAGAZINE
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February 2020
THE HOW-TO PUBLICATION
BAR BUS NESS MAGAZINE
Plus
SEASONAL SPRING
COCKTAIL RECIPES
Distinct Design How memorable aesthetics create unique experiences.
VERMOUTH
THE “BITTER” TRUTH.
COST CONTROL
EXAMINING INVENTORY AND PORTION CONTROL. barbizmag.com
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CONTENTS HOW TOS
22
The Value of Inventory Control
25
Trending in POS
30
Discussing Drinkware
34
Tuning Up: The Power of Music
If you’re neglecting inventory or portion control, the costs can add up.
February
What to expect from point-of-sale systems in 2020. The benefits of unbreakable bevware. The right playlist can be music to your guests’ ears.
DEPARTMENTS
4
From the Editor
6
On Tap
14
A letter from our Editor Ashley Bray.y Industry news & announcements.
Behind The Bar
In-depth analysis of beer, wine & spirits.
20
Happenings
60
Inventory
64
Q+A
Important dates for the month. Featured product releases. Melissa Young, Founder, MY Studio ID
FEATURES
38
Seasonal Cocktails: In Bloom
44
The First Ingredient
48
Projecting an Experience
Spring ushers in fresh ingredients, lower ABVs, and international flavors. Are you giving ice the attention it deserves? The dynamic capabilities of today’s projectors, and how one venue is using the technology. COVER PHOTO: HALEY HILL PHOTOGRAPHY, THE COYOTE BAR & GRILL IN CARLSBAD, CA CONTENTS PHOTO: JENNA MURRAY/IGC HOSPITALITY
barbizmag.com
February 2020 Bar Business Magazine
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THE HOW-TO PUBLICATION
BAR BUS NESS MAGAZINE
FEBRUARY 2020
VOL. 13
NO. 2
Bar Business Magazine (ISSN 1944-7531) is published by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 88 Pine St 23rd Fl., New York, NY 10005
SUBSCRIPTION DEPARTMENT 800-895-4389
EXECUTIVE OFFICES President Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr. Publisher Art Sutley 212-620-7247 asutley@sbpub.com
EDITORIAL
Editor Ashley Bray 212-620-7220 abray@sbpub.com Contributing Writers Emily Eckart, Elyse Glickman, Maura Keller, Christopher Osburn
ART
Art Director Nicole D’Antona Graphic Designer Hillary Coleman
PRODUCTION
Corporate Production Director Mary Conyers mconyers@sbpub.com
CIRCULATION
Circulation Director Maureen Cooney mcooney@sbpub.com
ADVERTISING SALES Art Sutley 212-620-7247 asutley@sbpub.com
Bar Business Magazine (Print ISSN 1944-7531, Digital ISSN 2161-5071) (USPS#000-342) is published February, April, June, August, October, and December. January, March, May, July, September, and November will only be offered in a digital format at no charge by Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, 88 Pine St. 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10005. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and Additional mailing offices. Pricing, Qualified U.S. Bar Owners may request a free subscription. Non-qualified 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 & 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 ea. Subscriptions must be paid for in U.S. funds only. COPYRIGHT © SimmonsBoardman Publishing Corporation 2020. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without permission. For reprint information contact: Art Sutley, Phone (212) 620-7247, or asutley@sbpub.com. For Subscriptions, & address changes, Please call (US Only) 1-800-553-8878 (CANADA/INTL) 1-319-364-6167, Fax 1-319-364-4278, e-mail barbusiness@stamats.com or write to: Bar Business Magazine, Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, PO Box 1407, Cedar Rapids, IA. 52406-1407. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Bar Business Magazine, PO Box 1407, Cedar Rapids, IA. 52406-1407. Instructional information in this magazine should only be performed by skilled craftspeople with the proper equipment. The publisher and authors of information provided herein advise all readers 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.
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FROM THE EDITOR
FROM THE EDITOR
Consumers unquestionably desire experiences, and more and more businesses are responding by explicitly designing and promoting them.
- B. Joseph Pine II & James Gilmore, “Welcome to the Experience Economy,” Harvard Business Review, July 1, 1998
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n unintentional theme emerged as I was putting this February issue together, and it’s the importance of experiences. The majority of our stories this month revolve around this concept, which isn’t surprising given the path our industry has been on. And it shouldn’t be surprising to you as our reader, if you’ve been paying attention to the demands of your customers (not to mention the articles in these pages over the last year or so!). Consumers, especially millennials, now crave experiences above all else. The experience has become a sort of currency to be shared and bragged about on social media. Aside from quality food and cocktails, your bar needs to be serving up a feeling, an event, or an atmosphere that the consumer simply can’t get at home— or anywhere else. Welcome to the “experience economy.” This term appears in our article “Projecting an Experience” on page 48, which covers the creation of immersive experiences through the power of projection mapping. Although the concept had been previously analyzed and researched, the term “experience economy” first appeared in a 1998 article by B. Joseph Pine II and James Gilmore, who argued that this economy was to follow the ones that had come before: the agrarian economy, industrial economy, and most recent service economy. You could argue that we’re well into the experience economy now, and that it has replaced the service economy, which was
characterized by the importance of service in a product offering—something the hospitality industry is quite familiar with. In this new economy, the product has become the memory of the experience itself. So what does this all mean for your bar? You need to be focused on creating and promoting unique experiences for your customers. These experiences can take many forms. For example, a cocktail garnished with over-the-top ingredients just begging to be added to Instagram and Facebook. Unique and branded bevware plays a role here (page 30) and even the ice you serve in your cocktails (page 44). How about music? In our Tuning Up column on page 34, Broderick Norkus, sales manager at AMI Entertainment Network, says, “music is your primary source of providing the right experience that keeps patrons in venue longer.” Maybe your aesthetic is what creates the memory for your patrons. Banko Cantina gives a masters class on using projection mapping to transform a space on page 48. The bottom line is everything in your bar—from glassware to furniture to music to design—goes into building a memorable experience for your customers. Make sure it’s one they can’t get anywhere else.
ASHLEY BRAY, Editor
barbizmag.com
FROM ON TAP THE EDITOR
ON TAP Wine & Spirits Trends to Expect in 2020
The Rise of Low-Alcohol Beverages With the drinks market expanding into new ranges of traditional categories, and the younger generation’s focus on wellbeing, the market is likely to remain driven by healthier choices. Inventive low- and no-alcohol drinks, which also pair with food in a social environment, are expected to be on the rise. “Products that are low in alcohol content, but high in flavor, continue to grow in popularity among millennials,” said Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits’ SVP National Accounts, On-Premise Bill Edwards. “This behavior is tied to the health and wellness trend that’s more important than ever to consumers.” The Packaging Revolution The interest in canned wine and readyto-drink (RTD) beverages is also 6
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expected to increase. (Editor’s Note: See our Behind the Bar column on RTD’s in the January issue.) Consumers are interested in drinks that have a lower carbon-footprint impact, and since cans are easier to recycle and reuse than glass bottles, it’s likely they will continue to be embraced as a great container for a number of drinks. Cans, of all types, have historically just been viewed as containers for beer. No doubt that more cocktails and RTDs will be packaged in them to increase portability and also allow bars to offer a wider choice of drinks that don’t require extensive prep time. In addition, RTDs will drive the continued increase of brands that have begun to experiment with the AR and AI sectors. Scannable bottles that tell stories and provide background on wineries and spirits producers are anticipated to rise in popularity as consumers look to know more about brands to share with their friends. These AI and AR applications also tend
to be extremely social media friendly, appealing to millennials and beyond. A Mixing of Flavors Another trend may well be the linking of different spirits’ essences, as consumers want to have more flavor experiences while drinking less. Some think the future will be home to multiple-flavor products that mix spirits across categories. Recently, the debut of a Vodquila and Rumquila have generated a fair amount of interest. Other products are mixing Cognac and wine and vodka and bubbles. “These types of hybrids are expected to push the current boundaries of beverage tiers and encourage greater exploration among consumers,” said Edwards. Going with the mixed-alcohol trend, consumers and bartenders alike are also leveraging hard seltzers as mixers. Coming in around 100 calories and as portable as can be, hard seltzers continue to be ultra-popular cocktail companions. southernglazers.com barbizmag.com
Photo: Shutterstock/ Syda Productions.
This year is certain to spark innovation for beverage alcohol and how it reaches consumers. Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits shares their forecasts on wine and spirits trends in 2020.
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Conversational Marketing is the Future
W
hat do Domino’s and Sephora have in common? They both use conversational marketing as a proactive way to enhance engagement with customers. Conversational marketing is a revolutionary technique that uses an automated messaging tool called a chatbot to directly connect buyers to brands they love. This instant conversation gives customers a more personalized experience while providing businesses with valuable information about their customers. The old ways of marketing are dying in the new digital age. Old marketing techniques are not effective or costefficient. Billboards are ignored. Phone calls are rarely made, and if so, are quickly hung up. Modern customers are demanding modern communication that is more engaging, instant, and available 24/7. Digital and conversational marketing is the only way to success in our globalized world where 4.2 billion people are online. Marketing through digital channels makes sense when Americans are spending a large part of their day online. However, digital marketing involves more than utilizing social media and leveraging search engines, emails, and websites. It goes 8
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beyond compelling photography and interactive content. POLA Marketing knows this and is turning it into a conversation. What is conversational marketing? To illustrate, when a potential customer visits the business’ website, a chatbot immediately pops up advertising an alluring promotion that invites the person to chat either with Facebook Messenger or another messaging service. Once connected, the chatbot asks pointed questions in a fun, quiz-like way in order to understand the customers’ habits, likes, dislikes, and needs. Customers are much more likely to respond to this type of communication compared to phone calls or emails because if they enable push notifications, it makes the interaction comparable to texting. Through the newly built relationship with the customer, the company can then use the acquired data to recommend products, services, or deals that are specific to that particular customer. For instance, if a customer is interested in a new restaurant and goes through the chatbot experience, they will be the first to know about new dishes, drink specials, and other news and promotions that are
tailored to that customers’ preferences, making them more likely to frequent that restaurant. POLA Marketing is at the forefront of conversational marketing, and as a trusted Facebook Marketing Partner, they specialize in helping food and beverage (F&B) businesses grow through the power of social media. POLA Marketing uses this technique to grab people’s attention, listen to their expectations, and recommend purchases or purchasing actions based on that data. This successful strategy has been praised by clients who, after partnering with POLA Marketing, have increased brand awareness, achieved greater customer satisfaction, and ensured more sales. One client in particular noted, “Our restaurant had a hard time staying booked on Friday nights. After working with POLA Marketing, we are up 28%.” Additionally, while other marketing agencies are over-reliant on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, POLA Marketing understands that these popular social media outlets are at-risk of being suddenly replaced by the next trend tomorrow. POLA Marketing thus uses easily transferrable practices that allow the stored data to be moved to whatever platform emerges in this age of constantly changing technology. Another advantage of conversational marketing is that many chatbot services can automatically analyze the incoming data so that companies can better understand their customer base, which can help the company make the changes that the public as a whole is asking for. A current challenge that the F&B industry is facing is that marketing agencies using similar methods retain this data and do not allow businesses to use it after the partnership contract has expired. POLA Marketing refuses to endorse such practices and instead ensures that companies preserve the rights to the gathered data after the partnership has concluded. In addition to conversational marketing, POLA Marketing uses other innovative approaches to aid their clients. For example, in a world of big barbizmag.com
Photo: Shutterstock/ Anatoliy Cherkas
FROM ON TAP THE EDITOR
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FROM ON TAP THE EDITOR
Through multiple social media platforms, chatbots, and text message opt-in marketing techniques, POLA Marketing helps clients better understand and track their target demographics. This data is used to successfully expand their digital reach and multiply their audience.
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chain restaurants, POLA Marketing focuses on helping local businesses escalate their digital marketing presence to communicate their brand narrative in a way that is both visually captivating and consumer-focused. For example, POLA Marketing assisted one client who could not get their delicious product on the market as retailers consistently refused to buy the item. POLA Marketing developed a story around the brand using enchanting graphics and persuasive language that allowed the client to finally sell their product. Nevertheless, branding is just one chapter of a company’s story. Once the brand is established and progress is stable, advancing to the next level seems more difficult. This was true for one particular client, Submarine House, who after first opening in 1973, had successfully rebranded themselves as a sports bar in 2006 and was in the process of opening their seventh location. After a consistent 7-10% samestore growth year after year, Submarine House knew their full potential had yet to be unlocked. Their goal was to enlarge their customer base and have two to four franchises within the next year. To achieve this, Submarine House would regularly update POLA Marketing on current and upcoming promotions and ad campaigns for POLA Marketing to incorporate into their digital marketing approach. Using multiple social media platforms, chatbots, and text message opt-in marketing techniques, POLA Marketing helped Submarine House better understand and track their target demographics. This data was used to successfully expand the businesses’ digital reach and multiply their audience in an incredibly short time-frame. According to a client testimonial from Submarine House, “the response has been outstanding, especially for the size of our business.� As the partnership continues, POLA Marketing is positive that their method will assist this franchise and other similar businesses to meet their objectives. The future is here and businesses that do not jump onto the fast-moving ship will drown. Millennials are transitioning into their peak earning and spending years, and if companies are not able to tap into their purchasing power, they will take their money where they feel more understood and taken care of instead. POLA Marketing is the answer you have been waiting for, and their skilled team assesses the needs of each particular client in order to determine which unique strategy is right for them. Whether they need assistance in developing a website, designing content for their digital platforms, creating social media campaign ads directed towards their target audience, or search engine optimization, POLA Marketing has solutions to every problem. POLA Marketing guarantees cutting-edge services that will provide creative, strategic, and holistic solutions to a variety of challenges specific to restaurants and bars. If you need help to rapidly transform your business, visit the website polamarketing.com or email your F&B account specialist austin@polamarketing.com. Your business is people-centered; it is time your marketing strategy is as well. barbizmag.com
Photo: POLA Marketing.
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The Spirits Network Combines Content and Commerce
S
pirits Network is an over-the-top media service that includes digital TV, mobile, and online shoppable entertainment. Born out of CEO Nick Buzzell and his partners’ next generation media company, NBTV Studios, Spirits Network has a mission to “discover, buy, taste” on every device. Spirits Network combines expert product curation with original content so that members get the story behind the bottle and the people who create it. Average programming runs eight to 18 minutes and features many notable industry figures. “We have a huge slate of programming that ranges from high-quality documentaries all the way through to drink recipes to a series called Spirits for Beginners where in two-four minutes we can actually teach you a little bit about a product in every category,” says Buzzell. While watching, viewers have the option to buy products through “Quick Buy” links within the content or to subscribe to a monthly spirits box. Spirits Network offers three membership tiers: Explorer ($9.99/month), Enthusiast ($99/month), and Connoisseur ($149/month). Each tier includes viewable content and the ability to have spirits delivered directly. Enthusiast and Connoisseur tiers include a monthly curated bottle and a box of specialty items like glassware, tools, etc. In the on-premise space, Buzzell encourages bars to show the programming on their TVs. Spirits Network also partners with bartenders. “We look at this as a really great place for bartenders and beverage directors to come in and immerse themselves in the space, learn about the products, where they’re made, how they’re made, and what’s exciting about it,” says Buzzell. Spirits Network also brings on bartenders as ambassadors. “We show them how to get people to the platform to check out the network, provide them with their own membership at no charge, give them talking points, etc. We also get out into the field to support their bars,” says Buzzell, who says ambassadors are given specific codes that correlate with them at checkout. “We have a commission structure that compensates them generously for anyone that they sign up.” Bartenders are also featured in the programming. “We want to provide them a place to tell their story and show the consumers what’s available to them in their cities,” says Buzzell. “We want to work with the bar and bartending community to create something that has never been done before.” spiritsnetwork.com; inquiries@spiritsnetwork.com
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BEHIND THE BAR: VERMOUTH
The “bitter” truth about vermouth. BY ELYSE GLICKMAN
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F
or most of cocktail history, vermouth has been regarded as a supporting player among the larger cast of ingredients. However, it has continually won respect among bartenders for providing the perfect plot twist within the cocktail’s overall story. Some may even argue that the right dose of it in a recipe is just what the proverbial doctor ordered. This is fitting, as vermouth—an aromatic fortified wine distinguished with whatever botanicals the creator chooses—was intended for medicinal purposes when it was developed in the mid-18th century. It’s also international by nature, as its
name is derived from the old German word wurmut (“wormwood”). It originated in Turin, Italy, and later, traveled around the globe gathering star power in martinis, Manhattans, Rob Roys and, of course, the negroni. According to Ori Geshury, co-founder and vice president of Aqua Vitae Institute, vermouth is actually a cocktail when you consider what goes into it— wine with botanicals and additional natural sweetness creating a balance of sweet, strong, and bitter or sour flavors. He likes to equate vermouth with a donut and a cocktail with a cronut to make bartenders better understand how vermouth works on its own and with barbizmag.com
Photo: Alexa Bendeck.
VERMOUTH
BEHIND THE BAR: VERMOUTH other components. ”Depth of flavor provides richness in a cocktail, and contrasting sweet, bitter, and strong elements provides depth,” he says. ”Because vermouth has a perfect contra postal balance, it layers exceptionally well in cocktails.” Ross Kupitz, beverage director for programs in Minnesota (Café & Bar Lurcat in Minneapolis; Campiello in Eden Prairie) and Florida (Naples’ The Continental and Campiello) speaks to the versatility of vermouth. “Vermouths are a fun category, and I would also include within it aromatized and fortified wines,” says Kupitz. “When we are creating our original cocktails and using vermouth, we look at them as the salt and pepper in the same way a chef would in the kitchen with his spice rack. While we work with a lot of Italian and French expressions, we are enjoying using a Spanish vermouth, Bruno Marino, that is new on the U.S. market.” When Pete Gugni, Senior Portfolio Manager for Branca USA, was in Italy, he observed some bartenders taking vermouth usage to new places. At one venue, he noticed the bartenders were deliberately oxidizing vermouths in mason jars with cheesecloth over them to achieve a desired flavor profile. “The vermouth trend is happening on its own. As more and more consumers ask for vermouth-based, low-ABV cocktails, it will force bartenders to work with them. The more you play around with something, the more of a tool it will be in your repertoire.” Solving Vermouth’s Mystery Through History There are many varieties of vermouth. Hassan Sawly, beverage manager for Moona Restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts, says that Antonio Benedetto Carpano, the father of modern vermouth, introduced Italian sweet vermouth, or red vermouth, in 1786. When the French adapted the vermouth recipe, they made it their own by creating a dry variation made with regional botanicals and a decreased amount of sweetness. The Italians next copied the French white vermouth with their bianco vermouth, which is sweeter but spicy with more barbizmag.com
herbs like thyme. Spanish vermouth started in the late 19th century and tends to have less Alpine and more Mediterranean characteristics. Sawly embraces the influx of new vermouth expressions as they are. “It makes life more interesting when you can add ‘New World’ vermouths and new expressions from old companies to the traditional ‘dry’ and ‘sweet’ French and Italian varieties,” says Moona. “[Some of the newer] rosé vermouth products have sweet and fruit-forward notes that bring a fresh twist to an amaro cocktail.” According to Benjamin Harris, lead bartender for Seattle’s Pennyroyal and Shaker + Spear, there was a time in the late 19th century when vermouth was king of the cocktail. “However, the modern vodka martini, shaken-dirtyextra dry, would not be recognizable to a bartender of that era. When the ‘martini’ was first conceived, it was two parts vermouth to one part gin—what some bartenders today would call an ‘upside down’ martini. Factor in that every vermouth producer has at least one different recipe, combining a certain mix of herbs, roots, and spices. This alone proves that vermouth as a category is more than just a bottle across the room to gaze at while you are making a martini.” Modern and “OG” vermouths are still pouring (albeit delicately) from the Turin-based houses of Carpano, Cinzano, and Martini & Rossi. Noilly Prat, Lillet, and Dolin in France are also thriving. The craft spirits explosion of the past decade has begat new small batch varieties from the U.S. and Great Britain formulated to stand on their own. Harris is a fan of Imbue out of the Willamette Valley in Oregon, particularly its Petal & Thorn, which he describes as a bit of an outlier in the vermouth world with its aggressive amount of mellow flavors as well as chamomile and citrus flavors. According to Geshury, because vermouth doesn’t have a long production time, new vermouth companies are popping up all the time. “There’s a lot going on, from Bianca Miraglia’s one-woman crusade to show off the seasonal flavors of the Hudson
Airtini
2 oz Hendrick’s Gin 1 oz Dry vermouth (Dolin) 2 dashes Orange bitters Combine ingredients in a shaker, and throw it, flair style. Garnish with a lemon peel.
Ori Geshury, Aqua Vitae Institute, Philadelphia
Rose Tint My World 2 oz Imbue Petal & Thorn Vermouth ½ oz St George Bruto Americano ¼ oz Lemon juice ¼ oz Simple syrup 3 dash House bitters (cardamom, black pepper, coriander, cascade hops) 1-2 oz Rambling Route Apple Cider Combine vermouth, Americano liqueur, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a shaker. Add three dashes of house-made bitters made with the spices above. Top with Rambling Route Apple Cider.
Hassan Sawly, Moona Restaurant, Los Angeles
Oso de Oro Spritz
1 oz Oso de Oro Vermouth ½ oz Catratto Bitters 2 oz Sparkling wine 1 oz Soda Orange slice
Stir wine and vermouth in a mixing glass. Pour into a wine glass. Top with sparkling soda and add bitters. Garnish with an orange twist.
Will Henry, Pico at the Los Alamos General Store, California
February 2020
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BEHIND THE BAR: VERMOUTH Valley in her Uncouth Vermouth, to the traditional Carpano Antica, Dolin, and Lo-Fi aperitifs, which brings a laid back California style and terroir to the category,” says Geshury. “Because each brand can choose their grapes, how much they fortify, their botanicals, and levels of sweetness, there is a tremendous amount of variety in this category, rivaling that of its cousin, amaro, or Italian bittersweet liqueurs.” Lynnette Marrero, bar director at Llama San in NYC and Llama Inn in Brooklyn and co-founder of Speed Rack, says the most exciting trends with vermouth include the “fresh and innovative” Lo-Fi vermouths from California, and Vermut from Lustau, which works in a recipe like a sweeter sherry. Jessica Korson, bartender at the Hubbard Inn in Chicago, stresses that the most important thing for bartenders to know about vermouth in the present day—from the established European producers and from independents practically everywhere else—is that the quality is very high, and there is more vermouth to choose from than ever. This, in turn, expands every bartender’s options. “Wine and spirit makers are now using the best grapes, spices, herbs, and spirits to insure that their product is relevant in today’s cocktail culture,” she says. “In the United States, there are many ‘new world’ vermouth companies that have beautiful depths of flavor. From Ransom Spirits in Oregon to Brengman Brother’s Winery in Northern Michigan, they are creating beautiful products for bartenders at work and home alike to play with.”
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February 2020
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Bars have also set up low-alcohol vermouth cocktail programs for their venues, especially for the lunch shift and in response to customers gravitating toward more low- and no-ABV cocktails. “Even drinking a high-end vermouth like Carpano Antica and soda with an orange twist are being ordered more and more as people want a flavorful low-ABV aperitif to start their meal off,” says Gugni. Kyle Haggerty of The Tennessean Hotel in Knoxville points out that some unique vermouths can be substituted as the base spirit in some of the classics, allowing customers to imbibe more without the extra punch of drinking a spirit-forward cocktail. He cites Carpano Bianco being a good substitute for a gin or vodka base when one adds the right balance of sugar, lemon, maybe some mint, and club soda. Handle With Care When using vermouth, common errors include failing to refrigerate an opened bottle of vermouth (to prevent spoilage and oxidation), keeping an open bottle for more than three months, and not tasting a vermouth before pairing it with a spirit, as sugar content varies across all styles and brands. Davide Zanardo, MARTINI Brand Ambassador for Northern Europe, cautions that as a lot of classic cocktails use sweet or dry vermouths, professionals need to fully be able to distinguish the different flavor profiles before mixing and matching to assess how well they blend with other cocktail ingredients. “It’s about understanding how the flavors work and how the vermouth impacts the overall flavor of the final cocktail,” he says. Haggerty attests that like anything else on the bar, using things in moderation is key to success in a final recipe. “Never overuse vermouth, as it is meant to accompany and diversify a cocktail to bring other flavor profiles to light,” he says. “Don’t assume that all vermouths are the same. Different brands use different methods of preparation and depending on where they are made, the recipes could be quite different and the different herbs and spices are altered for each individual brand’s recipes. It is what makes them unique.” When Krystle Bibbins-McKeever, owner of Black Elk Mixology in Washington, DC, makes a cocktail with vermouth for a customer, she will explain how the specific one she chose enhances the flavor of the base cocktail, depending on what the guest ordered. For martinis, which have evolved from adding dry vermouth as a standard to now being an optional question, she will always ask the guest for his thoughts. “Gin and vermouth go well together, so using the standard ¾ measurement is fine, and a bit less when it’s dirty,” she explains. “For vodka martinis, the vermouth can overshadow the vodka, especially if it’s a cheap vermouth or cheap vodka. Therefore, a heavy to light rinse with a good vodka is more than enough. In other cocktails where vermouth is a prominent part of the cocktail, like a negroni or Manhattan, it’s necessary to use a good vermouth to enjoy the flavors of the other ingredients.” Although sweet and dry vermouths today are labeled well and are different colors, Bibbins-McKeever says one of the biggest mistakes new bartenders make is assuming all vermouths are the same and using a good one in the same amount as a cheaper barbizmag.com
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Krystle Bibbins-McKeever, Black Elk Mixology
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one. “A lot of newbies will confuse an order for a ‘dry martini’ with meaning adding dry vermouth, when it just means liquor only or very little vermouth,” she explains. “The phrase probably devolved through the years, but the standard now is to go easy on the vermouth.” Korson says when focusing on classic recipes, she usually matches the color and sugar level of the vermouth to the base spirit in the cocktail. “A Manhattan is made with sweet vermouth, which is layered with a traditional rye whiskey and bitters,” she says. “Each of the spirits used are dark. Additionally, a classic martini would be the opposite. The clear spirit is originally paired with a dry vermouth.” When experimenting with different expressions of vermouth, Salwy suggests bartenders think of pairing vermouth in a similar fashion to pairing certain wines with foods. Italian sweet vermouths not only have that pleasant sweetness but also wonderful aromatic spicy notes that make them pair well with bourbon and rye whiskey or certain gins. Dry French-style
vermouths, which are lean, herbaceous, dry, and floral are nice for more spiritforward recipes. As Italian bianco varieties are a little sweeter, but still herbaceous and floral, they work with certain gins, vodkas, ryes, and whiskies. “One of the most common mistakes I have witnessed throughout my career has been one using a blanc vermouth in place of a dry,” says Harris. “They are both clear in color, as opposed to sweet, which always has a ruby hue. However, blanc vermouth is much, much sweeter than a dry.” For bars that use a limited amount of vermouth, Harris suggests marking the date opened on the bottle with a Sharpie—then toss it after a month or two. Also, buy smaller bottles so the liquid will be used up before it goes bad. “Vermouth is an exciting category and the complexity in its flavor means it can appeal to a range of audiences, so having a variety of vermouths on your back bar can be helpful,” concludes Zanardo. For more on vermouth, visit barbizmag.com.
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HAPPENINGS March 2020
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MARCH 28 SOMETHING ON A STICK DAY Garnishes, corndogs, cake pops, kebabs— they’re all fair game today!
MARCH 17 ST. PATRICK’S DAY Queue up the Guinness, Irish coffees, and Irish Car Bombs. Extra points for green beer.
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MARCH 23 NATIONAL CHIP AND DIP DAY Add this crowd-pleasing app to your list of specials today.
This warm, spiced wine is perfect for a winter night. For more on wine, turn to page 14 for our article on vermouth.
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MARCH 19 FIRST DAY OF SPRING Looking for inspiration for your spring cocktail menu? Turn to page 38 for some recipes and insight into trends.
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All Photos: Shutterstock.com.
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February 2020
Bar Business Magazine
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HOW TO
HOW TO: PORTION CONTROL
If you’re neglecting inventory or portion control, the costs can add up.
THE VALUE OF INVENTORY CONTROL 22
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BY CHRISTOPHER OSBURN
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Photos (left to right): Shutterstock/ oneinchpunch; Precision Pours, Inc.
hen it comes to running a bar or restaurant, there are few things more important than inventory and portion control. If you’re unaware of how much product you’re selling or how much product you literally pour down the drain, it will be very difficult to run a profitable business. This is especially true if you have no set standard for recipes. If a bartender or chef is just adding ingredients in random amounts as they see fit, how can you really know how much profit you’re actually making? How do you know how much your business is losing from spillage and incorrect pours? This is why it’s important to improve portion and inventory control. Fortunately, there are many companies and products designed to enable bars and restaurants to take on inventory and portion control. Sculpture Hospitality Sculpture Hospitality is a network of professionals with years of experience in inventory, profit analysis, and operational expertise. “With our proprietary software and unique approach to minimizing loss and increasing efficiencies within our clients’ businesses, a local professional will help provide a solution that is tailored to our clients, with our white glove, hands-on approach to our self-serve option,” says Patrick Cottrell, Sculpture Hospitality’s regional director of Florida. Your inventory is just as important as the cash in your bank drawer. “At the end of the night, if an operation is constantly missing $50 to balance the bank drawer, this would alert many opportunities to
business loss,” says Cottrell. You shouldn’t treat your inventory any different than your evening cash balance. “Inventory is cash, we look at it in the form of ‘liquor cash’ or an asset that has been invested to yield a profit,” explains Cottrell. “Without a detailed inventory solution or portion control, the $1 invested to become a $4 profit can easily add up to a $1 invested to yield a $2 return if not monitored.” Sculpture offers several options, whether your bar needs their team to perform the actual inventory or to train a staff member to utilize the proprietary software as an in-house solution. “Sculpture provides a wide range of reporting and data driven from the inventory, vendor invoices, and sales,” says Cottrell. “These reports will help provide the tools for the management of a bar to hone in on opportunities to maximize profitability.” Scultpure’s software tracks the client’s performance and improvements every inventory period. “With the different needs from each of our clients, many of them have different relative ROIs, but we have found savings and improvements as drastic as a 35-50% product loss and over 10-20% cost of goods sold savings,” says Cottrell. “My network of clients personally all have proven to benefit over a 200% ROI after utilizing our service options.” Cottrell has found that the average loss in most bars is between 22-38% as the average with 35-50% at the extreme top level of loss. “After utilizing our systems and tools and now being aware of the opportunities—not only from an ownership perspective, but more
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HOW TO: PORTION CONTROL
Pure Pour was invented to stop liquor waste from poorly designed pour spouts.
importantly providing a way to hold the staff accountable—the impacts of improvements are and have been extremely rewarding above and beyond the costs associated with the service/ software,” sasy Cottrell. Pure Pour Pure Pour is a device that fits inside and couples over a liquor bottle, creating a leak-proof seal. “The number-one reason why the Pure Pour was invented was to stop the waste of liquor from ineffective and poorly designed pour spouts,” says Paul Helman, founder of Pure Pour. “It’s low-tech, inexpensive, won’t rust, and comes with a bug cover.” With today’s tight margins, it’s important that every ounce counts. “Be it the craft cocktail and all its precision that was designed by the bartender to enhance the restaurant and its food, or the beverage manager that handles the inventory and realizes that every loss of liquor reduces his inventory and profit margins,” says Helman. According to Helman, a lot of people don’t realize the lost revenue they’re taking from a few spills and overzealous pours. “Every ounce and a half you lose costs you revenue. We want to put that money back in your business,” he says. To put it in the most basic terms, for every 1.5 ounces lost, your business is out $10 dollars. That adds up fast. “Eighteen ounces lost from one bad spout for one case of liquor equals $180 per week lost,” says Helman. “The fact that the entire 24
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Precision Pours Precision Pours, Inc. opened its doors in November 1996. “I had sold a similar product for 18 years, and it was saving my customers money, but they did have some issues,” says Rick Sandvik, president of Precision Pours. Sandvik got together with an engineer, and with his expertise in mold making and Sandvik’s experience with the issues with that past product, they got four new patents that made the Precision 3 Ball liquor pourer. “It was more accurate than any other pour on the market; worked with cordials and creams, which the older pours didn’t; fit a wider range of bottle sizes; and lasted two to three times longer,” says Sandvik. “Today, we have pours in over 100 countries worldwide and are the standard for measure in several, and [we have] over 45,000 customers in the U.S.” Sandvik says that 1/8 ounce of overpour can mean the difference of three to four less drinks per bottle, which makes a big difference on the bottom line. “Even a savings of three drinks per bottle at $3.50 each is $126 more per case,” he says.
Accurate pour spouts also result in more consistent drinks for the customer. Lastly, given dram shop laws and liquor liability, it’s important not to overserve, and accurate portions can aid in this. “It has always amazed me that restaurant owners agonize over portion control of their food but totally ignore what is going on in their bar,” says Sandvik. “Can you imagine advertising a 10-ounce sirloin on the menu and having the chef cutting 12 ounces? This is what is happening in their bar every day.” Over the years, Sandvik has commonly heard from customers that are getting at least two to four more drinks per bottle by eliminating overpours using his product. “I had a customer tell me that they do a Bloody Mary special on Sundays, and they typically went through about nine bottles of vodka each Sunday,” says Sandvik. After the customer added Precision Pour’s product to their bottles, they were only going through six bottles. Sandvik gives another example, “A chain of 30-plus sports bars told me their liquor costs went down $300,000 the first year they had them. Another benefit is they have less overserved customers.” With rising labor costs and liability insurance costs, plus many states lowering their legal BAC level, it is more important than ever to manage overpouring. “Operators that allow their staff to play fast and loose with their liquid inventory are going to make it more difficult for everyone else,” says Sandvik.
Sculpture Hospitality says you shouldn’t treat your inventory any different than your evening cash balance.
barbizmag.com
Photos (top to bottom): Pure Pour; Sculpture Hospitality.
industry knows there is a problem with the industry standard pour spout and continues to overlook it with an attitude of an ‘acceptable loss’ is the driving force of why we have introduced this groundbreaking product and continue to open people’s eyes to change.”
HOW TO
HOW TO: POS
Photo: Shutterstock/ Flamingo Images.
What to expect from point-of-sale systems in 2020.
TRENDING IN POS barbizmag.com
BY EMILY ECKART
February 2020
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hen it comes to point-of-sale (POS) systems, 2020 will be all about data. “Customer engagement is really important,” says Mark Hardwick, co-founder and chief marketing officer of ParsePay. And to engage customers, you need robust, actionable data about their spending habits and favorite items. This is where the POS comes in. Eric Elwell, chief executive officer of 2TouchPOS, says that with your point-ofsale, “There’s a treasure trove of data.” Many business owners are not capitalizing on this treasure. According to TotalRetail, 50% of brands still use spreadsheets to analyze POS data. When there are so many systems that offer advanced reporting and analytics, this represents a major lost opportunity to capitalize efficiently on valuable information. Elwell recommends evaluating not just POS data but all of the information that flows into your bar. Use data to segment customers and market to them accordingly. Rather than
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communicating with an undifferentiated audience, you can focus on providing personal, targeted messages that result in a higher chance of success. The savvy business owner will pull from customer data such as visit frequency and past purchases to create strategic marketing campaigns. Hardwick gives the example of a bar owner purchasing a new type of whiskey. Using the ParsePay dashboard, the bar owner can create a new marketing promotion and send an email to anyone who has purchased a whiskey sour within the last two weeks, letting them know there is a new whiskey option along with a two-dollar coupon. Rather than wasting effort on generic marketing, this type of highly targeted promotion is more likely to result in repeat visits and purchases from customers. It also makes customers feel valued, establishing more of a personal connection with your brand. POS systems that allow for a high degree of data collection and analytics are ideal. ParsePay’s cloud-based system acts as an all-in-one data solution for business owners. The company’s interest
in analytics is exemplified by its name. “The term ‘parsing the data’ is where our name comes from,” says Hardwick. ParsePay’s POS gives managers the power to access real-time performance data and generate reports. You can create customer profiles to track individual purchase history and preferences. The system includes employee and inventory management features. ParsePay also has an open API architecture that allows business owners to build customized features based on the POS. For many bar and restaurant owners, achieving a powerful marketing data set will mean integrating the POS with other systems. Nate Hirshberg, vice president of marketing at Shift4 Payments, says, “While the core functionality offered by most bar POS systems is comparable, the POS ecosystem is what will really differentiate various POS solutions in 2020. Shift4 has focused on innovating in this area for our POS brands and will continue to do so in the New Year. This includes the integration of value-added capabilities such as business intelligence and analytics, online ordering, delivery and reservations, loyalty programs, mobile solutions, and more.” This year, Shift4 Payments plans to enhance its POS ecosystem by increasing the third-party applications available through its POS Marketplace. Currently, these applications include integration with services like GrubHub, UberEats, and QuickBooks. Ultimately, integrations mean bar owners have access to a large body of data. “While most POS systems offer basic reporting, Shift4 has focused on delivering more advanced business intelligence and analytics to help organize this data and make it more actionable for bars and restaurants,” says Hirshberg. “Our Lighthouse Business Management System enables business owners and managers to analyze their customer and sales data to make better decisions when it comes to staffing, menu customization, pricing, and more.” In addition to data collection and management, cloud-based POS systems are another trend to watch for in 2020. barbizmag.com
Photos (left to right): Shift4 Payments; ParsePay.
HOW TO: POS
HOW TO: POS According to Finances Online, 61% of quick-service restaurants in the United States have already chosen to use cloudbased POS systems, with 60% of new merchants opting for the cloud. “Cloud-based POS systems offer more flexibility in terms of remote reporting, POS management, and software updates,” says Hirshberg. “But they are reliant on a stable internet connection for optimal operation. On the other hand, traditional, locally hosted POS systems reduce this reliance on internet connectivity and often provide faster, more stable operation—but remote access is more limited. Shift4’s POS brands have embraced a hybrid-cloud approach that offers the benefits of both options without the drawbacks, combining locally hosted software that continuously syncs with the cloud to deliver the best of both worlds.” In contrast to cloud-based POS systems, mobile payments have not yet become a prevalent feature at bars. The traditional bar set-up is not always conducive to mobile payments. Elwell notes, that in many cases, “The terminal is behind the bar.” This can make paying with a smartphone more cumbersome than using a credit card. The mobile payment option may make more logistical sense at locations with seating at tables, such as at bars that are inside restaurant locations. Some POS systems, including ParsePay, do support mobile payments. ParsePay is also unique in that it is not dependent on a single payment processor. Hardwick describes the system as “agnostic” when it comes to
ParsePay’s Elo I-Series
payment processors—the business owner can choose. While mobile payments are not necessarily ubiquitous, it’s still a good idea to offer payment options that are not tethered to a single POS location. This can increase operational efficiency, reducing the frequency with which a server must spend walking back and forth between tables and the POS. It also saves time and money. Shift4 Payments offers a pay-at-thetable solution called SkyTab. Hirshberg says, “We recently enhanced this offering
with the addition of mobile ordering capabilities, all handled through a sleek handheld device offered with no upfront costs.” SkyTab features customer engagement tools, electronic receipts, and the ability for the bar to easily populate its email marketing database. In addition to SkyTab, Hirshberg says, “Shift4’s POS brands also integrate with Tableside, our fully mobile POS solution, which operates on a tablet and includes pay-at-the-table functionality. Both of these mobile solutions enable bars and restaurants to operate more
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HOW TO: POS
2Touch 2020 will offer an advanced preauthorization feature to prevent declined credit card payments.
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authorizes for a dollar,” explains Elwell. This one dollar preauthorization test, however, often proves inadequate. A customer might meet the initial pre-authorization and then, during the course of the night, go on to spend more money than they actually have available. 2Touch 2020 solves this problem.
“Every time you add something to the tab, it will make sure that there are funds available, including tip expansion. And then if not, it will decline before you put the next round on the tab,” says Elwell, explaining that this will greatly reduce the risk of declined credit card payments. “That should be a gamechanger for bar owners in terms of declines at the end of the night.” Ultimately, in this high-tech POS landscape, ease of use still matters. As advanced as a POS system may be, it should still be practical and accessible for your staff so they can efficiently serve a high volume of customers. “Bar owners are really concerned about reliability of the system, speed of transactions, and training—having a very easy system for their bartenders and servers to use and operate,” concludes Hardwick.
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February 2020
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Photos (top to bottom): Shutterstock/ Rido; Shift4 Payments.
efficiently for faster table turns and more customers served.” For 2TouchPOS, this year will mark the launch of 2Touch 2020. This POS system features an advanced preauthorization feature. “Normally what happens is you come in, you set up a tab, you give your card or swipe it, it makes sure the card is valid, and it pre-
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HOW TO
HOW TO: BEVWARE
The benefits of unbreakable bevware.
DISCUSSING DRINKWARE 30
Bar Business Magazine
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BY MAURA KELLER
barbizmag.com
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hether you are serving a locally crafted beer or a tropical concoction, the drinkware you use can make a difference in both the quality and presentation of your product. If you are looking to supplement your venue’s serving products or are simply trying to find drinkware that will impact your company’s brand in the minds of your customers, there are many options that will keep your guests coming back for more.
option for many bars and restaurants,” says Johnson. “In the hectic environment that a lot of bars and restaurants experience, unbreakable plastic drinkware is what they are transitioning to.” All around, plastic drinkware has evolved into a beverageware that is unbreakable, has a glass-like appeal, is reusable, and is a safer alternative in the restaurant and bar industry. Some of Wonkyware’s newest products include a 10-ounce rocks glass, 14-ounce tall boy, 17-ounce parfait cup, and a 12-ounce stemless wine glass. Johnson believes the current trends the bar and restaurant industry is seeing in drinkware have a lot to do with branding. “If you can put a logo on your drinkware, it makes for a great marketing message. Another trend we are noticing is reusability,” says Johnson. “People are looking for a drinkware that can be reused time after time without the cost of it breaking.”
Plastic drinkware now comes in many types, like this pilsner beer glass from Drinique.
According to Johnson, bar patrons want a beverage served to them in something that looks and feels good. Unbreakable drinkware has the look and quality to live up to the standards of what a bar patron expects. As for bar owners, safety and price rank high as priorities when it comes to drinkware. “I believe bar owners are
Photos (left to right): Shutterstock/ Jukov studio; Drinique.
Unbreakable Bevware According to Bill Johnson, owner of Wonkyware, during the last few years, bars and restaurants have been looking more into using reusable and unbreakable plastic drinkware. “Due to advances in manufacturing and modern design, plastic drinkware looks more like glass than ever. Plastic drinkware has also become a safer
HOW TO: BEVWARE
barbizmag.com
February 2020
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HOW TO: BEVWARE
interested in a drinkware that is cost-effective and is safe for them to put into the bars,” says Johnson. “We all know when it comes to plastic versus glass, plastic is going to have a longer life expectancy.” Not only will plastic last longer, but it will save bar owners money over time. Unbreakable drinkware won’t chip, shatter, or crack if dropped on a hard surface, and it can handle the day-to-day operations of a bar’s interior.
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Making a Statement One of the ways bar patrons are learning about the benefits of unbreakable drinkware is through social media. In fact, the rise of the social web is a structural change being driven by online life catching up with offline life. It has completely and rapidly changed the way that people interact. The web is being rebuilt around groups of people with collaborative ties, similar interests, and tangible trust and it can have a profound impact on a bar’s brand. Branded or eye-catching drinkware has a better chance of ending up on social media. “When it comes to social media, especially Instagram, branding on your drinkware can be a huge advantage and an effortless marketing strategy,” says Johnson. “Your drinkware could end up on someone’s Instagram page, and their followers would be seeing your company’s logo.” Charoosaie agrees that Instagram is omnipresent in today’s world. “Eye-catching drinkware and drinks are part of bar owners’ social media—so you might as well make sure the drinkware looks great as well,” says Charoosaie. In today’s social media culture, it is also vitally important to keep up with what is on trend. “Bar owners want to keep up on using the right type of drinkware because that is what some customers are looking for,” says Johnson. “When bars use the right drinkware, it shows customers that they are doing their part by trying to stay on trend.” Staying on trend goes beyond glass shape, color, or branding. It can also feed into other movements, like sustainability. For example, having plastic drinkware that is barbizmag.com
Photos (this spread): WonkyWare; (sidebar) EZ-Squeeze.
Branding drinkware with a bar’s logo or other graphics makes for a great marketing message.
Not to mention, beveragewear that won’t break prevents injuries from broken glass. Hamid Charoosaie, vice president of marketing at Drinique, believes the stigma of using plastic over glass has started to go away and both bar owners and customers have changed their mindsets. “Businesses are starting to realize there have been tremendous innovations in unbreakable plastic drinkware, and it’s now possible to have the same look and feel as glass,” says Charoosaie. “They save money while avoiding broken glass, cheap plastic, and one-time use plastic. And as sustainability comes to the forefront, customers are learning that the carbon footprint of broken glass is much more than unbreakable plastic drinkware. “There is a big push to move away from single-use plastics, and customers who normally would not have considered unbreakable drinkware in the past are now changing how they think,” continues Charoosaie. “Patrons are also becoming aware of this within the hospitality and bar industry.” Drinique is continually innovating with new functional designs, new colors, and more eco-friendly materials. Bar owners are always looking for unique designs to set themselves apart, and that’s why Drinique is continually working on new designs that are different from what is normally seen in the market.
HOW TO: BEVWARE
E
EZ-SQUEEZE
z-Squeeze sells unique drinkware products that are actually made for gelatin shots. The company offers a two-ounce squeezable cup that is patented and has an accordion-like feature that allows it to compress flat and pop the Jell-O shots into the consumer’s mouth. “When customers are enjoying Jell-O shots, they do not need to stick fingers into the shots to loosen them, and the flexible plastic material does not break or crack when you squeeze it,” says David Andrascik, president at Royal Penn Products. “We also have top-quality gelatin shot injectors that allow patrons to easily squirt the entire gelatin shot into their mouth with no fuss or mess.” EZ-Squeeze offers 29 flavors of a premium gourmet gelatin shot mix that is ready to use by just adding water and alcohol. Some of the key flavors include Birthday Cake, Bahama Mama, and Piña Colada. “Plastic drinkware has evolved greatly over the past 10 years as many new items have come to market that are ‘uniquely shaped’ or perform a special function rather than just the same old basic cup or basic soufflé cup,” says Andrascik. “Before I invented the EZ-Squeeze Jell-O shot cups, there was absolutely nothing on the market for gelatin shots aside from using basic condiment cups or
paper cups that were actually designated for ketchup.” Andrascik also sees great branding opportunities in plastic drinkware. “Plastic drinkware is also a great tool for marketing as spirits companies or venues could put their own logos or information directly onto the plastic beverage,” says Andrascik. “This can create a souvenir or a keepsake.” EZ-Squeeze’s All American Patriot shots.
unbreakable and reusable shows people that an establishment is making an effort in helping the environment and caring for the safety of others. Johnson stresses that plastic beverageware that is unbreakable and reusable has a very strong future. “I think a lot of bars and restaurants are and will be transitioning into using this type of drinkware. Bar and restaurant owners need something that is safe to put into their facility, cost-saving, and has the durability to withstand the bar and restaurant environment,” says Johnson. “In the past, when people thought of plastic, they would think of disposable and cheap. Now, when people hear plastic, they have more options to think about.”
Unbreakable plastic drinkware is a more cost-effective option because it lasts longer, which saves bar owners money. barbizmag.com
February 2020
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Tuning Up
HOW TO The right playlist can be music to your guests’ ears.
Photo: Loop Media.
TUNE IN TO TV
THE POWER OF MUSIC 34
Bar Business Magazine
November 2019
BY ASHLEY BRAY
barbizmag.com
Photo: AMI Entertainment Network.
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pending time in a bar is an experience that encompasses all five senses. While it’s easy to focus in on a guest’s sense of taste through stellar food and drink offerings, don’t forget what they’re hearing as well. “Music has the ability to make or break a venue when it comes to guests,” says Broderick Norkus, sales manager at AMI Entertainment Network, a company that provides music and video entertainment (including digital jukeboxes), mobile engagement, and advanced digital signage capabilities to commercial businesses. “Filling your venue with audiovisual entertainment brings energy to your venue and enhances your environment. Unless your concept is live sports-only focused, music is your primary source of providing the right experience that keeps patrons in venue longer. That experience leads to longer dwell times and increased sales.” And not just any music will do. A bar owner should spend time choosing the music that’s best for the venue and its guests. In fact, a research report by soundtrack your brand found that 9.1% is the difference in total sales when playing music that matched the brand versus randomly selected popular songs. “Just like making the decision about what spirits, beer, and menu items to offer, considering the type of music to offer in your venue is critical to promoting the right experience for the guests you want to see as repeat customers,” says Norkus. “Most approach the concept by making a list of the type of music they would like to have. However, this proves to be very limiting on the guest experience.” Norkus instead recommends that bar owners start by deciding what they don’t want to hear in their establishments. “What genre of music would be the biggest buzzkill if it’s played in your venue? Once you decide that, then consider the genres you do want and if there are any specific artists that you don’t want,” says Norkus. “A location might even consider some artists perfectly acceptable but for one or two songs.” In addition to the ability to block explicit content and decide which genres, artists, and songs to play, jukebox owners barbizmag.com
HOW TO: DIGITAL JUKEBOX can daypart their music selections and decide which day and time they would like certain conditions to be active. “This gives guests the greatest opportunity of selections to enhance their individual experience in the venue while still giving location staff the ability to prevent those mood killer moments,” explains Norkus. “Beyond paid play selections, AMI jukeboxes also offer over 20 custom curated background music stations designed to fit those moments between paid play selections.” An added benefit is that AMI’s background music service provides fully licensed music so that owners don’t have to worry about fines. AMI has also found benefits in offering music videos alongside the perfectly curated playlist. In fact, they have continued to enhance their music video offerings by growing their library to over 25,000 popular selections. They are also making music videos a standard option on every jukebox sold starting in 2020. “This feature has proven to be a big hit with guests in the industry by enhancing the experience with the visual portion to the audiovisual experience,” says Norkus. “Music videos have a long history with gen X and now with millennials and even gen Z thanks to the popularity of music videos on portable applications like YouTube.” The benefits to providing the right music are numerous, and increased sales through longer dwell times is only one of them. There’s also the revenue that could be brought in by the paid selections on a digital jukebox. “Since locations receive a portion of the revenue from the jukebox, they benefit in this additional revenue stream provided by guests compared to the monthly expense of alternative music services,” says Norkus. Bars can also use AMI’s digital jukeboxes to build in-house ads and promote specials. “All AMI jukeboxes include our Ad Manager feature that allows the venue to create high-definition ad content that is displayed either on the jukebox user interface or the external screen(s) connected to the jukebox,” explains Norkus. “Displaying ads for the venue regarding promotional items, pricing, special events, and brand swag are great ways to increase sales, create return visitors, and build their brand.”
Experience THE TYPE OF MUSIC YOU OFFER IN YOUR VENUE IS CRITICAL TO PROMOTING THE RIGHT EXPERIENCE.
Music Videos ARE PROVING TO BE A BIG HIT WITH GUESTS.
$ Increase Sales
THE RIGHT MUSIC CAN INCREASE SALES THROUGH LONGER DWELL TIMES.
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HOW TO: DIGITAL JUKEBOX
JBL PROFESSIONAL EARNS AWARDS AT 2020 NAMM SHOW
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ARMAN Professional Solutions, the global leader in audio, video, lighting, and control systems, announced that JBL Professional was honored with awards at the 2020 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show in Anaheim, California. The NAMM Show—the global crossroads of the music products, sound, and entertainment technology industries—is one of the two largest music product tradeshows in the world. JBL, a manufacturer of audio equipment, earned the 2020 NAMM Technical Excellence & Creativity (TEC) Award in the “Sound Reinforcement Loudspeakers” category for its JBL VTX A8 loudspeakers. The 35th annual NAMM Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards honored best-in-
class products in the professional audio community. “JBL Professional is extremely honored to receive a NAMM TEC Award for the JBL VTX A8,” said George Georgallis, director of Product Management, Line Array Systems, HARMAN Professional Solutions. “From groundbreaking acoustic research to cutting-edge product development, we are committed to creating the most innovative and powerful audio solutions in the industry.” The JBL EON ONE Compact received The Music & Sound Award for “Best Speaker of 2019.” The Music & Sound Awards are based on a poll of leading manufacturers from across the industry. Finally, Laura Lawrence, director of Global Marketing at HARMAN Professional, won a grant to attend the
2020 Smart Women in Music (SWIM) Leadership Summit. Presented by the NAMM Foundation, the SWIM Summit program supports women working in the music products industry to connect, support, and grow their leadership and professional abilities. “We look forward to continuing our tremendous growth and innovation, and we appreciate the support from our partners,” said Erik Tarkiainen, vice president of Global Marketing, HARMAN Professional Solutions.
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SEASONAL COCKTAILS
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SEASONAL COCKTAILS
W
Seasonal Cocktails: IN BLOOM SPRING USHERS IN FRESH INGREDIENTS, LOWER ABVS, AND INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS.
Photo Credit
Photo: Shutterstock/ Svitlana Sokolova.
BY ASHLEY BRAY
barbizmag.com
ith the arrival of spring comes a variety of cocktail concoctions from just about every spirits category represented,” says Neil Everitt, Founder & CEO, Brockmans Gin, specifically recommending the botanical bouquet offered in gins. “Springtime offers a wonderful, fresh palette of ingredients perfect for mixing great cocktails that combine beautifully with gin.” Jamie Felber, owner of Boulton & Watt in New York City, says to look for spirits with lighter aromatic flavors. “As with food, you see a similar shift to lighter and brighter base spirits that can hold herbal modifications well,” says Felber. “Think gins, agricole rums, joven agaves, aquavits, etc.” But don’t completely disregard brown spirits. “I have been seeing a uniquely huge interest in bourbon and rye for spring cocktails,” says Niccole Trzaska, spirits and lifestyle expert. “So many people have been finally recognizing brown spirits for their bright and light features.” If you’re looking for trendy, Will Benedetto, Director of Bars for In Good Company Hospitality, recommends going with Aperol, sherry, or choosing a tequila or mezcal. Speaking of trending, Benedetto says that low-alcohol and spirit-free beverages will continue to be popular going into the spring months. Drinks low in calories and sugar will also remain popular. “Most imbibers seek out low-calorie and body-conscious cocktails in the spring with the impending beach season, so it is fun to experiment with healthy ingredients. Any fresh fruits are always fun to infuse,” says Trazaska. “I prefer using teas for concentrated flavors that are sugar free such as hibiscus, green teas, and lemon ginger teas.” Bartenders should also look to add some international flair to their cocktail menus. “There is a slow but steady creep of authentic Asian— Malay, Laotian, even regional specific Chinese and Thai—in New York City,” says Felber, as an example of some of the trending flavors. “Hopefully
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SEASONAL COCKTAILS bartenders will be inspired to dig up flavor profiles that pay good homage to the cultures that make New York City [and other locales] such a great melting pot, and broaden the drinking experiences of their guests.” Seasonal and fresh ingredients also make great additions to a spring menu. According to Felber, herbs like mint, basil, cardamom, and rosemary are
good choices for cocktails. Floral notes also do well on spring menus. “It’s spring, so people are ready to get outdoors and anything that reminds them of a sunny day in the park is a great pick,” says Benedetto, noting that elderflower, violet, and berries are always popular ingredients. Above all, spring cocktails should be kept simple, light, and fun. “Be creative.
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Use what’s seasonal and sourced locally as best you can,” says Felber. “Simplify the number of ingredients, and let the individual flavors shine.” Everitt recommends creating a menu that incorporates a few twists on the classics plus some original signature serves. “Rather than creating numerous different cocktails, we recommend having just a handful of well-made, beautifully presented serves. Consider too the opportunity to sell cocktails throughout the evening,” he says, advising that bar owners take advantage of opportunities to include cocktails that complement certain food dishes on your menu when possible. “Above all, ensure that the bar team understands the characteristics of the ingredients and that you have the appropriate garnishes to provide the ‘wow’ factor.”
Mango Basil Margarita 2 oz Altos Blanco Tequila 1 oz Mango basil puree ¾ oz Lime juice
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Will Benedetto for Refinery Rooftop
More recipes on page 42. 40
Bar Business Magazine
February 2020
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Photo: Jenna Murray/IGC Hospitality.
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SEASONAL COCKTAILS
Back Talk
Napa Tea Party
Stir all ingredients in mixing glass. Pour over ice. Dash with bitters, shaved orange peel, & cherry.
1.5 parts Burning Chair Bourbon 2 parts Black tea ¼ parts Fresh lemonade ¼ parts Egg white ¼ parts Lemon ginger infused simple syrup Drizzle of Cherry Heering
1½ part Lip Service Rye ¼ part Cherry Heering ¼ part Twisted Alchemy® Cold-Pressed Eureka Lemon Juice Dash of Regan’s Orange Bitters
Niccole Trzaska
In mixing glass, pour bourbon, black tea, and lemonade over cubed ice. Shake and strain into a coupe. In a mixing glass add egg white and lemon ginger simple syrup. Dry shake with a Hawthorne spring. Strain over top of cocktail. Drizzle with Cherry Heering. Garnish with zested lemon.
Niccole Trzaska
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Purple Spring 1½ oz Brockmans Gin 1½ oz Beet juice 6 ½ oz Wild berry cider
Half fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add Brockmans and beet juice and shake. Strain into a Copa glass with ice. Top with cider and stir gently. Garnish with a slice of dehydrated beet and edible flowers.
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Add ingredients to shaker with ice. Shake. Strain into highball glass with ice.
Brockmans Gin
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Bar Business Magazine
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Photo: Margaret Pattillo.
NETWORK
ICE
The First
INGREDIENT BY ASHLEY BRAY
Cocktails featuring cubed ice, one of the most common ice forms. 44
Bar Business Magazine
February 2020
barbizmag.com
ICE
ARE YOU GIVING ICE THE ATTENTION IT DESERVES?
Photos (left ot right): Scotsman Ice Systems; Hoshizaki America, Inc.
I
ce is ubiquitous in our industry and is often the first ingredient in many cocktails. “Bars often serve more ice than any other product, so be sure to choose the best ice for your specific needs,” says Sally Ray, senior marketing manager for Hoshizaki America, Inc. “The right ice can help ensure a quality product with maximum financial performance.” Brandon Levinson, product manager, Scotsman Ice Systems, points out that people often forget that ice is a food product that will be consumed, so quality matters. He also says that ice machines are the only machines in the bar that actually make the food product itself versus simply aiding in the preparation or cooking process. Fortunately, the elevation of cocktail culture has also elevated the art of ice making, and cloudy, misshapen cubes no longer cut it in craft cocktails. “Quality ice can enhance your customers’ beverage experience,” says Ray. “Great ice, which is clear and large in size, allows for superior chilling with minimal dilution, allowing the creativity of the mixologist to fully shine.” Ray points out the key qualities to consider in the best ice: Hardness/density. Thin, brittle cubes will quickly melt and dilute the beverage, cause it to lose its chill, and affect its taste. Shape. A large square cube or sphere melts slowly, makes a great presentation, and will bring the drink to the temperature of the cube. Small, chewable ice nuggets that absorb the taste of the beverage are also popular for certain drinks. Clarity. The clearer the ice, the less impurities or minerals in the drink. Clarity allows the liquid in the drink to be the main feature. Size. The ice should fit the glass perfectly. Some ice shapes even offer better displacement, which results in more profit for the operator. Ice is available in many types, barbizmag.com
including cube, cubelet, crescent, square, flake, nugget, and top hat. Large sphere balls are also popular. (Note: Hoshizaki will have a sphere ice machine available in the first half of 2020.) “Cube is still the workhorse of the industry, and most restaurants and bars are going to have some sort of cube machine,” says Levinson. Nugget is a quickly growing ice form because it’s softer, chewable, and takes on the flavor of the beverage. It also offers better displacement as the bar can fit more ice in a cup. Another reason for the rise of nugget ice may be the return in popularity of Tiki drinks, which frequently use this ice form. To determine the best ice type, Ray says a bar should consider its menu. “What is the focus of the bar’s offerings? If high-end cocktails or whiskeys, then large cube units are the best fit,” she says. “The next consideration is capacity: how many seats or customers do you expect at peak periods? That will determine how much ice you need the machine to produce on a daily basis.” There is no one ice form that is perfect for every application. For this reason, many bars choose to bring in more than one ice machine. “I’ve recently seen a number of bars and other establishments actually opt for two smaller undercounter units that have two different ice forms,” says Levinson. “They still have enough ice in aggregate for their entire operation, but it allows them to have some diversity within the ice forms.” Bars can choose between air-cooled, water-cooled, or remotely controlled undercounter units and more standard modular options that can be placed in the back of the house on a bin or a dispenser. Hoshizaki and Scotsman both offer many options of each. (Note: Scotsman is expanding its line of undercounter units in 2020 with new flake and nugget units in 15 and 20 inches (joining the 24-inch machines). The company is also upgrading its 24-inch undercounter cube unit, which will be launched this month.) Undercounter units have a smaller footprint and offer easier access. “It can be very convenient, especially for a bar, to put that below the counter and have the ice easily accessible rather than having to
transport it back and forth between the back of the house all the way to the front of the bar,” says Levinson. Modular units in the back of the house can be the preferred option for highvolume applications. “If space is limited and airflow is a concern, then an ice machine on a bin in the back is better— using a container to fill the ice well(s) at the beginning of the shift,” says Ray. Bar owners should look for a unit that is reliable and energy efficient. Also consider placement of the machine, especially for air-cooled ice makers, which require clearance around the unit for proper air flow. “Otherwise, you essentially suffocate the machine, you can burn out the compressor, really lower the lifetime of the machine, and get a much reduced output on your ice production,” says Levinson. Units with airflow in the front make accessing the air filters easier and allows for more uninterrupted airflow. Regularly cleaning the air filters and the machines is important. Levinson says the industry standard is at least every six months, and he cautions that ice machines are a common area that health inspectors check for violations. Ray says to follow the recommended maintenance schedule for each unit. “[It] usually entails professional cleaning and de-scaling two to four times a year, depending on water quality and work environment,” she says.
A cocktail featuring flaked ice. February 2020
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ICE
OUTSOURCE YOUR CRAFT ICE & ELEVATE YOUR COCKTAIL PROGRAM
“I
ce is the number-one served item in the food and beverage industry, nationwide,� says Dewey Joe Beene Jr., founding partner of Vault Ice. “Almost every drink is served with ice, but ice is rarely given a second thought.� Vault Ice is moving ice to the forefront with its largeformat premium Craft Cocktail RocksŽ, which can ship to bars anywhere in the country. The ice is made from purified water that is pumped into 22-degree tanks that keeps the water in constant motion to remove air bubbles while it is slowly frozen from the bottom up. After three days, the result is a 300-pound block of ice that is trimmed and carved to the right thickness before it is precision cut with a computerized carving machine—resulting in consistent, clear ice. Each cube is inspected before being packaged in vacuum-sealed sleeves of six cubes each. While the cubes remain sealed and frozen, they have an indefinite shelf life and won’t stick together, won’t get freezer burnt, and won’t absorb the flavors of the freezer thanks to the vacuum seal layer. Vault Ice even sells dedicated freezers to store the ice. Craft Cocktail RocksŽ are available in cubes, pillars, spheres, and custom shapes in sizes ranging from 1.75
inches to 2.5 inches, depending on the shape, and can be ordered in packs in a variety of counts. By outsourcing their craft ice needs, bars are able to ditch their ice molds, which typically produce cloudy ice that easily gets freezer burnt and absorbs the flavors of whatever else it’s sharing space with in the freezer. In addition, these molds are rarely sterilized between uses, which can lead to unsanitary ice. “Our customers tell us repeatedly it’s all about accessibility and consistency,� says Beene Jr. “A national chain brand doesn’t want to source a product in several different markets from multiple vendors. We solve that by connecting with distributors so that these buyers can get the same product at all of their locations through a single source. “We manufacture on a level that allows us to have continuous production runs to produce hundreds of thousands of cubes during a production cycle. This allows us to help guarantee consistency and quality control from the first pallet of ice produced to the last pallet of ice off the production line before it is loaded into the frozen food trucks.� Vault Ice also helps bars to elevate their cocktail program and attract customers by providing a unique experience they can’t get at home. When bars start serving Vault Ice, they can expect to increase sales by one additional rocks cocktail for every five they’re already selling. To truly create a “wow� moment for customers, Vault Ice also sells a customizable ice stamp, which allows bars to brand the ice with their logo, monogram, or any other image. “It’s a great way for bars and restaurants to brand their product right in front of the guest,� says Beene Jr. “It never fails that the cameras come out and you can be assured an Instagram or Facebook post is soon to follow.� When serving, the ice should be handled with tongs and allowed to temper until clear and wet. Place the cube in the glass, and then pour the beverage over the ice. For stamped ice, the beverage should be poured around the ice.
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Photo: Vault Ice Imaging.
barbizmag.com
EARL GREY GIN
The Telegraph Game 1.5 Part Coit Earl Grey Tea Gin 2 Part Twisted Alchemy Cold Pressed Grapefruit Juice .25 Part Twisted Alchemy Cold Pressed Persian Lime Juice 2 Fresh Basil Leaves 1 Sugar Cube Garnish with Fresh Basil Leaf on top Method: Muddle 2 Fresh Basil Leaves, Sugar Cube and Fresh Lime in a Mixing Glass, add ice and remaining ingredients to shake. Strain all ingredients into a wide mouth Martini Glass and Garnish with a basil Leaf. Created By: Niccole Trzaska From Drinks By Niccole
PROJECTORS
PROJECTING
THE DYNAMIC CAPABILITIES OF TODAY’S PROJECTORS, AND HOW ONE VENUE IS USING THE TECHNOLOGY. BY ASHLEY BRAY t’s time to rethink projectors. In the last few years, projection technology has greatly advanced, which has allowed for a new world of application possibilities.
TOP TECHNOLOGY “Laser technology has really reinvigorated the space in terms of less maintenance and general higher quality projection,” says Ramzi Shakra, Product Manager, Large Venue Projectors, Epson. “With laser being the light source instead of a lamp, you get incredible brightness and outstanding image quality. And you can set the projector in such a way where you can get consistent brightness over the life of the projector. So, it’s really worth looking at the latest laser 48
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projectors and what they can do.” While projection technology has advanced, it doesn’t necessarily mean that installing or operating the projector has become more difficult. Depending on the application, projector installation should be straightforward. “You have to be thoughtful of where you’re going to mount the projector to achieve the size of image you want,” says Shakra. “But because projectors have zoom lenses, and they can shift the entire image up, down, and sideways, you have a good amount of latitude on placement in your space.” For even wider projector placement latitude, interchangeable lens projectors are a great option. Epson offers a variety of projectors, including the powerful and bright Pro-L
series, featuring up to 11 optional lenses and 3LCD technology that utilizes three chips to provide high color accuracy and equal white and color brightness. Epson also recently introduced LightScene, which is ideal for creating visual displays and immersive environments. Thanks to more robust capabilities and features, projectors should be considered for more than just showing a sporting event on a large screen. Projectors can be used for creative, immersive experiences as well as pragmatic applications and optimizing space that’s not being utilized. “Something as pragmatic as a menu, bathroom signs, projecting on the floor to help guide people a certain way,” says Remi Del Mar, Senior Product Manager, Visual Displays, Epson. barbizmag.com
All Photos: Jasper Mosher.
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PROJECTORS
Projection mapping on the outside of the building included falling snow, colorful backgrounds, and elves in the windows.
Projectors also do a better job at grabbing and keeping your customers’ attention. “People are looking at their phone, which is a screen. They go home and look at their TV, which is a screen. They go to sports bars, there are screens. They almost don’t see the screens anymore,” says Shakra. “But if they see projection on a curved surface, or projection onto a 3D object, suddenly they’re really paying attention.” In addition, projectors allow bars to keep the integrity of their design and space intact when they’re not in use. “You can think of flat panels and LED walls as added furniture to the space,” says Shakra. “While projection actually augments the space. You can turn off the projected image, and then your space goes back to the way it was before.” That’s not to say that flat panels or LED displays don’t have their place, especially in practical applications. “It’s not necessarily about using a flat panel or projector, but how they can complement each other,” says Del Mar. “A flat panel can still do what it does best, which is provide information in a cost-effective way.” THE EXPERIENCE ECONOMY Where projectors really “shine” is in creative applications. “You have crossover to artistic space design and creating an ambience or mood setting that’s on the creative side of things,” says Del Mar. 50
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Bars and restaurants are now using projectors to do everything from educate guests through projected displays/information to using projected images for an immersive and interactive dining experience. “As you swing the pendulum toward creating these unique experiences—optimizing spaces for example, tabletops, fabric, floors—this dynamic aspect of projection is very unique,” says Del Mar. “You can’t do that with any other technology today.” Thanks to these capabilities, projectors are uniquely positioned to meet the demands of today’s consumers. Del Mar cited the idea of the “Experience Economy,” which says that in the next economy, businesses must provide a memorable event or experience for customers. The memory of the time spent becomes the product—the “experience.” Bars are already experiencing this now, especially with millennial customers, who search for an experience above all else when they go out. BANKO CANTINA Banko Cantina, a Mexican restaurant and tequila bar in West Palm Beach, Florida, understands the importance of cultivating an experience for its patrons. The bar/restaurant stretches across three floors in a 1921 landmark building that was the former home of the American National Bank. On the first
Eyes were projected onto ping-pong “eyeballs” on a wall of skulls.
floor is an authentic Mexican restaurant, on the second is a lounge with dancing, and on the third floor is a rooftop bar with a DJ and a dance floor. When Owner Tom Murray took over the establishment in 2018, the second and third floor lounge and rooftop bar were doing well, but he was looking to do something that would bring more attention to the Mexican restaurant on the first floor. Hailing from Chicago, Murray remembered the way bars in the city would go over the top with their holiday decorations, and he decided to do something similar with Banko Cantina. He contacted The Event Group, which has experience decorating large-scale organizations, and the company brought in The Electric Dream Machine and Jasper Mosher to plan out some projection mapping for the space. Murray gave The Electric Dream Machine the creative freedom to design and create what they thought would look best in the space. Mosher walked around the venue and chose artwork and existing structures to animate. “One of the great things about Banko is how much unique artwork is already painted throughout the venue,” says Mosher, Co-Founder of The Electric Dream Machine. “Existing structures and artwork are our favorite mediums to work with. Our process can leave a building, sculpture, or painting looking like a cartoon misplaced into a barbizmag.com
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Eight different Epson projectors were used at Banko Cantina.
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February 2020
real life setting. This effect is so impactful that you just want to reach out and touch it to see if what you’re experiencing is real.” Together with a variety of real, tangible Christmas decorations, the projection mapping included images of elves and Christmas scenes on the windows, a roaring fireplace on a wall, and a painting of a woman that was brought to life with moving eyes and various Christmas imagery projected around her. Once the inside was complete, Mosher thought the outside needed some projection mapping as well. Murray loved the idea, so they mapped it out. “There was an abandoned building across the street that had the perfect empty window space to put the projectors in,” says Mosher. The projection mapping on the outside includes images of falling snow, colorful backgrounds, and elves in the windows. Banko Cantina has also used projection mapping to transform the bar for holidays like Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day. For this past 2019 holiday season, Murray wanted to go even bigger. “We like to keep our core stuff and add on different things every year,” says Murray. “Our goal is to try to build it and every year create a better product.” In 2018, the content ran for about three to four weeks. In 2019, it was extended to just over seven weeks. “With permanent installations or situations like Banko Cantina where everything is going to be up for five or six weeks, we can really justify digging in and putting the time into the content creation because it’s not going anywhere,” says Mosher. For the 2019 install, The Electric Dream Machine reused the indoor and outdoor content from the previous year and added on new effects and content. “One of the new projects inside was a painting of a woman that we were able to bring to life with our self-crafted animation techniques. We digitally painted textures on her skin, made her hair blow in the wind, inserted colorful backgrounds, and added a ‘sugar layer’ of different magical effects on top of the entire composition,” says Mosher. “The second addition was a section behind the bar where 53 golden skulls had previously been fastened to the wall. We took the time to paint and attach 106 ping-pong balls as eyeballs. We then used the Resolume software to projection map a different set of eyeballs to look around independently on each one of the skulls and added Santa hats for some additional Christmas flare. “The idea is to compliment the original feel of the venue before sprinkling on the holiday effects.” The Electric Dream Machine used a total of eight different Epson projectors at the venue, ranging from a 4000-lumen short throw all the way up to a 15,000-lumen laser. “This was the first opportunity we’ve had to play with the 15K laser projector, and the results were amazing,” says Mosher. For 2019, Banko Cantina also had visits from Santa and even rolled out a special Christmas cocktail menu. Over the last two years, the projection mapping has led to more exposure for the restaurant on the first floor. “It increased my fall traffic tremendously from the year before,” says Murray. “Now they realize, because we’ve got them in our doors, that it’s a restaurant, and they really enjoy the food.” “It’s a great way to pull attention to the establishment,” says Mosher. “It just really makes it stand out from all the others.” barbizmag.com
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BAR TOUR
BAR TOUR
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WINDMILL FOOD HALL CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA
This venue features a bar, over a dozen vendors, and unique experiences.
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ood halls have exploded in popularity the last few years, which should come as no surprise in an industry that values experiences over all else. The demand for unique and engaging experiences is driven primarily by millennials, and food halls check off many of their requirements—quality food, live entertainment, activities and games, and a great place to gather. According to a report from Cushman & Wakefield, there were over 300 food halls in the United States in 2019. In 2020, that number is projected to go above 400. When Entrepreneur & CEO James Markham opened Windmill Food Hall in Carlsbad, California at the end of 2019, he was looking to add his own spin to this burgeoning trend. After researching and visiting public markets across the country, Markham’s mission was to turn an empty 1,200-square-foot space in a historic Dutch-style windmill building into a fun, eclectic, and unconventional vintage-inspired food hall with over 12 local vendors. The location was
previously a Pea Soup Andersen’s, a restaurant chain known for its pea soup, home-style meals, and working windmills attached to the restaurants. “I really wanted to bring something cool to North County, San Diego. The space was ideal for bringing something big and exciting,” says Markham. “People want variety and a place to gather. Windmill is both.” To get the project started, Markham contacted Allison Whitt, principal owner of Design X Architecture + Interiors, a design firm specializing in offices and bars and restaurants. In her design work, Whitt enjoys focusing on not only her clients’ experience in working with her, but also the experience of the patron who will ultimately use the space. So even though this was her first food hall project, she was uniquely positioned to bring Markham’s vision to life. “That is what drives me as a designer—your experience in a space,” says Whitt, explaining that a space can even affect how the food is perceived. “There are so many different design barbizmag.com
All Photos: Haley Hill Photography.
BY ASHLEY BRAY
Join us for E D U C AT I O N V I L L A G E Two full days of industry exclusive free classes and seminars March 2–3
W W W. S E AT T L E C O C K TA I LW E E K .C O M / E D U C AT I O N -V I L L A G E
BAR TOUR
Allison Whitt
PRINCIPAL OWNER, DESIGN X ARCHITECTURE + INTERIORS
A
llison has multi-disciplinary training in architecture and interior design. She received her Bachelor of Architecture from USC and Master of Interior Architecture from UCLA/Cal Poly Pomona. She is a licensed architect in California. She has worked for the firms Bluemotif Architecture, Michael Folonis, and Studio Collective.
James Markham ENTREPRENEUR & CEO, WINDMILL FOOD HALL
J
ames pioneered the custombuilt pizza concept first with MOD Pizza in the Pacific Northwest in 2008 and then with Pieology and Project Pie, which has locations across the US and around the world. James took on a new challenge with Windmill Food Hall. The entrepreneur is also a former professional MMA fighter.
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elements that make you want to be in a place and enjoy it. The experience of the lighting, different textures and materials, and how you move through a space—those are all things that come into play, and I really wanted to focus on those things in this food hall too.” Whitt collaborated with Architects Local on the project. Whitt took a look at Markham’s original design plan, which called for the vendors to be placed on the surrounding walls with seating in the middle. “To me, that didn’t really create an opportunity for different types of experiences within the space. So my suggestion was to rework that floor plan to be able to create different zones within the space,” she says. Patrons start in the bar area, the first zone at the front of the food hall. “I wanted to make sure Windmill had the energy up front at the bar,” says Markham. “It’s like when you go to a party and everyone gathers in the kitchen. Our bar is our ‘kitchen.’ It makes people want to come back again and again.” The bar offers the unique feature of indoor seating on one side and outdoor seating on the other. “There’s a pretty big bar scene here in San Diego, so that’s something that draws a lot of people to be able to go hang out at a huge bar that has indoor and outdoor seating,” says Whitt. Beside the large indoor-outdoor central bar is a lively sitting area with communal tables and comfy sofas designed for
interaction and large groups. Carlsbad is a very family-oriented area, so the food hall wanted to make sure it was also catering to this demographic. “We wanted to have it be great for families during the day, but also transition into more of a bar at night,” says Whitt. “So in the back areas, we created a kids area with lots of games, bright colors, and furniture they can all crowd around.” Within eyesight of the kids area is a section for adults called the library. This area has a more refined and relaxing vibe with built-in bookcases, comfortable booths and armchairs, and a tin ceiling. Windmill Food Hall also offers a fully fenced in outdoor patio with turf and additional seating. The venue has large garage doors that open up to create an indoor/outdoor feel. “It’s a big draw to the food hall. It’s sunny San Diego, so you want to be able to take advantage of sitting outside as much as possible,” says Whitt. “The outdoor space is super flexible, and they can move the furniture around. It can be used for live music performers who come every week, and they have Sunday morning yoga and mimosas.” Other weekly events include karaoke, trivia nights, live music, and pop-ups with local brands. Overall, the space has a vintage look and feel, which was created at Markham’s request. “I thought it was a really cool idea too. Especially because I haven’t seen another food hall with that kind of style,”
barbizmag.com
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BAR TOUR
Windmill Food Hall is divided into different “zones� that offer guests a variety of experiences under one roof.
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BAR TOUR says Whitt. “We definitely wanted to use comfortable seating but also extremely durable just because these types of environments take a lot of abuse. We did some custom furniture with a vendor who does really awesome work—it holds up super well—and then we purchased a lot of other furniture that keeps with that same vintage, industrial vibe.” A lot of blues and greens are used in the space, including blue booths, blue and green plaid booths, and lime green chairs at the indoor bar. “The green was the starting factor for that vintage feel,” says Whitt. “I chose the blue because I thought it worked really well with the green.” Working in an old building presented a unique set of challenges. “This particular project encountered a lot of issues from the building along the way. So that ate up a big chunk of the budget and delayed the opening,” says Whitt, who says the cut in budget resulted in some design elements having to be taken out. “But the general feel that we want is still there.” Another challenge Whitt faced was in
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designing booths for each of the vendors as the lineup kept changing and wasn’t finalized until close to the end of the project. “That was something that was a little tough to contend with,” says Whitt. “One design for a lobster place isn’t going to work for a Mexican taco place, and they’re trying to switch spaces back and forth, so that got a little challenging with those changing until the last minute.” Markham handpicked each vendor based on their followings and the quality of their food. “I think James has a pretty good eye for finding really good food and unique types of vendors,” says Whitt. “For a lot of them, it’s their first brick-and-mortar location. I know he wanted to keep the local flavor at the Windmill and not just your standard food hall-type places.” The line-up of vendors includes the Windmill Bar, which features a variety of beer, wine, and cocktails. Guests can choose between cocktails like Gone with the Windmill (oolong tea gin, lemon, simple syrup, orange bitters, soda) and
Boys to the Yard (rum, horchata, cinnamon, vanilla soft serve, mini donut, grapefruit). “The cocktails are meant to be fun and approachable,” says Markham. “We aren’t a stuffy place and neither are our cocktails.” Doughballs, Markham’s own concept, serves up a variety of pizzas. Bread & Cheese Eatery offers gourmet grilled cheeses. Over at Cross Street Chicken and Beer, patrons can choose between chicken sandwiches and wraps as well as bone-in and boneless wings in a variety of flavors. The Poke Stand, The Fry Fix, Thai Style, Mesteeso Coffee, Notorious Sliders and Salads, Lobster West, Friend’s House, El Puerto Street Tacos, District 1 Pho, Bing Haus Dessert & Coffee, and RJ’s Sizzlin Steer (coming soon) round out the vendors. According to Markham and Whitt, the feedback has been amazing. “From what I’ve seen and heard, people really like being there,” says Whitt. windmillfoodhall.com
February 2020
Bar Business Magazine
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INVENTORY
TERRY BRADSHAW SCORES WITH NEW WHISKEY RELEASE
THIS GARNISH SOLUTION INCREASES SAVINGS AND REDUCES WASTE
NFL legend and iconic entertainer Terry Bradshaw has expanded his portfolio of Hall of Fame worthy endeavors to introduce Terry Bradshaw Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Bradshaw Bourbon is a carefully crafted collaboration between Bradshaw and Silver Screen Bottling Company. Born in the heart of Kentucky Bourbon Country, Bradshaw Bourbon is distilled by a thirdgeneration master distiller. Vanilla, coffee, banana, leather, and campfire notes are available on the nose. Bradshaw Bourbon delivers robust flavors of cinnamon, baking spices, vanilla, and coconut on the palette, with a finish of wood, vanilla, and butterscotch. Bottled at 51.9% ABV, a tribute to Bradshaw’s passing completion rate of the same number, Bradshaw Bourbon is blended from the finest grains and aged in hand-selected barrels. Bradshaw Bourbon is presented at 103.8 proof, and the first batch of Bradshaw Bourbon is available to order online now. Bradshaw Bourbon will be rolling out nationwide in the coming months.
Fruits for Drinks is the world’s first freeze-dried garnish solution with lemon, lime, orange, blueberry, strawberry, and raspberry. Fruits For Drinks has perfected the process of freeze-drying citrus fruits and berries to maintain color, texture, and improve flavor and customer satisfaction. The flavor profile is the same as fresh. Fruits For Drinks weighs 85% less than fresh, providing an immediate and huge weight-fuel cost saving. Additionally, the product minimizes the carbon footprint and streamlines the touch points for fruit served in each and every glass. The packaging guarantees a nine-month best-before date and is resealable and compostable. Fruits for Drinks offers zero fruit waste. All of this improves sustainability, cost, and better manages waste. From a customer service perspective, the improvements are instantly noticeable too—drinks are served quicker, staff are more efficient, and the taste is sensational!
Terry Bradshaw Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Fruits for Drinks
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EASILY CREATE GREAT SOUND
JBL IRX Series Portable PA Loudspeakers HARMAN Professional Solutions announces new JBL IRX Series portable PA loudspeakers. The IRX Series speakers deliver detailed, intelligible sound for vocals and music. A durable, lightweight design makes IRX Series speakers easy to transport, ensuring professional sound quality in any environment. Versatile features like Bluetooth audio streaming, custom application-based presets, and automatic signal processors make it easy to dial in great sound for a wide range of applications. The IRX Series of portable PA loudspeakers includes the IRX108BT, which features an 8-inch woofer, and the IRX112BT, which features a 12-inch woofer. IRX Series speakers require no experience. Four custom EQ presets optimized for common performance scenarios help simplify setup with push button ease. Built-in dbx Automatic Feedback Suppression makes your performance or presentation sound polished and protects IRX Series speakers by stopping feedback before it starts. One-touch ducking automatically lowers music volume when speech input is detected, ensuring every word is heard loud and clear. JBLPro.com
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barbizmag.com
INVENTORY
RENEW YOUR REFRIGERATORS
Hoshizaki America One & Two-Section Pass-Thru Refrigeration Hoshizaki America, Inc. introduces a full line of one- and twosection pass-thru upright refrigeration to their Steelheart series. The pass-thru models include ducted airflow, stainless steel interior, and energy-efficient R290 refrigerant. The 27.5-inch wide onesection pass-thrus are designed to maximize their 24.2 cubic feet of internal food storage space within the smallest external footprint possible. That makes the PT1AFS-FS full stainless-steel doors, PT1A-HS-HS half stainlesssteel doors, and the PT1A-FG-FG full glass doors perfect for space-restricted kitchens. The 55-inch wide two-section refrigerators hold 52.2 cubic feet of food, have the same door options as the single sections, and are made to order. All Steelheart reach-ins are engineered to maintain NSF-7 temperatures even in 100-degree Fahrenheit kitchens. The overall upright cabinet height is only 79.5-inches (on 4-inch casters), allowing installers to quickly roll the units through doorways and into place. Door hinging can be reversed, quickly and easily, no kit required.
HAVE YOUR CHOCOLATE AND YOUR WHISKEY 8-Ball Premium Chocolate Whiskey
8-Ball Premium Chocolate Whiskey is 100% all-natural, 66-proof, chocolate-infused bourbon whiskey. 8-Ball Premium Chocolate Whiskey uses only the finest all-natural ingredients sourced from Madagascar, Indonesia, and Mexico, combined with premium bourbon aged in charred American Oak barrels. The result is a smooth and sophisticated flavor with subtle notes of oak, maple, and vanilla, yielding both a drinkable whiskey on its own as well as a prime cocktail spirit. The company recently expanded its operations to a 5,000-square-foot urban distillery in Spring Valley, California. 8ballwhiskey.com
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RumChata Limón blends Caribbean rum with real dairy cream, vanilla, and lemon in a sweet, smooth cream liqueur with a fresh lemon finish. RumChata Limón is packaged in a bright yellow version of the iconic RumChata bottle, complete with the familiar gold cap. According to MetrixLabs’ 2018 Popular Drinks study, lemon and citrus continue to top flavor cocktail trends. Recent Nielsen data has lemon flavor growth at more than 5% and limón spirits as a $35 million category. RumChata Limón gives the consumer a new way to experience the popular lemon flavor. RumChata Limón can be enjoyed on the rocks, as a light and flavorful creamer in hot or cold coffee, or blended with other flavored spirits such as blueberry vodka for a refreshing shot or cocktail. In addition, RumChata Limón is a delicious recipe ingredient for brunch favorites such as French Toast and pancakes. RumChata Limón is currently available in select markets and will be available nationally by April. rumchata.com
barbizmag.com
February 2020
Bar Business Magazine
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AD INDEX
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TOOTERS PROMOTIONS
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ULTIMATE BARS
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VINEXPO NEW YORK
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WONKYWARE
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BRADSHAW BOURBON bradshawbourbon.com FRUITS FOR DRINKS fruitsfordrinks.com HOSHIZAKI AMERICA hoshizakiamerica.com JBL jblpro.com RUMCHATA rumchata.com
TO ADVERTISE IN BAR BUSINESS MAGAZINE, CONTACT ART SUTLEY 212-620-7247 ASUTLEY@SBPUB.COM
THIRSTY for more? VISIT @BARBIZMAG
February 2020 Bar Business Magazine
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with MELISSA YOUNG
What does MY Studio ID offer bars?
We specialize in creating functional spaces that work operationally while providing a great atmosphere.
2
The concept most often starts with the client’s vision. They usually have an idea of how they want their guests to feel in the space and the menu they will provide. From there, we can create an atmosphere that is beyond their expectations. By considering the totality of the space and how it will feel to the end user, we make sure the whole space is telling the same story.
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FOUNDER OF MY STUDIO ID
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alifornia-based hospitality designer Melissa Young is the founder of MY Studio ID. She has spent the last 15 years exploring the concept of space— gutting it, layering it, and decking it out with understated West Coast sophistication. From eateries, lounges, and social spaces, her talents have evolved into a robust and growing client portfolio with more than 200 hospitality spaces under her belt. Most recently, MY Studio ID’s aesthetic is being tapped by the hotel and travel space. She defies convention through her use of unique materials and composition. She most recently completed design work on Carlsbad, CA bar The Coyote, where she led a complete interior renovation of the 4,000-squarefoot space into a hip, Southwestern den. She also recently pulled inspiration from Tulum to transform San Diego restaurant Madero’s Tequila Bar (pictured, right).
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When designing a bar/restaurant, how do you develop the concept?
What are some bar design factors?
We believe that an efficient use of space is the most important element of bar design. Space planning of the location of the kitchen, bar, restrooms, and the seating areas need to make sense for both operations and the end user. The natural flow of how people use a space should be of utmost importance and one of the first things addressed in bar design.
4
What are some of the biggest design mistakes you’ve seen?
When I walk into a bar or restaurant and the space feels wrong because of poor flow and odd space planning, it is always such a disappointment. Although there is no excuse for poor space planning, we understand that oftentimes there are elements that the designer must consider, such as structural columns or ADA necessities. We like to think that each one of these
hurdles is a potential opportunity. We have worked with spaces that originally felt very disjointed or had awkward elements, and we have been able to make those spaces feel as if the initial challenge was a design feature that was purely aesthetic. Also, location is key. The wrong location can instantly kill a great concept.
5
Tell us about a favorite project.
We recently designed a restaurant called Black Rail Kitchen & Bar, which had a unique challenge. The existing space was comprised of two distinct and very separate dining spaces connected by an awkward hallway. We decided to make each dining space unique with its own eyecatching focal point. The first dining space was defined by an opulent bar with towering iron dividers leading to a wingspan of light and steel. The dramatic focal point of the second dining room featured a chandelier of Manzanita branches and drop-lights falling gracefully from elevated woodpaneled ceilings. We created a soaring barrel vault that connected the two spaces. Thus, we turned an awkward space plan into three engaging experiences for the guest.
6
Any general design advice?
Speak with a designer who has experience in the type of space they are hoping to create. An experienced bar and restaurant designer can not only provide an efficient use of space but create an atmosphere that provides design elements that function and look amazing. Madero’s Tequila Bar.
Photo: Haley Hill Photography.
Q&A
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Introducing
RumChata Limón! Caribbean Rum, Real Dairy Cream, Rich Vanilla, and Sunny Lemon! Available March 1st! Order now!
RumChata Limón™. Caribbean Rum with Real Dairy Cream, Natural & Artificial Flavors, 14% alc/vol. Agave Loco Brands, Pewaukee, WI. Please Enjoy Responsibly. RUMCHATA, RUMCHATA LIMÓN, and CHATA are trademarks of Agave Loco, LLC