Bar Business June 2019

June 2019

THE HOW-TO PUBLICATION

BAR BUS NESS MAGAZINE

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THE HOW-TO PUBLICATION

BAR BUS NESS MAGAZINE

Alfresco

Free for new customers!

Shift4’s new SkyTab™ pay-atthe-table solution improves operational efficiency.

skytab.com

June 2019

Plus

AESTHETICS

Creating an outdoor space.

Heating & cooling

SOLUTIONS

BREWING INNOVATION

EMAIL MARKETING

3 beer brands disrupt the market.

SkyTab can build your markeTing daTabaSe.

INVENTORY CONTROL

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK SkyTab helpS improve your online repuTaTion.

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keep control and stop waste.

Tobin Ellis, founder and CEO of BarMagic.

Imagine bar equipment conceived by a renowned bartender, and built by Perlick Perlick’s new Tobin Ellis Signature Cocktail Station is a breakthrough achievement in underbar design resulting from an ambitious collaboration between 6-time national bartending champion and celebrated bar designer, Tobin Ellis and the award-winning engineering team at Perlick.

“Together, we’ve built a cocktail station that’s perfect for everything from craft cocktail bars to high-volume nightclubs and 5-star/5-diamond hotel environments. It’s the tricked-out station every serious bartender has dreamt about and every savvy operator has hoped for.”

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Contents How Tos

16

Reinventing the POS Experience

June

Innovation continues to define the POS systems market.

20

Keeping Control

23

Tuning Up: Is Your Bar Running Hot and Cold?

The importance of inventory control and how to stop waste.

Products to maintain the right temperature in your outdoor spaces.

Departments

4

From the Editor

6

On Tap

A letter from our Editor Ashley Bray.

33

Industry news & announcements.

10

Behind The Bar

14

Happenings

In-depth analysis of beer, wine, and spirits.

Important dates for the month.

36

Inventory

40

Q+A

BAR TOUR Biltong Bar brings a taste of South Africa to the States.

Featured product releases.

Natalia Cardenas, Beverage Development Manager, Breakthru Beverage Group

Features

26

Outdoor Oasis

30

Brewing Innovation

Comfort, entertainment, and aesthetic all go into crafting an outdoor space.

Three brands changing expectations in the beer market.

Cover Photo: A-NIKS Outdoor Comfort Solutions, Beach House Restaurant in Bradenton Beach , FL. Contents photo: Kamil Lee.

barbizmag.com

June 2019

Bar Business Magazine

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THE HOW-TO PUBLICATION

BAR BUS NESS MAGAZINE

June 2019

Vol. 12

No. 6

Bar Business Magazine (ISSN 1944-7531) is published

by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 55 Broad St 26th Fl., New York, NY 10004

What are you drinking this summer?

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

“Any cocktail that requires a blender. Frozen margaritas, pińa coladas, mudslides— you name it!”

Contributing Writers Emily Eckart, Maura Keller, Christopher Osburn, Melissa Scotti

art

Art Director Nicole D’Antona Graphic Designer Aleza Leinwand

production

Corporate Production Director Mary Conyers mconyers@sbpub.com “Low-ABV cocktails made with fresh juices will be my go-to all season.”

Digital Ad Operations Associate Kevin Fuhrmann

circulation

Circulation Director Maureen Cooney mcooney@sbpub.com

advertising sales Art Sutley 212-620-7247 asutley@sbpub.com

“This summer, I am drinking mango margaritas with lots of tequila!”

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, 55 Broad St. 26th Floor, New York, NY 10004. 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 2019. 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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Bar Business Magazine

June 2019 barbizmag.com

from the editor

From The Editor

Leadership is an active role; ‘lead’ is a verb. But the leader who tries to do it all is headed for burnout, and in a powerful hurry.

- Bill Owens

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’ve seen the word “burnout” all over the internet lately. It turns out we’re all pretty stressed.

According to a Gallup study on employee burnout from last year, of nearly 7,500 full-time employees surveyed, 23% reported feeling burned out at work very often or always, while an additional 44% reported feeling burned out sometimes.

Translation? About two-thirds of full-time workers experience burnout on the job.

Even the World Health Organization recently announced that it was updating its definition of burnout in the 11th revision of its International Classification of Diseases to characterize the condition as a “syndrome.”

The definition reads, in part: “Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions: 1) feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; 2) increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and 3) reduced professional efficacy.”

This update comes on the heels of a CNN article about Michelin Chef Magnus Nilsson, who is closing his restaurant in Sweden at the end of the year to spend more time with family and focus on his physical and mental health. He’s not alone, as other Michelin chefs have asked to give back their stars over the last few years.

Chefs aspiring to greatness may find it mind-boggling that someone who has reached such levels of prestige would seemingly throw it all away. But owning a Michelin-starred restaurant brings with it an extreme pressure to continue to

measure up to those standards.

It’s not just Michelin chefs who are burnt out. Bartenders, owners, perhaps even you reading this column, can all bow under the pressure of providing exceptional food, beverages, and service; maintaining a sterling online reputation; and finding time for family and friends.

It’s an incredibly tricky balancing act.

Burnout can also affect business as it leads to high turnover, health issues, and a loss in employee productivity.

I wish I could end this column with a cure-all solution for burnout, but there isn’t an easy fix to the issue. Self-care is often toted as a panacea, but meditation, a weekly yoga class, or indulging in your favorite TV show aren’t enough to topple this newly dubbed “syndrome.”

Not that you should ignore self-care, it’s certainly beneficial, but it’s important to recognize it’s only one piece of a larger puzzle. As owners, you actually have the power to take big steps toward preventing and addressing burnout. Take a look at your employee culture: Are you challenging employees, offering incentives and benefits, and cultivating an environment where they feel valued and understood? Turn that reflection inward: Is your work still fulfilling for you? Becoming aware of issues at the operations level is a big part of the battle.

Ashley bray, Editor

June 2019 barbizmag.com

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T

ON TAP The 2019 Nightclub & Bar Show Delivers

he 34th annual Nightclub & Bar Show returned to the Las Vegas Convention Center March 25-27 with Chairman Jon Taffer at the helm.

The three-day convention featured a packed expo floor of over 400 exhibitors, a Craft Beer Park, Emerging Brands Pavilion, and The Launching Pad Pavilion. Attendees also took advantage of 82 conference sessions, product launches, keynote sessions, bootcamps, certification sessions, and a series of educational workshops.

The F&B Innovation Center returned to the show this year along with the all-new inaugural F&B Innovation Conference. Also new was the first-ever Live Bar, which featured live demonstrations of ways to achieve growth in your bar.

Rounding out the show were off-site tours and trainings as well as afterhours parties at Intrigue Nightclub, Jewel Nightclub, and On the Record.

This year’s education series was highlighted by keynote presentations

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Bar Business Magazine

from Jon Taffer, who challenged the excuses we all make and provided tips to help build revenue. Jim Meehan, Mixography, Inc., discussed leadership and staff training. Tanisha Robinson, CEO of Brewdog USA and David Kaplan, Founder & Co-Owner, Death & Co., finished out the last day with a presentation on strategies for raising capital and funding.

In total, 91% of attendees who came to the show played a role in the purchasing process, with 57% of attendees coming from single-unit establishments and 40% from multi-unit establishments. A whopping 97% of attendees found at least one new product they weren’t familiar with.

The top 10 purchasing interests attendees had at the show were: bar supplies; bar technology/POS; marketing, promotions, and services; beer and cider; spirits; food & food service equipment; sound, lighting, and music; venue equipment; furniture, décor, and design; and wine.

A number of industry trends emerged

at the show including cannabis, sustainability, and gaming. For more on these trends, read “From the Editor,” in our April 2019 issue.

“For more than 30 years, the Nightclub & Bar Show has revolutionized the nightlife and hospitality industry across the world.

We are seeing the business of the industry rapidly change, and I am excited to come on board leading up to the NCB Show’s 35th anniversary in 2020,” said Nightclub & Bar Show Chairman Jon Taffer. “The opportunity to be part of an event that has such an impact in the industry has never been greater, and I look forward to working with the team and bringing elevated experiences to the show and attendees.”

Mark your calendars now for next year as the show cheers to 35 years when it returns to the Las Vegas Convention Center March 30-April 1, 2020 with an all-new focus on promotions and innovation. ncbshow.com

June 2019 barbizmag.com

Photo: Nightclub & Bar.

From ON TAP The Editor

ON TAP RumChata Toasts to 10 Years

Photo: RumChata.

R

umChata celebrates 10 years in 2019. The brand is now the number-one selling rum-cream liqueur in the world, but its story starts in the kitchen of Founder and Master Blender Tom Maas.

Maas, a 30-year veteran of the liquor industry, had recently retired from Jim Beam. One of his last projects for the brand was trying to tap into the Hispanic market and discover why they weren’t bigger consumers of American whiskey and bourbon. Maas ran focus groups as part of the project, and participants frequently mentioned mixing horchata with bourbon as a way to get the Hispanic market to drink more bourbon.

At that point, Maas wasn’t familiar with horchata, which is a milky drink made from rice, water, cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla. After retiring, he came upon the drink at a taco stand and tried it. “After the first taste, I thought, ‘wow, this would make a really good liquor,’” he said.

Maas spent the next year working on a horchata recipe before he came up with a flavor he liked. “I didn’t think that a water-based liqueur would be that luxurious and premium, so I started to add cream to it, and that’s how we ended up with a cream-based horchata,” explained Maas. “Then I started to add alcohol to it to see if we could make it an alcoholic beverage.

“Rum was the best spirit to mix with horchata because the vanilla notes in rum really highlighted the cinnamon and vanilla notes in the horchata flavor.”

RumChata was born. Maas originally planned to try and sell RumChata to a liquor company, but he was itching to get back into the liquor industry and decided to bring it to market himself.

With the help of his father, a retired distilling engineer, he put up his own plant and began producing RumChata, which was introduced in 2009.

Maas’ original plan was to market RumChata to Mexican restaurants given barbizmag.com

its horchata flavor, but that plan soon changed. “Most of the restaurants I went into said we don’t put rum in horchata, this isn’t authentic, we wouldn’t put this on our after-dinner drink list,” he said.

He got a new marketing idea from millennial-aged drinkers who said RumChata reminded them of the milk leftover from a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. Maas ran with this concept and started bundling small boxes of Cinnamon Toast Crunch with bottles of RumChata so that bartenders could use the cereal as a garnish for shots.

From there, bartenders moved on to adding Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey to shots of RumChata to up the alcohol content. The shot became extremely popular and helped propel the RumChata brand forward.

Since launching, RumChata has grown to annual sales of more than 500,000 cases globally.

Today, RumChata’s marketing revolves around a few strategies, including promoting its association with coffee.

“The coffee angle is very, very strong for us because RumChata and coffee is tremendous,” said Maas. “We’re a little bit lighter than typical cream liqueur, we’re a third less butter fat, so it isn’t as heavy an addition to coffee. It just gives it a nice flavor and a creamy texture.

For hot coffee, RumChata has branded mini ceramic creamer pitchers for the on-premise. “We had some advertising we did in the last year that said turn a $5 cup of coffee into a $10 cup of coffee by adding a shot of RumChata to it,” explained Maas.

MiniChatas, 25ml peel-off creamer cups sold in 15 packs, are also an option for hot coffee. The MiniChata packs are typically sold off-premise, but they can also be used as an easy way to serve RumChata and coffee on-premise.

The brand also recently launched a new, ready-to-drink iced coffee product called FrappaChata. “We’re actually going to come out with a liter bottle because we think it’s something restaurants could use,” said Maas. “For example, they could put an alcoholic iced coffee on their menu, and it could be very good for summer.”

RumChata’s current marketing

strategy also focuses on increasing brand awareness to reach new consumers. Maas said that while established brands are at 75-80% awareness, RumChata is at about 30% awareness with adults of legal drinking age, and much of that is made up of consumers ages 21-40. “The 40-plus consumer is where we don’t have a lot of awareness and volume, and that’s where we see the opportunity for growth,” he explained.

RumChata is using TV ads during high-profile sporting events and awards shows to drive brand awareness. “Our focus is really getting the core message of RumChata, what it is, and what it tastes like out to the right people,” said Charlie Maas, Chief Marketing Officer of RumChata.

The brand has also given back through the RumChata Foundation, which to date, has donated more than a million dollars to various organizations and charities. One example of its efforts include its donations to the veterans aid organization Lone Survivor Foundation through proceeds from the annual RumChata Freedom Bottle Program.

“If we have the opportunity to do something to help people, we’d like to do it,” said Maas, who explained the Foundation is intentional in choosing what organizations to work with. “We don’t try and give every organization five dollars here and there. We’re focusing on donations that really are meaningful.” rumchata.com

June 2019

Bar Business Magazine

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From ON TAP The Editor

A

ccording to a 2018 Pew Research survey, 92% of Millennials own a smartphone, followed closely by 85% of Generation X. Nearly every guest that walks through the doors of your bar is guaranteed to be touting a cell phone—so why not harness the power of that device?

That’s just what technology company Tech In Motion was created to do—to provide bars and restaurant with intelligent beverage marketing solutions that use augmented reality and other creative technologies. These solutions give consumers an interactive way to connect with brands and concepts.

“More and more people own smartphones, use them for longer periods during the day, and check them on average 52 times a day,” says Duncan Freer, Founder/CEO of Tech In Motion. “The usage is no different in bars and restaurants. In fact, it could be argued that individuals are even more glued to their devices if they are on their own! So, we wanted to create a platform where the bar/ restaurant can engage with their customers in a completely new and immersive way using AR.” The company formed in October 2018 with four co-founders: Duncan Freer, Paul DiBenedetto, Tony Pereyra, and Phil Wills.

Freer came to the company with a technology background running a

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Bar Business Magazine

.com business. He met Paul DiBenedetto, who has over 10 years’ experience in the hospitality industry as a multi-unit owner operator and beverage consultant.

“We spoke about how we could leverage new technology to disrupt the beverage and hospitality industry,” explains Freer.

Pereyra and Wills, both founders of The Spirits in Motion beverageconsulting company, came on board as well.

“For The Spirits In Motion, we have always prided ourselves with staying on top of trends in the food and beverage industry at all times,” says Pereyra. “When Phil and I met Duncan and Paul, we immediately knew this technology wasn’t just something that’s here and now, but it definitely is what’s new and what’s next! Creating Tech In Motion offers a breakthrough technology for the hospitality industry.”

Wills agrees, “It is no ‘new news’ that technology is at the forefront of our world. With technology being a part of everyday life in general, we saw an opportunity to make it a part of the hospitality and beverage world.”

Freer had just invested in a start-up that created enhanced experiences for cultural institutions using, amongst other things, augmented reality (AR).

Tech In Motion decided to leverage AR and created a prototype of the Lagunitas mascot dog talking on a beer bottle label. From there, the company worked on various other projects, including posters, event invites, and a bar menu.

“We have now created a beverage marketing platform in an intelligent mobile app that integrates AI, AR, social media, and mobile commerce,” says Freer, explaining that clients can choose which modules to include in their apps. “We can either create a fully customized, branded app, or we can create the technology inside a client’s existing app. An app is currently the best platform. However, the technology is improving rapidly whereby robust, complex experiences may be available via a web browser in

the next few months.”

The AR capabilities in the app can be used in a variety of ways, including to enhance limited-time offers, increase sales, provide deeper brand engagement, and focus on more profitable drinks and food items by bringing menus to life. By pointing a device at a menu, poster, product label, etc., the user triggers an experience, which can be 2D or 3D. “Operators are continuously looking for ways to elevate the guest experiences in their establishments, and the guests that are going to these establishments are looking for the ultimate experience. Utilizing technology like AR gives the guest a new and exciting way to experience the bar or restaurant they are going to,” says Pereyra. “From interactive games and menus, product education, F&B limited-time offers/promotions, to even telling the concept’s story, the guest can now be engaged with a brand like never before.”

For one particular bar with a bee theme, the venue worked with Tech in Motion to create a 3D interactive experience that was triggered by the drinks menu. When guests pointed their phones at the menu, animated replicas of the cocktails spun up from the menu with bees flying around the drinks. Guests could choose different drinks by tapping the AR menu bar in the foreground of the experience.

Wills even created the cocktails used in the activation for an all-new guest experience.

“The possibilities are limitless as we can provide valuable information to influence consumers on ordering decisions,” says Wills. “Images from the menu can be screenshot and shared on all social media platforms.

This is added marketing presence for the establishment and brand.

Technology is on its way to automatically share the augmented reality experience with social media platforms and will most likely be available by the time this article is released.” techinmotion.io; info@techinmotion.io

June 2019 barbizmag.com

Photo: Tech in Motion.

Augment Your Bar’s Reality With New Technology

ON TAP

Unlocking the Las Vegas Nightlife Experience

Photo: Gina Joy @ginajoyphoto.

L

as Vegas draws millions of visitors every year who come in search of an extravagant experience, but how do you ensure they find and visit your nightclub?

That’s where Excess VIP comes in. A fullservice nightlife concierge company based out of Las Vegas, Excess VIP focuses on making the Vegas experience as seamless as possible for clients and business owners alike.

Founded in 2012 by Aaron Perez and Steve Edsall, the company blossomed into a seven-figure operation in just five years. Edsall’s pro-athlete background and experience with celebrity clients, along with Perez’s experience in finance and music production, led to a wealth of contacts in the Vegas nightlife landscape.

Excess VIP, with experienced VIP hosts and industry professionals, are able to coordinate social and corporate group outings offering the ideal experience by pairing clients with venues and events that fit their desires. They have assisted thousands of guests over the years including professional athletes and executives from major tech companies barbizmag.com

like Google and Apple. By partnering with Excess VIP, bar and nightclub owners can benefit from these preexisting relationships as the company works to introduce these clients to your venue.

Excess VIP has the resources to offer a customized experience for anyone dipping their toes into Vegas nightlife. “Our city has over 20 nightclubs and 15 pool parties on the strip and knowing which one will be the best club to go to each night is our specialty,” says Edsall. “We know what venues will suit them the best.”

This ensures that corporate groups, VIPs, and visitors are taken care of in a way that is meaningful and personalized, and it also helps extend your venue’s reach by bringing a cultivated clientele through the doors of your establishment. To bring even more exposure to your venue, Excess VIP uses digital marketing materials and social media to promote its partners in a way that is informative and exciting.

As a company largely built around word-of-mouth and referrals, they value their partnerships with bars and nightclubs and the collaboration that

contributes to positive guest experiences.

On their relationships with business owners, Perez says, “Once we feel a specific bar or nightclub provides a great service and aligns with the services our company provides, we develop a two-way referral channel type partnership. If they or their preferred clients come out to Las Vegas, we act as a resource that provides the high-quality VIP experiences they’re used to getting in their own city, and vice versa.”

Excess VIP is currently developing relationships with nightlife brands and agencies in major cities around the world. “We currently do send business to LA, New York, and Miami, but we use local promoters, and in the future, we hope to have our own Excess VIP staff on the ground to cater to clients like we do in Vegas,” says Edsall.

Excess VIP could soon be offering their tailored services and experiences in a city near you.

– Melissa Scotti excessviplasvegas.com June 2019

Bar Business Magazine

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Behind The Bar: WSWA

Let’s talk

WSWA

Three brands stood out at this year’s WSWA Convention & Exposition.

BY Ashley Bray

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T

he 76th Annual Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) Convention & Exposition took place March 31-April 3, 2019 at Grande Lakes in Orlando, Florida. The WSWA Convention & Exposition is the premier event where distributors seek out new and exciting beverage products, meet with existing partners, and look for services to enhance internal operations. In this month’s column, we’re going to highlight three brands that stood out.

The London Essence Company The London Essence Company (londonessenceco.com), relaunched in 2016,

comes with almost 125 years of history.

Originally founded in 1896 on the banks of the River Thames, it was famous for creating the highest grades of distilled essences for leading perfume houses of the era. They then became one of the first to apply this expertise to the creation of flavors for the food and drink industry.

Today, London Essence is reviving these methods of distillation and using the distilled botanical essences in a line of finely crafted mixers now available in the U.S.: Classic London Tonic Water, Grapefruit & Rosemary Tonic Water, Bitter Orange & Elderflower Tonic Water, Perfectly Spiced Ginger Beer, Delicate Ginger Ale, and Soda Water.

June 2019 barbizmag.com

Photo: The London Essence Company.

The London Essence Company offers premium mixers using distilled essences.

Behind The Bar: wswa “We use a signature distilled essence in every blend, the purest form of a flavor, to capture the most aromatic notes,” says Ounal Bailey, Co-Founder of The London Essence Company.

“This also allows us to craft a range that is always lower in sugar, without the use of artificial sweeteners, more suited to the adult palate.

“As our entire collection is delicately light and low in sugar, with no more than 20 calories per 100 ml, they allow the distinct notes of a premium spirit to shine through, rather than smothering them with excessive sugar.”

London Essence’s packaging also helps the brand stand out. “We believe that you eat and drink with all your senses, so we do place importance on the appearance of our products as a part of the overall mix,” says Bailey.

“The London Essence Company packaging was inspired by the original London Essence Company’s heritage in the perfume industry. The timeless elegance of our bottle shape reflects this history and is designed to fit in the most luxurious environments. We also use a specialist botanical illustrator to showcase the unique distilled essence in every bottle.”

The mixers made a splash at the WSWA Convention & Exposition, with the brand taking home the runner-up prize at the Brand Battle.

“Our belief is that both bartenders and customers are now placing an increasing value on the quality of drinks, with many choosing to drink at bit less, but drink better,” says Bailey.

“High-quality bottled mixers allow you to deliver a consistent and fresh experience to each customer, through every drink.”

London Essence currently has six offerings in the U.S. but hopes to make more flavors available soon— specifically its line of crafted sodas (Rhubarb & Cardamom Crafted Soda and White Peach & Jasmine Crafted Soda), which are only available in Europe. “People nowadays want more adventurous drinks and to sample new and exciting flavors,” says Bailey.

“Bartenders also benefit from a great range of flavors, which allows them to experiment with the full breadth of spirits on their back bars.” barbizmag.com

Premium Blend Establishments with only a beer and wine license may feel restricted in what alcoholic beverages they can serve, but Premium Blend looks to change that. The company offers an entire range of wine-based liquor substitutes that allow these venues to legally make and serve cocktails.

“They are wine-based substitutes for liquors that actually carry the flavor of the liquor that you’re representing,” says Henry Santos, Vice President at Premium Blend (premiumblend.com). “They’re fermented, not distilled, so they are classified as a wine and fit under the law as a wine product.”

Premium Blend offers substitutes for rum (Rhumbero), tequila (El Guitarron Agave Wine, El Jinete Blanco, etc.), vodka (Klir Red), gin (King George), cognac (ConnoisSir VSOP Select), whiskey (Candian Wicket), cinnamon whiskey (Cinnamon Wicket), and more.

The products carry a lower alcohol-byvolume than regular liquor. They are just as stable as liquor and have a shelf life of about two years.

The company also offers a line of premium mixers so that it’s even easier for establishments to make cocktails.

“We give you a complete palate of flavors so that the mixologist feels liberated and can make different cocktails,” says Santos.

For those worried about a difference in taste, Santos says customers often prefer Premium Blend products because they are smoother and more flavorful.

This is especially true in well drinks.

Take Bloody Marys, for example. “A lot of bars use the cheapest vodka they can find to make Bloody Marys. Ours is a high-quality, very smooth tasting product that actually imitates the best vodkas out there,” says Santos. “Customers prefer that kind of a flavor profile.”

The Premium Blend line is presently sold in 26 states where there is a differentiation between full liquor licenses and beer and wine licenses.

The liquor substitutes allow venues to remain competitive in states where a full liquor license can be out of reach due to high costs (sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars) or limited

Primosa

4 oz Prosecco 1 oz PRIQLY 1 ½-2 oz Pineapple juice Garnish with pineapple wedge/ maraschino cherry Fill a flute with ingredients, stir gently, garnish.

PRIQLY

Elderflower Fizz 1.5 Parts Fresh apple juice Juice of half a lime 4 Mint leaves lightly muddled 3 Parts London Essence Co. Bitter Orange & Elderflower Tonic Serve over ice. Garnish with a mint sprig.

The London Essence Company

Margarita 2 oz Premium Blend El Guitarron 1 oz Premium Blend Triple Sec 2 oz El Guitarron Margarita Mix 8 oz Ice Blend ingredients. Garnish with lime slice.

Premium Blend

New Fashioned

2 oz Premium bourbon or rye 1 oz PRIQLY Orange twist Orange bitters Brandied cherry Rim a rocks glass with an orange twist and drop into glass. Add bourbon, PRIQLY, bitters, and stir. Garnish with a double cherry spear.

PRIQLY

Long Island Iced Tea 2 oz Premium Blend Klir Red 1 oz Premium Blend Rhumbero 2 oz Premium Blend El Guitarron 1 oz Premium Blend Triple Sec 1 oz Santos Sweet & Sour Mix Add ingredients to ice-filled hurricane glass.

Top off with Coca-Cola.

Premium Blend June 2019 Bar Business Magazine

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Behind The Bar: WSWA

PRIQLY, a prickly pear liqueur, is versatile and amplifies the flavors of base spirits.

license quotas.

“We help the small mom-and-pop, the middle of the restaurant industry, to succeed. We give them a chance to be able to compete against the chains and the franchises,” says Santos. “We give them a nice alternative for them to be able to add to their check average, which is really what the secret of success in a restaurant is— you’ve got to increase that check average.”

Owners can opt to add one or two specialty cocktails to their menu or elect to bring in a full bar’s worth of Premium Blend liquor substitutes. “It’s such a profitable item for them because they really don’t have to change their license, their insurance, or their way of doing business,” says Santos. “And you can make it as complicated as you want.

If you want to make every cocktail that’s in a full liquor bar, that’s great. We have all the products and all the flavors that you need. If you only want to make one drink, call it your house cocktail, and do it as a specialty thing, then you only need one flavor. And that one flavor could represent a tremendous amount of sales for you without complicating your life too much.”

Premium Blend products also work well in microbreweries or in the tasting rooms of craft brewers. Owners can offer one or 12

Bar Business Magazine

PRIQLY After spending many years in product development and global sourcing at Gallo, PRIQLY Founder Jeffrey Friedman set out to create a product of his own. After examining the market, he decided he wanted to create something that could help to sell other base spirits and settled on the liqueur category.

He sought to reinvent the notion of the typically sweet and sugary liqueur by creating a product that was low in sugar and calories. At the same time, he wanted to create a liqueur with a distinctly unique flavor profile that would mix well in both white and brown spirits.

Friedman ultimately turned to the prickly pear fruit, which thrives on the island of Malta. Initially inspired by a Maltese family who first made a local Wild Prickly Pear Liqueur in the 1990’s, Friedman further developed and innovated the flavor and aroma. When he arrived at a balance he liked, he began to experiment by mixing it with different base spirits.

“What I call the artifacts of distillation start to disappear in the base spirit, and what comes out is the real signature flavor of that spirit. What PRIQLY does is it tends to amplify those flavors but it also makes the palate impression rounder and fuller and it fills in the gaps,” says Friedman. “It makes

the drinks more drinkable.”

For example, when PRIQLY (priqlydrinks.com) is mixed with tequila, the agave flavor is brought forward. In gin, the flavors of juniper and botanicals are heightened. In bourbon, the brown sugar and maple flavors become evident.

“PRIQLY changes everything,” says Friedman, who says the “modern modifier” takes on chameleon-like properties (hence the chameleon icons on the bottle) as it changes itself based on what it’s mixed into. PRIQLY mixes equally well in white or brown spirits, and even improves the taste of sangria and beer.

“The versatility of the product is probably broader than any liqueur I have come across,” he says.

PRIQLY is also in line with today’s trends in the hospitality industry. “It’s lower alcohol at only 21% ABV, and it only has 9g of sugar, 11g of carbohydrates, and 90 calories per ounce,” says Friedman.

PRIQLY is currently distributed in a number of states, with many more pending and in discussion. Friedman says tasting is believing, and many establishments bring it in based on its versatility. “It was not designed to be a ‘liqueur,’” says Friedman, “it was designed to be a modifier, a bartender’s friend.”

Premium Blend offers a full range of wine-based liquor substitutes.

June 2019 barbizmag.com

Photos (left to right): Auston Design Group; Premium Blend.

two cocktails to those in the group who prefer a cocktail over a beer. They can also offer an upsell in the form of a dessert or after-dinner drink once a tasting is over.

To help venues market their new cocktail offerings, Premium Blend provides marketing collateral like posters, menus, and table tents. To advertise their new drink offerings, some establishments will publish that the cocktails are made with Premium Blend wine-based liquor substitutes right on their menus. Others call the drinks “Premium Blend cocktails” or simply say they are “now serving cocktails.”

Although the products are wine-based, Santos says legally there is nothing wrong with designating the drinks as “cocktails.”

“There is no law that says a cocktail has to be made with hard liquor,” he says. “A cocktail is a mix of either liquor or wine with fruit juices and mixers.”

Happenings July 2019

25

JuLY 25 National Wine and Cheese Day Thirsty Thursday! Host a wine tasting with a paired cheese plate.

JuLY 4 Independence Day Cue the red, white, and blue drinks—extra points if they’re frozen.

We encourage you to do the opposite—get outside!

If you need some design inspiration for your outdoor space, turn to page 26.

JuLY 29 National Chicken Wing Day Offer deals and different sauces for this crowd pleaser.

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Bar Business Magazine

JuLY 9 Major League Baseball All-Star Game Drum up some traffic this Tuesday with draft and wing specials as guests watch baseball’s greats play America’s pastime.

June 2019 barbizmag.com

All Photos: Shutterstock.com.

3

JuLY 3 Stay Out of the Sun Day

Happenings

Upcoming

JULY 12 National Pecan Pie Day

EVENTS

If pie isn’t your bar’s thing, go for pecan-flavored spirits, mixers, and cocktails instead.

july texas restaurant association marketplace July 14-15, 2019 Houston, Texas

tramarketplace.com

JULY 24 National Tequila Day Swap out the usual spirit in classic cocktails for tequila to surprise your guests with an unexpected twist.

tales of the cocktail July 16-21, 2019 New Orleans, Louisiana talesofthecocktail.com

august texas bar & Night club convention

10

July 10 National Piña Colada Day Whether guests opt for blended or shaken, you can’t go wrong with this perfect summer sipper.

August 19, 2019 San Antonio, Texas tbnaconvention.com

WESTERN FOODSERVICE & HOSPITALITY EXPO August 25-27, 2019 Los Angeles, California westernfoodexpo.com

ECRM On-Premise adult beverage epps August 27-29, 2019 New Orleans, Louisiana ecrm.marketgate.com

SEPTEMBER JULY 20 National Fatherin-Law Day Mom and dad already had their day. It’s time to honor the in-laws with a pint or two.

barbizmag.com

Foodservice technology conference & showcase (FSTEC) September 8-10, 2019 Dallas, Texas fstec.com

June 2019

Bar Business Magazine

15

How To: POS

How To Innovation continues to define the POS systems market.

Reinventing the POS Experience 16

Bar Business Magazine

By Ashley Bray June 2019 barbizmag.com

How To: POS

I

experience, there has been considerable demand for loyalty, reputation management, order-at-table, and pay-attable solutions,” says Isaacman. “The problem is that all of these services are typically provided by multiple different vendors, don’t work well together, and are extremely expensive. With SkyTab, we aimed to address these pain points by delivering a single, integrated solution that provides numerous benefits...at a truly unmatched price point.”

Photos (left): Shutterstock/ David Tadevosian; (right, top to bottom) Shift4 Payments, Surf WiFi.

f you’re a frequent reader of these pages, then you know point-of-sale (POS) systems are no longer just a way to take payments. With beefedup security, reporting capabilities, and third-party integrations, these systems have become the beating heart of many bars. Here are some new releases and innovations in the POS space.

SkyTab Shift4 Payments recently launched its new pay-at-the-table solution, SkyTab (skytab.com). Offered free of charge to new customers, it integrates seamlessly with the company’s Harbortouch, Restaurant Manager, Future POS, and POSitouch software brands, as well as Oracle Hospitality. New integration partners will be announced soon.

SkyTab also integrates with Shift4’s Lighthouse Business Management System, the company’s back-end POS management and reporting portal, which includes management tools for social media, customer engagement, loyalty, and online reputation.

SkyTab’s user-friendly payment interface supports EMV chip cards (reducing the bar’s liability for chargebacks), NFC mobile payments, and traditional swiped card transactions.

SkyTab also includes the ability to split checks and add tips (predefined tip amounts lead to increased tips for servers). Guests can opt for an e-receipt or a paper receipt via the integrated printer.

In addition, SkyTab is protected by Shift4’s full suite of secure payment technology, including PCI-validated pointto-point encryption and their advanced tokenization solution. Plus, customers feel more comfortable knowing their credit card never leaves their sight, which also reduces the risk of employee fraud.

Waitstaff can re-order menu items from the device, making it quick and easy to order another round of drinks or add a second appetizer. Full order-at-thetable functionality will be available soon through a software update.

“Pay-at-the-table and order-at-thetable promote a faster and more efficient guest experience,” says Shift4 Payments CEO Jared Isaacman. “This means increased table turns and more revenue opportunities for the business.”

barbizmag.com

Shift4 Payments’ SkyTab.

But SkyTab doesn’t stop at payment and ordering—it offers bars a host of other benefits, including reputation management. Restaurant patrons will be prompted to rate their service at the end of the transaction. If the rating is below a predetermined threshold, a text message alert will be immediately sent to management. This allows the business to address unhappy guests and resolve their concerns before they leave, preventing negative online reviews.

“We all know that a single star reduction in Yelp or TripAdvisor has a material impact on the revenues of a bar or restaurant. SkyTab is now the first line of defense against negative online reviews,” says Isaacman. “Business owners or managers can also view reports to evaluate staff or analyze trends.”

SkyTab also helps with marketing.

“When a customer chooses to receive an e-receipt, their email is saved in the bar’s email marketing database within Shift4’s Lighthouse Business Management System,” says Isaacman. “Lighthouse enables the business to easily set up marketing messages with predesigned templates and various customer engagement tools.”

Bar owners can link their social media profiles to schedule posts, track the performance of content, and manage all social media accounts in one place.

Customer engagement tools enable bars to set up welcome emails, promotional offers, and more to improve customer loyalty. Bars can also view ratings and reviews from multiple online review platforms and easily respond to customers to improve their online reputation.

“As technology has become a more central part of the restaurant and bar

Surf WiFi From the makers of Paradise POS comes the all-new Surf WiFi (surf-wifi.net), which transforms a bar’s free Wi-Fi into the “perfect set” of marketing tools to increase sales and customer retention.

Surf WiFi will install up to two Wi-Fi access points within a bar at no upfront cost to the owner (there is a monthly fee for the Surf service). Surf uses the access points to set up a Wi-Fi network for the bar’s customers. When customers sign onto the Wi-Fi, they are asked to give information such as an email address or a phone number, or to sign on using Facebook. Bar owners can decide how little or how much information to request in exchange for internet access.

Surf then tracks stats on that customer for that visit and subsequent visits. It also harnesses the power of the supplied data for marketing purposes.

“We utilize that data to send offers to the customers for the merchant by setting triggers on the account,” says Jeh Holsomback, President of Paradise POS. Triggers can include sending a birthday offer for 10% off or sending a free appetizer offer to guests who haven’t been in the bar for 60 days.

Surf even provides reporting on the success of marketing initiatives by tracking how many offers were opened and how many were actually redeemed.

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How To: POS Surf can also help with online reputation with its Trip Advisor integration that sends a link to visitors requesting a review. “We’ve seen Trip Advisor reviews increase three to four times what a client normally gets,” says Holsomback.

On the Paradise POS side, the company put out a new release with several enhancements. These include a redesigned, more mobile-friendly

online dashboard with a snapshot landing page that can be viewed on a phone without running any detailed reports. Paradise POS also now includes a complete purchase order system for increased inventory tracking and ease of use.

2TouchPOS 2TouchPOS has been busy redesigning

its terminal bundle, which now comes with biometric readers for permissions and time clock as well as a mounted chip reader creating a superior payment flow.

This year also marked a continued push toward the adoption of Windows 10 and the recent hardware release of the fast and durable EVO TP6 display.

2TouchPOS has also expanded Fast Credit and Store and Forward Capabilities with its processing partners. “Fast Credit is our way of managing the credit card payment process engineered specifically for the dining and nightlife industries,” explains Eric Elwell, CEO of 2TouchPOS. “Store and Forward Capabilities payment operations are continuous when the internet fails. Payment transactions are stored then forwarded for approvals when the internet is restored.”

2TouchPOS’ Microsoft Power BI, a powerful, custom analytics integration, continues to roll out enhancements to make it simpler for users to get support and unlock their data. 2TouchPOS has also added more dashboards. “Power BI is a very custom tool,” says Elwell. “Once you get the hang of it, you can really create some great dashboards that help you understand how your business is running.”

Working hand-in-hand with Microsoft Power BI is DataKey, which allows users to view all of their data—even remotely.

Elwell says this is especially important for accounts with multiple locations as they are looking for reports that combine data from each location. “Merging data is essential for these business so that processes can be compared and statuses checked continually,” he says. “Ad hoc reporting is also becoming desirable.

Customers are asking to gain access to their data so that they can work with [Microsoft] Excel to sort, extrapolate, and manage their report data freely.”

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June 2019 barbizmag.com

Photo: 2TouchPOS.

2TouchPOS System

Get away without things getting away Let’s face it. Some of us cannot completely unwind. If you are the type of person who has to know what’s going on back at the bar, Paradise POS is perfect for you! With an advanced set of reporting and inventory management tools, you will never be out of the loop. Even if you are a thousand miles away, let nothing “get away” while you’re on your get away!

surfwifi.net

How To

How To: Inventory Control

Keeping Control The importance of inventory control and how to stop waste.

N

obody likes wasting things. There’s a reason there’s such an emphasis on reducing, reusing, and recycling (just like Captain Planet used to say). Waste is a major issue in every industry in 2019, but it’s not limited to only the environment.

One of the biggest losses for most bars is related solely to inventory.

I don’t have to tell you how important inventory control is. If you

Pro Tip Your bank account is only one indicator of success. It’s also important to prevent loss, understand profit margins, focus on product mix, react to trends, and order properly.

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want to run a successful business, you have to have complete control of your inventory. There are simple and effective tools every bar owner can utilize to help stop inventory losses now and in the future.

Sculpture Hospitality Sculpture Hospitality is a company designed to help bar and restaurant owners be successful and profitable.

“Another benefit is giving owners peace of mind and often more time,” says Joe English, Sculpture Hospitality Franchise Owner and Regional Director for a number of states, including Texas. “We have been around for more than thirty years and have a global presence with offices in most cities in North America.”

English compares the importance of proper inventory control to knowing how much gas is in your car. “Without inventory control, it’s like not knowing about the gas level in your car,” he says.

“If you keep topping the gas off, you

could be fine for a long time.” But in order to be efficient and to make the most of your travels in your car, you need to know how much gas you have.

“It’s the same in the bar,” says English.

“Having controls in place helps you to know the health of the business.”

Too often people only gauge their success by their bank account, but this is only one indicator. “The benefit of inventory control is to know how to build your bank account the most efficiently,” says English. “It’s not all about preventing loss, although that is a significant contributor to efficiency.

It’s also about understanding profit margins, product mix, reacting to trends, and ordering properly.”

Sculpture’s biggest differentiator to its competitors is accuracy to the 1/30th of an ounce by using digital scales and scanners. “There is no tenthing or guessing how much is in an opaque bottle,” says English, who explains the levels are tied into the

June 2019 barbizmag.com

Photo: Sculpture Hospitality.

By Christopher Osburn

How To: Inventory Control POS system to give a true variance on every brand. “Our software will account for things like batch mixes.”

Sculpture can also install draft beer flow meters that can report live every time a beer is poured.

Sculpture gives owners the tools needed to operate to maximum efficiency. “With offices all over, we have different levels of service,” says English. “We have the ability to step in and do everything for an owner, or to train the staff to use the equipment and software and let the do-ityourselfer take the process in-house.”

English says he has had several clients say that Sculpture “saved” their bar and hiring them was the best return that they have ever had for their business. At the very least, it’s peace of mind for bar owners.

“Imagine an owner sitting on a beach somewhere knowing that their investment and inventory are under control,” says English.

And in an industry where it seems

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like the landscape is changing daily, it’s important to stay on top of operations.

“Every day there is more competition, regulation, and trends,” says English.

“It’s important to be in front of those things by taking every advantage possible to maximize profits.”

Pure Pour Paul Helman knows that inventory control and cutting down on waste is extremely important in the bar industry.

That’s why he co-founded Pure Pour.

“It is the entire reason we invented this product,” he says. “This may be one of

Margins are slim in our industry, so every penny counts.

the most important things needed to run a successful bar or restaurant.

Margins are slim in our industry, so every penny counts.”

There are obvious benefits to inventory control and a simple product like Pure Pour is designed to impact them in a positive way. “Pure Pour fits inside and couples over a liquor bottle,” explains Helman. “It is a leakproof pour spout designed to increase profits on your bars. It’s low tech, inexpensive, won’t rust, and comes with a bug cover.”

Pure Pour provides a solution for the long-standing problem of spillage due to a leaky product. “It eliminates the ‘accepted’ waste that every owner has dealt with over the last several decades,” says Helman.

The industry standard is a metal spout that all professionals are familiar with. They all leak at some point during their use, either right out of the box or over time. “The Pure Pour never leaks, thus cutting out the one to two ounces of spillage that can come from any leaky spout, from a single bottle,” he says.

Over time, this spillage really adds up. “As an example, let’s say you sell one case of Tito’s Vodka a month, at an average cost of $10 per drink,” says Helman. “If that spout leaks, you can lose 12 ounces a week, over 48 ounces a month. This equals 18 bottles per year, almost $6,000 in profit per year ($5,760). And this is from just one leaky spout.”

The Pure Pour puts profits back into the owner’s pocket by eliminating loss from spillage. “Thus, improving cost and better controlling inventory,” says Helman. “We improved liquor cost by 2% in our latest study, in just one month, after a switch to the Pure Pour.”

It also allows one to monitor profits based on the cost of product as related to sale of goods as well as to monitor an employee’s precision and ability to effectively pour alcohol as related to the business standards.

“It gives you a constant handle on the costs involved with doing business,” says Helman. “Inventory control allows one to project usage month to month.”

Partender For bartenders and bar owners, the night they do inventory is one of the worst. Inventory is done after the bar closes and traditionally lasts all night.

That’s where Partender comes in. This app takes that evening-long endeavor and turns it into a simple chore.

Before Partender, bartenders literally had to individually take each bottle off of the shelf and figure out what percentage was left in each using a ten-point scale. This also required the bartender to write everything down and keep a log. Depending on the size of a bar, this process could take hours.

Partender launched a few years ago and is already being used in thousands of bars around the world. To complete inventory, users simply tap where the level of liquid is on a bottle image and swipe over to the next bottle. This process is completed when every bottle is done. The app keeps track of all the levels, so users never have to grab a pen and paper and eyeball a shelf of whiskey, rum, and tequila ever again.

June 2019 barbizmag.com 12/11/18 3:45 PM

Tuning Up

How To: Heating/Cooling

HOW TO

Is Your Bar Running Hot and Cold?

Photo: Shutterstock/ Africa Studio.

Products to maintain the right temperature in your outdoor spaces.

W

hat do hotels, bars, and restaurants have in common when it comes to keeping patrons comfortable in outdoor environs? Heating and cooling products, and they are making significant inroads throughout the bar industry.

In fact, bar owners and operators are barbizmag.com

By Maura Keller discovering that a lot has changed in the world of heating and cooling equipment, both in materials and technology.

Move Over Awnings For years, bar and restaurant patrons have relished sitting under industrialstrength fabric awnings while enjoying a drink or meal with friends. While a

time-honored source of shade and shelter, awnings have outlived their traditional roles of bar front extensions.

Although today’s new synthetic fabrics and innovative structural changes are making shade products more durable and versatile than ever, awnings can only go so far in keeping bar patrons cool and comfortable.

June 2019

Bar Business Magazine

23

How To: Heating/Cooling

IREnergy the evenGLO is a dome style gas infrared heater.

MistAmerica

The Mist360™ line of outdoor cooling fans broadcasts cool air 360 degrees.

Calcana the company offers infrared patio heaters engineered specifically for the restaurant industry.

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Bar Business Magazine

Enter Mist America, a company that manufactures, installs, and services the Mist360™ line of outdoor cooling fans as well as other outdoor cooling systems.

The Mist360 outdoor cooling system takes city water, purifies it with reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment, and then pumps up the pressure to 1000 PSI to the Mist360 and out through its ruby-orifice nozzles. The water droplets flash-evaporate and cool the air through the evaporation process.

This cool air blows down onto the bar’s customers, keeping them cool throughout the hotter months.

“When working with bars, we speak with the owners to understand their particular outdoor cooling needs, including geographical location, hours of operation, goal, and budget,” says Jonathan Marsh, Chief Executive Officer, MistAmerica. “We have purchase, lease, and rental options available to creatively work within any budget.”

Today’s cooling fans are designed to cool outdoor areas by 10°F to 30°F— even in very humid climates like Houston and Miami.

As Marsh explains, MistAmerica’s ruby-orifice nozzles produce the finest mist in the industry. And the Mist360 is designed to ensure the water droplets are dissipated and properly evaporate to cool well in all warm weather conditions. All this, combined with RO water, means customers are cool and dry when sitting under a Mist360.

“The Mist360 allows a bar owner to keep garage doors open without losing so much of the indoor A/C during the hotter days and keeps the load down on the A/C system,” says Marsh.

MistAmerica also offers complete design services—as well as installation and seasonal service. “Our customers typically email us plans and/or pictures of their outdoor areas, and we then come up with a plan to best cool the area for them,” says Marsh. “We

then schedule the installation of the system, install it, and create comfortable outdoor spaces for the customers for years to come.”

Warm and Cozy In chillier locales or during colder months when the outdoor temperatures can make spending an evening on the bar patio a bit uncomfortable, more and more bar owners are moving to innovative state-of-the-art heating products that keep patrons coming back for more. In fact, bar patrons enjoy the ambience of cooler evenings outdoors when they’re warmed by patio heaters.

“Most establishments we work with care deeply not only about extending the use of their outdoor space, but they care about creating an environment and ambience that their target crowd will enjoy and return to,” says Justin Merritt, Business Development Manager at IR Energy Luxury Patio Heating.

“By implementing a solution that provides the proper heat pattern and compliments the layout of the space, they can provide a functional outdoor space that lasts year-round with exception to only the most inclement weather.”

IR Energy prides itself on being able to solve outdoor heating challenges with the company’s product line. For example, the evenGLO dome style gas infrared heater is a powerful and efficient heater and is ideal for open spaces where hanging heaters are not an option. “If our client requires flexibility, this is the solution. This model is mobile, quiet, reliable and adaptable to multiple configurations,” says Merritt.

The IR Energy Habanero is aptly named as this is a high-intensity offering providing powerful heat in this classification. As Merritt explains, this means it can be hung from almost any height. Requiring a wall, ceiling, or post-mounted configuration, the

Bars want to create an environment that guests will return to.

June 2019 barbizmag.com

How To: Heating/Cooling

Habanero boasts three dual input models to choose from.

IR Energy’s evenTUBE is also a wall, ceiling, or post-mounted solution, and it’s ideal for heating large areas with a soft heat disbursement. “The critical advantage with the evenTUBE is the sleek design,” says Merritt. “With the most compact design in the market, this heater is discreet, quiet, and efficient.

It practically disappears into the background and let’s your guests focus on each other, not the temperature.”

IR Energy works collaboratively to ensure that both bar owners and their patron’s needs are met. In determining the best heating and cooling solutions, Merritt says there are a couple of key factors to take into consideration:

Photo: Calcana.

Geographic location – Elevation and Exposure. How cold does it get?

Is it prone to high or constant wind?

How long do they want to keep the space open?

Design and Functionality. What is the height and availability of hanging points? How intense does the heat coverage need to be?

While a canopy is not a requirement with an IR Energy heater, anything that minimizes heat loss will improve efficiency. As Merritt explains, an IR Energy heater is built to last and all of the company’s products undergo lifecycle testing in a fully exposed environment in Ontario, Canada where ice, snow, and rain are a part of barbizmag.com

everyday life.

Superior materials, craftsmanship, and reliability are at the forefront of IR Energy’s product offerings.

“Downtime negatively impacts our customer’s bottom line. And nobody wants to watch a staff member struggle to light a unit,” says Merritt. “The quality of the components and assembly minimizes the need to replace internal components.”

Subtle Yet Impactful Solutions Because space constraints are top of mind for many bar owners, Calcana, which manufactures infrared patio heaters, has focused on creating heaters that are also engineered specifically for the restaurant industry.

As John Vancak, President of Calcana explains, Calcana’s products offer modulation, which means bar operators and their staff can control the heaters using on-off switches or they can modify the specific temperature of the patio heaters using a dial system—offering the ideal temperature for guests. In addition, one of the key goals of Calcana’s product line is to offer heaters that are up and out of the way, rather than taking up floor space, which can be limited on an outdoor patio.

“Our products are also engineered to work in all types of weather and are safe to use around live plants without damaging them,” says Vancak.

Calcana’s units are design certified to operate in outdoor environments, which include wind, rain, snow, and temperatures as low as -40°F. “We also provide very efficient heaters that utilize either propane or national gas,” says Vancak.

The units are available in 10, 15, and 20-foot lengths. Multiple units can be grouped together to achieve any length required.

In addition to various mounting options, the Calcana patio heaters also boast a safely enclosed flame protected from wind. The flame is located inside the unit’s low-intensity infrared emitter tube, which captures heat energy contained in hot flue gases and turns the energy into comfortable heat waves.

“Our PH Series was specifically engineered to be an ‘outdoor people– heater,’” says Vancak. “This heater was developed to operate in practically any outside environment and ensures the proper comfort level under changing weather conditions.”

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Bar Business Magazine

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2/1/19 12:31 PM

OUTDOOR DESIGN

Comfort, entertainment, and aesthetic all go into crafting an outdoor space.

By Ashley Bray

T

he summer months mean lighter drinks, longer nights, and a lot more requests to sit outside. An outdoor area can be a boon for bars once the weather changes—it attracts patrons, increases your seating capacity, and leads to longer stays and larger checks.

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Before all that can happen, however, you must make sure your outdoor area is properly set up so that your guests are comfortable and you strike the right aesthetic. Here are three companies with products for plenty of fun in the sun.

Cultivating Comfort First and foremost, your outdoor area must be comfortable, and this includes providing temperature control through shade, heating, and cooling options as well as insect control. Luckily, there’s a company in the business of comfort: A-NIKS Outdoor Comfort Solutions.

“A bar owner who makes the financial commitment to patio space intends to maximize profits in that space. To that end, they should be thinking about ways to lengthen the time of year their patio can be comfortable for their patrons

outside of the timeframe that Mother Nature makes it comfortable,” say Owner Al Erturk and National Sales Manager Jim McMahon. “Identifying the issues, such as sun and heat or rain and cold, that are keeping the patio from peak usability will dictate the solutions we suggest.”

Whether a bar needs heating, cooling, or both, A-NIKS has a variety of solutions. “‘Conditioning’ the patio space will increase check average and customer spending as well as elevate the guest experience,” say Erturk & McMahon.

For cooling, the company offers its TurboCool™ technology, with combination options that include heat and lighting. The units can be wall mounted, post mounted, replace ceiling fans, or users can opt for the CoolRox™ model for ground placement. A complete line of fan misting and mist

June 2019 barbizmag.com

OUTDOOR DESIGN

Photo: A-NIKS Outdoor Comfort Solutions.

OUTDOOR

lines are available as well. On the heating side, A-NIKS offers a full line of outdoor electric and gas heaters, including fire tables and torches.

“Our outdoor cooling in high humidity delivers a 10- to 15-degree temperature drop, and in arid climates, as much as a 30-degree temperature drop,” say Erturk & McMahon. “Our heating can deliver up to 30-40 degree temperature rise when installed properly, although most clients’ budgets and circumstances are looking for 15-25 degrees.

“Models are determined depending on the space, i.e., square footage, ceiling height, and mounting options available.”

A-NIKS’ Firetainment Fire Tables offer the dual purposes of heating and entertainment. “Customers perceive a bar with fire tables as higher end and since most everyone enjoys a fire, a fire table barbizmag.com

Oasis can bring strangers together to give the bar a more social atmosphere,” say Erturk & McMahon. “Some bars will offer the seating around Fire Tables on busy nights as part of the bar’s VIP/loyalty program.”

Each location differs, but most bars limit fire tables to around 25% of their patio space. “Installation is very easy if the bar opts for propane canister operation,” say Erturk & McMahon. “If the bar wants to supply gas directly from the street or a large tank on property, then cutting the floor open to install the gas pipes is required.”

(Note: Turn to page 23 for more on heating/cooling equipment.)

Shade products can also help in controlling the temperature outdoors.

A-NIKS offers a wide variety of products, including shelter systems and retractable roof structures. For the sides of patios,

retractable screens and rising glass panels are available.

Shade solutions include the SHADEMASTER Canopy, a retracting scalloped sail that provides sun control and light rain control, and a full line of commercial umbrellas, including options designed for high winds.

“Specific models are based on the needs of the bar owners so we ask plenty of questions,” say Erturk & McMahon.

“For example, are they trying to shade only or do they want rain protection as well? Does the bar owner want to mount heat or cooling to the umbrella? Does the bar owner want the umbrellas portable or fixed? Does the bar owner want the umbrellas branded with logos?”

Insect control can also go a long way in creating a comfortable outdoor space, and A-NIKS offers a system designed to June 2019

Bar Business Magazine

27

OUTDOOR DESIGN ShimmerScreen beaded curtains can be used to divide a space.

SunBrite TVs are specifically designed for outdoor use.

TV Tune-Up Once a comfortable outdoor area has been set up, make sure your guests have all the same entertainment options outside that they would have at an inside table—including access to a TV. “Bringing sports and entertainment to outdoor spaces can dramatically increase attendance, drive increased productivity, and enhance the overall customer experience,” says Josh Litwack, Director of Commercial Sales for SnapAV, which manufactures SunBriteTV®.

But you shouldn’t put just any TV screen outside when the unit will be exposed to the elements, bright sunshine, and wide-ranging temperatures. SunBriteTV® offers a line of all-weather televisions and accessories designed for outdoor use.

Litwack says choosing a TV specifically geared for outdoor use comes down to three things: performance, durability, and safety.

Performance. SunBrite TVs offer 50% to three times higher brightness, 28

Bar Business Magazine

reduced glare, and a sharper picture than typical indoor TVs. Features include 4K commercial-grade anti-glare screens with high-dynamic range. This provides an ideal viewing experience in brighter outdoor environments.

Durability. SunBrite TVs are designed and warrantied to handle rain, snow, dust, insects, salt air, humidity, and extreme temperatures. They include a weatherproof case that is gasketed, powder-coated aluminum, and weatherproof media compartments.

In most cases, they can be left outdoors year-round.

Safety. SunBrite TVs are engineered for safe, permanent outdoor installation.

Indoor TVs are not designed for exposure to weather and specifically warn against it due to potentially dangerous consequences. SunBrite TVs also include professional-grade control options like IP control & HD-BaseT. SunBriteTV offers a number of television models for bars to choose from. “The main considerations are the amount and severity of sun exposure the TV will receive at the install location and whether the TV will be in a hightraffic outdoor area with significant risk of screen impact,” says Litwack.

As for the number of screens to install, Litwack says it comes down to vantage point. “Ideally, bars should deploy enough outdoor TVs so that patrons have a great view of sports and other video entertainment from any popular outdoor

vantage point,” he says, explaining that SunBriteTV works with independent professional integrators and installers nationwide to install television units.

Achieving an Aesthetic Your outdoor space’s design should be a natural extension of your interior, or it should have its own aesthetic.

ShimmerScreen®, manufacturer of decorative ball chain curtains, offers a simple, easy way to craft an appealing aesthetic outdoors.

The company offers a variety of bead styles and finishes, but its stainless steel material is best suited for outdoors. “We manufacture our stainless steel material in the round style,” says Jim Taubner, President of ShimmerScreen. “The round style is the most popular option, and we offer a variety of sizes.”

The curtains can even be powdercoated in custom colors to match an existing design or a brand color.

ShimmerScreen can be used to divide a space or simply for aesthetics.

“ShimmerScreen is a great way to create a division of space without closing off the area completely like a wall or fabric.

Many clients have used ShimmerScreen to help define a private section or dining area,” says Taubner. “It is also commonly used as backdrops, lighting fixtures, or unique design elements.”

Installation is quite simple, and bar owners can choose between curved, single, wall mount, or double track options.

June 2019 barbizmag.com

Photos (left to right): SunBriteTV; ShimmerScreen.

give a 90% outdoor reduction in a variety of insects.

A-NIKS stresses that location matters, however, and certain venues—especially those located in malls or concrete surroundings—are not suitable for the service. “We are generally looking for locations with some kind of landscaping features to be of benefit to our restaurant customers,” say Erturk & McMahon.

Scalable solutions that put you in control of your AV system.

Guitar Center Professional can help you shape sound and sight into better bottom line results. We can install a video wall, streamline your audiovisual system to be controlled with a single app, upgrade your loudspeakers, replace your mixing console, or provide multi-zone sound control. Let us help you take control of your audiovisual environment and create an atmosphere that makes customers want to stay longer and spend more money in your establishment.

LET’S CONNECT

877-687-5404

guitarcenter.com/gc-pro

beer

A

s craft beer continues to disrupt the industry, established brands and new players are inventing fresh ways to delight customers. From cascara to cannabis, here’s what’s new in the beer world.

Guinness: Cascara & Beyond Guinness has been around for 260 years—a heritage that’s unique in the beer industry. With its new Open Gate Brewery and Barrelhouse in Baltimore, the company is honoring its history and creating innovative recipes. Since the completed facility opened in August 2018, more than 280,000 visitors have come through its doors.

“What we’ve built here in Baltimore is pretty remarkable,” says Ryan Wagner, Guinness Brewery Ambassador.

Only two of Guinness’ 50 breweries are dedicated to developing innovative, creative beers. “Our brewers are charged with really pushing the envelope,” says Wagner—both in terms of ingredients and brewing technique.

Open Gate’s seven brewers use two different brewing systems. One is a 100-hectoliter brewery, which produces Guinness Blonde for the entire United States. The innovation center is the smaller, 10-barrel brewhouse, which creates new beers featured in the tap room.

The brewers have experimented with a wide variety of beers, ranging from Dopplebock and Pilsner to sour styles like Gose. Guinness’s Gose is not a “true” Gose but uses sea salt and grapefruit, mimicking the greyhound cocktail.

Among his favorites, Wagner highlights “some of the things that blow you away because they’re so different.”

One example is a beer made with an unusual ingredient: cascara. Cascara is the fruity flesh surrounding the coffee seed (more commonly known as the coffee bean). Open Gate’s brewers added it to a Belgian triple and then barrel aged the beer. The new recipe was a hit at last year’s Great American Beer Festival.

“Then our brewers took cascara and took it a step further. They brewed a typical kettle sour, but added cascara,” says Wagner, explaining that this beer has the lightly lactic character expected of a sour, but with a fresh gardeny flavor 30

Bar Business Magazine

and a hint of smoke. “Our cascara beer is one that I love introducing people to.

“When they try it for the first time, they’re not really sure what to make of it. They like it, but there’s so much going on in that glass. It really opens their eyes to what beer can be.”

Guinness has also produced an IPA with just 2.7% ABV that preserves an IPA’s characteristic aroma and body.

Wagner notes that health-conscious beverages with lower calorie counts have become more popular. They’re compatible with what he calls “the spirit of the pub.” With a low alcohol beer, guests can extend their experience in a brewery, bar, or tap room, spending more time with family and friends.

Each staff member at Open Gate is trained to impart knowledge informally every time they serve a customer. The Open Gate has four different bars, including an outdoor space with a beer garden. Visitors can see the 10-barrel brewery and take a guided tour, which ends with a tasting of four beers: two classic Guinness beers, the Draft and the Blonde, and two innovative beers from the brewery. “We want people to feel like they’re getting a beer education every time they sit at the bar,” says Wagner.

HEINEKEN USA: Innovation HEINEKEN® also makes a point to keep its brand fresh with new recipes.

“Innovation is critical to driving consumption,” says Jenna Behrer, Vice President of Innovation and Activation at HEINEKEN USA. Some of that innovation is inspired by craft beer. “Craft beer has certainly given a boost to the beer category and is driving consumer demand for authenticity, variety, and quality,” says Behrer. “HEINEKEN has put its focus over the years on these very principles, and so we welcome the renewed interest in beer and the heightened appreciation of great beer taste and premium quality.”

HEINEKEN has rolled out new beer products over the last several months.

The Dos Equis Mexican Pale Ale debuted in 2018. “With unique citrus hops and a hint of spicy heat on the finish, Dos Equis MPA is a traditional Pale Ale with a Mexican twist,” says Behrer.

Another new beer is Tecate Titanium,

Three brands changing expectations in the beer market.

By Emily Eckart

which capitalizes on the growth of Mexican imports and the increased demand for higher-ABV products.

In keeping with the current interest in health and wellness, HEINEKEN also recently released Strongbow Hard Cider “100-Cal” slim cans, which come in a 12-can variety pack with three flavors: Rosé Apple, Original Dry, and Pear Secco.

Non-alcoholic beverages are also a trending product, influencing the development of Heineken® 0.0, an alcohol-free malt beverage with 69 calories per bottle. “The non-alcohol

June 2019 barbizmag.com

beer

Photo: Guinness.

Brewing Innovation beer segment is growing globally,” says Behrer. “We’re getting out early with a premium product to satisfy consumers who appreciate beer taste and want a beer for occasions when they don’t want to consume alcohol.”

For bar owners, HEINEKEN offers various brand promotions that can engage customers and help sell more beer on-premise. They offer brand ambassador bar nights with product sampling, social media outreach, national sweepstakes, and soccer game viewing parties. HEINEKEN has also barbizmag.com

developed the Star Bar program, an educational program for bar owners and staff to help elevate quality and service, thus improving return on sales.

Cannabiniers: CBD & THC No discussion of innovations in the beer market would be complete without a look at cannabis. Kevin Love, Vice President of Market Activations at Cannabiniers, joined the company to build its portfolio of brand-based cannabis products. Its brands include Just Society, a line of cannabis-infused

coffees and teas; Baskin, which includes topical products; and Two Roots, its line of cannabis-infused beer.

Based in California, Cannabiniers is currently selling products in California and Nevada, with plans to expand nationally as it continues to scale its operations. The company forecasts rapidly growing demand for cannabis products. In Nevada, Cannabiniers owns a 70,000-square-foot cultivation as well as a 22,000-square-foot production facility, which it uses to manufacture its products sold at dispensaries across the June 2019

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beer

state. The company has the top four bestselling edible cannabis products in Nevada. Cannabiniers’ 45,000-squarefoot California facility is licensed for cultivation and production, with final approval for its dispensary license expected to follow shortly.

Under the Two Roots brand, Cannabiniers brews a variety of THCinfused beers, including lager, IPA, wheat, stout, and blonde ale. “We wanted to have a portfolio that was well-rounded,” explains Love, who says lager is a favorite beer of customers everywhere, while Californians love West Coast-style IPAs. “We look from a regional perspective at consumer preference. We want to ensure that we aren’t just providing one style of beer to consumers on a national level, when there are clearly distinguishable taste preferences in each sub-market.”

Per regulation by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), THC-infused beers are de-alcoholized.

Two Roots beer is brewed in southern California and then treated with a vacuum-pressure de-alcoholization process. Love says the beer maintains its taste profile, including the top note flavor. “We’re maintaining and securing that flavor profile,” he says. “The most critical thing for us is that when the consumer drinks it, they truly believe there’s alcohol in it.”

Two Roots is a unique cannabis product in that it is sessionable. It offers customers a micro-dosage that allows them to understand how they’ll react to 32

Bar Business Magazine

different levels of THC. “In the cannabis market right now, there isn’t a baselining opportunity because everything affects differently based upon the way it’s dosed,” says Love. “There’s not a standardized dosing mechanism.”

Other products on the market offer a heavier dosage such as 100 milligrams, meaning you can only realistically consume a single shot or beverage. In contrast, a can of Two Roots only has up to 5 milligrams per serving. “As you’re consuming it,” says Love, “you’re actually realizing where your benchmark is. You have maybe one the first time, you get an understanding of what it feels like.

Then the next time, maybe you have three. That’s your benchmark.”

This allows for a more social drinking experience. “With Two Roots…you consume a couple at a time,” says Love.

“You can be in a social environment.”

While individual customers can purchase Two Roots beers at various dispensaries across California and Nevada, the law currently does not allow for bars and restaurants to purchase and sell THC-infused beer.

“Legally, there’s a difference between consumption, and legality to possess and purchase,” emphasizes Love.

Many states are still working out how to regulate cannabis consumption in public spaces. Love compares it to alcohol: you can buy and consume alcohol at certain locations, but not consume it in the open.

Love expects that the next evolution of the industry will allow people to consume

THC-infused beer in bars or restaurants.

Some cities, such as West Hollywood, have even started awarding consumption licenses to hotels and event centers, in anticipation of state-level legalization of consumption. But for now, he says, “We err on the side of caution and don’t get involved with the presumption that it’s legal until there’s a hard and fast rule.”

However, bars that want to explore cannabis beer have another option: CBDinfused beer. Unlike THC, CBD is not psychoactive, so it is regulated differently.

It is derived from industrial hemp, which was legalized in the 2018 Farm Bill.

Products containing CBD must still adhere to state-level regulations, as well as regulations under the TTB and, if the product is marketed for medicinal uses or is being put in food or drink, the FDA. (Note: As of press time, the FDA had recently held its first public hearing on CBD, and it is still working on regulations.) CBD-infused beer is not psychoactive, so it does not create the sensation of being high. However, like other CBD products sold for medicinal purposes, it is purported to have antiinflammatory properties, and to help reduce anxiety and stress.

“People love the idea of CBD-infused beer,” says Love. “It’s a really powerful way to drive business.”

He also views it as an educational opportunity. Vendors who build trust with thoughtful and responsible CBD products will build their customer base for when THC becomes a retail option.

Cannabiniers plans to bring CBD-infused beer to the market sometime this year.

Dos Equis Mexican Pale Ale features citrus hops and a hint of spicy heat on the finish.

June 2019 barbizmag.com

Photos (top to bottom): Two Roots; HEINEKEN.

Under the Two Roots brand, Cannabiniers brews a variety of THC-infused beers.

Bar Tour

Bar Tour

By Ashley Bray

V Biltong Bar Atlanta, Georgia

Photo: Kamil Lee.

A taste of South Africa comes to the States.

barbizmag.com

isitors to Biltong Bar will be forgiven for not knowing the meaning of the bar’s name. After all, it’s the first restaurant of its kind in the world—a South African gastropub specializing in street food.

Its namesake and specialty, biltong, is all-natural, dry, aged beef jerky. Owner Justin Anthony—a South African native himself—sought to build an entire bar concept around this traditional South African snack.

“We always wanted to expand South African cuisine through food or wine to different parts of the States,” says Anthony, who opened the first South African restaurant in the U.S. back in 1998. “The best way to do this is through beef jerky and booze because I think it speaks to the American palate.

For me, it’s a way of doing a gastropub in a new, modern way.”

Biltong Bar’s first location opened in Atlanta’s Ponce City Market in 2016.

Two years later, Anthony sought to open a larger, second location. “When we opened the first one, we always knew

that we would open more locations,” he says. “We had targeted Buckhead, which is an area that doesn’t really have any craft cocktail bars.”

The Buckhead location differs greatly from the Ponce City Market original, which is more of a grab-and-go with a smaller menu since it’s in a food hall.

“The second one has a much bigger kitchen, more dining space, and we were able to open up the menu for more options,” says Anthony, who says the Buckhead location is more of a destination and a gathering place.

Once a location was chosen in Buckhead, Anthony says the main challenge was retrofitting the space to fit Biltong Bar’s needs.

“It was an existing space, so we had to completely retrofit the bar. It was a perfect bar, there was nothing wrong with it, but it was set up as a restaurant bar as opposed to a craft cocktail bar,” explains Anthony. “We had to completely change it and set up the wells to fit our program.”

Anthony brought in bar equipment supplier Perlick Corporation to June 2019

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Bar Tour

custom make wells that would fit the venue’s beverage program and the space. The custom build set back the opening, but the extra time was worth it as it created the flow and efficiency Biltong Bar wanted to achieve behind the bar.

Crafting the right aesthetic for the space also posed a challenge. “We had to literally design and create this from scratch because there was nothing to model it after,” says Anthony.

Anthony and his wife—Kelly WolfAnthony of Wolf Design Group, who was the interior designer on the space— traveled to South Africa for inspiration and ideas.

They settled on an industrial, cool aesthetic that made the 6,500-squarefoot space feel like it’s always been there. Biltong Bar features a 25-seat bar that extends the entirety of the restaurant and a dining room characterized by dark woods and leather accents. Nods to South Africa can be found in art pieces and other touches throughout the space.

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The Buckhead location also includes a dedicated lounge for guests to enjoy interactive games while dining and drinking. Since the space is so large, Anthony wanted to include an area for guests to gather and have something

We wanted to expand South African cuisine to the States.

while drinking and snacking.

“We started out real simple; it was literally these tic-tac-toe boards, cards with our logo on them, and backgammon. We’re now expanding that,” he says, explaining that the space

Biltong is all-natural, dry, aged beef jerky, which is a traditional South African snack.

will soon include larger games like a pool table and shuffleboard. “We’re probably going to take out a section of the dining room. We’re finding that people basically want to hang out, drink, and snack more than they want to dine, which is what the concept has always been.”

Whether they prefer to dine or snack, guests have plenty of options thanks to Executive Chef Matt Weinstein’s food program with brunch, lunch, and dinner options.

The program of course has plenty of varieties of the bar’s namesake as well as a Biltong & Cheese plate.

“We’re big into charcuterie because biltong is a beef jerky,” says Anthony.

“We do different kinds and flavors of biltong—wagyu, bison, etc. Flavors like garlic, a traditional rub (coriander and pepper), peri peri [a popular South African spicy sauce, with hints of lemon and sweetness], and dry vos (biltong but in a sausage form).”

Other snacking options include Biltong Popcorn with smoked gouda,

June 2019 barbizmag.com

Photos (left page): Kamil Lee; (right page) Heidi Geldhauser.

Kelly Wolf-Anthony of Wolf Design Group designed Biltong Bar, which has an industrial, cool aesthetic that makes the 6,500-square-foot space feel like it’s always been there.

Bar Tour garlic butter, and biltong brittle, and Tandoori Chicken Wings (curry is popular in South Africa as there is a large Indian population).

Guests can also dine on larger plates.

Brunch options include Steak & Eggs, featuring grilled hangar steak, crispy potatoes, scrambled eggs, and Béarnaise sauce, and Smoked Salmon Toast with avocado marscapone, pickled red onion, capers, everything bagel crumb on brioche.

Lunch and dinner options include Tagliatelle featuring mussels, charred spring onion, shiitakes, green garlic pesto, and parmigiano reggiano, or the BB Burger made from a house ground mix and topped with caramelized mushrooms and onions, smoked bacon, monterey jack cheese, monkey gland sauce, and served with a side of beef fat fries.

Guests can wash down their food with an extensive selection of beverages, evidenced by the large bar featuring over 350 individual spirits, including 15 absinthes, an extensive chartreuse collection, and over 40 different amaros.

“The bar is very large in terms of the length it runs. In a bar that size, you typically see things repeat. Nothing repeats in this bar,” explains Anthony.

“Every liquor that you’re looking at is unique.”

Industry veteran Sean Gleason heads up the extensive in-house craft cocktail program, which shares an in-depth look into the cocktail creation process with bar patrons. Biltong Bar features cocktails that highlight local and distinct spirits accompanied by ingredients and juices made in-house.

House and classic cocktails, absinthe fountain service, and a barrel-aging program for classic cocktails are all available. The menu also gives a nod to the trending low-ABV, zero-alcohol movement with an entire section dedicated to “Zero Proof.”

“The cocktail program is focused on taking classic drinks but presenting them in an elevated way,” says Anthony.

Some popular house creations include Dangerous Liasons, which combines bathtub gin, smoked pisco, vermut, cacao, strawberry rabarbaro, and thyme for a dramatic presentation.

Fatal Attraction offers a sparkling, barbizmag.com

fruitier taste with vep chartreuse verte, grilled pineapple, lime, tarragon, and Brut cava.

“My goal for the last twenty years has always been to merge South Africa and America. So while we have the biltong and the associated South African cuisine, for the craft cocktail program, I always wanted it to be more of a modern, American craft cocktail program,” says Anthony, who explains that South African products for a beverage program are really only limited to wine.

Biltong Bar has filled the craft cocktail void in the Buckhead neighborhood, but that means there has been a bit of a learning curve for bargoers, who are used to ordering traditional well drinks. And since Biltong Bar makes everything in-house, guests can be surprised that certain juices or ingredients aren’t available.

“If we don’t juice it, we don’t use it,” says Anthony. “One of the problems we run into in Buckhead is a lot of guests come in and want a vodka cranberry.

We don’t juice cranberries, so we don’t use [cranberry juice].”

Despite these challenges, Anthony has found guests to be warming to Biltong Bar’s cocktail program quicker than he anticipated, “To get them to switch to different things can be difficult, but it’s actually happened a lot faster than I thought.”

Another unique aspect is Biltong Bar’s absinthe program. Anthony said its addition to the cocktail program was two-fold: it’s a great mixing spirit, and its mystery aligned well with Biltong Bar’s own story and aesthetic.

“Absinthe has always been this taboo thing. It has a great story with all these exaggerations around it,” he says.

“Absinthe also has a lot of complexity and depth that not many other spirits can manage when you make a drink with it. It’s actually a great spirit to drink and mix.”

Biltong Bar’s signature absinthe cocktail—which is guaranteed to turn around a guest’s day and even has it’s own neon sign on the wall—is the Un-F*ck Your Day, which combines rye, brandy, gentian wine, lime, pineapple, mint, and absinthe.

Justin Anthony Owner of Biltong Bar

J

ustin Anthony is the Founder and Owner of South African hospitality group, True Story Brands. Headquartered in Atlanta, True Story Brands features a variety of South African restaurant concepts, specializing in fusing international dishes with traditional South African fare.

As an entrepreneur and restaurateur, Justin spearheads the group’s focus on sharing the lifestyle and experience of South Africa through its four iconic Atlanta dining destinations: 10 Degrees South, Yebo Beach Haus, Cape Dutch and Biltong Bar. Born and raised in South Africa, Justin attended the University of South Africa as well as London Business School prior to relocating to the United States at age 23. In 1998, Justin opened the first South African restaurant in the United States, 10 Degrees South, alongside his parents. In 2012, he began expanding True Story Brands.

Biltong Bar is his most recent addition to the group, opening in Ponce City Market in early 2016 followed by a second location at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta in November 2018. The restaurant specializes in dry, aged beef jerky and highlights South African street food as well as signature craft cocktails.

June 2019

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Inventory

A Fresh Rebrand

Polish Your Image

Twisted Alchemy (formerly known as Industry Juice) crafts curated cold-pressed juices for for an alternative to squeezing on-premise. “We were growing and evolving as a company, and it was time to embrace our new philosophy and properly reflect that in our brand,” said Kim Holstein, Twisted Alchemy Co-Founder. “We are on a mission to elevate the craft of cocktails and the spirit of the world around us.” While the quality, consistency and standards of the Twisted Alchemy line remains the same, the rebrand marks a fundamental shift in philosophy. Twisted Alchemy is more than a supplier—it’s a true partner with mixologists and craft cocktail bars that care about quality. “Our customers have always demanded 100% cold-pressed juice, free from added sugars, preservatives, and GMOs, yielding consistent Brix levels and documented pH levels, and they can rest assured that level of quality will never change,” said Scott Holstein, Twisted Alchemy Co-Founder. Twisted Alchemy offers lemon, grapefruit, pineapple, watermelon, orange, Persian lime, key lime, and blood orange juices.

Bar Maid’s GP-100 Glass Polisher (pictured) is fast and efficient—at least five times faster than hand polishing. It easily pays for itself with huge labor savings and is more sanitary than using a bar rag to polish glassware. The GP-100 is also safe as there’s virtually no glass breakage or associated injuries resulting in considerable savings in glassware and potential Workers Compensation claims.

The PH-5S standard polishing machine heads are so versatile they polish most sizes and shapes of glassware.

Additional polishing machine heads are available for tall glassware. Bar Maid’s new CP-7000 Cutlery Polisher is indispensable for quickly turning wet, clean cutlery into dry, spot-free, sparkling cutlery. The CP-7000 can polish up to 4000 pieces/hour depending on the operator and cutlery being polished, removing water spots and eliminating unsanitary hand polishing. Simply insert 8-10 pieces of cutlery in the top chute every 5 to 10 seconds.

Cutlery vibrates through warmed organic granulate (150-170˚F) drying and polishing cutlery. UV-C exposure sanitizes before cutlery exits helping to eradicate any potential bacteria remaining from the washing process.

Twisted Alchemy

GP-100 Glass Polisher & CP-7000 Cutlery Polisher

twistedalchemy.com

BestInTheBar.com

A New Meaning to ‘Roll Your Sleeves Up’ FLXCUF

In 2013, FLXCUF Founder Jay Fuller began a two-year stint as a barback where a dress shirt was the required uniform. Constantly moving, he needed to roll-up his sleeves over and over throughout his shifts. The sleeves never stayed up, causing an annoying distraction as well disrupting the look of the uniform. Frustrated, Jay decided to design a way to attractively keep the sleeve in place, regardless of movement. FLXCUF (pronounced Flex-cuff), uses a patent-pending design to create a flexible and comfortable cuff that holds sleeves in place without compromising the integrity of the shirt cuff, creating a clean look. FLXCUF provides an easy, comfortable, and clean fold that holds while eliminating the distraction of readjusting and/or refolding, allowing more time to focus on craft and guest experience. Since its launch in 2017, FLXCUF has been featured in multiple media outlets, offered by Touch of Modern, endorsed by social media’s biggest influencers, and is becoming a must-have for bartenders throughout the city of Chicago. Implement FLXCUF through venue or group branding with custom colors and/or logo. flxcuf.com

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June 2019 barbizmag.com

Inventory

OpenClean™ Technologies’ Full Line of Hand Sanitizing Door Handles TurnClean® & PullClean®

OpenClean™ Technologies introduces the world’s first hand sanitizing door handles that easily integrate with or replace existing restroom door handles to make hand sanitization easy, intuitive, and accessible.

Available in two versions—TurnClean® and PullClean®— OpenClean Technologies hand sanitization door handles allow patrons and staff members to leave restrooms safely and hygienically, ensuring clean, sanitized hands each time. The latest versions of both TurnClean and PullClean are now available and can accommodate any restroom door. A tube-shaped cartridge is placed in the center of a hollow door handle, which releases a small amount of sanitizer when the black paddle is pushed. TurnClean and PullClean sanitizer cartridges are filled with a medical-grade hand sanitizer that kills more than 99.99% of germs.

These easy to refill cartridges contain 420 pumps per cartridge for PullClean and 500 pumps per cartridge for TurnClean.

Powers Paper Introduces PowerNap PowerNap®

Powers Paper announces PowerNap®, a napkin dispenser turned charging port. It enables restaurant patrons to charge their phones directly at the table, which helps keep them in the establishment longer and generates return customers, ultimately increasing revenue.

PowerNap’s design incorporates customizable panels to display unique messaging, and its one-at-a-time dispensing reduces napkin usage. PowerNap dispenses Powers Paper’s interfolded napkins made with eucalyptus fibers. powerspaper.com

Featured

PRODUCT

open-clean.com

Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum Launches Savage Apple Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum Savage Apple

Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum introduces Savage Apple, a 70-proof, apple-flavored spiced rum, marking the first new liquid innovation since the launch of the original Sailor Jerry 19 years ago. True to the traditional notes of vanilla and cinnamon in Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, Savage Apple adds a bold, in-your-face flavor of fresh, lively apple and cinnamon. It is best served chilled. Savage Apple will launch initially in New York and Florida, before rolling out across the country this fall. Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum was made to honor the godfather of old-school American tattooing, Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins, his philosophy, and his passions. Savage Apple reflects those same ideals, but with a more playful offering that pays tribute to Collins’ more amusing side. Collins was a Navy vet who built his rep inking soldiers and sailors in WWII-era Honolulu where he established his tattoo parlor.

He used his love for tattooing as an outlet of self-expression. The Savage Apple bottle design, like the liquid inside, honors Collins and his creative works, reflecting his unapologetic, savage attitude with original tiger flash marking the bottle wrap. sailorjerry.com

barbizmag.com

June 2019

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Ad Index

Company 5

C3

3

22

29

2touch pos

Contact

Inventory COMPANIES

2touchpos.com

Bar Maid BestInTheBar.com FLXCUF flxcuf.com

betson enterprises

betson.com

BROCKMANS GIN

brockmansgin.com

frescolive

myfrescolive.com

guitarcenter.com/gc-pro

paradise pos

paradisepos.com

perlick corporation

perlick.com

PERNOD-RICARD-Malibu

pernod-ricard-usa.com

RUMCHATA

rumchata.com

13

shift4

skytab.com

18

tbna

TBNAConvention.com

25

WONKYWARE

wonkyware.com

C2

21

C4

Powers Paper powerspaper.com Sailor jerry sailorjerry.com twisted alchemy twistedalchemy.com

guitar center

19

OpenClean Technologies open-clean.com

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To Advertise in Bar Business Magazine, contact Art Sutley 212-620-7247 Asutley@sbpub.com

Thirsty for more? visit @BarBizMag

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Q&A

with Natalia Cardenas

Beverage Development Manager at Breakthru Beverage Group

N

atalia Cardenas is a BAR 5-Day graduate, a Certified Spirits Specialist, the former President of the Illinois chapter of the United States Bartender’s Guild, and has completed the Introductory Sommelier Course and Evaluation through the Court of Master Sommeliers.

She recently won the 2018 Wholesalers of America Iron Mixologist Cocktail competition.

Her personal mission is to demystify wine and spirits, allowing learning to be fun and approachable. Her philosophy is that the more we learn about the terroir, geography, and production of spirits, the more we can identify and understand the tapestry of our own human history. In her spare time, Natalia volunteers with ChicagoCares, is on the board at her local Toastmasters Club, and is a dedicated supporter of No Kid Hungry.

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Bar Business Magazine

1

Tell us about your role at Breakthru Beverage Illinois.

I’m the beverage development manager, which gives me the opportunity to work with all the beautiful brands in our portfolio creating specialty cocktails for bars and restaurants that don’t have a lead mixologist. I have found the most satisfaction in my role by teaching the small but extremely profound bartending techniques that a customer won’t get from reading a book. These are the techniques that one has to see and do firsthand. It’s in seeing how to hold a jigger and where to fill it, or feeling the weight of the ice in a shaker tin and timing how long it takes for the tin to start frosting in order to get the perfect dilution and chill. These are details that are often overlooked but can make all the difference between a mediocre cocktail and an exceptional one. This is where our customers get the most value from our support, which translates into customer satisfaction and loyalty for their business.

2

What are your thoughts on spirits education?

I’m a huge proponent of education, and more importantly, continuing that education throughout your career. I’m always learning new things, asking questions, and trying new ideas—that’s what helps any mixologist grow in their work and have a greater impact in our field. The best way to approach education is to put yourself in situations where you have to teach a subject. It will force you to learn the material and challenge you to explain it to an audience clearly and succinctly. There is nothing wrong with not knowing everything about everything, approaching spirits and cocktail knowledge with a dose of humility is essential and allows you to keep challenging yourself and keep learning.

3

seasonal produce and quality spirits to help build the perfect cocktail.

4

What’s trending in cocktails?

Summer season is ramping up so rosé and low-ABV drinks are popular right now. The demand for healthy cocktails also remains strong with a focus on natural ingredients. Spritzes and frozen cocktails will remain strong again this upcoming season as will highballs because of their low sugar levels and their refreshing effervescence. Whiskey cocktails continue to be extremely popular, specifically American rye. Finally, more and more consumers are becoming aware of specialty ice and are seeking it out in their craft cocktails.

5

Any advice for mixologists?

Be flexible—with yourself and with others. This industry can be really fun when you collaborate and learn from those around you. Engage with your distributor as many, like Breakthru Beverage, have free resources to help you enhance your skills and further refine your craft.

6

Advice for women in the industry?

Don’t shy away from opportunities, especially ones that might scare you. You can’t grow without pushing yourself. Apply for a job even before you know everything about it; you can learn a lot more on the inside through hands-on experience. I’ve been fortunate enough to be on the other side of cocktail competition and job applications, and what I’ve learned is that not enough women put their hat in the ring for those opportunities.

You are more qualified than you realize—go for it!

Tips on creating great cocktails?

Be sure to research flavor pairings and builds before you start to mix. I’ve found that writing out a blueprint of ideas before ever pouring a single ingredient will save you valuable time, energy, and (importantly) product. Invest in fresh,

June 2019 barbizmag.com

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