Bar Business May 2018

May 2018

THE HOW-TO PUBLICATION

BAR CONVENT

BAR BUS NESS MAGAZINE

B R O O K LY N

The International Bar and Beverage Trade Show is coming to Brooklyn, NY June 12 & 13, 2018 Brooklyn Expo Center

BARCONVENTBROOKLYN. COM

Poppin’

Plus:

Summer Cocktail Recipes

tabs Can cocktails invite you to think inside the can.

Top Tech:

3 Management Apps

MENUS:

Good design drives in profits

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Contents How Tos

18

What’s on Your Menu?

May

Good menu design can help you drive in profits.

22

What’s in a Glass?

30

Tuning Up: Top Tech

Considerations for choosing a tasting glass.

Three apps for better bar management.

Departments

4

From The Editor

6

On Tap

A letter from our Editor Ashley Bray.

Industry news & announcements.

10

Behind The Bar

16

Happenings

In-depth analysis of beer, wine & spirits.

Important dates for the month.

44

Inventory

48

Q+A

Featured product releases.

Mike Raymond – Reserve 101, Houston, Texas

Features

36

Read Between the Lines

39

Summer Sipping

Utilizing and presenting an offer to lease for bar tenants.

Cocktail recipes to fill those long summer days.

Cover Photo: Feisser Stone Contents Photo: Shutterstock/ DisobeyArt

barbizmag.com

May 2018

Bar Business Magazine

1

THE HOW-TO PUBLICATION

BAR BUS NESS MAGAZINE

May 2018

The warm weather is finally here in the Northeast. what will be your favorite cocktail ingredient this spring/ summer season?

Vol. 11

No. 5

Bar Business Magazine (ISSN 1944-7531) is published

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

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

“Fresh watermelon juice.”

Contributing Writers Emily Eckart, Jeff Grandfield and Dale Willerton, Tanya Lawrence, Jeremy LeBlanc, Rob McCaughey, Christopher Osburn

art

Art Director Nicole Cassano Graphic Designer Aleza Leinwand

production

“I love adding pineapple juice to spring cocktails to give them a tropical feel.”

Corporate Production Director Mary Conyers mconyers@sbpub.com Digital Ad Operations Associate Kevin Fuhrmann

circulation

Circulation Director Maureen Cooney mcooney@sbpub.com

“My favorite summer ingredient is lime.”

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

Bar Business Magazine (Print ISSN 1944-7531, Digital ISSN 2161-5071) (USPS#000-342) is published February, April, June, August, October, and December. January, March, May, July, September, and November will only be offered in a digital format at no charge by Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, 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 © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 2018. 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 (800) 895-4389, (402) 346-4740, Fax (402) 346-3670, e-mail barbusiness@omeda.com or write to: Bar Business Magazine, SimmonsBoardman Publ. Corp, PO Box 3135, Northbrook, IL 60062-3135. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Bar Business Magazine, PO Box 3135, Northbrook, IL 60062-3135. 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

May 2018 barbizmag.com

from the editor

From The Editor

In the spring, I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours.

- Mark Twain

4

Bar Business Magazine

H

ere in the Northeast, we’ve spent the last few weeks wondering if spring is going to arrive. Maybe your area is already fully into the swing of spring, or maybe you’re like me and you’ve only just put away your winter coat. Either way, we’ve got an issue lined up that will get you in the mood for warmer weather.

Spring and summer mean patio season, and we tackle the trend of can cocktails in this month’s Behind the Bar column, which are perfect to serve out on your bar’s patio.

It’s also the season of spring cleaning, and paperwork often comes up when in the midst of cleaning and organizing.

Check out our feature on lease agreements and renewals on page 36 to make sure you have everything in order.

And if you’re already looking forward to summer (who isn’t?), head over to our Happenings section on page 16 to start planning menus and events for the warmer June days. Then jump to page 38 where we’ve lined up a collection of summer-inspired recipes in our seasonal cocktails feature.

If you’re still looking for some inspiration for your summer menus, then you should be aware of these upcoming cocktail trends, as predicted

by Jenelle Engleson, Lead Sommelier and Beverage Director at City Winery Nashville in Tennessee.

1. Seasonal Flavors. “As always, seasonality will play a crucial role in what’s served throughout the summer,” says Engleson. “We’ll of course see fresh

citrus; light, crisp, and refreshing summer cocktails; but I’m also expecting to see a heavy focus on house-made bitters, tinctures, and out-of-the-norm fresh juices like cucumber, turmeric, beet, and aloe.”

2. Eco-friendly Materials. This is a topic we’ve covered in these pages before (“Ditching the Plastic Straw,” March 2018), and it’s a movement that promises to continue to gain steam through the summer.

Engleson explains, “We’re beginning to see a shift in consciousness and a greater acknowledgement of our environment when it comes to the use of plastic. Throughout the season, I imagine we’ll see increased use of compostable and biodegradable paper straws or metal straws that can be machine washed.”

3. Cocktail Variations. Engleson says to keep an eye out for unique twists on old favorites, including: gin, cucumber, beet, lemon, and sugar martinis; tequila, aloe liqueur, mint, and soda; rosé, grapefruit Palomas; and tequila, papaya, aperol, lime, orange, and agave.

Inspired yet? Warm weather is here, so start planning those spring/summer cocktail menus.

Ashley bray, Editor

May 2018 barbizmag.com

ON TAP From ON TAP The Editor

Tim Haughinberry works on consulting and charity in the hospitality industry.

T

Getting to Know Back Bar USA’s Tim Haughinberry

im Haughinberry is an industry and LGBT community leader as well as the Founder of Back Bar USA, a full-service marketing and consulting firm with more than 30 years of experience in the beer, wine, and spirits industries. Haughinberry founded the company in 2008 after a series of other entrepreneurial ventures led him to recognize more opportunities to consult for Nevada’s growing casino industry. “[Back Bar USA] specializes in corporate and national account beverage programs with an emphasis on the boutique hotels, gaming, resort, nightlife, and fine-dining segments of the hospitality industry,” he says. “The company provides services ranging from menu development to ground-up event concept, design, and execution. Back Bar maintains an impressive portfolio of clients including MGM Resorts International, sbe, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Tao Group and more.”

Each year, Back Bar USA hosts the

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Bar Business Magazine

For the Love of Cocktails benefit, which brings together the nation’s leaders in spirits, mixology, and libations. Currently celebrating its fifth year, the benefit hosts its Grand Gala on Friday, May 18 at Skyfall Lounge and Rivea at Delano Las Vegas. The Gala offers a limitless amount of craft cocktail samples, gourmet cuisine from Chef Alain Ducasse’s Rivea, and the opportunity to meet chefs and over 60 world-renowned mixologists.

The benefit is co-hosted by Tony Abou-Ganim and sponsored by MGM Resorts International and the United States Bartenders’ Guild. All ticket sales are donated to the Helen David Relief Fund for Bartenders Affected by Breast Cancer, which was founded by AbouGanim to honor his own aunt who fought and survived breast cancer.

The Helen David Relief Fund isn’t the only charity Haughinberry works with. He’s also a major supporter for Aid for AIDS of Nevada (AFAN) and its fundraisers (Paint the Town, Black and White Party, AIDS Walk) and

previously served on the Board of Directors. AFAN provides support and advocacy for adults and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS in southern Nevada and works to reduce HIV infection through prevention education to eliminate fear, prejudice, and the stigma associated with the disease. Haughinberry is also an avid member of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer equality.

“As an LGBT-owned business recognized by the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), Back Bar continually donates time and money to organizations that advocate for the inclusion and hiring of people of all genders,” says Haughinberry. “Each month, we host a program tying in local mixologists, bars, and establishments as well as bringing in brands and guests from the HRC.” backbarusa.com

May 2018 barbizmag.com

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.”

INTRODUCING TOBIN ELLIS SIGNATURE DRAFT COCKTAIL SYSTEM

Tobin Ellis

Serving craft cocktails on tap is a great way to quickly elevate your beverage program and increase revenue and profits.

Check it out at perlick.com/commercial

Exclusively from Perlick Contact Perlick today to learn more! perlick.com • 800.558.5592

From ON TAP The Editor BARMANIA 4 Raises Record Total for St. Baldrick’s Foundation

T

he fourth annual BARMANIA took place at Herbs & Rye in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 25. The event was in support of St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a nonprofit that’s leading the way in funding the best in childhood cancer research.

As the event has grown, so too has the amount raised for St. Baldrick’s: BARMANIA 1 raised $8,200, BARMANIA 2 raised $9,200, and BARMANIA 3 raised $12,500. This year, the charity event nearly doubled last year’s total with a whopping $24,980 raised.

Herbs & Rye Owner Nectaly Mendoza hosted the event, which started four years ago in support of his wife Michelle Meyer, who had joined St. Baldrick’s Foundation in an attempt to raise money. The bar felt it could help her raise even more and created the event BARMANIA. That first event brought in local bartenders from the Las Vegas area to compete in a cocktail throwdown.

Today, the event attracts bartenders from all over the world.

The competition tasks each bartender with making seven drink orders: Hemingway Daiquiri, Daiquiri, Southside, Ramos Gin Fizz, Blue Chi Chi, two shots of Fernet, and one beer.

Whoever completes the seven drinks in the fastest time is crowned the winner and awarded the Golden Cock rooster trophy.

Ten judges—industry insiders that included bar owners and bartenders—presided over the event.

Five barbacks kept the competition running smoothly. Twenty-seven

bartenders competed at this year’s event, but Las Vegas’ Emily Yett took home the title with a winning time of two minutes and 42 seconds.

The other competitors were: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Adam Rains, Las Vegas Albert Jinyong Lee, Seoul Amie Ward, Baltimore Anthony Pullen, Las Vegas Bandon Casey, Arizona Blaze Montana, Santa Clara Carlos Agostini, Puerto Rico Christine Kim, Washington, D.C. Curt Curillo, Miami/Los Angeles Eddie De La Torre, Las Vegas French Scotty, Washington, D.C. Jason Patz, Colorado Jaymee Mandeville, Los Angeles Jose Ibanez, New York Kyle Zimmerman, Oklahoma City Manual Delgado, Miami Mathias Simmons, Nashville Maurice Brooks, San Francisco Racheal Buie, Houston Ryan Puckett, Nashville Sergio Muniz, New York Shaun Gordon, Atlanta Stephanie Mendez, San Antonio Timmy Wayne, Phoenix Tony Lamperti, New Orleans Trevor Frye, Washington D.C.

Aside from the cocktail competition, a variety of liquor brands—including Aviation Gin, Avuá Cachaça, Jim Beam, and more— exhibited at tabletops around Herbs & Rye for guests to sample the spirits straight or in cocktails. herbsandrye.com

A Bar’s Bike Valet

M

ore people are commuting and traveling via bicycles, and Mavericks Beach Club in San Diego decided to get in on the trend by offering a first-of-its-kind bike valet.

“We thought it would be a great idea to offer our guests a worry-free place to park their bikes while decluttering the streets,” says Owner Eric Lingenfelder.

Guests check in their bike with the bike valet host, who supplies them with a wristband that matches the number on their bike. Using a cart nicknamed “Suzie,” the valet will lift and stow the bicycles in an enclosed top-level area.

To pick up their bike, a customer tells a bartender or server their bike number, and Mavericks will have the bike ready for them. The valet is free with proof of at least five dollars worth of purchases at Mavericks, and guests who utilize the service even get to skip the entry line. For guests who don’t want to bike home, they have the option to leave their bike overnight and pick it up the next day. maverickssd.com

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Bar Business Magazine

memorial Day recipes

Time to queue up the red, white, and blue cocktails to celebrate the start of summer! We’ve got a slew of patriotic sippers for you to peruse.

Just check out “Holidays” under our Recipes tab.

Get Notified!

Don’t miss a beat with our new notifications feature, which alerts you to new stories we post on the website.

Sign up to receive the notifications by clicking on the bell in the lower righthand corner of the site.

May 2018 barbizmag.com

is here!

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KEEP RUMCHATA ON THE BACK BAR AND IN THE COOLER. IF PEOPLE SEE RUMCHATA, THEY WILL BUY IT. RumChata®. Caribbean Rum with Real Dairy Cream, Natural & Artificial Flavors, 13.75% alc/vol.

Agave Loco Brands, Pewaukee, WI. Please Enjoy Responsibly. RUMCHATA and CHATA are Registered Trademarks of Agave Loco, LLC.

CAN cocktails Behind the Bar

Canned Cosmopolitan 1 mini SKYY Vodka 1 LaCroix Cran-Raspberry ½ oz Cointreau ½ oz Lime juice Lime wedge Open the LaCroix Cran-Raspberry, then create a larger hole to further open it. (Stone uses a custom-made machine to do this.) Pour out 2 oz of the LaCroix, then add the Cointreau and lime juice. Garnish with a lime wedge and straw. Open the mini SKYY Vodka, then flip the bottle quickly and place into the top of the can.

A new trend challenges bars to think inside the can.

Tanya Lawrence

10

Bar Business Magazine

B

e it at a beachside bar, seaside resort, or bustling, buzzed-about brunch spot downtown, you’ve probably sipped or seen a Michelada—the spicy, Bloody Maryesque cocktail consisting of light Mexican lager beer, clamato juice, assorted sauces and seasonings, and a fresh squeeze of lime. Served traditionally in a tall glass rimmed with spices, the Michelada—believed to have first been created over one hundred years ago during the Mexican

Revolution by army general Don Augusto Michel as a refresher for his parched troops—has found more recent acclaim in being built and served directly in the can, rimmed with chili powder or kosher salt, and garnished with everything from wedged lime to snaking, multihued peppers.

In fact, during a recent trip to Tampa, Florida, I couldn’t help but count these “dressed” Micheladas at every turn: a tray of beautifully-bedecked, limeadorned ones brought out to accompany brunch here; market-goers toting

May 2018 barbizmag.com

All Photos: Feisser Stone.

By Feisser Stone

VISIT US AT THE NRA SHOW 2018 FOR A DEMONSTRATION AND TASTING. BOOTH # 8041

behind the bar

the high thermal conductivity of aluminum cans keeps beverages colder for longer.

in-can cocktails can help mitigate urban impact by helping to eliminate plastic waste and trash.

around expertly garnished cans of Tajín-rimmed Modelo Especial or Tecate there. The drinks served as a portable midday thirst quencher for some and a morning-after hangover cure for others. By far one of the most recognizable can cocktails to date, the Michelada, however, is not alone in its portable, and palatable, popularity.

Whether you call it a “can cocktail,” “built-in-can” mixed drink, or “dressed can,” this trend is neither new nor is it limited to beer. Nowadays, skilled mixologists can take a can of anything—be it beer, cider, sparkling wine, carbonated water, or even a soft drink—and through the addition of spirits, syrups, and juices alike, fashion a cutting-edge cocktail within minutes that utilizes the can as its primary serving vessel complete with garnishes fit for a king/queen (and Instagram).

Having found favor over the past few years in venues everywhere from New York to San Francisco, this understated, unfussy template for cocktail creation meets the needs of both the proprietor and consumer alike, providing a medium that is time-

conserving and cost-efficient for the former, while promoting mobility and imparting consistency for the latter.

To understand how this works, one need only to consider the vessel: a lightweight aluminum can. Gone are the days of sitting at a bar top with a slippery glass and sodden beverage mat. Built-in-can cocktails remove the necessity for a bar tether, allowing the proprietor to maintain ever-valuable available bar space while allowing the consumer to move about freely.

Additionally, the high thermal conductivity of aluminum keeps beverages colder for longer, resulting in a more enjoyable drinking experience from first sip to last.

This is particularly attractive for venues catering to music events and social festivals, as well as in cities, regions, and municipalities where open containers are explicitly permitted, such as Sonoma, California; Savannah, Georgia; Las Vegas, Nevada; and the like. In cities such as New Orleans, Louisiana, where a single weekend-long festival can see over 750,000 attendees and

Canned Piña Colada 1 Mini Bacardi Pineapple 1 LaCroix Coconut ½ oz lime 3 pineapple leaves

Open the LaCroix Coconut, then create a larger hole to further open it. Pour out 2 oz of the LaCroix, then add the lime juice. Garnish with three pineapple leaves and straw.

Open the mini Bacardi Pineapple, then flip the bottle quickly and place into the top of the can.

By Feisser Stone

12

Bar Business Magazine

May 2018 barbizmag.com

inventory management

has never

been easier

Behind the Bar

Canned Paloma

1 mini Jose Cuervo Especial 1 LaCroix Pamplemousse ¾ oz Grapefruit juice ½ oz Lime juice Pinch of salt Grapefruit wedge Open the LaCroix Pamplemousse, then create a larger hole to further open it. Pour out 2 oz of the LaCroix, then add the grapefruit juice, lime juice, and a pinch of salt. Garnish with a grapefruit wedge and straw.

Open the mini Jose Cuervo Especial, then flip the bottle quickly and place into the top of the can.

By Feisser Stone

result in the disposal of over one million plastic cups, recyclable, in-can cocktails can help mitigate urban impact by helping to eliminate plastic waste and trash while further promoting a clean, environmentally kind future for these libation-friendly locales.

This trend of can cocktails is likewise apposite to the growing popularity of “leisure lounges” and “interactive” gastrobars—those venues that combine social drinkeries with recreational sports and gaming such as shuffleboard, bocce, bowling, arcade, and so forth. Because non-recyclable waste is reduced, built-incan cocktails are ideal as well for coastal communities—of which thirty-three states of our nation possess.

In addition, can cocktails are a perfect, lifeguard-approved fit for pools and resorts alike. “Over the past year [can cocktails] have become very popular at rooftop or poolside bars, since they are a much safer alternative to glassware,” says Feisser Stone, Founder & Creative Director of full-service bar consulting company Barlingual.

Stone—whose bar credits include SoHo icon Café Habana, 1933 Group at Oldfield’s Liquor Room, Hinoki & the Bird, and the Ace Hotel Los Angeles Rooftop—knows firsthand what makes the addition of in-can cocktails to a bar 14

Bar Business Magazine

program so advantageous. As the acting bar consultant for Mosaic Hotel Group in Beverly Hills—where a number of his inventive, eye-catching can cocktails (see recipes) are showcased—Stone suggests that utilizing the cans as both the preparation and serving vessel eliminates unnecessary cleaning. “At one bar I worked for,” notes Stone, “we had an employee whose sole job was to clean the glassware. With these cocktails, you can save time and water by not washing glasses constantly and instead recycle [the cans] when patrons are finished.”

When asked about the additional benefits of implementing can cocktails into a bar program, Stone highlighted the importance of consistency. “With the Piña Colada I created for the Mosaic Hotel, you know exactly how much of each ingredient to use because you are using the entire [sparkling water] and the whole mini bottle of alcohol,” says Stone. “The Piña Colada is one whole La Croix Coconut, one mini bottle of Bacardi Pineapple, and a splash of lime juice. Sometimes when you order a drink, you might not be certain how much alcohol is in it, but with these, my guests know exactly what they are being served.”

While cocktail consistency is one way to assure quality and overall consumer experience, eliminating the need for

glassware has an additional, less-cited return for the proprietor: the elimination of the prospect of theft. An unfortunate element of the hospitality industry, the occurrence is all too common.

“Sometimes guests like to steal the vessel their drink is served in, if it is fun and different,” says Stone. “At one bar, we served Old Fashioneds in a unique glass.

Our guests continuously stole them, and we constantly had to buy new ones. With canned cocktails, you never have to worry about someone ‘stealing’ it.”

Ultimately, one of the simplest and most honest advantages of in-can cocktails is that it allows room for experimentation by expanding a venue’s bar menu options without the proprietor having to bring in too many new elements. The in-can cocktail can elevate a local craft beer, enhance a sweet cider, perk up a simple can of carbonated flavored water, or punch up an effervescent, sparkling wine.

It can serve as both a high profit margin program addition for an establishment, and an exciting, beautifully garnished gateway beverage for the consumer. “[We see so many] people ordering canned cocktails,” concludes Stone.

“They’re enjoying the trend. Millennials especially are fans, as they make for a great Instagram opportunity. I did not change [cocktails like] the Paloma; at the end of the day, it’s the same cocktail, but with a different delivery. It is a playful way of serving a classic drink.”

And are these not the greatest qualities for any crafted beverage to have—to be playful, beautiful, celebratory, movable and freeing, encouraging of interaction, and conducive to conversation? In an industry where we are constantly searching for the newest innovation and keeping our eyes turned towards the latest trend, can thinking outside of the box be as simple as thinking inside of the can?

Tanya Lawrence is a graduate of George Washington University in Washington, D.C. A former territory manager at Big Top Brewing in Sarasota, Florida, she moderates the Instagram page babels_cameron dedicated to craft beer and craft beer tourism throughout the US. She lives in Cleveland, Ohio and enjoys bird-watching and cheeseboards.

May 2018 barbizmag.com

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Happenings June 2018

You’re never too old for chocolate ice cream—especially when that ice cream includes booze. Blend up some adults-only alcoholic shakes.

June 1 Dare Day Today’s the day to challenge someone, so dare a guest to try a new spirit or a cocktail that’s outside their comfort zone.

Truth or

DARE

27

June 27 National Sunglasses Day Get some cheap shades branded with your bar’s logo and give them out as swag—and free advertising—to guests.

June 23 National Pink Day There are plenty of cocktails that fit the color requirement for today.

Here are three to get you started: Cosmopolitan, Pink Lady, and Clover Club.

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Bar Business Magazine

June 10 Herbs & Spices Day Spice up your cocktails—literally!

Create a list of drinks in which the spices shine.

May 2018 barbizmag.com

All Photos: Shutterstock.com.

7

June 7 National Chocolate Ice Cream Day

Happenings

Upcoming

June 30 National Mai Tai Day

EVENTS

Transport your guests to a tropical oasis with twists on this favorite cocktail.

JUNE Rum RENAISSANCE FestIVAL June 9-10, 2018 Fort Lauderdale, FL rumrenaissance.com

June 28 Insurance Awareness Day

Bar Convent Brooklyn

Are you covered?

Take the day to check up on your business’ insurance policies.

barconventbrooklyn.com

June 12-13, 2018 Brooklyn, NY

JULY TRA Marketplace July 15-16, 2018 San Antonio, TX

tramarketplace.com

28

June 28 Paul Bunyan Day Honor this largerthan-life lumberjack by resurrecting the Bunyan cocktail (an early version of a martini).

Tales of the cocktail July 17-22, 2018 New Orleans, LA

talesofthecocktail.org

august texas bar & night club convention August 27, 2018 San Antonio, TX

tbnaconvention.com

June 14 National Bourbon Day Celebrate “America’s native spirit” today.

Want more information on the perfect glass to pour into? Turn to page 22.

barbizmag.com

May 2018

Bar Business Magazine

17

How To

How To: Menus

Good menu design can help you drive in profits.

What’s On Your Menu?

18

Bar Business Magazine

By Christopher Osburn May 2018 barbizmag.com

How To: Menus

Photos (left to right): Shutterstock/ nd3000; Relyco.

A

ny guests that walk into your establishment and sidle their way up to your bar will probably immediately be handed a cocktail menu. How else are they going to know what spirits and cocktails you offer? If they’re like most, they won’t really pay too much attention to this piece of laminated paper. To many customers, menus are something of an afterthought.

They might notice the pun-filled cocktail names and the inventive, delicious sounding recipes. But, they probably won’t see the craftmanship and dedication that goes into creating that specific menu. That is, unless your bar or pub decides to spend a little more money to ensure that they do.

There’s a big difference between a water-logged, thin piece of paper sitting in the middle of a spilled drink on a bar and a glossy, bright, high-quality cocktail menu.

That being said, there are many different menu options available that are designed to fit every style of bar from the hole in the wall to the trendy, secret password speakeasy. The main point to remember when deciding what kind of menu is right for you is, who are you and what type of clientele are you hoping to serve at your establishment?

If you own a dive bar that happens to have a cocktail menu, nobody would expect it to be glossy and full of cocktail images or thoughtful explanations and recipes. But, if you really want to engage your customers and keep them coming back, you have to step it up in the menu department.

Most importantly, you are attempting to match your menu design to the vibe you’re trying to convey. Menus should reflect your space and its atmosphere.

The factors that matter most are colors, menu size, and how you plan to present your menu.

Lucky for you, there are many different companies that cater to bars and restaurants in need of high-quality cocktail menus. They all do something different—from book covers to laminated menus to waterproof, tear-resistant menus—and each and every one of these companies has you covered (get it?).

barbizmag.com

All Book Covers It might not seem like a big deal, but menu covers are extremely important in the bar world. Think about it in terms of books and it’s obvious.

There are many reasons why bookmakers put covers on books and don’t just bind together a bunch of pieces of paper. For one, the book wouldn’t fare very well without protection. The paper would get bent and warped from reading, and the pages might stick together if you mistakenly placed it into a puddle of water. On top of that, a cover is used to market a book and attract attention.

All of these reasons also work when it comes to cocktail menus.

One company that specializes in book covers as well as menu covers is Arizona’s All Book Covers. They produce menu covers in a variety of types, including custom menu covers, corner pocket menu covers, multi-panel covers, padded menus, classic menu covers, as well as table tents, panel boards, and various other menu options.

The benefits of using menu covers are obvious. For one thing, they make your menu look good. They also keep your menu clean of food and drinks that might otherwise saturate it, which means you won’t have to replace your menus as often. That’s a really good

thing in a business where a great deal of money is spent to replace alcohol and ingredients on a daily basis.

MenuWorks MenuWorks specializes in laminated, waterproof menus. “Our menus are available in coil, flat, bifold, and trifold solutions,” says Amanda Marcengill, Inside Sales Manager. “In addition to laminated menus, we also offer café covers, royal covers, to-go menus, kids placemats, and table tents.”

Since MenuWorks is also the manufacturer, they are able to offer a wide variety of shapes and sizes. They also invest time to work with their clients to create special shapes in order to promote specific brands.

Menus are your establishment’s largest advertising opportunity, and they are

Pro Tip Menus are your largest advertising opportunity as they are viewed by 100% of your clientele. Good design is a critical component.

May 2018

Bar Business Magazine

19

How To: Menus

viewed by 100% of your clientele. So good design is a critical component. “It’s an opportunity to realize your brand,” says Marcengill. “Good design should be clean, easy to interpret, and appealing to the eye, all while helping drive your clientele to high-profit menu items.”

The process of working with MenuWorks is designed to be easy. “To get started, we would need the bar/ restaurant logo, menu content, and any photography that would need to be included,” says Marcengill, who notes they also offer a large online photography resource for clients who are unable to

supply their own photography or logos.

“Once we receive the content, our team will schedule a call to better understand your brand and the overall look and feel that you want in your menu.”

You may feel like you can handle the design yourself and don’t need to work with a company on creating your bar’s menus. But teaming up with a company like MenuWorks means you have an award-winning team at your fingertips.

“Our team members are experts in menu design and optimization,” says Marcengill, who explains that once they understand what their clients are trying to accomplish with the overall design of their menu, they will make recommendations to take their menu to the next level. “We focus heavily on proper menu optimization to ensure a connection with your patrons while helping increase your bar/restaurant sales.

Our clients see an average increase in sales of 8-10% when our team designs their menus.”

Above all else, Marcengill says that the MenuWorks team is there to

help make your menu the best it can be. They also strive to make the whole process as painless as possible. “We are passionate about creating better menus and helping bars/restaurants present a menu that they can be proud of while increasing their sales.”

On top of customer service, they also offer Microban Antimicrobial Technology on their menus. “We are the only menu provider in the world to offer this technology,” says Marcengill.

Relyco Relyco makes Revlar waterproof menus.

This means, on top of being safe from untimely bar room spills, they are durable, waterproof, chemical-resistant, completely washable, and in the case of an unruly patron, tear-proof.

It might seem like all of that is not possible when working with a menu, but the secret is these menus aren’t made of paper. “The ‘paper’ is a synthetic material that is made of plastic, yet it has the appearance, smoothness, and

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How To: Menus printability of standard paper,” says Steph Oeser, Marketing Manager at Relyco. “As a result of this unique material, these menus can withstand spills, stains, and frequent handling.

“It solves many problems, like reducing waste and cost, while also providing a more professional look than traditional paper menus.”

The company works alongside many different kinds of bars and restaurants and are used to seeing (and dealing with) a wide range of needs. “We don’t necessarily have a specific one-size-fitsall model that we’d recommend based on the type of bar,” says Oeser. “We like talking to folks to get a sense of their individual pain-points and goals.”

From there, they can make recommendations to address those concerns while aligning with your bar’s aesthetic and design preferences. “We are able to offer a lot of choices when it comes to paper color, folding, thickness, size, and a soft versus rigid material,” says Oeser, who confirms that talking

Color, size, and presentation matter in menu design.

print the menus yourself or outsource the process, Relyco will save you time and money. “You won’t be constantly throwing away menus and re-printing them,” says Oeser, who notes that you also won’t need menu covers or protectors. “Additionally, if you are currently laminating, waterproof menus eliminate that hassle and expense altogether.”

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Photos (left to right): MenuWorks; All Book Covers.

6280 S. Valley View Blvd. | Suite 232 | Las Vegas, NV 89118 | 310.383.6090 through those choices with clients is part of their recommendation process.

One unique aspect of this business is that you can even print your own menus. “The key is that you use a dry toner laser printer,” says Oeser, who explains that Revlar then prints just like standard paper. “You can even print double-sided. The one pro-tip we would recommend: fan the sheets just prior to placing them in the tray. This reduces static electricity.”

If you’d rather skip the DIY method and outsource the printing, Relyco can handle that too. “You can use our Relyco MenuPrint service, and we can print for you,” says Oeser.

No matter whether you decide to barbizmag.com

• Custom Branding • Create Curb Appeal • Advertise • Enhance Decor May 2018

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21

How To

How To: Tasting glass

What’s in a Glass?

Considerations for choosing a tasting glass.

S

ensory perception is such an intangible thing. There are so many variables at play when we evaluate a spirit, from the emotional and environmental factors to our own inherent biases, that it is a wonder that there is any kind of consensus at all.

How do we take what is a very personal translation of a spirit and successfully portray it as something that is meaningful and measurable to others?

Pro Tip When choosing a tasting glass, consider the bowl size and also the type of rim, which will affect the spirit’s aroma and taste.

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Bar Business Magazine

For many years, I have been a student of and now an educator on behalf of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET). I have always relied on its trademark Systematic Approach to Tasting as the foundation of my approach, but there are many other institutions and methodologies and most tend to adhere to the same fundamental principles of assessing the appearance, aroma, and taste of a spirit. Clarity and condition are considered; intensity, length, and complexity are scrutinized; and a broad vocabulary of commonly used terms is employed to describe the vast array of aromas and flavors that bombard our senses.

We strive to minimize the distractions of the world around us, eliminating extraneous factors, and we endeavor to deliver an honest, impartial assessment of the liquid before us. We spend inordinate amounts of time, energy, and money

improving our technique and honing our skills, but how much attention do we pay to the glass and how much impact, if any, it has on our determinations? Does the glass have an impact on our perceptions of aroma and flavor?

In times past, things were simple.

You had a copita for the serious analyst, a snifter for the connoisseur, and the rest of us made do with a rocks glass. Times have changed, and the last decade or so has seen an outpouring of glassware to maximize the enjoyment of a spirit and enhance its organoleptic attributes (those that are experienced through the senses).

Some are more aesthetically pleasing and designed for style over performance. Others claim to be ergonomically and scientifically designed to bring out the best of what is in the glass.

The array of glassware available is overwhelming. It seems that every

May 2018 barbizmag.com

Photo: Shutterstock/ Vania Zhukevych.

By Rob McCaughey

How To: Tasting glass

Thinking of hosting a tasting? The glasses are as important as the spirit.

24

Bar Business Magazine

When teaching WSET classes, I tend to use an ISO glass when available; my objective is generally to taste spirits comparatively, where it is more important to be as consistent as possible with as many of the variables in order to evaluate each sample fairly. If the goal is to maximize the enjoyment of each individual spirit, then what should we be considering in terms of the glass?

Bowl Size In recent years, the general consensus of the industry at large seems to be that the most effective glass to use for spirit tasting has a basic tulip–like design.

These glasses vary in looks but all tend to share several commonalities—a relatively wide bowl for easy swirling and maximum evaporation and a convergent rim to capture as many of the aroma compounds as possible. As most of what we consider to be flavor is actually aroma rather than taste or texture, it makes sense that so many of the available glasses focus on

increasing our perception of volatile aroma compounds.

A wide bowl means lots of surface area, which helps to maximize evaporation. If the glass is too narrow, then all that we are likely to be smelling is ethanol as it tends to be more volatile than some of the heavier congeners.

The height of the glass also plays a key role here. Some glasses are simply too shallow and do not provide enough headspace (the space between the surface of the liquid and the rim) for the aromas to develop before we bring the glass to our nose.

Rim: Aroma In terms of the preferred type of rim, there seems to be two schools of thought: those who want to capture as many of the aroma compounds as possible, and those who want to be able to lessen the impact of ethanol on the nose.

If you choose to dilute your spirit (I generally dilute to around 60 proof), then the convergent rim stands out as

May 2018 barbizmag.com

Photo: Shutterstock/ K.Decha.

spirits category now has its own specially designed glass. Herein lies part of the problem. Each of us has our own idea of what the perfect glass is. Our own partiality to a particular idea of form and function can sway our opinion before we even pick up the glass. If the shape of the glass is too far removed from our pre-conceived notions of what is correct, then we are already stacking the deck unfairly, regardless of its merits. Likewise if the glass doesn’t feel right in our hand or the glass is too thick, it can be difficult to get beyond this and give the spirit a fair assessment.

Once someone has decided upon what they think is the best glass, it is very difficult to change that opinion.

As much as we like to believe that we make these decisions impartially, we generally pick a glass based on a recommendation or endorsement, and we rarely have the time or inclination to compare various glasses side by side.

Did more choice suddenly make us all better tasters?

2

How To: Tasting glass

Glass options go beyond the typical rocks glass.

a great way to maximize your ability to perceive a fuller range of aromas, particularly in a high congener spirit or one that has a lot of different botanicals present.

However, with the prevalence of high-proof and cask-strength offerings in the last few years, having a glass with a flared or divergent rim is certainly going to help lessen the risk of overwhelming or anaesthetizing the olfactory bulb with a big hit of ethanol.

In fact, there are those who would argue that due to the higher alcoholic strength of spirits when compared with beer or wine, that there is little point in smelling ortho-nasally (with our nose) at all. Instead, we should focus on assessing the spirit retro-nasally by putting it in our mouth and allowing the higher temperature, together with the drawing in of a little air, to release the compounds that can then be assessed via the back of our mouth and up through our soft palate as we breathe out.

Rim: Taste While many glasses focus on maximizing olfaction, several others focus more on liquid dynamics and how the spirit flows from the glass over the tongue. Unfortunately, a lot of the logic here is based on the outdated idea of the tongue map or taste map, whereby we are sensitive to sweetness on the tip of our tongue, bitterness at the back of our tongue, and acidity along the sides. Thus, in order to get a full appreciation of the flavors, it is necessary to have a wider flow of liquid from the glass and therefore a flared rim is far more effective.

A convergent rim would simply deliver a narrow beam of liquid to a very localized part of the tongue and therefore you would be getting a onedimensional profile.

The idea of a “one tongue map fits all” has long been disproved.

Everyone’s palate is different—some of us with more or less papillae that make up our taste buds and some of

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How To: Tasting glass

Rob McCaughey

us more or less sensitive to various textural stimuli (fats, oils, tannins, etc.). Perception of flavor is individual, as is where on our tongue and throughout our palate we are most sensitive to bitterness, acidity, and sweetness (although we can detect all basic tastes to some degree throughout our tongue). To compound things further, our sensitivities can change

over time, especially as we become more familiar with and tolerant to various spirits. So there is still a good deal of merit to the idea of getting as broad a flow of liquid onto the palate as possible to ensure that we get the full spectrum of flavors. To this end, a glass with a divergent rim seems the most likely to be able to achieve this.

However, the same results could likely be accomplished by simply swirling the liquid in our mouth.

For me, the biggest flaw with the idea of a perfect glass is that we are all imperfect. Our perceptions of aroma and flavor are as distinct from one another as our preferred tipple.

What one person may find enjoyable, another may find unbearable.

Personal preference will always surpass anything that a glass may be able to hide or enhance.

While the shape, size, and design of the vessel can all certainly impact how a spirit is initially perceived, it will ultimately be our own notions of the

good, bad, and indifferent that will dictate our appreciation of or ambivalence toward any particular dram.

Now where did I leave that rocks glass...?

Rob McCaughey is a Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Certified Educator and USA Business Development Manager – Spirits. McCaughey has over 20 years’ experience in the industry, starting out as a global ambassador of hospitality and beverage management before moving to Pittsburgh where he became an educator at WSET Approved Programme Provider, Palate Partners, and developed an on-trade presence for Dreadnought Wines’ portfolio. He holds the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines and Level 2 Award in Spirits, is a Certified Specialist in Spirits with the Society of Wine Educators, and an Advanced Bartender graduate of the United States Bartender Guild’s Master Accreditation Program.

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Tuning Up

How To: APPS

HOW TO

top tech

A

By Emily Eckart

re you using technology to your best advantage?

Improve management, operations, and return on investment with apps designed for the hospitality industry.

Manage Guests with SevenRooms SevenRooms is a comprehensive 30

Bar Business Magazine

reservation, seating, and guest management platform. Backed by a powerful data collection system, it will transform your guest management.

Joel Montaniel, CEO and Co-Founder of SevenRooms, wanted to create a system that would improve hospitality.

Montaniel says, “We believe that hospitality operators want to provide

hospitality. And we believe consumers want to receive a personalized experience. The bridge to connect those two things is really about guest data.�

Before SevenRooms, there was no way for hospitality operators to store data in a single place. Guest information was recorded with pen and paper, spreadsheets, or sometimes simply

May 2018 barbizmag.com

Photo: Shutterstock/ Syda Productions.

Three apps for better bar management.

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How To: APPS

SevenRooms

A comprehensive reservation, seating, & guest management App.

JobPose

this app offers a quicker and more efficient hiring process.

Wheedle

Create ticketed events with this mobile event management app.

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Bar Business Magazine

remembered by experienced staff. This poses a problem, Montaniel says, when a new hire doesn’t know your VIPs or when a long-time staff member leaves.

SevenRooms creates a profile of every guest who visits your establishment, including their name, picture, when they visited, how much they’ve spent, and what they’ve ordered.

Guests can make reservations using a SevenRooms reservation widget on the bar, restaurant, or nightclub’s website.

To book a reservation, the guest can log in with a social media account, like Facebook. SevenRooms then pulls publicly available information like the guest’s picture into its profile.

SevenRooms can also take credit card information, providing pre-revenue and reducing no-shows.

For guests who walk in, hosts can search the SevenRooms database to see if the guest has visited before and enter any new information.

SevenRooms directly improves the guest experience. For example, Montaniel says, imagine a guest has been to your nightclub 25 times, but your new doorperson doesn’t know that.

They can’t provide the experience your guest is accustomed to, which puts the relationship at risk. With SevenRooms, a new employee can look the guest up and learn that she is a regular. “Even if it’s someone’s first day on the job, or their tenth year on the job, they can provide consistent service for that guest,” says Montaniel, which increases guest satisfaction and retention.

SevenRooms gives you the power to offer personalized touches, like asking guests if they’d like their favorite cocktail. You can also add notes to guest profiles, such as allergies or dislikes.

And for chains with multiple locations, SevenRooms allows you to view both a unified profile for one customer and reservation information for your particular location.

SevenRooms’ open API connects to systems like the point of sale, breaking down former data silos. Its in-app reservation management system lets you handle requests from the booking widget. The system auto-matches new requests with existing guest profiles. It also gives managers the ability to track

messages sent to the guest, monitoring response time and brand messaging.

The app naturally builds your marketing database, providing the ability to search and filter guests—for instance, pulling up a list of everyone with an upcoming birthday. You can then export their email addresses and send them a promotion or event invitation.

You can log into SevenRooms on your desktop using a web portal or use it as a mobile iPhone or iPad app. The mobile app is ideal for staff working the restaurant or bar floor. It provides realtime alerts for events such as when a VIP checks in. The mobile app does not require consistent WiFi. It downloads the reservation list for the night, and if the WiFi goes down, the SevenRoom system can still run and save changes locally. When the WiFi comes back on, SevenRooms syncs across all devices.

When starting up with SevenRooms, the customer success team will assist you with uploading any existing customer data you may have. “We want you to have a running start when you use SevenRooms,” says Montaniel.

Pricing is based on a monthly or annual subscription and varies based on the size of your establishment.

Find New Talent with JobPose Tired of sifting through resumes?

JobPose makes the hiring process quicker and more efficient. Best of all, you can do everything right from your phone.

JobPose was launched in 2016, when a group of club and hotel owners got frustrated by the open call process.

It was time-consuming to review resumes one by one, and resumes didn’t always capture important candidate qualities. JobPose solves this problem.

“Bar owners are a busy group, and we help them save time,” says Greg D’Angelo, CEO of JobPose. “We give them the ability to post jobs, search, and review applicants from their computer or mobile device. Our digital profiles allow for photos, videos, and personal writeups, so employers can get more of a feel for the candidate’s personality, which is important in the service industry.”

At JobPose.com, job seekers fill out a digital profile with work experience, education, and other basic

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information. Once their profile is complete, the app shows them jobs that best match their skills and background. D’Angelo explains, “The more candidates fill in, the better the matches will be, and the more likely you are to be selected by an employer.”

JobPose is unique in that it allows job seekers to upload photos to their profile, along with links to social sites or videos.

“It gives the candidate an ability to show off who they are personally, not just their work history,” says D’Angelo.

This makes JobPose perfect for the hospitality industry, where culture fit and personality are important.

D’Angelo explains, “Our system provides for custom interview questions when candidates apply. So besides the freedom to screen candidates any time or place, you get more information than traditional sources. This allows you to skip the first interview and move the hiring process along faster.”

Furthermore, D’Angelo says, “JobPose gives employers their own profiles to showcase their establishment. This lets potential candidates learn more about a business before applying to jobs. Having transparency during the hiring process and choosing the correct employee with the right culture fit helps with retention.

We also offer an internal mobility product for our larger clients.”

JobPose is different from websites like LinkedIn because of its tailored focus on the hospitality and retail industries.

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Bar Business Magazine

D’Angelo says, “Linkedin is a great tool for corporate jobs but is lacking when it comes to the hospitality industry. Many people in the service industry do not have [LinkedIn] profiles, such as bartenders and servers.”

Business owners can sign up for the app at JobPose.com. The service starts at $49.99 per month (rates vary based on number of employees and locations).

The app is compatible with any Android or iOS device.

Create Ticketed Events with Wheedle Wheedle is a mobile event management app that allows you to create ticketed events. John Weston, CEO of Wheedle, says, “We came from the bar and restaurant world with a focus on event marketing. The problem we faced was, whether it was wine tastings or whiskey pairings, there was no easy way to get customers to commit without selling tickets.”

But selling tickets using desktop software was a challenge for busy bar staff.

Wheedle makes ticket sales easy and mobile-friendly. “We created a mobilefirst app that lets people create and manage events while quickly allowing the hosts to share with friends, post to social media, advertise to their followers, embed in newsletters, and even their websites,” says Weston. “A bar owner can use Wheedle in multiple ways. Say they are having a wine pairing or a New Year’s Eve party and need people to

commit $35 to attend. Instead of trying to take credit cards over the phone— which is a huge security risk and also limits the time when people can reserve their spot—the bar manager can create an event with Wheedle from the app in minutes and send out a custom URL link with all the details to everyone on their mailing list, social media channels, texts, website.”

Guests simply click the link shared by the event organizer. They can RSVP, buy tickets, and enter credit card information securely, receiving an emailed receipt once the transaction is complete. Wheedle also allows guests to browse events. The ease of the guest interface helps bars sell more RSVPs or tickets, increasing exposure and revenue.

Once a guest signs up, Weston says, “The bar manager can easily track the guest list and monitor sales, which allows them to staff accordingly. They can even check people in or sell tickets at the door with our built-in QR scanner and in-app box office—no merchant processer needed.”

Why sell tickets to your events?

Weston explains that ticketed events drive demand because they create a sense of scarcity for admittance. “[It] lets bar owners capture revenue upfront to mitigate risk, minimizes no-shows, and allows owners to staff appropriately and collect valuable marketing info such as names and email addresses to retarget for future events.”

Weston has seen numerous examples of events for which bars used Wheedle: parties, fundraisers, wine tastings, whiskey pairings, bar crawls, and many more.

The app is social media friendly too.

“The event URL that’s created is optimized for social media, so it looks beautiful when sharing to their followers and includes multiple pictures, an event description, and info about [your] business,” says Weston.

Designed with mobile use in mind, Wheedle has versions for Android and iOS. A desktop version is also available.

Best of all, it costs bar owners nothing to use as the app’s business model instead charges low transaction and processing fees to event guests.

May 2018 barbizmag.com

Photo: Shutterstock/ View Apart.

How To: APPS

LEASING

read between the

lines

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Bar Business Magazine

May 2018 barbizmag.com

LEASING

Utilizing and presenting an offer to lease for bar tenants.

Photo: Shutterstock/ Pressmaster.

A

By Jeff Grandfield and Dale Willerton – The Lease Coach

s we explain in our new book, Negotiating Commercial Leases & Renewals FOR DUMMIES, an offer to lease is generally the best way to proceed when you’re ready to enter into a formal agreement with the landlord (whether you’re opening your first bar or you need another commercial site for your second bar). An offer to lease can be written from landlord to tenant or from tenant to landlord—the latter route is more common. This isn’t, however, always right or the best thing for a bar tenant to do.

If you’re going to buy a car, do you take a purchase agreement with you to the car dealership? Of course not. The car dealership has a purchase or sale agreement for you to sign, if you want to buy a car from them. On a similar note, bar tenants find themselves in a much stronger negotiating position if they require the landlord to first prepare and send them the standard offer to lease.

Even if the landlord’s template document says the bar tenant is making the offer to the landlord, as long as the business terms have been filled in by the landlord or their agent, this typically represents the landlord’s first offer.

The point here is to get the landlord to make the first bid—stating the rent and other details—so that the commercial tenant is responding or is in a position to counter-offer. It’s all about who appears to be pursuing who. Note that the offer to lease can be legally binding.

The offer to lease shouldn’t be used as a tool to justify why you should get certain concessions or incentives. The negotiation process should be verbal, but the offer itself should include just the facts put down on paper. A typical offer to lease will have approximately 14-20 business terms including the following: • Name of tenant (your corporation if you have formed one) and landlord • Address of the premises (including the specific unit) barbizmag.com

• Size

or square footage of the premises of lease term (commencement and expiration dates) • Buildout or fixturing period • Rental rate • Additional rents (taxes, maintenance, and insurance estimates) • Free rent (or rent abatement period) • Tenant improvement allowance • Permitted uses and exclusivities • Deposit terms • Landlord and tenant’s work to premises • Renewal options • Lease assignment language • Length

A lease negotiation is like a boxing match with many rounds.

• Parking,

reserved parking, and charges

• Signage • Personal guaranty (or indication of one not being required) • Conditions and acceptance dates

you should know in advance what prevailing rates (or “going” rental rates) are in the area and what comprises a competitive deal in that marketplace.

Finally, time your counteroffer(s) for the best results. If you get a proposal from the landlord in the morning, and you’re modifying and returning it in the afternoon, you’re responding too soon.

You need to pace the process.

Remember that a good lease negotiation is like a boxing match that lasts many rounds. It’s acceptable and advisable to make multiple counteroffers, inching the deal forward and improving on it each round. This can take weeks or months and depends on the accessibility of the landlord’s decision makers.

Dale Willerton and Jeff Grandfield The Lease Coach are Commercial Lease Consultants who work exclusively for tenants. Dale and Jeff are professional speakers and co-authors of Negotiating Commercial Leases & Renewals FOR DUMMIES (Wiley, 2013). Got a leasing question? Need help with your new lease or renewal? Call 800/738-9202, e-mail DaleWillerton@TheLeaseCoach.com, or visit TheLeaseCoach.com. For a complimentary copy of the CD, Leasing Do’s & Don’ts for Commercial Tenants, please e-mail JeffGrandfield@TheLeaseCoach.com.

Far too often, bar tenants come to The Lease Coach complaining that some of the terms that they negotiated verbally as part of the lease deal aren’t appearing on paper or are appearing with a different meaning or context.

Verbal negotiations often aren’t captured on paper with the correct intent or detail; this is why you need a checklist to make sure that everything you negotiate shows up properly.

When negotiating your offer to lease, don’t take what you’re being told or offered as the bottom line just because it was delivered with convincing rhetoric. If you’ve done your homework, May 2018

Bar Business Magazine

37

Seasonal Cocktails

Cocktail recipes to fill those long summer days.

summer Photo: Shutterstock/ Svitlana Sokolova.

SIPPING

By Jeremy LeBlanc

S

Summer Lovin’

2 oz Bols Genever ¾ oz Strawberry thyme syrup ¾ oz Lemon juice ¼ oz Galliano L’Apertivo For syrup, in a high-speed blender combine one cup chopped strawberries, one cup granulated sugar, and 3-4 sprigs of thyme. Blend on high until liquefied (you may need to add a small splash of water to get it going). Strain through a fine mesh strainer. For cocktail, combine ingredients in a mixing tin and briefly shake with ice. Strain into a rocks glass and top with crushed ice.

Garnish with strawberries and thyme.

Naomi Levy, Head Bartender, Kimpton Hotels

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Bar Business Magazine

ummertime has arrived— the temperatures are rising, the days are longer, and the nights are shorter, so we’ve put together this summer’s “must-have cocktails,” which promise to be some of the hottest recipes of the season. Beach days and barbeques are always on the menu, so we’ve chosen some modern sweet and savory concoctions perfect for any outdoor occasion.

Nothing tastes better on a hot summer day than a fresh piece of fruit, so naturally our list has an abundance of recipes that feature melons, strawberries, dragon fruit, and fresh herbs like mint, basil, cilantro, and sage.

Our expert mixologists range from all over the globe, but one thing they all agree on is that summertime menus should be using quality mixers and local fresh ingredients to bring out the crisp, refreshing flavors that the season has to offer.

Head Bartender of Kimpton Hotels

Naomi Levy breaks down why fresh ingredients can make all the difference when mixing up a summer cocktail. “Local and fresh ingredients are the best, but they also have some of the biggest flavors,” she explains.

“A local, summertime tomato is just so much more ‘tomato-y’ than a winter tomato shipped halfway across the world. These bigger flavors are important when crafting cocktails because they help the ingredients shine when mixing with liquors—whose flavors aren’t exactly whispering. The big, bold flavors of spirits are great with the more concentrated flavors of local, fresh ingredients.”

Shades of pink, bright red, and green are suitable for the creation of exciting summer cocktails, according to Giorgio Tosato, Founder of Philoxenia Cocktail Events in London, England. When asked what makes his summertime cocktails stand out from the rest, Tosato says he got his inspiration this season

May 2018 barbizmag.com

Photo: Shutterstock/ Gudrun Muenz.

Seasonal Cocktails

Fun Fizzy Fresh

SILVER

91 POINTS

www.SandaraUSA.com 01321

info@SandaraUSA.com

GOLD

GOLD

Seasonal Cocktails

Summer Lovin’

La Embajadora Summer Bliss 2 oz Casa Noble Joven Tequila 1 oz Lemon juice ½ oz Crème de Pamplemousse Rose ½ oz Elderflower cordial Dash of Cardamom bitters Ginger beer

Combine all ingredients except the ginger beer into a mixing tin and shake well. Strain into a coupe and top with ginger beer. Garnish with lemon and mint.

Bruce “Blue” Rivera, “The Urban Mixologist” & Brand Ambassador for Casa Noble Tequila, and Gustavo Ortega-Oyarzun

Strawberry Collins 2 oz English Dry gin ¾ oz Lime juice ¾ oz Simple syrup 1 oz St-Germain Spicy ginger beer

Jimmy Huynh, Owner/Operator, Jimmy’s Bar

Bar Business Magazine

Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a coconut Tiki mug filled with crushed ice. Garnish with fresh mint and shredded red pepper.

Josue Romero AKA “The Garnish Guy,” Bartender at Odd Birds Bar, St. Augustine, FL

Alkekengi Cocktail

Jeremy LeBlanc designs cocktail menus and consults for bars internationally. He has published three craft cocktail books and is trained and certified by Academia Mexicana del Tequila. He is president of TIN PLAY Precision Pour Flair Tins, LLC.

Flamingo Love 1.5 oz Bacardi Blanco Rum ½ oz Roots Mastiha Liqueur ½ oz Dill & Caraway ½ oz Lime 5 Fresh curry leaves 1 Slice pink dragon fruit Pink grapefruit soda

Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously. Double strain into a highball glass and top with soda. Garnish with a slice of dragon fruit.

Giorgio Tosato, Founder of Philoxenia Cocktail Events

Flamingo Love

1.5 oz London Dry Gin 1 oz Basil Syrup 1 oz Fresh passion fruit Physalis alkekengi

Combine all the ingredients except the ginger beer into a mixing tin and shake well. Strain into a tall goblet glass and top with ginger beer. Garnish with strawberries and mint.

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1.5 oz Suntory Whisky Toki ½ oz Coconut-washed Brandy ½ oz Fried peach syrup ½ oz Mandarine Napoleon Liqueur ¾ oz Yuzu Juice 1 dash Cardamom Bitters

bar’s summer menu, spending quality time with family and friends hitting up your favorite outdoor venue, or just mixing up your own concoctions on your home patio, make sure you are always incorporating all of the local flavors and colors of the summer months’ harvest.

Crush the Physalis berries in a shaker and add other ingredients. Shake well and double strain into a coupe.

Garnish with basil leaf.

Federico M. Cerulli “The Italian Mixologist,” Mixologist of L’ARBANE Paris, France

May 2018 barbizmag.com

Photos (top to bottom): Peter Holmgren; Nelli Miteva.

from the Greek Flamingo. See his recipe, “Flamingo Love,” below, which includes Roots Mastiha Liqueur, a unique product made using the resin of Mastic trees from the Greek island of Chios.

Tosato says passion is the key to all cocktail creations, and he believes “less can be more.” He also thinks that the garnish always plays a significant role when presenting a signature cocktail. After all, presentation is everything!

Nearly every summer occasion calls for a cocktail. So when planning your

A ROYAL WELCOME ROYAL DUTCH DISTILLERS INTRODUCES CHERRY HEERING TO THE US PORTFOLIO

ROYAL DUTCH DISTILLERS ©2018, MIAMI FL. CONTACT DISTRIBUTION@ROYALDISTILLERS.COM WITH INQUIRIES.

Inventory

North meets South in the Mexican tradition of Exceptional Mezcal

An Artisanal Handcrafted Ultra-Premium Tequila

Back Bar Project introduces Origen Raiz, a new mezcal brand produced in the state of Durango, Mexico. Produced purely by hand using traditional, non-industrial practices, Origen Raiz is made from 100% wild agave Cenizo. It was a project born of the roots of two familial traditions in different parts of Mexico: Oaxaca in the south and and Durango in the north.

Co-Founders Asis Cortés and Bildo Saravia, brought their families together through passion for their culture and respect for their heritage. Once harvested, the agaves are roasted in a wood-fired earthen pit oven, milled with a mule-drawn tahona, or grinding stone, and mixed with water from a local spring and left to ferment in open-air vats. The 48% ABV Origen Raiz is double-distilled in copper stills and categorized as joven mezcal. The bottle’s expressive hand-drawn logo symbolizes the union between two cultures—the danzante, a common figure in traditional Oaxacan festivities, and the cow, representing cattle, a figure central to the Durango economy.

Los Arango® Tequila announces the revival of Los Arango Tequila Blanco, Resposado, and Añejo. This announcement coincides with Los Arango’s appointment of Infinium Spirits as their new U.S. importer. Los Arango is crafted using 100% hand-picked blue agave and specifically formulated yeast. Double column distilled, Los Arango Tequila embraces robust and delicious flavors that ignite the senses. Los Arango Tequila Blanco is processed through a slow distillation and has a clean and bright color with a soft, smooth palate. With a silky and elegant palate and a dry and delicate finish, Los Arango Tequila Reposado is a highquality premium product that is aged for six months in American oak barrels. Los Arango Tequila Añejo is aged for thirteen months in American oak barrels that are burnt inside to give the tequila a smoky flavor along with the rich taste of vanilla, caramel, and suede flavors.

Origen Raiz

backbarproject.com/portfolio/origen-raiz

Los Arango® Tequila

infiniumspirits.com/brands/losarango

A Juicy Collaboration Brew that Celebrates the Culture of San Francisco San Franpsycho® IPA

Anchor Brewing Company announces the debut of San Franpsycho® IPA, a Juicy IPA created with long-time collaborators San Franpsycho®, a community-based clothing and lifestyle brand. San Franpsycho IPA (6.3% ABV) is a delicious, balanced, and easydrinking beer that finishes with floral hops and big, juicy notes of peaches and apricots. It’s the perfect sessionable summertime brew. Brewed with two-row pale, red wheat and acidulated malt, San Franpsycho IPA pours a hazy golden straw color with a white fluffy head. The mouthfeel is creamy and smooth yet mildly effervescent with a hint of back-end tartness. This IPA celebrates the city and culture of San Francisco but will be available nationwide— bringing the unique ethos of the City by the Bay to beer lovers from coast to coast.

SFPIPA.com

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May 2018 barbizmag.com

Inventory

Charbay Distillery Gets Doubled & Twisted

A New Twist on Whisky

Root Out Root Beer Flavored Whisky

2018 Doubled & Twisted

California’s pioneering Charbay Distillery enters their 35th year as one of the first craft distilleries in California and the US, celebrating with the release of the 2018 Doubled & Twisted (D&T), a unique blend of select aged three- and seven-year-old Charbay Whiskeys. “Doubled and Twisted” is an old distilling term for when “the best stuff” begins to run off the pipe from the still. D&T combines a double Alambic pot distilled blend of 50% Aged Single Malt (three year); 30% Aged Stout Whiskey (seven year); and 20% Aged Pilsner Whiskey (three year).

The final juice exudes floral, green spice notes, warm aromas of baking spices (nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, allspice) and oak-smoked malted barley. French and American Oak impart flavors from smoky, toasted vanilla to dark roasted coffee. Charbay begins each batch of whiskey with bottleready beer, and this blend includes distillations of two custom brewed beers from Bear Republic. 660 cases will be available this spring nationwide in select stores.

Root Out Root Beer Flavored Whisky is a highquality whisky product that is a blend of the finest root beer flavoring with a smooth Canadian blended whisky that is aged for four years in American Oak barrels from bourbon.

The result is a rich root beer flavor with a hint of vanilla. It can be consumed neat, on the rocks, as a shot, or customized in a cocktail.

Priced at $25.99, this new whisky brand has become a favorite in the marketplace and has quickly expanded in the U.S. it is imported and distributed by Dozortsev & Sons Enterprises.

Facebook.com/RootOutWhisky

Featured

PRODUCT

charbay.com

A Gin for Gin Lovers Gin Lane 1751

Gin Lane 1751 is a classic London Dry Gin that celebrates the Victorian gin-making era, with a style of bold juniper and hints of liquorice. A small batch gin, Gin Lane 1751 comprises four styles: London Dry Gin (40% ABV); London Dry “Royal Strength” (47% ABV); Victoria Pink Gin (40% ABV) (pictured); and Old Tom Gin (40% ABV). Gin Lane 1751 has seen a surge in sales, largely thanks to its pink gin, which is one of only three authentic pink gins in the US market. Each bottle has been individually batch numbered and the gins are handcrafted in small traditional pot stills. There are eight natural botanicals to create a wellbalanced, complex gin: juniper, orris root, Seville oranges, angelica, Sicilian lemon, star anise, cassia bark, and coriander. The Victoria Pink Gin is infused with naturally blended Angostura bitters and the sweetness in the Old Tom comes from a higher note of star anise and infusing with natural superfine sugar. ginlane1751.com

barbizmag.com

May 2018

Bar Business Magazine

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Attention All Adult Beverage Suppliers

MEET ONE-ON-ONE WITH BEVERAGE DIRECTORS FROM ON-PREMISE CHAINS August 28 - 30, 2018 The On-Premise Adult Beverage EPPS Hilton Anaheim in Anaheim, CA All-Inclusive Registration Options Scheduled one-on-meetings with key decision makers Private meeting spaces | Networking opportunities Educational events | Cocktail + meal functions Beer Showcase Pavilion

Special Rates for First-Time Attendees

Bar Equipment, Supplies + Technology Pavilion Ask us about how to register, special discounts, or sponsorship options. Contact Amanda Tomsik at ATomsik@ECRM.MarketGate.com or (440) 528-0474.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS EPPS, PLEASE CONTACT: AMANDA TOMSIK | ATOMSICK@ECRM.MARKETGATE.COM | 440-528-0474

Ad Index

Company

Contact

Inventory COMPANIES

23 1849 WiNE COMPANY

1849wine.com

33 ami entertainment

amientertainment.com/sales

anchor brewing company anchorbrewing.com

28 Barritt’s Ginger Beer

bermudasgingerbeer.com

31 cwd

cwdistributing.com

11 Donna Italia Pizza

donnaitalia.com

46 ecrm

ecrm.marketgate.com

38 FLOH Vodka

flohvodka.com

25 heineken usa

heineken.com/us

15 knob creek

knobcreek.com

21 lytepost

lytepost.com

C4 national restaurant 13 paradise pos

restaurant.org/show paradisepos.com

7 perlick corporation

perlick.com

3 pernod-ricard

pernod-ricard-usa.com

35 pernod-ricard

pernod-ricard-usa.com

29 plug in & pour

pluginandpour.com

43 Royal dutch distillers

royaldistillers.com

9 rumchata 41 SANDARA 5 Shift4 payments

rumchata.com SandaraUSA.com TafferSmartPOS.com

C2 Taffer Dynamics Inc

JonTaffer.com

27 TIKI TONGA SANGRIA

TikiSangria.com

C3 tra

tramarketplace.com

26 ultimate bars

ultimatebars.com

20 vEEa

veea.com/nra

charbay distillery charbay.com Gin lane 1751 ginlane1751.com los arango tequila infiniumspirits.com/brands/ losarango origen raiz backbarproject.com/portfolio/ origen-raiz Root out facebook.com/rootoutwhiskey

Thirsty for more? visit @BarBizMag

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

barbizmag.com

May 2018

Bar Business Magazine

47

with Mike Raymond

What do you attribute to 10 successful years in business?

Houston is a very casual city, and our approach to the bar was a little more casual, come as you are—jeans and a T-shirt—so that’s a factor. We really challenge ourselves to be the best everyday. We want to be unique while being useful. If you’ve got good whiskey and good service and its reasonably priced, people are going to come back.

2

How has Reserve 101 changed?

Simply put, the world was a different place ten years ago. The iPhone was only a year old and people were busy setting up their MySpace pages. Whiskey was still a sleeping giant and downtown Houston wasn’t a nightlife destination. We were able to make changes, adapt to things, and constantly evolve and get better. For example, a few years ago we put USB plugs in front of the bar because we got tired of people giving us their phones to charge for them.

Owner/Operator of Reserve 101 (Houston, Texas)

B

efore opening Reserve 101 in 2008 with business partner Steve Long, Mike Raymond served as Beverage Director for Strip House in Houston. He decided to strike out on his own with a whiskey-focused bar, a unique venture at the time.

“I really felt that whiskey was going to be a trend,” says Raymond. “And no one was really serving that category in Houston and in very few places throughout the United States. So it was an area that I felt wasn’t being exploited.” Today, Reserve 101 features a curated collection of more than 340 whiskeys from 14 different countries, including rare selections, Texas whiskeys, and hand-selected private barrels bottled in partnership with some of the world’s best distilleries. The bar just celebrated its 10th anniversary by collaborating with Balcones to create the distillery’s firstever private select barrel.

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3

How do you curate your list of whiskey?

It has to do with the price of the product. If it’s sold under $100 dollars, then it becomes what is that whiskey and what does it represent? If it’s a rye whiskey, you’re talking about things that are going to be $20-25 a shot or less. Does it fit the category?

Is it a good representation? And there can be variations that are still outstanding. When we get into the big stuff, those $300, $400, $500 shot whiskeys, my criteria is pretty straightforward. I will steer away from a disappointing 30-40-year old whiskey and opt more for a vintage.

A 40-year-old that’s vintage from one specific year, or a single barrel type thing, is a little bit more rare and a lot more unique, so it becomes a lot easier to sell.

4

knowing where bottles are. But just because you’re out of training doesn’t mean you’re done training and learning. It’s a never-ending path, and we do monthly meetings furthering whiskey education.

5

What type of whiskey education do you provide?

We’re able to bring in brand ambassadors, master distillers, and blenders during the day for staff training. Then we’ll bring that person back at night and do a tasting for the public. We charge $20 for the tasting, and 100% of that goes to a local pet rescue group. We also offer private tastings for groups.

I try to make whiskey as easily understandable as possible without getting into the science. I think that breaking it down to its very basic terms demystifies it.

6

Any advice for other bar owners?

Sign up for one of Sean Finter from Barmetrix’s classes. He’s bright, and he studied the best bars and restaurants in the world and figures out what they all have in common. I recommend that for anyone—even people who have owned bars for a long time. I would also think long and hard about do you want to open up a bar and restaurant? There are so many opportunities now that never existed for ways to make a living where you don’t need to be behind the bar anymore, but you also don’t have to own a bar: blogs, podcasts, brand ambassadors, distributing companies hire bartenders to be their in-house mixologists. If you want to open a bar, find some support groups, talk to people who have done it, learn what you can, but be sure once you decide to do it that you’re fully committed.

How do you train your staff?

Our training’s two weeks, and it’s a combination of classroom training and time behind the bar.

We have roughly 500 bottles of liquor in the building with 355 being whiskey, so it’s also just about

May 2018 barbizmag.com

Photos: Julie Soefer.

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