May 2013 Bar Business Magazine

It’s WIne tIme:

A look at some trends and stats vital to growing your wine program.

The How-To Publication

BAR BUSINE$$ Step right Up May 2013

M A G A Z I N E

www.barbizmag.com

To Self-serve Shot Technology

how to: UNIqUe drINkS BIG SIX: NYC mIXoloGY PromoterS: Be the BeSt

Ch

k c e

t u O

On

pg

10

FULFILLING

NEEDS & DREAMS

Left Chaise

Corner

Bench

Right Chaise

PRODUCT IN STOCK. READY TO SHIP.

COLLECTION

BAR BUSINE$$

On Tap MAY 2013

CONTENTS

18

gEt In tHE MIX

HOW TO

22

18

22

26

MIXED UP

HIrIng tIPs

How UnUsUal

The latest edition of our bi-monthly section for digital issues only, where we provide a collection of cocktail recipes for mixologists and consumers alike.

Hiring new staff can be a shaky endeavor. We hear from an expert on ways to conduct interviews that will ensure you land an on-premise team player.

We all strive to create unique cocktail programs on-premise.

But what are the keys to keeping things unusual without going overboard?

2

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

www.barbizmag.com

On Tap

BAR BUSINE$$

CONTENTS

Features

18 46 Big six

8 Booze News It’s Twain vs. Orwell with some literary libations; The Poppy Den makes us all mixologists; RÊVE Luxury Nightlife Venue in Vegas; Vivreau bottles water for you; You should be a (Straw) Stripper!

12 liquid Assets Like a fine wine, the wine category only gets better with age, so you need to keep up with the latest market trends and technology for on-premise service. We can help.

The good folks at Pernod Ricard rolled out their Next Level Bartending seminar in LA and New York, and we were there to take it all in.

40 Party people

Departments 6 Bar room drawl

32 Better bars

We stay home this month with a look at some approachable on-premise mixlogy courtesy of Johnny Swet’s newest NYC venue, Rogue & Canon.

52 Inventory 54 holiday happenings

A good promoter brings more people to your events; a great promoter makes your events the only place to be. Which would you rather work with?

40

56 SUPPLY SPOTLIGHT From our cover, we talk to the co-owner of The ShotTender, which takes a unique new approach to self-serve spirits.

12 “Bar Business Magazine” (ISSN 1944-7531 [print], ISSN 2161-5071 [digital]) (USPS# 000-342) is published February, April, June, August, October, & December for $45.00 per year and January, March, May, July, September, & November will only be offered in a digital format at no charge by Simmons-Boardman, 55 Broad St 26th Fl., New York, NY 10004. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and additional mailing offices. Copyright © 2013 Simmons-Boardman. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. No part of the magazine may be reproduced in any fashion without the expressed written consent of Simmons-Boardman. Qualified U.S. bar owners may request a free subscription. Non-qualified U.S. Subscriptions printed or digital version: 1 year US $45.00; Canada $90.00; foreign $189.00; foreign, air mail $289.00.

2 years US 75.00; Canada $120.00; foreign $300.00; foreign, air mail $500.00. BOTH Print and Digital Versions: 1 year US 68.00; Canada $135.00; foreign $284.00; foreign, air mail $384.00. 2 years US $113.00; Canada $180.00; foreign $450.00; foreign, air mail $650.00. Single Copies are $10.00 each. Subscriptions must be paid for in U.S. funds only. For Subscriptions, address changes, and adjustments, write to: Bar Business Magazine, PO Box 10, Omaha, NE 68101-0010. Instructional information in this magazine should only be performed by skilled crafts people with the proper equipment. The publisher and authors of information provided herein advise all reader to exercise care when engaging in any o the how-to activities published in the magazine. Further, the publisher and authors assume no liability for damages or injuries resulting from projects contained herein. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Bar Business Magazine, PO Box 10, Omaha, NE 68101-0010.

4

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

www.barbizmag.com

Bar Room Drawl

By Chris Ytuarte editor-in-Chief

Remember the Wine!

Yes, this month's headline is what my mother always says when I come to visit, but that’s beside the point. More so, it should be what your distributors say when you call to place an order; it should be what your manager says after every shift ends with a depleted selection; and it should be what your customers say when they place drink orders, looking forward to that next glass.

Let’s face it: Wine isn’t just for wine snobs— ahem, enthusiasts— anymore. It’s a segment of our onpremise industry that can no longer be overlooked as a viable revenue stream, or relegated solely as the trade of wine bars by the owners of everyday pubs and taverns.

As go the tastes of your customers, so goes your sourcing. If nothing else, the maturation of your patrons’ palates— evident in the continuing growth of the craft beer and small-batch spirits markets—shows us that eventually those discerning drinkers will find their way to wine. And you better be ready for them.

That’s not to say that we here at Bar Business are completely immune to such vino oversight. We pride ourselves in covering what matters to you, the bar owner, yet our discussions of the wine category could be qualified as limited—just as your sales by the glass likely are. But this month we try to make amends. Our big wine feature looks at several trends, ideas, and product lines for helping the basic bar 6

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

improve its wine sales, and our suggestions are guided by some equally helpful findings from the folks at Napa Technology.

“Dedicated to designing innovative intelligent dispensing solutions and products that drive wine revenues, operating control, and growth,” Napa Technology released the results of its third annual wine survey in March, much of which should be of great interest to smart bar owners.

"Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever.”

— Aristophanes “Industry experts agree that a wide variety of global wines are driving consumers' insatiable appetite for wines by the glass in restaurants, cruise lines, arenas, hotels and more,” the survey suggests. “To be successful with wines-by-the-glass programs, operators are deftly keeping up with today's educated wine consumer by providing choices in varietals, value pricing, and developing a deep understanding that each demographic requires a different approach."

As such, “A whopping 83.4 percent, more than 8 out of 10 operators, report adding more offerings to their winesby-the-glass programs. The majority (45 percent) has added 3 to 5 additional wine selections.”

Are you keeping up with those kinds of national numbers when it comes to improving your wine program? Do your customers wish you were? Either way, check out our wine feature on page 12 to find some ways to get there.

And don't forget what my mother always says.

BAR BUSINE$$ MAGAZINE

May 2013 Vol. 6, No. 5 Bar Business Magazine (ISSN 1944-7531) is published by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 55 Broad St 26th Fl., New York, NY 10004 executive offices

President and Publisher Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr. Associate Publisher Arthur J. Sutley 212-620-7200; fax: 212-633-1863 asutley@sbpub.com editorial

Editor-in-Chief Chris Ytuarte 212-620-7223; fax: 212-633-1863 cytuarte@sbpub.com Contributing Editor Beer, Wine, and Spirits Adam Levy art

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

Corporate Production Director Mary Conyers mconyers@sbpub.com

circulation

Circulation Director Maureen Cooney mcooney@sbpub.com

advertising sales

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

800-895-4389

www.barbizmag.com

Booze News

GLENMORANGIE AND ARDBEG PRESENT TWAIN VS. ORWELL

M

ore then 200 guests gathered recently at Broken Shaker in Miami to celebrate two iconic whiskeys and two great American writers at the Twain vs. Orwell Mixology Competition presented by Glenmorangie and Ardbeg. Eight local mixologists and members of the United States Bartenders Guild competed in a literary inspired competition to see who could create the freshest new Twain or Orwell inspired cocktail using Ardbeg or Glenmorangie single malt whiskey.

The trial was performed "Iron Chef' style before four judges: David Blackmore, global brand ambassador for Glenmorangie/Arbeg, Trisha Cancilla, regional marketing manager for Glenmorangie/Ardbeg; Galena Mosevich, cocktail writer for Miami.com and The Miami Herald, and Mickey Heads, distillery manager for Ardbeg, who came from Scotland to be a part of the event.

At 7:30pm, live bagpipes sounded to present the competition finalists Trevor Alberts of Gramp's in Wynwood and Michael Parish of Broken Shaker, who each won a private edition bottle of Ardbeg or Glenmorangie. But to name the ultimate cocktail and mixologist, the contestants then entered a sudden death round where they each had

8

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

to create a shot using Ardbeg or Glenmorangie. Michael Parish was crowned the first place winner.

Guest enjoyed a variety of single malt whiskey samples throughout the evening including Ardbeg's private edition Galileo, which was just named theWorld's Best Single Malt Whiskey at the 2013 World Whiskey Awards in London. Ardbeg’s 10 Year Old, Uigeadail and Corryvreckan were also served along with Glenmorangie’s The Original Lasanta, Quinta Ruban and Nectar d’Or. Artist Jon Grey entertained the crowd with the live creation of an original Twain vs. Ardbeg painting. Other highlights included Twain and Orwell Madlibs, an interactive photo area where guests could dress up as characters from Twain and Orwell books, butler-passed Scottish bites, and of course, Broken Shaker's famous hand-crafted punch bowls.

What's the connection between the whiskey's and these writers?

Glenmorangie's Ealanta is aged exclusively in wooden casks sourced from the Mark Twain Nation Forest in the Missouri Ozark Mountains, while George Orwell wrote his famous book 1984 while living on the Isle of Jura in Scotland. The area is next to Islay, the home of Ardbeg. www.barbizmag.com

PoPPy Den Introduces “Mixology Kit” RÊVE Luxury Nightlife Venue to Debut in For Patrons

P

oppy Den by Chef Angelo Sosa, an Asian gastropub with authentic flavors and handpicked ingredients, brings to Las Vegas individualized mixology kits for patrons to experiment, have fun and personalize their cocktails. The mixology kits contain four cocktail droppers that allow guests to customize their cocktail with lemon, lime, bitters and simple syrup flavors.

“The mixology kits are a reflection of Poppy Den’s environment—a way for guests to broaden their horizons and experience new tastes and senses,” said Chef Angelo Sosa.

“The kits are a wonderful addition to our wide selection of signature cocktails and a great interactive way to get creative during your night out.”

Critically acclaimed, awardwinning Chef Angelo Sosa debuted his first Poppy Den restaurant in Tivoli Village, giving Las Vegas residents a new culinary option. Poppy Den is an Asian gastropub inspired by handpicked, high quality ingredients and is Chef Sosa’s first Las Vegas-based restaurant.

For more information, please visit www.vegaspoppyden.com.

www.barbizmag.com

Late Summer 2013

L

e VANTAGE Group, a luxury hospitality company committed to setting a new standard of nightlife, today introduced RÊVE Luxury Nightlife. RÊVE will fill a void by introducing a new dimension of worldly sophistication and high energy to the city’s scene, a venue commensurate with San Francisco’s standing as a world-class dining, shopping and cultural destination. A 6,000-square-foot luxury nightlife and hospitality venue, RÊVE will open along The Embarcadero in late summer 2013.

“We are thrilled to introduce RÊVE as the world’s most lavish, luxurious and exclusive nightlife concept,” said Chu, co-founder of Le VANTAGE Group and owner of RÊVE. “RÊVE was conceived in response to demands by some of our most high-profile Bay Area clients, and has been custom designed to integrate into San Francisco’s illustrious cosmopolitan character and become its most exciting new destination.”

An integral force in Las Vegas nightlife operations for more than a decade, Chu teamed with Cy Waits in 2011 with the goal of reinvigorating San Francisco nightlife. Waits, managing partner at RÊVE, is recognized as one of the world’s most successful pioneers of global nightlife, having created and operated the highest grossing nightclubs and restaurants in the world, including XS, Tryst and Drai’s of Las Vegas. Together, the duo intends to create an unparalleled nightlife destination in San Francisco, combining unsurpassed customer service and upscale amenities with world-renowned DJs and a cutting-edge sound system.

“We are firm believers in the importance of nightlife as a critical arena for personal and professional enjoyment and advancement,” noted Chu. “From SoMa’s tech-set, Silicon Valley’s venture capitalists and budding local artists to social mavens, politicians and celebrities, RÊVE will cater to the Bay Area’s top influencers, tastemakers and trendsetters

by creating an unprecedented networking hotbed where high-power deals can be sealed and celebrated.”

Guests arriving at the RÊVE valet station will step onto a red carpet and into one of San Francisco’s most magnificent settings on the Embarcadero waterfront, with the famed Ferry Building and iconic Bay Lights serving as a world-class backdrop. In every aspect, RÊVE will provide guests with the absolute highest level of service, including one Provocateur and one Captain per table, RollsRoyce Phantom house cars, a state-of-the-art LED video wall, a million-dollar sound system, and distinctive design by AK Design Network.

The venue will also offer premium Caviar Service and high-end large format Champagne bottles, with everything from magnums to jeroboams to an impressive $125,000 Melchizedek (30-liter).

Furthermore, RÊVE will uniquely employ hosts who serve as multi-talented concierges; not only will they book tables or events, they will have the keen business awareness to facilitate strategic introductions, keeping synergies in mind and connecting one table to another. RÊVE will maintain secure profiles of regular guests, noting preferences, interests and goals to customize the guest experience in an entirely new and beneficial manner.

“Our goal with RÊVE is to set the bar in exceptional service and entertainment to create a carefree atmosphere,” said Waits. “By achieving this, we are confident guests will experience evenings not soon forgotten without ever having to leave the city they love.”

Entry into RÊVE will be by way of an exclusive, invitation-only list on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings; all other timeframes will be reserved for corporate and social buy-outs. RÊVE will offer tiers of premium elevated seating comprising only 19 tables, including The Presidential, to provide an exclusive set of guests an unrivaled experience starting at $10,000.

May 2013 Bar Business Magazine

9

Booze News On-Site Water Bottling Helps Bars Go Green

Water

has come a long way from the tap of our youth. From tap to bottled to sparkling, it is no longer your granddad’s H2O. Over the years we’ve seen the massive popularity of plastic bottled water, and pre-bottled mineral or sparkling waters grow; but in the advent of “green consciousness” these bottled waters create a new challenge—waste and a beverage with an extended carbon footprint.

VIVREAU (http://vivreau.com), the originator and industry leader of on-site water bottling systems, eliminates these issues by providing the hospitality industry the ability to produce and bottle their own chilled, still and sparkling water at commercial speed utilizing VIVREAU’s advanced micro-filtration. The systems are plumbed directly into on-site water-lines allowing hotels, restaurants and conference centers the ability to reduce their carbon footprint, virtually eliminate waste and offer their guests a premium quality water product they can feel good about.

Launched in the UK nearly 25 years ago, VIVREAU systems are currently found in over 75% of the UK’s top companies. VIVREAU USA and VIVREAU Canada were launched in 2009 after North American companies and hospitality clients were interested in bringing the same water bottling technology they had experienced in the UK to their counterparts this side of the pond.

Eliminates the need for plastic bottled water

and pre-bottled mineral waters. Helps reduce the unnecessary disposal of TENS of Billions of plastic bottles.

Reduces Carbon Footprint by eliminating the unnecessary daily transportation of bottled water around the city, country and around the planet. VIVREAU water is created on demand using advanced micro-filtration technology that eliminates unwanted elements and additives such as chlorine, odors and other impurities while allowing the natural minerals to remain giving a crisp, clean, clear taste.

“We are all aware that shipping and trucking water, whether around the nation or around the planet, is harmful to the environment and completely unnecessary,” says Drew Hamilton, Managing Director of VIVREAU in North America.

“With 25 years of experience, technology and engineering going into our bottling systems, VIVREAU systems are capable of delivering and bottling chilled, still or sparkling water at commercial speed to match the ultra-busy hospitality environment and giving the industry a bottling system and service they can rely on.”

In addition to the reduction in environmental impact associated with traditional bottled water programs, the VIVREAU system delivers a sustainable solution that does not have to impact the bottom line, and if managed correctly, can

increase revenue dramatically. “Hotels and restaurants are investing in a premium system and service that delivers an ultra-high-quality water product that is created and bottled on-site into beautiful bottles and served to guests,” continues Hamilton. “There is value being created for positive reasons that guests embrace and are more than willing to pay for.”

The VIVREAU product line includes the V3 Main Bottler and the Mini Bottler—each featuring their advanced micro-filter technology and are designed to chill and bottle still and sparkling water. The systems are plumbed into on-site water lines and can fit into any hotel, restaurant or catering environment—big or small—for front or back of house. The complete package includes the customizable water machine and designer glass bottles - even the carbonation level can be set per the Chef’s request.

Clients can incorporate the VIVREAU reusable glass water bottles into their branding plans by having their logo printed directly onto the bottles. In addition, VIVREAU offers various marketing materials such as bottle neck ties, coasters, tent and menu insert cards.

ARE YOU A STRIPPER BAR? If not, you really should be. That is, you should consider investing in a Straw Stripper. This ingenious new invention allows bar owners who serve a multitude of straw-worthy cocktails to save time and energy, increase efficiency and cleanliness, and maximize sanitary conditions by reducing human contact with the drinking straws you serve.

The Straw Stripper, which can be mounted below your bar or simply sit on top, removes the bottom

10

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

portion of paper in seconds. You manually insert each straw into the opening and immediately withdraw it to find the paper gone, removed instantaneously by the interior locked stainless steel blade system.

Your bartender did not come in contact with the straw, decreasing the risk of spreading germs, and the speed of the process allows for faster service and less mess. To see a video of the Straw Stripper in action, visit www.strawstripper.com.

www.barbizmag.com

Liquid Assets

the wide world of wine

By Chris ytuarte

While wine sales on-premise continue to present a challenge to many bar owners, there are more options today than ever before for the creative operator to build a better profit base off the vine, whether through cost effective preservation, innovative packaging, unique flavors, or modern sourcing technology. Framed by the results of the most recent Napa TechNology aNNual survey, we pop the cork on some of this new information.

T

his past March, Napa Technology, developer of the WineStation 3.0 intelligent wine preservation and dispensing systems, conducted its third annual survey asking leading wine industry professionals to share what they see happening in wine trends in restaurants and bars. As always, their findings are a blueprint for bar owners to sift through when considering improvements to their own wine service, including important statistics on demographics, varietals, and preservation. This month, we’ll use some of the Napa Technology survey results (shown in wine-colored italics, naturally) as a framework for our delivery of specific new technology, products, and concepts that smart bar owner should keep in mind when thinking about wine.

12

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

The general consensus for wine selection trends in 2013 focuses on an interest in the unconventional wines from new world producers including Argentina, as well as a resurgence of Old World wines from Spain—both seriously encroaching on the California wine stronghold.

In that vein, Wines of Chile (WOC), an organization committed to promoting the quality and image of Chilean wine throughout the world, has 95 member wineries belonging to Vinos de Chile and represents 93% of Chile’s bottled wine exports. WOC and Legal Sea Foods recently announced a Spring promotion showcasing the unique pairing affinity of Legal Sea Foods’ dishes and Chilean wines.

This “Tapestry of Terroir” program will run from May 13-June 9, 2013 in 23 of Legal Sea Foods restaurant locations along

www.barbizmag.com

The Napa Technology study shows that consumers are focussing more on unconventional wines from new world producers.

the eastern seaboard, accentuating the consumer leaning towards interesting new varietals.

“Chilean wines have really arrived in the last few years, and we want people to see just how good they are with our food,” says Sandy Block, MW and VP of Beverage Operations for Legal Sea Foods. “One out of every three bottles of wine we sell today is red, reflecting a growing sophistication of consumers who recognize the old rules are just that—old. It goes beyond fish or meat, and a perfect pairing captures not just the protein on the plate, but also the preparation technique and sauces. Our customers are very comfortable ordering Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon to complement a meaty fish like tuna.”

Each of the wines in the program has a uniqueness to them—a specificity based on the terroir—and were chosen for their ability to work well with Legal’s signature dishes.

“We’re excited about the opportunity for Legal Sea Foods guests to learn about and explore the variety, quality and regionality of some of Chile’s best wines,” says Wines of Chile Executive Director Lori Tieszen. Wines featured in the program will be available in a range of options including wines by the glass, wines by the bottle, and as a red wine tasting flight.

Vine Connections, a national importer of boutique Argentine wines and Japanese Ginjo sake, recently entered this growing market with the debut of its new Chilean portfolio. “Chile is in the midst of a revolution, the kind that wine geeks love,” says Nick Ramkowsky, co-founder of Vine Connections. “We found a fantastic group of wineries intent on taking advantage of the unique terroir all over the country.”

According to the team at Vine Connections, Chile has the perfect mix of climate, soil, and terroir that makes for ideal winemaking conditions. The country is surrounded by influential natural barriers—the Andes Mountain, Pacific Ocean, and Atacama Desert—that have shaped the land and created unique terroirs that yield great wines. Vine Connections Chilean portfolio is now available in the U.S. Wine varietals can also be born of outside-of-the-box thinking, as with a new line of flavored options from Birthday Cake Vineyards and Ice Cream Cellars collections, both of which have been developed through a “breakthrough method” of blending and maturating Meritage wines—high quality, handcrafted blends of original, noble French varietals—with premium flavors and confectionary essences. The result is a whole new kind of wine experience.

These unique wines wink at tradition, taking classic wine companions and tasting notes from wine experts—like berries, chocolate, and cheese—and making them the main attraction. These new wines feature flavors like Black Forest Cake and Cheesecake, and ice cream inspired favorites including Dutch Chocolate and French Vanilla. Each with an incredible nose and distinct, yet not overpowering flavor, they’re unlike anything you’ve ever tasted before. Your

The Savino wine preservation system creates a new environment for the wine, rather than control the environment of an open bottle. www.barbizmag.com

May 2013 Bar Business Magazine

13

Liquid Assets

Software company Wine-is strives to create better instant connections between bars, wineries, and distributors.

younger, more adventurous customers may find them appealing. (More on those folk to come.)

Millennials edge out other groups as the demographic that will continue to drive the wines-by- the-glass sales with 44.3 percent of survey respondents confirming that this group will outpace both Baby Boomers and Gen Xers.

However, most industry experts (68.9 percent) reported that Boomers make up a “significant” portion of their wines-bythe-glass revenue. More than 70 percent of those polled also shared that Boomers account for 20 to 50 percent of their total wines-by-the-glass revenue.

With modern wine drinkers on-premise consisting heavily of youthful Millenials, a modern approach to the sourcing and promotion of your wine selection should match the customer’s use of technologies such as Smart Phones and iPads for everyday tasks. As such, a software company called Wine Is (www.wine-is.com) strives to create better connections between restaurants, wineries, and distributors, in particular with its game-changing Wine-Is iPad List, which allows bar owners instant access to a wealth of wine information and supplies and provides a fluid option for supplying and serving your customers fantastic varietals.

As a bar owner, do you often times not change a price because you don’t want to reprint the entire wine list? Do you you order large quantities of the same wine because you are afraid to have an out-of-stock wine on the list? Do you not experiment new wine because you just reprinted the wine list two weeks ago? Do your guests seem lost in pages and pages of your wine list? These are common problems for bar owners, and the Wine-Is iPad List can tackle them.

Once you have your iPad’s at the ready, download for free the Wine-is Wine List from the Apple App Store. You immediately can see a demo, then go to www.wine-is.com and 14

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

register as a restaurant, where you’ll gain access to their resources and build your wine list. Once you have a great list, go to shop.wine-is.com and buy a license. Sync again, and that’s all there is to it. According to Wine-Is, in a mature environment, 10% to 20% improvement in wine sales is the norm. Bar owners can also use the Wine-Is iPad List it to advertise wine, wineries or even customized events amongst customers who browse it.

To continue your appeal to modern wine drinkers, adventurous packaging can be an option as well. Trinchero Family Estates, the Napa-Valley based family-owned company with a portfolio of wines and spirits, recently unveiled a stylish new look of Bandit®, a premium wine in Tetra Pak packaging, perfect for outdoor service. Available in Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and a Red Blend (the first in its category, also launching in May), Bandit wines come in 1-liter and 500-milliliter Tetra Pak packages.

“This new package launch is particularly important to us because the consumers who enjoy Bandit are among the most curious wine enthusiasts,” says Wendy Nyberg, senior director of marketing for Bandit. “The new design elements will resonate with wine drinkers—especially Millennials— due to Bandit’s new, brightly colored Tetra Pak packaging, strong brand messaging, easily readable logo and userfriendly info printed on the sides and backs. These wines are accessible, in both price and style.”

A whopping 83.4 percent, more than 8 out of 10 operators, report adding more offerings to their wines-by-the-glass programs. The majority (45 percent) have added 3 to 5 additional wine selections. And although wines by the glass are becoming increasingly important to profitability, 55 percent report still using a dated/manual preservation www.barbizmag.com

system and more than 18 percent of operators do nothing to maintain the quality of an open bottle of wine. “With the ever increasing consumer demand for broader wine by the glass offerings, the absence of advanced preservation technology will put a tremendous strain on operators and their profitability,” says Jayne Portnoy, Vice President Brand Strategy & Marketing for Napa Technology.

Now available to the public, Savino is an easy-to-use wine preservation system that allows bar owners to open any bottle with confidence, knowing that they can serve the full original flavor of Tuesday’s wine on Saturday.

“Savino presents an affordable and simple solution to a problem familiar to wine drinkers everywhere—how do you save wine?” says Scott Tavenner, founder of Savino and an amateur wine enthusiast. “Fifteen years ago, I opened my refrigerator to find a glass of wine sitting on the top shelf.

Asking my wife about the glass, she said she just wanted to save the wine for later. This simple statement sparked a journey which led me to develop Savino as an innovative solution to this common problem.”

Launched initially as the most popular wine-related Kickstarter project to date, Savino does not try to control the environment of an opened bottle of wine like other wine

preservation solutions on the market. Instead, Savino creates a new, elegant environment designed to preserve and serve wine, centering its experience on a product that is effective, elegant and easy-to-use. Designed to be extremely durable and functional, Savino has a 750ml capacity, fits in most refrigerators for storing and is dishwasher safe, perfect for most bar and club environments. Most importantly, it provides owners with a way to improve their preservation program without breaking the budget upfront. This carafe system works simply: Pour the remaining wine from an opened bottle into Savino, insert the float to create a physical barrier between the wine and the oxygen, and place the top on the carafe to prevent any accidental spills. Then remove the top and pour another glass as you watch the float automatically adjust as you seamlessly move from storing to pouring.

“Wines by the glass programs are growing, and they are nice profit centers if you can stop your spoilage or reduce it dramatically,” says Tavenner “I think there is a table service element to this as well—a ‘preserve and serve’ aspect.”

Consider what Napa Technology has discovered with its survey, and remember how we suggested you approach those findings specifically. Remember: In vino veritas!

The New York International Wine Competition TURNS THREE

The 3rd annual new York InTernaTIonal wIne CompeTITIon (NYIWC) was held on Sunday, May 5th, at the 3 West Club, located across from world-famous Rockefeller Center in New York City. According to Adam Levy, Bar Business Magazine Contributing Editor and founder of NYIWC, close to 1,000 wines from over 26 countries were submitted from around the world.

The NYIWC is the only international wine competition where all the judges are real trade buyers who judge the wine by its category and actual price, as if they were buying it for their own restaurant or retail store. Some of the top wine buyers in the industry were part of the judging panel.

The New York International Wine Competition is the first major international wine competition with trade-only judges from top to bottom, consisting of people who are buyers from the top retail stores, restaurant owners, sommeliers, hotel beverage directors, distributors and importers. Unlike other competitions, these judges have purchasing power and the ability to make a direct impact on brand sales.

16

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

Now in its third year, NYIWC has become one of the most respected international wine competitions in the world because the judges are real trade buyers judging the wine by its category and actual price, dubbed by Levy as the “Real World.”

www.barbizmag.com

Finally! An easy, affordable way to

Boost your BAR profits with Social Media!

Social media works like crazy, but you can’t spend your whole day tweeting and chatting on Facebook. You have a business to run. So let us manage your social media campaign for you!

See for yourself how it works.

Ask for your

Easy as 1 2 3 …

1

We create and set up your accounts on the top online social networks, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. You save time because WE DO IT ALL! Premium results for a bargain price.

2 A REAL PERSON handles all your accounts full-time, promotes your business, and monitors what people are saying about you. No automation or boilerplate posts.

FREE Bar Marketing Kit CALL 800-926-2451, ext. 306 www.MovingTargets.com

3 To send an offer, share an update, upload a video, or create buzz, just contact us. We’ll get your message out to your social network the same day. © Copyright 2013 Moving Targets

How To:

Master Mixology

MIXED UP:

COUNTING YOUR COCKTAIL CALORIES The month of May brings with it great weather for cocktails, so we take a look at some light, airy options for creating seasonal concoctions and margaritas that are not only tasty, but good for your waistline as well.

18

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

www.barbizmag.com

counting your calories Smirnoff Vodka recently celebrated the launch of its newest line of delicious and light vodka specialties, Smirnoff Sorbet Light, with a media tasting and cocktail hour that enchanted guests with incredibly tasty and guilt-free cocktails—all containing less than 150 calories per serving, perfect for the summer season.

Beginning with a unique tasting, NYC mixologist Debbie Anday led guests through a sensorial experience as they sampled each liquid, in a pure and cocktail form, complete with sorbet-inspired palate cleansers, created to enhance the naturally infused flavors of the three Smirnoff Sorbet Light varietals: · SMIRNOFF Sorbet Light Lemon · SMIRNOFF Sorbet Light Raspberry Pomegranate · SMIRNOFF Sorbet Light Mango Passion Fruit Following the tasting, a sliding door opened to reveal a whimsical cocktail hour, where guests enjoyed avant-garde cocktails and performances from an acrobatic bubble dancer and ribbon performers. Here are a few refreshing cocktails ready for the summer season, and your summer calorie count:

Isla Bonita

Created by: Jared Boller, Clockwork Cocktails 1.5 oz SMIRNOFF Sorbet Light Mango Passion Fruit 0.5 oz Thai coconut milk 0.5 oz agave syrup 0.5 oz lemon juice 1 oz fresh pineapple juice Garnish: Orchid and pineapple wedge Preparation: Shake all ingredients together, and pour over cold draft cubes.

Choice of aromatic compliment: Nutmeg, cinnamon, orange zest, lime zest, lemon and absinthe spray.

Calories: 135 per 4 oz serving

SMIRNOFF Sorbet Light Lemon Pomegranate Punch

SMIRNOFF Sorbet Light Tropical Martini

1.5 oz SMIRNOFF Sorbet Light Lemon* 2.5 oz Diet Sprite 1.5 oz pomegranate juice Glassware: Highball Garnish: Lemon wedge Build in a highball glass over ice.

1.5 oz SMIRNOFF Sorbet Light Mango Passion Fruit* 1.5 oz coconut water 1 oz pineapple juice Glassware: Martini Garnish: Pineapple wedge or lime wheel with a cherry Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice, shake, strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish.

Calories: 106 per 6.5 oz serving Carbohydrates 8.3 G; Protein 0 G; Fat 0 G *Per 1.5 fl. oz. – Average analysis: Calories 78; Carbohydrates 1.3 G; Protein 0; Fat 0 G. (25% fewer calories than the leading dessert-inspired flavored vodkas.)

www.barbizmag.com

Calories: 103 per 5 oz. serving Carbohydrates 7.4 G; Protein 0 G; Fat 0 G *Per 1.5 fl. oz. – Average analysis: Calories 78; Carbohydrates 1.3 G; Protein 0; Fat 0 G. (Also 25% fewer calories than the leading dessertinspired flavored vodkas.)

May 2013 Bar Business Magazine

19

How To: Margarita MaDness!

With warm weather and sunshine upon us, the season calls for a delicious and refreshing cocktail, or two, to keep you and your taste buds cool and satisfied. Sauza Blue Tequila margaritas are a great way to say goodbye to those winter blues and hello to summer. Sauza Blue Tequila is crafted at the renowned Sauza Distillery in Jalisco, Mexico. The agave plants are put into tequila production within 48 hours of being hand-picked, then milled and steeped prior to cooking in a process called Fresh Pressed Agave, resulting in the freshest, natural, crisp agave flavor.

Sauza® Cucumber Margarita ¾ cup Sauza® Blue Silver 100% Agave Tequila 2 parts JDK & Sons™ O3 Premium Orange Liqueur 1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced 6 parts fresh lime juice 2 parts simple syrup In a pint glass, muddle together sliced cucumber and Sauza Blue Tequila. Let sit in the refrigerator for one hour. Strain the cucumber Tequila and combine with all ingredients in a pitcher. Stir and serve over ice. Garnish with reserved cucumber slices and a wedge of lime.

Serves 4

soMe More seasonal sPirits

Recipe by Dale DeGroff

Did you know that spring is actually true maple syrup season? As spring’s warm weather slowly melts winter’s last snow fall, the time has come to retire seasonal favorites like hot apple cider and Irish coffee.

Mixologists are always looking for innovative ways to create cocktails, and for spring 2013 they are using the sweet taste of maple syrup. Below is an example of a refreshing way to toast maple syrup season.

2 parts Maker’s Mark® Bourbon 4 mint leaves ¾ lemon 1 part simple syrup Lemon wheel, for garnish Sprig of Mint, for garnish Muddle all ingredients except Maker’s Mark Bourbon in a bar glass. Add Maker’s Mark Bourbon, and shake with ice. Strain into an ice filled rocks glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint and a lemon wheel.

Cranberry Cooler

Hometown

1½ parts Maker’s Mark® Bourbon 1 tablespoon cranberry jam 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1 drop vanilla extract 3 parts cranberry juice Splash club soda Fresh cranberries for garnish Add the Maker’s Mark Bourbon, cranberry jam, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cranberry juice to a shaker.

Add ice and shake vigorously. Strain over ice and add a splash of soda and garnish with cranberries.

1¾ parts Portón ¾ part fresh lemon juice ¾ part Darbo Elderflower Syrup ½ part Averna ½ part egg white Angostura bitters Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Shake vigorously without ice. After dry shake, add ice and shake all ingredients again. Shake contents over a martini glass.

Garnish with 1 mint leaf and a dash of Angostura bitters.

Recipe by Chef Lee Anne Wong

20

Whiskey Smash

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

Created by Enrique Sanchez, Rose Pistola, San Francisco, CA

www.barbizmag.com

Want more?

News • Events • Photos • Video

BarBizMag.com

How To:

Build a Better Staff

Will Your New Hire Be a Good Team Player?

(Seven Interview Tips to Make Sure the Answer Is Yes) In a global economy, even the most brilliant individual can’t compete with a cohesive, high-functioning team. I offer a handful of tips, tricks, and insights for making sure your next bar staff hire is team-oriented, coachable, and loyal.

By Bruce Piasecki 22

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

www.barbizmag.com

Looking for summer hiring?

Post jobs for FREE on Shiftgig, the service industry job community.

Shiftgig.com/barbizmag

How To:

T

oday’s workplace demands high-functioning teams. In the global economy, collaboration and innovation are how work gets done, and the complexity of that work necessitates a dizzying array of skill sets. In this kind of environment, it’s not surprising that what I call “fierce individualists” are becoming all but obsolete. That’s why when it comes time to add to your team, it’s critical to make sure you hire good team players and not future MVPs. Invest in coachable hires. Many companies make the mistake of hiring high performers who are talented but perhaps not team-oriented and loyal. What they fail to realize is that even the most brilliant individual is less powerful than a cohesive, well-orchestrated team. Far less powerful, in fact.

As my new book, Doing More with Teams: The New Way to Winning, explains, the near future will be all about innovation for sustainable value creation, led by teams. The days when a larger-than-life personality is allowed to steamroll over the rest of the company are over. This destroys morale, which destroys results. (And without the ability to get results—and quickly— no company can survive in a swift and severe world.)

Companies can’t afford to make bad hires. They have to be able to distinguish team-minded individuals in the interview process. I offer the following hints on the qualities you should look for and the questions you should ask:

❶ Conduct interviews in a team of four or five leaders.

This will replicate the dynamics of the team setting the new employee will be working in. Good team players tend to do well in settings of four or five people asking an avalanche of questions.

❷ Look for an intrinsic ability to “bond” with interview

❸

team members. Even more important than dress, training, or résumé is the candidate’s ability to “bond” instantly to at least three to five members in the interview team. This doesn’t merely mean an affinity for small talk or schmoozing. The bond we’re discussing here must translate to action in a “reliable, sustained way” with those people—and it will reveal itself in the specific points the candidate makes.

Also, look for a comfort level with the rapid-fire giveand-take of the interview team. People who work well in teams do certain things well in interviews. For example: • They don’t get ruffled. They answer your pointed questions with calm and with precision, without being terse. Like a captain, they do not have performance anxiety.

They demonstrate grace under pressure, know when to exert force, and overall provide your team with a sense of respect and fascination for more. If you feel they have nothing to say to the team, they should not be your finalist.

• They enjoy interviews that involve more than one “boss.”

The true team player, the true potential project leader, or the true divisional captain is someone who shoots straight but understands the culture. That is, they know precedent, but they demonstrate an ability to work fast and past the impediments of budget, rules, and competition.

• They relate one person’s question to another, and they answer to the group by relating the questions as “pieces of an overall composite” of a whole. Team players know individual questions are merely a part of the mosaic of the culture that runs a firm. They are “looking” to get a sense of that culture and articulate how they anticipate fitting in. In other words,

Shiftgig Named One to Watch CIO.com, well known for providing chief information officers and other IT leaders with insight and analysis on information technology trends, recently named service industry staffing resource Shiftgig (www.shiftgig.com) to its list of the “Top 10 Hot Social Media Startups to Watch.” As the only restaurantand bar-focused startup on the list, Shiftgig made quite an impression on the CIO staff.

“We were initially skeptical about including Shiftgig in a roundup intended for a CIO and IT audience,” the CIO story describes.

“However, it does serve as an example of just how disruptive social media promises to be in coming years. The verticals Shiftgig targets tend to have very high turnover. A social media tool like this could certainly reduce turnover and, perhaps, also reduce the costs associated with a high-turnover labor force.”

Check out the full list and Shiftgig’s placement here: http://www.cio.com/article/731885/10_Hot_Social_Media_Startups_to_ Watch?page=1&taxonomyId=3119

24

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

shiftgig www.barbizmag.com

❹

❺

team players understand that the group asks questions in a sequence for a reason, and that the questions are not arbitrary but often related to a larger issue. They seem to understand that what you’re really asking is Are you trustworthy? Can you work for our benefit? Will you share shoulder strength? Their answers will reflect this deeper understanding.

See if they show respect for the team they are seeking to join. Fierce individualists might focus on how they did it at their previous job, how well it worked, and why you should try it at your company. Team-oriented candidates, on the other hand, will never display such arrogance. Team players understand the legacy of the team, the coaching approach, and the reasons to improve in the current season.

Do they demonstrate a desire to work with you for a long time? As a player in the global economy, your quest is to generate revenue through respect, relationships, and long service. That kind of well-paid loyalty requires a team player. You are always looking for a longer term player, someone who is coachable in a matter of seasons, not just individual project events.

Fierce individualists tend to “make their mark,” then move on. But in our swift and severe world, we need people who have a deep craving for the kind of team connections d-KUf-prt-BarBusiness-May2013-halfpgAd-v2.pdf 1 4/10/13 that grow stronger over the years.

❻ Good team players look for feedback. In fact, they long for it. It’s not that they want the praise, but that they want to get a feel for the path of improvement available to them.

They will expect it to be a two-way conversation, whereby you awre able to interact with their responses, not just a Q & A session. The way they behave in the interview will mirror the way they’ll behave on the job. ❼ Be sure you have a “captain” making the final hiring decision. Captains, as opposed to plain old “leaders,” are skilled in the art of teambuilding. While an entire book could be written on the subject of captains, in general they have the ability to recognize key capabilities in employees, to put the right people into the right roles, and to create a certain “magic” that transforms a group of individuals into an interconnected whole.

You may never have a candidate who does everything on this list “right,” or answers every question the exact way you want it answered. But if you approach your interview with an awareness for a teamwork attitude, you probably won’t go wrong.

Dr. Bruce Piasecki is the author of Doing More with Teams: The New Way to Winning and president and founder of AHC Group, Inc., a management consulting firm specializing in energy, materials, 1:36 PM and corporate matters.Visit www.brucepiasecki.com.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

www.barbizmag.com

February 2013 Bar Business Magazine

25

How To:

que i x n x U x x y l x x u r X T x CXrxexaxte C Xoxcxkxta x il XxLxisxts xxx

Cocktail Concepts Outside of the Box The world of modern mixology is a veritable breeding ground for innovative cocktail creations, wild flavor profiles, and unusual ingredient combinations. But while experimentation is always encouraged when creating new drinks, it’s important to remember what goes inside the box, even when you’re thinking outside of it. By Chris Ytuarte 26

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

www.barbizmag.com

“It will do you no harm to find yourself ridiculous.Resign yourself to be the fool you are. We must always take risks. That is our destiny.” T.S. Eliot, from The Cocktail Party Fittingly, the above quote comes from a play about a cocktail party. While T.S. Eliot likely aimed the sentiment within at his two main characters, Edward and Lavinia Chamberlayne, and their choice to reconcile a marriage, it could just as easily apply to the drinks they might have served that evening. After all, great mixology is about taking risks as well.

Well, that depends on whom you ask. Of course, the constant creation of new cocktails is undoubtedly reliant upon those involved being willing to try something new, but more important, say some, is maintaining a balance between the outrageous and the accepted. While your ambition may be to create a unique cocktail that dazzles the denizens, you don’t want to stray too far from the standard palate of the foundation spirits.

“I think the best advice I could offer to somebody who is looking to create an unusual cocktail and think outside of the box a little bit is—oddly enough— to stick to the basics,” explains Chris Patino, Director of Brand Education at Pernod Ricard. “Though that seems a little counterintuitive, you can’t forget the fundamentals of cocktail structure. You can basically pick the formulas of a punch or a sour or a fizz and insert ingredients into them, much like an equation, to figure out something that will work for you.

But you can’t really get away from the structure, otherwise your cocktail will fall apart. It’s all about knowing which flavors work together and which don’t.”

Take, for instance, the Founders Fizz, a play off the standard fizz cocktail, as Patino suggests, in which the folks

at port and sherry producer Sandeman have embraced the carbonated cocktail trend that first emerged last year with some extravagant mixology techniques, such as using scuba tanks for pomp. Cocktail guru Jonathan Pogash teamed up with Sandeman to create the bubbly Founder's Fizz cocktail (see recipe on pg. 29) using Sandeman Founders Reserve Porto. It's easy to create, but with the taste of hand-crafted expertise that comes from injecting creativity into an original such as a standard fizz.

“We’re in a different era of cocktailing right now, and things are being taken more seriously,” says Patino.

“Bartending has come back around to being a career rather than just a transitional job, so there is that level of professionalism. So you see people shying away from the simple, overly sweet ingredients and liqueurs and modifiers to move towards more flavorintense products.”

In his role at Pernod Ricard, Patino has spent the last seven years working with ABSOLUT as a brand ambassador and in sales, and he now concentrates heavily on cocktail development for the company’s new product launches. (“If you see something in the store with a neck tag on it, I probably had a hand in helping to create that.”) But it was a book that Patino stumbled upon back in his own bartending days— The Flavor Bible, by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg—that helped him build a foundational knowledge of flavors upon which he could expand when he began to create cocktails professionally.

“That book has a lot of classic combinations that work,” says Patino. “And if you can get a grasp on that, it allows you to break out beyond normal flavors and get into some more exciting and unusual ingredients. Because even when you are looking to do something unusual, you have to have consistency. If you’re building a whole cocktail program, it doesn’t make sense to have one cocktail that’s so far out

"We're in a different era of cocktailing right now, and things are being taken more seriously. Bartending has come back around to being a career rather than a transition."

www.barbizmag.com

May 2013 Bar Business Magazine

27

How To: there that it doesn’t sync up with the rest of the drinks on your menu. There are boundaries to this as well. Yes, you want to be able to use exciting ingredients, but be true to who you are and be true to your bar program.”

Perhaps a good place to start is in picking a foundation cocktail that is somewhat unusual and off-the-beaten-path to begin with. For example, at San Diego’s newly opened

Cereal Killer

wherein your mixology program takes some cues from the culinary approach the cooks are taking at any given time. “If there are ways to tie your drinks into the culinary side of things, that is always a good idea,” says Patino. “If you’re a bar attached to a restaurant, collaborate with the chef. Find out what flavors he’s using in his dishes. Find out what new and exciting ingredients he’s playing with and then work

Curry-ous

"The trade is calling out for groundbreaking products that will take mixology to the next level."

28

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

from there, build that partnership. That can go a long way and give you some symmetry to your cocktail program.”

Of course, you don’t want to go too far to that end of the spectrum either. “Squid ink was something that came about a few years ago, where people were using it as a cocktail ingredient,” Patino laments. “I thought that was pretty bizarre. It did more for the color than it did for anything on the palate. It was one of those things that was more about the shock-factor than the actual value to the cocktail.”

Many of Patino’s recent concoctions were inspired by his own travels, where exposure to unusual ingredients native to other parts of the world gave him some far-out ideas for cocktails. “One of the drinks I recently made came about because I was in Thailand for the first time, experiencing new things and flavors that we’re not accustomed to in the U.S., and that brought about some good ideas,” he says.

“For example, I had never heard of Rosella tea before, and I was working on a cocktail that needed to be culinaryforward for a restaurant in L.A., so I matched that flavor with their cooking style.”

The result was a drink called One Night in Ahus, which conatains 1.5 parts ABSOLUT Vodka infused w/ Rosella tea, 1 part Pomegranate juice, 0.5 part beet juice, 0.25 part

www.barbizmag.com

Photo courtesy of Groupon

Sycamore Den, mixologist Eric Johnson, who trained in New York City under Sam Ross at Milk & Honey and Phil Ward at Mayahuel, has taken the bar-room oddity known traditionally as the Harvey Wallbanger and created his own version, called the Hardly Wallbanger (see recipe on pg. 29). Essentially, Johnson has added three ingredients not present in the original (lemon, simple syrup, vanilla extract) to create a new identity for a classic cocktail, taking something from inside to outside of the box. And let’s be honest: Anytime that tall Galliano bottle comes off the back shelf, interest is sparked.

That’s not to say, however, that gimmick ingredients or trendy spirits are the best way to create unique cocktails.

Quite the contrary, says Patino. “You see a lot of people mixing ingredients because they’re popular right now versus ‘Do they actually work with what you’re trying to do?’ Are you trying to build a menu that is more appealing to the ear than the palate? There is a huge Amaro and bitters craze right now, in their efforts to try to dare to be different, people will try all these new things, but you’re starting to see a lot of similar cocktails come out of that. It actually kind of defeats the unusualness.”

Another path towards creative cocktailing can come via cultivating a cooperative cohesion between bar and kitchen,

Mezcal, 3 parts Champagne, and 2 pieces of muddled ginger. In a mixing glass, Patino muddles the ABSOLUT and ginger, adds the pomegranate juice, beet juice and Mezcal, and shakes with ice. He strains all into a flute, tops with Champagne, and serves. The key, of course, is the infused vodka, created by adding 2 teaspoons of Rosella tea to 1 liter of ABSOLUT Vodka, which he lets stand for three hours before straining.

“Finding inspiration is a huge part of what makes all of this work,” Patino says. “Go to farmer’s markets and look for new and exciting ingredients. Taste them on their own and in the context of what you want to do with them.”

There are plenty of elixir engineers out there who are doing just that. Capacity Bar Group in Chicago is offering two new cocktails at Headquarters Beercade that work as well for drinking as they do for breakfast, thanks to some unique ingredient choices. The Curry-ous cocktail, with Appleton Reserve Rum, house-made allspice and curry syrup, soda, and Vosges naga bar “Curry Coconut” deep milk chocolate, also contains Greek yogurt as an alternative to egg whites as a thickening agent; the Cereal Killer (Old Overholt Rye, walnut bitters) features rye-infused Cinnamon Toast Crunch breakfast cereal.

Lucas Bols recently announced the launch of it own Bols Yogurt Liqueur in the United States, made from the highest quality fresh yogurt and unique in the sense that it doesn’t

Founder's Fizz 2 oz Sandeman Founders Reserve 1/2 oz Ballentine's Blended Scotch Whisky 3/4 oz blood orange juice 3/4 oz sweet honeycucumber water (honey that has been diluted with water that has cucumber slices marinating in it) Garnish: Cucumber slice Add ingredients to your carbonator of choice and carbonate. Then pour over ice into a tall glass.

www.barbizmag.com

curd when used with sodas or fresh juices, in contrast to other well known cream-based liqueurs. “Increasingly, the trade is calling out for authentic, groundbreaking products that will take bartending and mixology to the next level,” says Huub van Doorne, CEO of Lucas Bols. “The versatility of the new Bols Yogurt gives bartenders, bars and consumers an even greater opportunity to create exciting cocktails and drinks.”

Even a company like ABSOLUT® remains interested in adding to its monumental foundation as a base spirit by offering mixologists unique new flavor profiles to work with, such as ABSOLUT CRAFT. Co-created with Master Bartender Nick Strangeway, ABSOLUT CRAFT is a signature collection designed exclusively for professional bartenders that offers the versatility of vodka with the added complexities of macerations and distillates.

The first profile of ABSOLUT CRAFT available will be Herbaceous Lemon which, like the others to come, uses at least 12 macerates and/or infusions and distillates to obtain completely distinct and un-replicable blends and flavors. “The base is always ABSOLUT, but we didn’t let ourselves be held captive to the confines of it having to be 40 proof,” explains Patino. “You’ll notice some of the flavors, like the Herbacious Lemon, is 41 proof, which we thought would be better to hold some of these flavors together. Herbacious Lemon, interestingly, is a citrus-flavored vodka that has no citrus in it.”

Now that is outside of the box.

Hardly Wallbanger

By Eric Johnson (Sycamore Den, San Diego) 1.5 oz vodka 1 oz Galliano 0.5 oz fresh lemon 2 oz fresh OJ 0.25 oz simple syrup 2 dashes of vanilla extract Collins glass Top with soda Flag garnish (Orange wheel & cherry)

May 2013 Bar Business Magazine

29

Get in the mix.

The recipe: One part print.

One part digital.

Blend well and enjoy the perfect online cocktail at

In print, in person and online.

The premier how-to resource.

Raising the Bars Pernod Ricard USA’s Next Level Bartending seminar series serves prospective owners the tricks and tools required to open a bar, as well as keep it interesting and profitable.

By Elyse Glickman

32

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

www.barbizmag.com

I

f there is anything we’ve learned from the mixology movement, it’s that there are many ways to make the perfect cocktail—and many different environments in which to serve it. Furthermore, just as some cocktail recipes are better in theory than they are in execution, the same can be said for bars and lounges.

This is the raison-d’etre for Next Level Bartending: How to Run a Successful Bar Business, an ambitious new part of Pernod Ricard’s expansive educational program. The premise of the seminar is simple: Pernod Ricard and the panelists want quality products and marketing savvy to literally flow from their successes into the next generation of bar owners. However, there is a lot of material covered live and on a take-away memory drive (housing an extensive manual, checklists, pour cost excels, P&L sheets, financial forecasting models, sample press releases and tips on restaurant design and lighting), providing the attendees a solid foundation on which to build their business.

Philip Duff opens the seminar with his assessment of what makes bartenders the best bar owners.

96 Bartenders Walk Into A Seminar…

Built on the foundation of the “How To Open a Bar” seminar series staged at last year’s Tales of The Cocktail, the series consists of business-focused, geography specific day-long events with panel discussions, tastings and individualized “speed dating” sessions where potential owners can get straight individual feedback on their business plans.

The L.A. event at the W Hotel Hollywood was anchored by pioneering bartenders-turned-owners Philip Duff (Door 74, Amsterdam) and Andy Seymour (The Red Cat, New York City). Local heroes Dave Whitton (Villain’s Tavern), Cedd Moses (Golden Gopher), Erick Castro (Polite Provisions, San Diego) and Aiden Demarest (Neat, Glendale, CA) rounded out the all-star bar lineup with deep—and entertaining--insight based on their professional highs and lows.

“Cocktail culture only progresses when bartenders open their own bars, and opening a bar can be a game changer for a region,” stated Duff as the attendees settle in. “For example, the opening of one cocktail bar in Pittsburgh ultimately led to a Pittsburgh Cocktail Week.”

As the panelists observed their audience, they were in agreement that the L.A. crowd, based on their questions and initiative, were already on the right track.

“I believe there are too many bartenders out there who should already own their own bar,” stated Castro between the first and second discussions. “We want the cocktail scene to grow and become a fixture in society the way it had been before Prohibition. Anything I can do to give bartenders the creative inspiration to develop their ideas and help them have the confidence to take on the ownership role and have more bartenders represented in ownership will ultimately help the industry.”

After-Breakfast of Champions

The introductory “Who Opens a Bar” segment was referred to as “part zero” by Duff, and functioned as a www.barbizmag.com

“Bartenders in L.A. were instrumental in getting my bar off the ground,” Aiden Demarest attests.

“I believe there are too many bartenders out there who should already own their own bar,” asseses Erick Castro.

May 2013 Bar Business Magazine

33

pep talk. Witty repartee between the panelists got the point across that even the most studied bartenderturning-owner needs to think out every last detail before putting the creative machinery into motion—but without neglecting their personal needs.

“If you are not going to do it for the money, you are going into the wrong business,” cautions Whitton. “If you are doing this for a vanity project, or you are just in love with the idea of owning a bar, things will fall apart fast.

Being a bartender is [an advantage] because you develop relationships, and watch other owners operate their business. You can take everything you’ve learned and use it in your favor. Furthermore, as a bartender, you need to know your worth.”

While Whitton likened the opening of a bar to the arrival of a new baby, with the proud owner getting little sleep in the first six months, Castro aptly pointed out, “If you want the glamorous life with parties and cocktails, become a brand ambassador. You may find yourself returning home at 5:00 or 8:00 a.m. because you will be likely balancing your books and solving other problems.”

Demarest the cuts in to assure the group, “If you do things right, you will evolve into a bar owner, but you will not stop being a bartender. You will just be doing everything you’ve learned in a different element.”

The panel went on to stress the importance of being adaptable to changes in one’s professional and personal life. “You need to find reasons to walk away, because if you try to do too much and everything, you will fail,” said Seymour. “With so many cautionary tales, you know you need to find an outlet whether it is your home in the culde-sac or your favorite hiking trail. Find reality outside the bar.”

Whitton elaborated on this by explaining that when customers walk into your bar, they should get a sense of who you are, not just through the choice of spirits but also photographs that decorate the hallways and other artifacts adorning your venue.

Aiden Demarest, Dave Whitton, Erick Castro and Andy Seymour meet their public.

“If you are not going to do it for the money, you are going into the wrong business,” cautions Dave Whitton.

Shaking Up and Stirring Your World

During “Before You Open Your Bar” and “Opening Your Bar,” the six panelists shifted into tough love mode, hitting on such sticky topics of adapting one’s bar concept, fleshing out the financial particulars of the business plan, shopping for the right neighborhood and real estate for your premise and finding partners and investors.

Seymour suggested having more than one concept, while Castro added that one should not be afraid of sharing his or her ideas, reasoning that if somebody jumps on your concept before you do, it will give you an impetus to find a better one. Demarest suggested creating a one-line statement about the bar’s concept.

If you have to go beyond that sentence to explain it, it is not the right one.

Whitton noted that thoroughly understanding a neighborhood and its demographics will improve your ability to adapt your concept to the environment. “Just because a neighborhood doesn’t have an artisan cocktail 34

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

Pernod Ricard’s Suzanne Friedman spearheaded and organized the successful Los Angeles event, and cheers on the panel. www.barbizmag.com

Get Your

FILL.

In print, in person and online, the premier “How-to” resource.

fb.com/BarBizMag

BarBizMag.com

@BarBizMag

BAR BUSINE$$ M A G A Z I N E

www.barbizmag.com

bar means a cocktail bar like that will work in that neighborhood,” he said. “It is about understanding the identity of the neighborhood, and what the legal rules and regulations.”

Moses, delayed to the seminar because of legal concerns with the L.A. city government in finalizing his latest bar’s opening, stressed. “Get your city council, police department, stakeholders and residence on your side. From there, have goals and expectations in check.

Your first year, your staffing costs will be high, especially in first three months, and you may overstaff. The first six is getting the bar going and second is gaining control over expenses, and the second is [focused] on getting control over your expenses.”

“I made sure I knew how to fill rooms before I opened my own,” recalled Demarest. “Make somebody else a million dollars first so you can be sure you can do it for yourself. I managed the business [at each venue] as if it were my own, so when I stepped out there was a shorter learning curve. If you own your job, you will know how to run your small business when you open it.”

One moment that had the crowd at attention was Seymour delving into how to achieve the delicate balance between finding investors (“Don’t put all of your money into this project.”) and being sure that when partners are

in place, making sure he or she will still have a significant percentage of the ownership.

After The Gold Rush

If there is anything sure to induce a hangover in the months following the opening, it is the reality that money gets spent very quickly. “Numbers means something when it comes to potential profits, especially as expenses add up,” said Whitton. “You have to cut, cut, cut to the point where you don’t lose service. Let staff work hard, and then let their numbers dwindle [as stronger performers emerge]. Keep track of inventory, of what’s being bought versus what’s being sold. Keep comps under four percent long term but five in the first year. Don’t let free drinks get out of control, even if the intent is to cultivate goodwill.”

As the conversation continued, the aspect of staffing surfaced as a make-or-break situation for the burgeoning bar owner. Castro stressed nobody should underestimate the importance of thoroughly training a staff. Seymour advised the audience to loosen the reins and let bartenders create and be creative, as their initiative could add something fresh to the menu and the bar’s experience. Whitton then shared a few choice words about those potentially dangerous workplace rivalries.

The Superstar Lineup: Cedd Moses, Aiden Demarest, Philip Duff, Dave Whitton, Andy Seymour, and Erick Castro.

36

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

www.barbizmag.com

“Avoid situations where some staff will feel entitled or superior over others,” he said. “Take every training experience from your past jobs, and work it into your concept so everyone on staff function as a team and knows how to do everything needed to keep the bar going.

The training should ensure nobody feels entitled, and everybody shares the workload.”

Demarest also warned that employee training in effect goes beyond the training sessions themselves: “The waitresses at new bars are not stupid, but they’re twisting in the wind because the owner has given her no clue on what to do. When you buy a bar as a bartender, a lot of things you’ve learned you have to forget. You suddenly become an owner, and you sometimes need to forget you are a bartender as you take on the General Manager and Owner roles.”

Talking the Talk

As all the panelists see it, well-conceived new bars are not competition, but assets that will help build the spirits industry, a community of skilled bartenders and, on a larger scale, neighborhood commerce where they operate. They also agreed that while they could have benefitted from a seminar like this one earlier in their careers, the next generation can put their trials and errors to good use.

“I think the people attending are serious about hearing honest things that will keep them from making some of the mistakes we made,” affirmed Whitton. With that, I hope every single person in this room ends up owning a successful bar that will be their neighborhood’s meeting place,” “It is their turn now,” concurred Moses. “As I am in my 50s, and as have done this for a long time, it is now time for them to take our knowledge and their own job experience to the next level. I certainly wish I knew as much about the industry as they did when I was their age.

I think Pernod Ricard, in turn, is investing in the industry’s future as a whole. They invest in Tales, professional training and many other industry-building things, which is why I will do anything to help their efforts.”

Demarest, meanwhile, finds that his generation benefits from involvement in Pernod Ricard’s educational initiatives in that he gets a better trained staff for way less of his own business’ money because the next generation receives both a breadth and depth of knowledge about how the bar business works beyond a cocktail menu.

“Bartenders in L.A. were instrumental in getting my bar off the ground, so why shouldn’t I give back to this community through this program,” he concludes.

“Word of mouth supports my business, and because of programs like this, there are 150 diplomats spreading word about what my businesses are doing right. We couldn’t make it without that element. When you look at drink lists of El Torito, you can see the impact the mixology movement and craft cocktail bars have made on other branches of the industry. This is not a fad.

There is no turning back.” www.barbizmag.com

“You need to find reasons to walk away, because if you try to do too much and do everything, you will fail,” said Andy Seymour. “Find reality outside the bar.”

Cedd Moses advises, “The first six months is getting the bar going and the second is gaining control over expenses.”

Attendees were as much entertained as they were enlightened, and meeting with and talking to their role models gave the information they learned greater impact.

May 2013 Bar Business Magazine

37

The Learning Curve: What did attendees take away from the seminar?

Just as the panelists represent the best in their business, so do the attendees, as the seminar was open only to graduates of the BarSmarts graduate program.

Here are some of the ways future bar owners were inspired not just by the panelists, but with their peers and Pernod Ricard as well.

“I really like the fact that the panelists are giving us very different perspectives on owning bar. The opportunity to network and meet so many peers in one place to discuss what we’ve learned right away has also been great.”

- Pamela Trujillo

Your Business Is Our Business The industry’s premier how-to resource.

Number 04

To u c h y T a

Subscribe for free at www.barbizmag.com bles:

BAR B USINE$ $ Th e H o w -To P u b li ca

ti o n

Interact can helpive environmen bar owne ts rs keep that in touch.

April 20 13

M A G A Z I N E

www.ba

rbizmag

e

s Maga zin

Bar Bu sines

Every Las

.com

t Drop

The Sp with it ring season br creativ e cockt ings ail idea

s

ap ri l 20 13

c Che

k Ou

t

BAR BUSINE$$ pg. on

M A G A Z I N E

38

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

45

“My new bar in Phoenix, AZ is not going to be located in a cocktailforward area of the Valley, which presents challenges as well as opportunities. I am inspired by guys like Andy Seymour, who went through a huge ordeal with [one of his venues] before bouncing back. I am also impressed with the level of readiness and knowledge of the other attendees. [The panelists reinforced] that we possess something that makes our opening a bar not just a pipe dream.”

- Sean Traynor “I have been BarSmarts-certified for three years now, and attended several BarSmarts seminars.

However, this course was very different, as we learned more about the business of the bar beyond making cocktails. To see the bar from a business perspective instead of a cocktail making perspective sheds light on a lot of light on the industry as a whole, even if you are already picking up knowledge of running a business while on the job bartending. I have a business degree, so while I was familiar with many concepts being discussed, [the panelists] put the whole picture together.”

- Fouzia Burfield “Any big company started as a small company. On that score, Pernod Ricard gets that you can build your brand by providing your clients opportunities to connect with each other, building an awesome professional network and reinforcing your belief in what they do and how they do it. Pernod Ricard has become so involved with connecting with small business owners, and they truly understand that we are their front line.”

- Cari Hah www.barbizmag.com

PAcking ‘Em in:

A Promoters Guide to Throwing Successful

A

ny time you see a poster for a big DJ, band or entertainer who is playing at a nightclub, there is always someone behind it, financing, producing and marketing the event. That person is known as the promoter, and works together with the bar to profit off of the sales the event creates.

The world of nightclub promoting can be extremely lucrative. Promoters can earn

40

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars a night, depending on the size and scope of their events. The lifestyle can also be appealing; unlike the nightclub owner, the promoter does not need to manage staff, do cash-outs, and manage day-to-day operations of a bar. The promoter gets paid to spread the word about the event and fill the room with guests.

www.barbizmag.com

Events However, life as a promoter is not always so simple. Although the potential rewards are high, the failure rate is also high. Many promoters fail because they do not have a plan. They drift aimlessly without direction because, unlike a traditional career, there is no one telling a promoter what to do or how to do it. Promoters are visionaries in the

www.barbizmag.com www.barbizmag.com

By Kevin Tam

sense that they have to see their event before it happens, organize all the details of it, and then sell it to people.

Despite the difficulties of this business, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about promoting parties. The following keys will prove valuable for anybody interested in promoting events in the nightclub industry.

May May2013 2013 Bar BarBusiness BusinessMagazine Magazine

41 41

1

First Key: Finding the right nightclub This decision alone can make or break your events. Choose the bar you work with carefully. Amateur promoters go out and talk to any bar owner they can, then accept whoever says yes. However, professionals look at it much differently. To a serious promoter, there is a certain criterion that must be met for a bar to even be considered. Some of these criteria involve: Location: Ideally, you want to find a bar that is close to your desired clientele. You should aim to make it as convenient as possible for your guests to find your venue.

Central locations near or in nightlife districts work the best.

Quality of Venue: Your bar should be among the most modern facilities available in the market. If you work with a dingy bar that is in need of a renovation, then your event will not take off the way you want it to. The room itself should have a “wow factor” that impresses guests upon entry. You can dress up rooms a bit to make them look different, but at the end of the day you want to have a room that is already great. Any improvements you make to the existing décor should only be a bonus.

Quality of Service: Service is more about effort than it is about ability, but it would surprise you to learn just how many nightclub owners do not have high standards of service.

You want to find a bar that is known for having good service, with a friendly staff and competent management. The best way to know how the service will be at your event is to patronize the bar beforehand, order some drinks, get some food, and see how everything goes with your experience from a customer’s point of view. How they treat you is a good indication of how they will treat your guests.

Reputation: The bar will be mentioned in every conversation you have when you are inviting people down to your party. If people associate negative things with your bar just from what they’ve heard, they will associate that negative reputation with your event. That’s why it’s so important to find a bar with a good reputation to host your event. If you work with a bar known for bad things, like violence, drugs and shady activity, you will have a tougher time bringing down people.

Drink and Food Selection: For your event to have the maximum impact, the venue should have a great food and drink selection. If the bar does not have any kind of special drinks or food offerings, you can become creative and make them up for your event if it is appropriate. Another way to create a unique drink offering is to feature a premium product at a discount for your event. For example, at one of my events, I contacted my local rep for a premium vodka brand and got him to sponsor my event. He gave me a free

If you’re considering booking a DJ to play your event, a useful thing to do is to look at their history in your local market.

If you don’t invest in good entertainment, you’re going to have a tough time bringing people into the venue for your event.

42

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

case of vodka to sell or give away. Everyone won—I got free product to sell, he got increased exposure, and my guests were able to enjoy a premium product at a good price. To make the maximum impact on the guest, you need to have a great food and drink offering.

Security: Every night life event requires security staff to ensure the safety of guests. An investment in great security not only ensures the safety of all the guests, but also acts as a filter to prevent bad people from entering the bar who can potentially be a source of trouble. Security staff can be provided by the promoter or the bar owner, depending on what kind of arrangement they have. The important thing is to make sure that there are enough security staff present to handle your projected volume of guests. www.barbizmag.com

2

Second Key: negotiate a Winning deal You need to have a good arrangement with the owner of the nightclub in order to prosper. Some promoters don’t know how to negotiate deals with nightclub owners, and as a result get thrown into deals where terms are dictated to them. This is the worst position to be in, because everything in this industry is negotiable. To negotiate a great deal, you first need to understand the business model of promoting, and then tilt the odds in your favor as much as possible.

Promoting revenues usually come from two sources: Cover charge and as a percentage of gross sales.

Cover charge revenues can be very lucrative. For example, if you are a promoting at a nightclub where the capacity is 300 – 400 people, and the crowd turns over once, you have the potential to do quite well for yourself financially. At a $10 cover per person, potential revenues for these traffic numbers are $6,000 - $8,000 (based on 600 – 800 people entering the venue). The math works out differently for different clubs with different capacities and different cover charges, but the point is that the money is potentially huge.

The deal with the nightclub is important, though. For instance, you need to know if the owner of the bar wants a percentage of door sales. If they do, what is that percentage?

It has to work out for you in the end, because if they want too much it can kill your business model. Some bars owners do not ask for a percentage of door sales and give it all to the promoter. Others will take as much as half of all door sales.

It is also very important to have a good deal negotiated for being compensated on a percentage of sales. A nightclub owner is bringing you on board to fill the room and create more revenue for the business. Sales are created because of your hard work in bringing people in and promoting— therefore you deserve to be compensated on those sales.

If you have this kind of arrangement with the nightclub owner, you must be clear on the terms. For instance: Do you have to reach a sales quota before you become eligible for this commission? If so, what is that sales quota?

Additionally, ask yourself if it is realistic that you will reach this quota on a consistent basis with this bar. It does you no good to work out this kind of arrangement with a bar that has an unreasonable goal that you may only hit now and then. I worked with one bar where they arranged to pay out 10% on gross sales past $10,000. In other words, once sales reached $10,000, they’d pay me $1,000 in addition to the profits from the door. Any time sales were below $10,000, I wouldn’t be paid this bonus and the door profits would be all I received. There are other deals where a percentage of gross sales are paid out to the promoter, regardless of reaching any quota. Both are deals that can be lucrative, but you have to know how the details work and what you need to do to reach your goals.

Kevin Tam is a night club marketing consultant that has worked with a variety of night clubs, bars, lounges, restaurants, and pubs. He has worked with single bar operations, as well as large companies with multiple bars. He maximizes value for bars he works with by teaching innovative marketing and 44

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

3

third Key: have a Strong draW You need to create a great experience as the foundation for successful promoting. It is much easier to promote an event where the entertainment is top-notch and already has a following that will guarantee a certain amount of traffic.

When booking entertainment, you often get what you pay for, and if you don’t invest in good entertainment, you’re going to have a tough time bringing people in. Marketing and salesmanship can only take you so far when you have an inferior draw. Everyone has seen bar staff try to promote their nightclub without a strong draw, and it is very much an uphill battle. If you want to host a successful event, you want your featured entertainment to be top notch in every way.

I have met many people who just don’t seem to understand what is really cool anymore because they are just so out of touch with their market. They book some no-name band or terrible DJ, or host tacky events with only a fringe interest and are confused as to why their rooms are not reaching capacity. It’s tough to accept the fact that your “entertainment” may not be as entertaining to people as you think it is. But that is usually the source of an event’s failure.

If you are considering booking a DJ or a band to play at your event, a useful thing to do is to look at their history in your local market. Are they known for being able to fill rooms and throw big parties? Are they still active in putting out material like CD’s, mixes, being on radio shows, and playing live gigs? Some entertainers are very strong marketers themselves and have a following that will automatically come to your bar as soon as you book them.

Others will simply show up to play the gig and not really care about marketing the event. If you want to find a winning draw, you want to find someone who has an established clientele and who is a strong marketer. By booking this type of entertainment, you will increase your chances for success.

When promoting events, you need to look at it, as much as possible, from your customer’s point of view. Ask yourself: If they have all the bars in your local market to choose from, why would they choose your event above all others? What are you doing that is unique? What is your event offering that no one else is? In a competitive market, people spend money where they know they are going to get a great value. In order to win, your event needs to be among the best options available for your customer.

Spend adequate time thinking about and investing in a great experience for your guest—this is the foundation for throwing a successful event.

relationship building strategies that attract and keep more customers. His book, Night Club Marketing Systems – How to Get Customers for Your Bar, is available for purchase online. Kevin is available to coach open minded night club and bar owners who are looking for new, innovative ways to invigorate their promotions and pack their rooms with guests. For more information on Kevin and his services, visit www.nightclubmarketingsystems.com. www.barbizmag.com

Still Thirsty For Knowledge?

Please sign-up to continue your FREE subscription to Bar Business Magazine. Don’t let this Free subscription opportunity run out.

For continuation of the industry’s only “How-To” publication, simply complete this form and fax to 402-346-3670. For fastest service, subscribe on the web @ www.barbizmag.com Please start/continue my FREE subscription to Bar Business Magazine. ❑ Yes ❑ No Version: (select one only) ❑ Print ❑ Digital/Electronic* ❑ Print and/or Digital/Electronic* - NO PREFERENCE Signature Date Name Tel.

Title Fax

Company

Email*

(Required to receive the Digital/Electronic version)

Address City

State

Zip

State

Zip

Alternate Address (for home delivery) City ❑

YES!! I wish to receive BarBiz-e FREE e-newsletter for the latest trends and developments in the bar & nightlife industry. (I may opt out at any time.)

1. I would describe my establishment as: (select one) ❑ A. Bar ❑ E. Restaurant/Bar ❑ B. Lounge ❑ F. Wholesaler ❑ C. Nightclub ❑ G. Others allied to the field (specify below) ❑ D. Hotel/Bar ___________________________________

4. ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

The total number of employees are: (select one) A. 1 -5 B. 6 - 10 C. 11 - 20 D. 21 +

2. ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

My Primary Job title is: (select one) A. Corporate Management B. Owner C. Manager D. Buyer (beverages, supplies, etc.)

E. Others allied to the field (specify below) ____________________________________________________

5. ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Entertainment sources are: (check A. Jukebox B. DJ C. Bands/Live Music D. Computer/MP3 Player

3. ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

My annual sales totals are: (select one) A. Less than $500,00 ❑ E. $5 million - $10 million B. $500,000 - $1 million ❑ F. Over $10 Million C. $1 million - $3 million D. $3 million - $5 million

6. ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

The majority of my sales is in: (select one) A. Liquor B. Beer C. Wine D. Other (specify below) ___________________________________________________

Subscribe online @ www.barbizmag.com, Fax completed form to: (402) 346-3670 **Publisher reserves the right to limit the number of free subscriptions. *** Canadian and International subscribers – Free subscriptions will be offered only in the digital/electronic format.

all applicable) ❑ E. Coin-Op ❑ F. Karaoke ❑ G. Electronic Trivia ❑ H. Other (specify below) _____________________

Bar Business Magazine Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corp.

PO Box 10, Omaha NE 68102-0010 USA Tel +1 (800) 895-4389 or +1(402) 346-4740 Fax: +1(402)346-3670

Big

6

New York BoSToN CHICAGo

LoS ANGELES MIAMI LAS vEGAS

rogue & CANoN: best of both worlds with his latest venture, rogue & Canon, nightlife veteran Johnny swet aims to bring to the people what too few (from his perspective) have thus far enjoyed—truly amazing cocktails with an approachable appeal for all. After all these years, leave it to swet to successfully play both sides of the coin.

By CHRIS YTUARTE

J

ohnny Swet has always been a bit of a rogue: Within days of moving to New York City from Los Angeles some 24 years ago with hopes of advancing his art career, he was hired at the Bowery Bar and served drinks to Courtney Love on his first night.

A the same time, Swet has always appreciated the canon: Across the spectrum of venues he has opened over two decades in New York, the one enduring staple has been a focus on serving the most revered and classic cocktails.

So it seems quite natural, in a sense, that these two parts of his personality have come together in the form of his newest den of mixology and cuisine, Rogue & Canon, in the SoHo section of Manhattan.

“The idea was for a neighborhood spot that had some great

46

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

accessible mixology,” says Swet. “I’ve worked in high-end mixology and all my friends run all of these places that you know of, and they’re great, but they’re a little intimidating to the masses. So I wanted to bring a lot of the perks and the better spirits to the masses.”

Indeed, Swet and longtime collaborator Larry Poston have partnered with newcomer Yanni Marmarou to open Rogue & Canon, a truly approachable bar and kitchen serving a truncated menu of classic dishes and cocktails. Representing the new American “canon,” the dining menu and artisanal cocktails will also reflect the “rogue” stylings of Swet (the cocktail maestro) and Executive Chef Adam Slamon.

“The idea of Rogue & Canon was to have these classic cocktails that everybody loves, like the Sazerac and

www.barbizmag.com

Manhattan and Bramble, which are the canon,” explains Swet. Then you have the rogue element, which would be taking something and tweaking it—instead of a regular julep, do a Thai basil and peach syrup bourbon julep. That’s the idea behind the name—the canon being the classic list of cocktails and the rogue being sort of the opposite.”

Swet and his team firstly wanted to work within a key mixology trend—that of having the food and drink play off each other in both seasonal ingredients and everyday flavor profiles. Chef Slamon has created menu items that best reflect the canon, including Welsh Rarebit, Hangover Lo Mein and Steak Frites, with classic cocktails from Swet such as a Navy Grog and a Classic Sarzerac. On the rogue side, Slamon expressed his creativity with his Poached Duck Egg, Skate with winter hash and cured meyer lemon confit and the Rogue Burger, which features aged cheddar, peanut butter, onion marmalade Rogue & Canon is where and house made bacon. masterful mixology is “Our food and drink play off each other really well,” says made for the masses.

www.barbizmag.com

Swet. “The Rogue Burger is made by The Rogue Burger, my chef who goes down to New Orleans with peanut butter a lot, where they put peanut butter in and pork belly. all their burgers, so that’s what he does, along with a little crispy pork belly and spicy tomato jam. It’s a really beautiful combination. We do a lot of small bites and some large plates too, so you can kind of make it what you want.”

Swet came up with a variety of cocktails that showcase his more out-of-the-box thinking, such as Midnight Train to Georgia, which incorporates bourbon, peanut liquor, bacon bitters and rosemary; and American Pie, which features apple jack, apple liqueur and cranberry juice over a cinnamon ice block. There is also an emphasis on small batch, artisanal spirits as well as a wide selection of seasonal craft beers both on tap and bottled.

“These small batch bourbons and ryes and some of these handmade whiskies, some of them are starting to fold into the bigger companies, so it can be hard if you’re a smaller bar to work with all of these random purveyors,” says Swet.

“But I do think that the small batch trend in mixology is working really well.

“And our chef is also an award-winning home brewer, so I let him keep the beer program under his belt. We have all craft beers; we don’t even have Stella. We have eight beers on tap that change seasonably, sometimes weekly, and we have eight or nine bottled beers as well, which always change.”

The interior design of Rogue & Canon, created by the owners, features elements of exposed brick walls, copper ceilings, embossed leather banquettes and low service tables (seating 53) in addition to a collection of art from respected downtown New York artists. Rogue & Canon also boasts a 26-foot long bar featuring a 3-inch thick solid mahogany bar

May 2013 Bar Business Magazine

47

Big

6

new york Boston CHICAGo

top and large French windows that open onto street level, bringing the NYC outdoor scene tableside during warm months, both features adding to what Swet sees as the venue’s overall accessibility.

“We have a massive wall of windows that all float open, so it’s great in nice weather and they open onto the corner of Sullivan and Houston, where there’s a lot of traffic, which right off the bat keeps it from feeling too exclusive,” he says. “But we also took all the little elements that work in some of my higher end places, like JIMMY, and we brought in some really good art, and it’s lit incredibly well, and we have copper ceilings and copper fans and

The artistic yet understated aesthetic adds to the venue’s approachable appeal.

48

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

Los AnGeLes MIAMI LAs veGAs

wood tables and massive mirrors in the back. We brought in a lot of elements that aren’t that expensive—things that pubs use a lot—and I think that’s another component of making the place approachable.

“We also wanted a really nice mixology bar, so we used this huge mahogany and built this massive back bar that really dominates the room. People might see that and think we’re just a bar, but when you come in you can find all these great classic meals that can eat three times a week, or you can experiment and go in the other direction. So it’s the same idea as the mixology; if you want a place in the

During warmer months, a wall of windows opens up onto the corner of Sullivan and Houston Streets in SoHo.

www.barbizmag.com

Just the essentials.

Product solutions for a profitable bar business delivered to your inbox.

Sign up for free at www.barbizmag.com

BAR BUSINE$$ M A G A Z I N E

Big

6

new york Boston CHICAGo

Los AnGeLes MIAMI LAs veGAs

Swet incorporated his own love and knowledge of art into the design of Rogue & Canon.

neighborhood where you can come in and eat consistently and still get something a little different, that’s us. It’s the rogue or the canon.”

The culmination of a longstanding relationship, Rogue & Canon is the latest project from Swet and Poston, who also collaborated on JIMMY at The James in SoHo. Their combined experience in hospitality includes executive positions at some of New York’s finest locations, including Bowery Bar, Balthazar, Pastis, Freeman’s and The Waverly Inn. This is Marmarou’s first venue; he has a successful track record as a real estate consultant With Rogue & Canon, Swet in the hospitality industry has truly defined the idea in New York for the last five years. of “accessible mixology.”

50

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

“I’ve been working in the New York bar and restaurant scene for 24 years,” says Swet. “Knowing a lot of the good bartenders and people who have been working in the city for 20 years, you start to know a lot of really talented people. I’ve seen barbacks who worked for me 15 years ago who have their own bars now. It’s great to see that evolution.”

It’s that kind of overall geniality and “friendliness” amongst the bar community that Swet hoped to convey to the general public with Rogue & Canon. Essentially, he is inviting the everyman inside the inner sanctum of masterful mixology, and loving every minute of it.

“We can forget sometimes because we work in this business,” says Swet. “I feel very comfortable walking in to any venue and ordering a Sazerac or a nice rye cocktail, but not everyone is like that. I remember in one of my old places, working there was kind of exciting when you saw someone who isn’t part of that cocktail mixology world experience something like, say, aquavit for the first time. I’d present it in a friendlier format, with a little pomegranate and lemon, and people would think it tasted really good, like something familiar, even when it isn’t. So now you’re reaching somebody who has never even been down that road and giving them something that might be off-putting but is now pleasant. I really like that aspect of it.”

www.barbizmag.com

Inventory Avuá Cachaça Launches in NYC

Go Shorty, It’s Your Birthday!

Beginning with a glimmer of an idea shared with many of you over dancing and caipirinhas at Miss Favela, the Avuá Cachaça team has worked for the past 3 years on bringing a beautiful new expression and brand of cachaça (distilled sugar cane product from Brazil) to the US market. Many of you have helped out along the way with advice, expertise and encouraged us as we’ve grown our passion into a business. We’re excited to share that in April 2013 we will be launching our first batch in New York City, but importantly you can pre-order your own bottles of our unaged Prata and two year aged Amburana products here: www.caskers.com/product/avua/

A breakthrough new category in wines with indulgent, dessert inspired flavors drawing from the best of modern expertise and ancient technique, Birthday Cake Vineyards and Ice Cream Cellars developed a breakthrough method of blending and maturating Meritage wines—high quality, handcrafted blends of original, noble Bordeaux varietals—with premium flavors and confectionary essences.

Birthday Cake Vineyards and Ice Cream Cellars turn up the volume on deliciously nostalgic flavors like frosted birthday cake and summer ice cream cones to create a truly elevated wine experience. Birthday Cake Vineyards features irresistible cake flavors such as Black Forest Cake, Cheesecake and Coffee Cake. Ice Cream Cellars features ice cream inspired favorites including Raspberry Ripple Dutch Chocolate, Espresso, and French Vanilla. Each with an incredible nose and distinct, yet not overpowering flavor, they’re unlike anything you’ve ever tasted before. For more info, visit www.birthdaycakewines.com or www.icecreamwines.com.

Kenny Chesney Launches Blue Chair Bay Rum

After 100 Years, the Return of Chicken Cock Whiskey

Fishbowl Spirits LLC, a new, independent spirits company wholly owned by country recording artist Kenny Chesney, announced the launch of premium spirits line, Blue Chair Bay Rum. Chesney founded Fishbowl Spirits to be the entity through which he fulfills his long-time dream of producing a spirit embodying his passion for the islands. The result is a line of born-on-thebeach, premium-blended rums mellowed in casks on the Caribbean shores. Blue Chair Bay Rum, which will make its official debut at WSWA, is launching with three expressions: Blue Chair Bay White Rum, a classic white which received a score of 90 (Highly Recommended) in this year’s Ultimate Spirits Challenge; Blue Chair Bay Coconut, Chesney’s personal favorite; and an original Blue Chair Coconut Spiced Rum, infused with a unique blend of island spices. The Blue Chair Bay Rum line will launch in 32 markets in May 2013. over 1,250,000 fans. Chesney asks his audience to let his music take them to a, carefree place for a bit of relaxation and fun. With Blue Chair Bay Rum, he is making the same invitation. Visit www.bluechairbayrum.com.

Chicken Cock Distilling is proud to announce that, after nearly a century hiatus, Chicken Cock Whiskey is back and more flavorful than ever. Inspired by a 157 year-old legacy, Chicken Cock is making a triumphant return to the market with a new look and fresh flavors. Returning to its southern roots, Chicken Cock is bottled in Charleston, South Carolina in three different varieties - Chicken Cock Southern Spiced Whiskey, Chicken Cock Cinnamon Whiskey, and Chicken Cock Root Beer Whiskey. Each is a flavorful blend of all natural ingredients and 86 Proof American Whiskey. A salute to the legendary tin cans, the bottles are made of 100% aluminum to facilitate and retain the optimal temperature for sipping chilled shots or mixing signature cocktails. A unique blend of American ingenuity, history and perseverance, Chicken Cock is bridging the gap between generations of whiskey drinkers. For additional information, visit www. chickencockwhiskey.com

52

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

www.barbizmag.com

Cinerator: Hot Cinnamon Flavored Whiskey Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. will launch Cinerator Hot Cinnamon Flavored Whiskey in May. This growing segment of the liqueur category has been stoked by consumers’ interest in all things spicy and hot. Cinerator fuses hot cinnamon flavor with the smoothness of American Whiskey in a 91.1 proof liqueur. Served as a chilled shot or mixed, the growing sub-category of spicy and hot products has set the industry aflame. Cinerator adds a dramatic look and added kick at 91.1 proof to this highly sought after segment of liqueurs. Consumers will be drawn to the stand out look of a red hot label set ablaze by flames and packaging which is a clear and modern representation of the product attributes. Available both on-premise and at retail and with an approachable price point, the result is a new product with just the right amount of attitude.

Visit www.heavenhill.com.

Ride the Lightning With Metallica Pinball Stern Pinball, Inc., the world’s leading maker of real pinball games, proudly announced today the availability of the Metallica pinball game. The newest addition to the iconic Stern collection of rock and roll machines honors one of the world’s foremost rock bands. Metallica’s notoriously fast tempos and aggressive musicianship sets the tone for an exciting player experience. Players will be able to bang their heads and their flippers to 12 classic Metallica hits including “Master of Puppets,” “One” and “Fade to Black.” Other actionpacked game features include an electric chair, snake, grave marker and unparalleled magnetic action. The Metallica game continues both the Stern Pinball and the Stern family tradition of producing quality pinball machines for young and old. The Metallica pinball machine is available through authorized Stern distributors and dealers. To learn more about The Metallica pinball game and Stern Pinball, visit www.sternpinball.com. www.barbizmag.com

Hornitos® “Lime Shot” Revolutionizes the Shot Experience Hornitos® Tequila is revolutionizing the shot occasion with the introduction of Hornitos Lime Shot, the perfect combination of Hornitos® Plata 100% blue agave tequila with the refreshing taste of lime and a hint of salt. This innovative spirit transforms the salt+tequila+lime ritual into a single shot that is great tasting and convenient all in one. Hornitos® Lime Shot is a clear spirit that imparts the distinct aroma of authentic Hornitos Plata Tequila and a unique agave flavor that is approachable and pleasingly light with a slightly dry finish.

Elevating the shot experience, this latest extension of the Hornitos family is incredibly smooth and best enjoyed chilled. Hornitos Plata is the purest expression of 100% blue agave tequila.

Made with the brand’s signature cultivated yeast, it is double distilled and unaged with hints of fresh floral, herbal and wooden notes. This premium tequila is clean, smooth and retains a pure agave flavor. Visit www.hornitostequila.com.

Niche Presents PennyPacker Bourbon From Bourbon Country comes PennyPacker Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. New to the U.S. Market, PennyPacker is an Americanmade, hand-crafted Bourbon of high quality with a competitive price. Three types of grain are used in the distilling process: maize, rye, and barley with Maize making up 70% (above average) of the product. PennyPacker is produced according to the continuous method of distillation, which guarantees PennyPacker’s invariable character and consistently high quality. This particularly distinguished bourbon whiskey is full-bodied, yet mild straight bourbon whiskey with a slight hint of vanilla and caramel.

The high quality of PennyPacker makes it ideal for enjoying neat, but can also be enjoyed in a number of bourbon cocktails, with water, or on the rocks. PennyPacker is everything America stands for: from the Penny to Abraham Lincoln to the American Flag. Find out more at www.ourniche.com.

May 2013 Bar Business Magazine

53

Holiday Happenings

June 2013

5

1

2

3

June 1: Heimlich Maneuver Day. Did you know that Dr. Henry Jay Heimlich, inventor of the Heimlich maneuver, is the uncle of Anson Williams, otherwise known as “Potsie” from the TV show Happy Days? Choke on that!

June 2: National Cancer Survivors Day. On this day, I will tip a cocktail and toast to my two favorite ladies in the world, Jill and Colleen, who both celebrate cancer-free lives today thanks to the good folks at SloanKettering Memorial Cancer Center—who rightly deserve their own toast as well.

Cheers.

June 3: National Leave the Office Early Day. And head to the bar.

15

17

20

21

June 15: Magna Carta Day. The Magna Carta was the first document forced onto a King of England by a group of his subjects in an attempt to limit his powers by law and protect their privileges.

We hope your employees don’t get any big ideas.

June 17: World Day To Combat Desertification and Drought.

Why on Earth would anyone want to combat delicious dessert and frosty draught beer?

This makes no sense.

Wait, what? Oh, desert and drought. Yeah, that stuff is bad

June 20: National Dump the Pump Day. In these tough economic times with high gas prices, National Dump the Pump Day encourages people to ride public transportation (instead of driving) and save money. Well, if no one is driving, then everyone can drink!

June 21: Ugliest Dog Day. There is no such thing as an ugly dog. Except for this guy.

54

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

June 5: Hot Air Balloon Day. On this day, anyone who can prove via acceptable photo evidence that they were insane enough to take a hot air balloon ride can have a free drink.

7 June 7: Donut Day. Celebrate this holiday on-premise by serving up shots made from 360 Vodka’s Glazed Donut flavor spirit, like this one: Jelly Filled Donut 1 oz. 360 Glazed Donut 1 oz. 360 Red Raspberry.

29 June 29: Tour de France Begins.

In honor of the most well known Tour de France winner in the world, Lance Armstrong, make all of today’s martinis extra dirty.

www.barbizmag.com

index of advertisers

Company

web site address

page #

Barzz.net

www.barzz.net

39

Cabaret Design Group

www.cabaretdesigners.com

30

Diageo North America-Tanqueray

www.diageo.com

3

Manhattan Cocktail Classic

www.manhattancocktailclassic.com

7

McCormick Distilling Co Inc.

www.McCormickVoda.com

15

McCormick Distilling Co Inc.

www.TequilaRose.com

43

Modern Line Furniture

www.modernlinefurniture.com

C2-Pg 1

Moving Targets

www.MovingTargets.com

17

Pernod Ricard-ABSOLUT

www.pernod-ricard-usa.com

11

Shiftgig.com

www.shiftgig.com

23

Vacation Adventures

www.vacationadventures.biz

5

Western Spirits

www.KUHLVODA.com

25

inventory Companies avuรก Cachaca

www.caskers.com/products/avua

birthday Cake Vineyards

www.birthdaycakewines.com

blue Chair bay rum

www.bluechairbayrum.com

Chicken Cock whiskey

www.chickencockwhiskey.com

Cinnerator whiskey

www.heavenhill.com

Hornitos tequila

www.hornitostequila.com

pennypacker bourbon

www.pennypackerbourbon.com

stern pinball

www.sternpinball.com

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

www.barbizmag.com

May 2013 Bar Business Magazine

55

Supply Side Spotlight

To Serve Thyself With tabletop beer tap technology becoming more common in bars across the country, it was only a matter of time before self-serve liquor options found their way into a marketplace that thrives on giving consumers more control (think digital jukebox apps, iPad ordering systems, and handheld payment hardware). To find out more about this growing trend, we spoke with Daniel Dabakaroff, co-owner of the newly unveiled ShotTender, which gives your customers the chance to serve themselves a shot or two.

By Chris Ytuarte BB: How did you get involved with ShotTender?

Dabakaroff: My partner, Paul King, founded another company about five years ago called GoCharge, and when I met him about a year-and-a-half ago I remember thinking how young he was to have come out with a brand like GoCharge (which is a charging kiosk for cell phones).

I thought about what we could come up with that takes a similar approach of giving customers direct access to something. So I brought up the idea of the ShotTender to Paul and he was really excited, because he’d had a similar concept already in the works. He was in the process of getting the machine together, and I joined in towards the end of it before everything was approved. And then together we came up with all these new ideas on how to make the machine better, to add advertising options by putting an LED screen on top, and different ways to market and promote the machine. And then we had to figure out how to present it. Why would people buy it? And the most logical thing we came up was this: When you have a bar that’s busy and someone just wants a quick shot, most likely they’re going to get annoyed with the wait and with the bartender, who is busy making cocktails and can’t give them any attention, when all he wants is a simple shot. That customer might just walk away and not spend that money on a shot; or he might even leave your bar and get his shot someplace else. So we thought, if you could have a machine next to the bar where a customer can go and just get their shot, it could really open things up all around for your business. And that’s where it started.

BB: After the concept gets developed, what’s the next stop in actually designing and building the hardware?

Dabakaroff: The technology is made in China, where we work with a manufacturer. The company that puts it all together— the mechanisms and the container, etc.—is out of California.

BB: Did you and Paul have input on the design and the look of the final product?

Dabakaroff: We did. We had pre-approval of everything.

Step-by-step, as they advanced through the design and the manufacturing, we made changes all along. We had final 56

Bar Business Magazine May 2013

approval and then we moved on to manufacturing.

BB: How important was the aesthetic, knowing that bar owners would be taking in such a large piece of equipment and putting it in plain sight?

Dabakaroff: We had a lot of help from the designers. They started with some drawings and then went with a more

A push of the button brings your customers a custom shot from the ShotTender.

www.barbizmag.com

modern look. And there are a lot of changes we want to do for the next batch of manufacturing. We want to include some more technology, like the LED screen on top to run ads, and eventually we want to make the machines dispense the shots ever faster. Right now it takes about 30 seconds. So we will want to take it up a notch in the tech area.

BB: How has the introduction to bar owners gone so far?

Dabakaroff: We’ve got a lot of great leads. We launched officially at the Nightclub & Bar Show in Vegas, and we got great feedback there and we’ve been selling the machines since then. Of course some states won’t accept the machines due to self-service laws and restrictions. But others are loving it, because it’s another attraction in the bar.

BB: Are state-by-state self-serve laws a challenge to business?

Dabakaroff: The majority of states does not have restrictions or laws against self-serve, so it’s not going to be that big of an issue.

BB: How does it work when a customer approaches the machine?

Dabakaroff: We have a video on our Web site that is very self-explanatory. It shows how simple it is, and what the purpose is. Basically a customer swipes their credit card on the side of the machine, selects from one of five liquors in the system, puts a plastic shot glass under the spout, pushes the button, and the perfect amount is poured at the ideal temperature. And a lot of bar owners at first think their bartenders are going to be upset if a ShotTender is installed because they think they’ll be losing tips. But we’re not here to take business away from your existing bars. We’re here to increase your revenue and make your customers happier by not having to stand and wait at your already busy bar just to get a shot. And your bartenders won’t be swamped by people wanting shots, so they can take more time to make quality cocktails and their tips will come from there.

BB: What about concerns bar owners might have with liability issues—self-serve customers over-serving themselves, etc.?

Dabakaroff: We’ve heard that question a lot, and bar owners have different options. If an owner is worried about their liability, they can set it up so that customers purchase a shot card at the bar with a limited amount of money on that card which can only be swiped at The ShotTender. So once a customer reaches the limit on that card, he or she would have to approach a bartender to purchase more, and that’s when staff can check them out and make sure they’re not too inebriated. You can do a $20 card, a $50 card, or maybe a $100 card for someone with a big group. Whatever amount they want to put on it, you can do; but the bottom line is they have to come back to you to fill it up if they want more.

BB: Do bar owners have control over the liquor selections inside the machine?

Dabakaroff: Yes, the owner makes those choices. And every compartment within the machine is secured with a key and www.barbizmag.com

Customers swipe their card and wait for the shot to pour, all without waiting at the bar.

a lock, so customers can never get access to the inside of the machine and the bottles. And there is also a sensor that notifies the bartender when a bottle is getting low and needs to be switched out.

BB: Bar owners also have the option of doing some sponsored branding with liquor companies as well, correct?

Dabakaroff: Yes. And in our next batch of machines they also have the option of marketing their own business and running specials on the machine, or they can run ads for happy hours, etc. They can also charge other local businesses to run ads on the machine as well. But ideally, you have liquor company X giving you a deal where if you only serve their product in the machine they’ll give you an extra ten cases a month for free, or something like that.

That’s where bar owners can really see the added benefits of The ShotTender.

To see a video of The ShotTender in action, go to www.theshottender.com.

May 2013 Bar Business Magazine

57

Bar Business Books Open Up a World of Possibilities

Everything you need to read to successfully run your bar.

OpEratiOns. ManagEMEnt. BEvEragEs. MarkEting. and MOrE...

The How-To Publication

BAR BUSINE$$ www.barbizmag.com/bookstore