Spirited 2010 - Volume 2

Summer 2010 | Volume 2

World Class in a Glass

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Shaw-Ross: Developing Relationships and Growing Brands

Talking F&B with

JIM ANHUT >> PAGE 2

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As a Midwesterner and third-generation hotelier, Jim Anhut enjoys simple dining fare, exquisitely prepared. Our series of F&B interviews with members of IHG’s leadership team continues in a conversation with the Chief Development Officer, Americas.

Because he grew up in the restaurant and catering business, Jim Anhut has a keen appreciation for what it takes to pull off a successful food and beverage program.

The extensive travel involved in his role as Chief Development Officer, Americas, gives him ample opportunity to sample the full range of IHG’s F&B offerings across all the brands. In a recent interview, we talked with Jim about his food and beverage preferences, and why he thinks he’d make a great sous chef.

Getting the is Key to Great F&B for Jim Anhut Québec Bison Filet Marinated in P’tit Caribou with Applesauce and Milk Bread, InterContinental Montréal

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Any foodservice experience in your background?

“Yes. My family operated a country inn outside Detroit when I was growing up. I started as a dishwasher in the restaurant at about age 13 and worked as a waiter and bus boy at functions on Friday and Saturday nights and holidays right through college. So, I held just about every job, and it was great fun. I loved the energy and sense of accomplishment after a successful dining or catering event—that’s what the food and beverage business is all about.

“I tried not to go into foodservice after college. I got my undergraduate degree in marketing and took a job in financial services for a year but eventually did get back in the family business. Then I decided to put my experience to work for me and earned my MBA with a specialty in hospitality administration from Michigan State University. My career since then has been in the real estate and finance side of the hospitality business. I worked for Jack DeBoer, the founder of Residence Inns, for several years and with several other major hotel chains before joining IHG in 1997. Because I’ve spent a lot of time in the kitchen in my past, today when I’m a dining room customer, I truly appreciate what’s involved in delivering the meal.”

What’s your favorite food?

“I’m open to trying a lot of different things, and because my job involves a good bit of travel, including international trips, I get to enjoy a variety of foods. But being an uncomplicated, Midwestern guy, I tend to favor comfort foods like Beef Stroganoff and a great vegetable soup. It’s true that you can tell an exceptional kitchen by its soup, because good soup is not easy to create—I learned that from my father. Right before lunch every day he would come into the kitchen of the family restaurant and try out the soup to be sure it tasted right.”

How about your favorite beverage?

“Well, I love water, and it’s usually my beverage of choice. That said, I also enjoy a good glass of Cabernet with a meal, and I’m not too particular about the specific label. My IHG colleagues have helped me learn to appreciate various brands and vineyards over the years.”

“I believe that IHG has a huge opportunity to exceed customer expectations regarding our food and beverage offerings, especially for the Holiday Inn brand.”

Favorite restaurant?

“In Atlanta I like South City Kitchen, because they put such a clever spin on traditional Southern fare. I also like my wife’s kitchen a lot—Patti is a great cook. Those two would be tops in my book.”

When you stay at an IHG property, what are your expectations regarding F&B? “My expectations are fairly basic—hot food should be hot and cold food should be cold. I also believe that IHG has a huge opportunity to exceed customer expectations regarding our food and beverage offerings, especially for the Holiday Inn brand.”

When you dine at an IHG hotel, what do you usually order?

“I like to navigate the menu and check out different items. It’s rare for me to order the same dish from place to place.”

Any recent standout meals at an IHG property?

“The staff in the restaurant at the new Holiday Inn Airport in Salt Lake City did a really good job with simple fare when I dined there earlier this year. I was with friends after a ski trip, and we were impressed with how good the food and service were. The server was well-informed and made great recommendations. The experience, for me, was indicative of what Holiday Inn restaurants can be.

Mineral water or tap?

“I love tap water, for lots of reasons—one of which is that paying for water is philosophically a challenge for me. Besides, the drinking water from most municipal systems is pretty darn good.”

Any F&B “pet peeves?”

“I’m amazed when servers can’t get the right order in front of each person at the table, especially if there are only two people dining. It shouldn’t be necessary to interrupt the conversation to ask, ‘Who ordered the hamburger?’ Getting that straight is just basic training, regardless of the style of restaurant. It’s seamless when done right and really noticeable when it’s not. A couple of other pet peeves are salads served on warm plates and warm, rather than hot, soup.”

Do you cook at home, and if so, what’s your specialty?

“I do a lot of cooking on the grill—in fact, if you have it, I can grill it. I also help out when we entertain. It’s not unusual for us to have 25 to 30 friends and extended family members join us for holiday meals. I’m not particularly creative but I am pretty organized and good at following recipes, assembling dishes and cleaning up. So, I make a good sous chef, supporting Patti…I keep things moving.”

“Also, I was in a meeting at the InterContinental Montreal last week, and we had breakfast and lunch served in the meeting room two days in a row. My highest compliments go to General Manager Bernard Chênevert and the hotel’s catering staff, who were superb. The food was great, the service was on time and attentive and the display was attractive. The banquet and catering experience is so important to the success of a meeting or event— when it’s not flawless, it detracts and is annoying.”

Do you ever order room service?

“Yes. If I don’t have business meals scheduled on a particular day of my trip, I may order breakfast or dinner in my room and use the time to catch up on email and talk to my family.”

Papaya Salad with Lime and Passion Fruit, Presidente InterContinental Cozumel Resort & Spa

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Developing Relationships & Shaw-Ross Cultivates Its Wide-Ranging But Select Portfolio for Success

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Among the spirit offerings: Cardenal Mendoza, the No.1 Solera Gran Reserva Brandy from Jerez, Spain, and The Dalmore Expressions, an unsurpassed collection of prestigious Malt whiskies with prices ranging from $45 to $64,000 a bottle. On the wine side, at the premium end, esteemed and sought-after brands such as Biondi-Santi, the estate that created the Brunello di Montalcino, all the way to household names like Blue Nun, Real Sangria and Gato Negro Chilean wines. The portfolio of Shaw-Ross International Importers is

Innovation & Education

diverse but tightly focused—and that’s by design.

in providing informed guidance to their customers.

The company prides itself on being an innovator that anticipates and leads market trends while embracing timeproven philosophies for success. Those philosophies include an ongoing commitment to education—of consumers, retailers and suppliers. Shaw-Ross has a team of five wine educators who stay on the road year-round conducting programs to support the members of its supply chain network

“We are big believers in education, in building both existing and new brands and developing close relationships with our suppliers and retailers. We’re excited to be associated with IHG, and to have the opportunity to participate in the World Class Beverage Program.”

Nick James, Vice President & Senior Brand Manager - Shaw-Ross

The Miami-based company began operations in 1970 as a small boutique importer of niche wines and spirit brands. It has since grown to become one of the leading mid-size importers in the U.S., with a portfolio that includes 42 brands representing 30-plus suppliers from more than 20 countries.

The Shaw-Ross distributor network covers all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and it has a sales team strategically located in all key U.S. markets.

“We continue to evolve our portfolio to meet the dynamic market requirements of the wine and spirits industry,” says Ken Jarecki, Vice President of National Accounts for ShawRoss. “We have a national presence, but we take a boutique approach. While our portfolio includes many mainstay brands, our buyers also seek out items that are unique within their categories, such as Chateau D’Esclans’ Whispering Angel, an exceptional French rosé from Provence, and 1865, a single vineyard selection from Vina San Pedro, one of Chile’s most respected wineries.”

The Shaw-Ross offerings in the World Class Beverage Program include the iconic Callaway Sauvignon Blanc, which is the Program’s house Sauvignon Blanc, and Castillo De Molina Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile.

Earlier this year, Shaw-Ross collaborated with iMi, the marketing agency that manages the World Class Beverage Program, to conduct wine training at InterContinental and Crowne Plaza hotels in three markets, as a means of introducing its Program offerings. Response to both the training and the Shaw-Ross selections was overwhelming, according to Pamela Tweedell, Senior Account Manager for iMi. “We had participation across almost every level and area of the food and beverage teams in each location, from upper management to bartenders, chefs and room service staff.”

Shaw-Ross’ steadfast commitment and passion for its unique collection convinced Wine Enthusiast magazine to name the company its Importer of the Year in 2008.

“We are big believers in education, in building both existing and new brands and developing close relationships with our suppliers and retailers,” notes Nick James, Vice President, Senior Brand Manager for Shaw-Ross. “We’re excited to be associated with IHG, and to have the opportunity to participate in the World Class Beverage Program.”

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INTERCONTINENTAL TIMES SQUARE F& B P e r f o r m a n c e D e b u t s t o R a v e R e v i e w s

Broadway welcomed a shining new star to its pantheon in July with the soft opening of the InterContinental New York Times Square in Manhattan. Situated on 44th Street just west of Times Square, the hotel is in the heart of the Broadway Theatre District and a short stroll from A-list attractions such as Fifth Avenue shopping and world-class museums.

Wrapped with floor-to-ceiling windows, the 36-story property —the largest new-build hotel in the New York City market since 2002—offers a chic Manhattan residential feel. Virtually every guest room features uninterrupted and expansive views of the city. The property is also one of the most environmentally responsible hotels in New York City and the largest new-build hotel to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Owned by an affiliate of Tishman Hotel & Realty LP, the property is managed by InterContinental Hotels Group PLC. “IHG has a great partnership with the Tishman organization,” says Hotel Manager Simon Antoine. “When the hotel was in development, we met regularly with their team to review the details of design, materials and LEED certification requirements. Our shared commitment to delivering a superb guest experience has set the hotel on course for success.”

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Celebrity Cachet To create a food and beverage program that would be a match for the hotel’s status as the Big Apple’s newest landmark, IHG turned to celebrity chef Todd English. The respected and charismatic chef, who has been named to the James Beard Foundation’s “Who’s Who in Food and Beverage in America,” created a French brasserieinspired restaurant—Ça Va (French for “How’s it going?”). He developed the concept and menus, but operation of the outlets is managed by the InterContinental New York Times Square.

“Todd is very well known and operates a number of successful restaurants around the country,” says Simon. “In this partnership with a celebrity chef, we wanted to work with the best.”

English and his chef de cuisine collaborated closely with a team comprised of members of the hotel’s F&B staff and representatives of the Tishman organization (see “Meet The Cast” on Pages 8 and 9).

The group worked together over a period of several months to create the restaurant menu, participating in multiple tastings to provide feedback that English used to fine-tune each item.

Renowned master mixologist Francesco Lafranconi was brought in to direct development of the bar menu and signature cocktails for the Ça Va Lounge, such as the exquisitely flavored Ça Va Marie, a sophisticated, updated take on the traditional Bloody Mary. In addition to working extensively with the F&B team on the drink line-up and concept, Lafranconi also conducted a series of intensive training sessions for bartenders, focusing on such critical details as the creation of fresh, from-scratch staple ingredients (examples: house-made sweet ‘n sour syrup and lemon-thyme seltzer).

“Todd really embraced the World Class Beverage Program for Ça Va,” says Jean-Pierre Etcheberrigaray, Vice President of Food and Beverage. “He, Francesco and our hotel F&B team have done an excellent job integrating the top-caliber elements of the Program into what Ça Va has to offer.”

The time and hard work invested by the team are paying off. Customer response has been wonderful, according to Food & Beverage Manager Maritza Da Silva. “We served over 90 covers the first night Ça Va was open to the public,” she says. “We’ve had great media coverage, and comments on both food and service have been excellent.”

Appealing to the Theatre Crowd Light, neutral colors create an inviting environment in Ça Va that seamlessly transforms through breakfast, lunch and dinner. Warm woods, textured leathers and rustic stones are juxtaposed with highly lacquered millwork, accented by custom-created artwork and sculptures.

The restaurant offers traditional brasserie fare as well as playful, contemporary interpretations of the classics, delivered with the vibrant, cosmopolitan energy of Paris. A la carte menu items include Chef English’s signature Cassoulet of Duck Confit with Pork Sausage and Merguez, and Ça Va Steak Frite with HerbOnion Butter. A prix-fix menu is also available, served familystyle, for diners en route to the theatre.

The intimate Ça Va lounge is centered around a stunning fireplace and creates the perfect venue for a cocktail or light meal before a night enjoying Broadway’s best. Its well-curated wine list and wide selection of draft artisan beers complement the innovative cocktails, any of which can serve as the perfect accompaniment for Brasserie Bar Bites such as Foie Gras Stuffed Mushrooms with Toasted Hazelnuts.

A private dining room accommodating up to 56 diners provides a selection of Todd English’s most popular brasserie creations as well as custom menus. The room is divisible into three smaller sections, with walls that disappear into the ceiling to reveal a relaxing courtyard garden in the midst of bustling midtown Manhattan.

Completing the food and beverage program is the Ça Va Marché, a quick-service market and café located adjacent to the main dining room and featuring an array of authentic French delicacies for breakfast and lunch. Marché will also offer gourmet “morning-on-the-go” fare, with diners choosing from items handmade at the pâtisserie, such as freshly baked croissants, muffins and bagels. The restaurant, lounge and Marché have a separate entrance off 44th Street.

The hotel also has more than 10,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space on a dedicated meeting floor, including the 4,000-square-foot Gotham Ballroom.

Hiring Smiles and Great Attitudes Staffing up for the opening of the new property was no small task.

Maritza and her management team interviewed more than 2,500 people at a job fair at the InterContinental The Barclay, then narrowed the list to 300 before making the final selection of 100-plus food and beverage employees.

“We were very focused on bringing the right staff onboard. When we were interviewing, we looked to hire smiles and passion rather than years of experience,” Maritza notes. “I’m really pleased with our team. They are very excited to be working here, and we are getting terrific feedback about them from our guests.”

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The Creative Team

Restaurant Chef Victor La Placa

Celebrity Chef Todd English

Executive Chef Andrew Rubin

Master Mixologist Francesco Lafranconi

Imagination, vision, innovation, panache— the quartet of creative minds who guided development of the F&B program for the InterContinental New York Times Square brought all this and more to their assignment. Heading the team was star chef Todd English, who wove his magic to deliver a cosmopolitan brasserie theme and menu like no other. He had able support from Executive Chef Andrew Rubin and Restaurant Chef Victor LaPlaca. Andrew’s 30 years of experience include stints in the kitchens of the Crowne Plaza Manhattan and the InterContinental Central Park South, along with several other upscale New York hotels. Victor has held a number of key positions, including Corporate Executive Chef, in his 13 years with Todd English Enterprises. Rounding out the team was master mixologist Francesco Lafranconi, who brought his unique, signature touch to the beverage side of the program. He is Corporate Director of Mixology and Spirits Educator for Southern Wine & Spirits of America.

Meet the Cast An experienced team of food and beverage professionals combined their considerable talents to create and implement Todd English’s Ça Va concept that is playing successfully at the InterContinental New York Times Square. On this page, we introduce you to the “cast” who invested their creativity and time, including many “rehearsals and tryouts,” to produce a bona fide Broadway F&B hit.

The Operations Team

General Manager Drew Schlesinger

Food & Beverage Manager Maritza Da Silva 8

Hotel Manager Simon Antoine

Restaurant Manager Sophie Lunardi

Having the 100-plus member “cast and crew” of a major food and beverage production hum along like clockwork takes not only considerable F&B chops, but also significant people skills. The InterContinental New York Times Square F&B leaders have plenty of both. Food & Beverage Manager Maritza Da Silva brings 15 years of foodservice experience, six with IHG brand hotels. Sophie Lunardi, Restaurant Manager, joined the InterContinental New York Times Square from her position as manager of Miel restaurant at the InterContinental Boston. They are backed by the property’s top operations executives: General Manager Drew Schlesinger has 34 years of industry experience, serving in the general manager/ director of operations role for hotels in a number of major metropolitan areas. Simon Antoine, Hotel Manager, is a 12-year IHG veteran, having worked in seniorlevel positions in F&B and hotel management for the InterContinental London Hyde Park, the InterContinental Buckhead in Atlanta and the InterContinental Cleveland Hotel & Suites before joining the team at the InterContinental New York Times Square.

The Ça Va Restaurant features contemporary French cuisine and traditional brasserie fare created by celebrity chef Todd English.

Cozy, chic and contemporary, the Ça Va Lounge beckons to its metropolitan Manhattan guests.

Chef English’s signature Cassoulet of Duck Confit with Pork Sausage and Merguez

The Ça Va Marie is one of the signature cocktails created for the bar by master mixologist Francesco Lafranconi.

The Consulting/Support Team Over the past 20 years, Tishman Hotel & Realty has assisted a wide range of clients with their real estate, construction and hospitality needs, developing more than 75 first class hotels. To help ensure the success of the InterContinental New York Times Square, and in particular of its F&B program, the estimable Tishman organization dedicated the support and counsel its senior executives, including Menze Heroian, Vice President of Food & Beverage.

VP, Food & Beverage Tishman Hotel & Realty Menze Heroian

Delectable French-inspired desserts such as freshmade cream puffs are a delight to the palate.

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Brown Cow? How Now,

Dip your spoon into one of the delectable ice cream sodas featured in the World Class Beverage Program summer promotion, and you’re immediately transported to a different place and time—that of hot rods, poodle skirts and rockin’ pop tunes on the jukebox.

Harking back to the “good ole days” is the theme and strategy for the promotion, which features a tempting array of 10 ice cream soda treats (five non-alcoholic and five adult cocktail selections). Guests at participating hotels may choose to savor a Classic Coke Float or Brown Cow, or go a little wilder with a Cocktail Float such as the Life’s A Peach Float, made with DeKuyper Peach liqueur, SVEDKA Vodka, vanilla ice cream and Coca-Cola, or a Float Me To Friday (Baileys Irish Cream, DeKuyper Butterscotch liqueur, ice cream and Coca-Cola).

“The promotion was created to take advantage of guest interest in what we’re calling casual nostalgia,’” says JeanPierre Etcheberrigaray, Vice President, Food & Beverage.

“Recessions tend to make people long for simpler times when they remember things being easier and more comfortable. For Baby Boomers, this was their teenage years, and there’s no better reminder of those days than a classic, old-fashioned Coca-Cola ice cream float.”

The promotion, which was launched just prior to July 4th, was offered to company-owned/managed hotels in the U.S. across all four full-service IHG brands—InterContinental,

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Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Hotel Indigo.

Participating properties received a Coke Float kit, complete with ice cream scoops, a case each of glass and plastic Coca-Cola glasses, old-fashioned straw dispensers and colorful red-and-white straws, along with promotional posters, menus and table tents. To help carry through the nostalgia theme, the kit also includes two iJuke Boxes, which look like small 50s-era juke boxes but are designed to be used with an iPod. The hotels are encouraged to use one iJuke Box for the promotional display and give the other away in a guest or employee contest.

Feedback from participating hotels is extremely positive, with most adding their own creative touches and many planning to keep the floats on their restaurant menus long-term. Based on suggestions and requests from the field, smaller, six-ounce Coca-Cola glasses are being made available for purchase for hotels that want to offer the Coke Float line-up and display as a themed break.

“We started off using the Coca-Cola Floats in the banquet department as a themed coffee break, and it’s been very successful for us,” says Gabriel Constantin, Director of Food & Beverage for the InterContinental Harbor Court Baltimore. “The sodas spark great memories for most guests. One told us he felt like he had just gotten off the time machine and was enjoying his favorite Coke Float as a kid!”

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In this issue we’re introducing an occasional feature that will highlight innovative food and beverage programs in various parts of the IHG world, starting with the magical Mayan influences on the cuisine and cocktails of the Presidente InterContinental Cozumel Resort & Spa.

Exploring the Fascinating Flavors

InterContinental As the glowing orange sun splashes gently into the azure sea and dusk settles in, you lean out from the terrace, turn your face to the soft breeze and take another satisfying sip of your Hot Caribbean Vodka. Ahhhhh…welcome to the Presidente InterContinental Cozumel!

Tucked away amidst Cozumel’s lush vegetation, the hotel is set adjacent to the Marine National Park, home to one of the world’s largest and richest reef systems and a mecca for divers and snorkelers. After being seriously damaged in 2005 by Hurricane Wilma, the property was closed for a $30 million renovation and reopened better than ever.

General Manager Guillermo Valencia and his team are eager to raise the profile of the hotel from “hidden gem” status to that of a well-known treasure of the Mexican Caribbean.

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“The secluded island location ensures that our hotel is peaceful and safe as well as beautiful,” Guillermo says.

The rich culture of the Mayas is apparent in the property’s design, service customs and, of course, food and beverage.

Executive Chef Daniel Lentz and his staff have created menus for the primary restaurant, El Caribeño, and the more casual, beachside Palapa outlet that offer international favorites but specialize in local dishes. Among them: Cochinita Pibil, a traditional shredded pork dish, and Nopales, comprised of marinated cactus, tomato, avocado, fried beans and Panela cheese. The Alfredo di Roma fine dining restaurant combines the flavors of Northern Italy, delicious fresh seafood and an extraordinary view of the Caribbean Sea. Daily selections of the island’s many delectable fruits

KA D O V N EA B B I R A HOT C

of the

Cozumel are a hallmark in all of the property’s F&B offerings. “Everything is very fresh and natural,” says Stephan Coudon, Resort Manager.

“We strive to give our selections and presentation an authentic Mayan touch.”

• 1/2 Grapefruit Supreme • 3 Serrano chili slices • Cilantro • Vodka • Sugar • Juice of 1/2 lime Muddle the Grapefruit Supreme, cilantro and Serrano chili slices and place in a glass. Add the sugar, lime juice and 3 ice cubes and enjoy!

The drink menus in the resort’s bars and lounges include traditional Caribbean favorites along with cocktails featuring xtabentún, a Yucatan liqueur made from anise and fermented honey, as well as the hotel’s popular signature drink, Hot Caribbean Vodka.

The property’s seasoned staff ensures that guests have an experience of Great Hotels Guests Love. “Our excellent team is passionate about what they do,” Guillermo says. “I’m proud of the fact that we consistently win both IHG and third-party awards.”

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Product Rationalization Initiative Aimed At Ensuring Quality and Reducing Costs The term “cutting” has a long-standing, time-honored meaning in the culinary world, usually associated with chopping vegetables or slicing beef, poultry or fish in preparing a dish.

However, through a 2010 joint initiative of the IHG Food & Beverage team, the IHG Culinary Committee and the CMH Procurement Americas team, “cutting” is taking on a whole new meaning. Working in consultation with current and potential future supplier partners, these teams are conducting a series of “food cutting events” aimed at making rationalized product choices for food items that are regularly ordered in all company-managed hotels.

“The goal is to generate a list of product choices that offer IHG hotels and their guests superior product quality at the best possible value,” says Jose Nicot, Director of Food Strategic Sourcing for IHG. “We’ve looked across the entire range of food and beverage offerings at all seven brands, from the gourmet kitchens at InterContinental Hotels to the Candlewood Pantries, and asked our F&B teams, ‘what products do you all buy?’ For items such as bacon, eggs and mayonnaise, for example, we will be able to leverage our buying power more effectively in the marketplace.”

The first food cutting event was held in March with panelists that included chefs from IHG hotels, members of the Americas corporate F&B team and members of the IHG Global Procurement team. The panelists sampled more than 100 grocery and prepared meat and chicken products over two days, ranging from fresh unpasteurized orange juice to butter croissants to smoked bacon. Uniform items were compared—such as a red apple to a red apple—and products being compared were cooked or prepared in exactly the same manner.

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The cutting was “blind”—that is, the participants did not know the brand names or sources of any of the products they were tasting.

Of the items tested, 56 were selected for inclusion in a new IHG Food Product Specification Guide, which CMH hotels are asked to use when ordering the products from various IHG-approved Master Food Distributors. Additional food cutting events will be held throughout the rest of the year, with new products being added to the Specification Guide. Future enhancements to the rationalization initiative include an online product ordering system that is currently being piloted.

“The rationalization process will most likely become an annual best practice for IHG,” says Jose. “We will continue to assess the selected products based on hotel and customer feedback. And, we want to ensure we are providing an appropriately wide breadth of products to our F&B teams.”

The longer-term objective is to reduce the spectrum of items ordered by CMH hotels by more than 50 percent, Jose adds, and the potential savings are substantial.

“Larry Letendre, Vice President of Americas Hotel Procurement, and his team have done an excellent job with the rationalization initiative. Jose, Ray Rodriguez, Lead Director of the Hotel Procurement Project, and Chris Boucher, Director of Procurement, Beverage Services, have collaborated closely with the Culinary Committee and F&B Commandos and worked hard researching, organizing and implementing the cuttings,” says Jean-Pierre Etcheberrigaray, Vice President, Food and Beverage. “By working together, and with the support of our CMH hotels, we will be able to maximize the value of our food spend as we continue to deliver a superior food and beverage experience for our guests.”

Woodford Reserve New Fashioned • 2 1/2 oz. Woodford Reserve • 2 tsp. sugar • 1 dash bitters • 1 maraschino cherry • 1/2 orange wheel • Squeeze of lemon • Squeeze of orange • 1 oz. sparkling water Muddle the sugar, bitters, cherry and orange wheel in the bottom of an old-fashioned glass until sugar dissolves.

Fill glass with ice. Add the Woodford Reserve, lemon squeeze, orange squeeze and sparkling water. Stir gently and garnish with an orange slice.

Leading-edge libations on restaurant and lounge beverage menus this fall won’t have the usual vodka or tequila as a base. “Brown goods”—primarily whiskey, and in particular, bourbon—will rule the day in what’s new and chic in spirits, according to experts from Brown-Forman, one of the largest American-owned spirits and wine companies and among the top 10 largest global spirits companies.

Whiskey weathered the recession and is now riding the tide in popularity of classic cocktails such as Manhattans, Old Fashioneds and even Sazeracs, according to Wayne Rose, Vice President and Global Brand Director for Woodford Reserve, Brown-Forman’s super-premium, small-batch bourbon. “Whiskey sales flattened with the onset of the recession, especially in the premium segment,” he says. “Now we’re seeing a bit of a rebound, particularly in the over-$20-a-bottle end of the market, which is up 10 percent.

Consumer confidence is stronger and people are willing to spend more than they had been.”

The resurgence of classic whiskey drinks is being fueled by fresh, contemporary takes on standards, such as using flavored bitters or passing an orange peel through a lighter to provide a burnt orange

aroma in an Old Fashioned. Brown-Forman has also seen a lift for its venerable Jack Daniels brand—the number-one-selling whiskey in the world—through the introduction of the “Jack & Ginger”— Jack Daniels and ginger ale with a lime twist. “We’re marketing it to women, but men like it as well,” notes Luke Costello, National Account Manager for Brown-Forman. “We’re adding a spark of energy to our bourbon drinks to take advantage of the growing interest. It’s a chance for leadership, to be aggressive and increase the share of drink menus that brown goods represent.”

While the demographics for whiskey overall still skew older than those for the white spirits such as vodka and tequila, the experts are seeing a shift toward younger consumers, led by specific, premium niche brands such as Woodford. “The upper end of the market is experiencing the fastest growth. It’s the healthiest segment of the business,” says Wayne. “Also, as an industry, we’ve never made better whiskey than we do today. That helps explain why bourbon has turned a corner. The spirit has a more sophisticated, cosmopolitan image than it did 20 years ago. At Brown-Forman, we’re committed to building on that, and continuing to create enduring value for our whiskey brands.”

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