Vol. 57 Fall 2018
I N N OVAT E
I N D U L G E
Jean-Charles Boisset Boisset Collection
E X P L O R E
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PUBLISHER’S LETTER
Journey of Discovery:
The Rise of Craft Spirits in America
Don Billings Publisher, in the Mix Media
Over the past 10 years, we have been tracking the steady growth of the craft distilling industry, from Whiskey, Gin and Vodka, to Rum and others. This segment is in an extended growth curve according to the American Craft Spirits Association, with sales growth of 25 percent, which generated $3 billion in growth value. Industry investment reached $600+ million last year, as the number of craft distillers grew to 1,589. The majority of craft distilling has been concentrated around five states: California, New York, Washington, Texas and Colorado. These states make up approximately 35 percent of the craft business, but there is a plethora of growth from other states in the pipeline. The thing to recognize at the national stage is that craft distilling is in constant movement and acquisition by larger noncraft players – similar to what occurred with craft brewers – as the market grows. And the proof of that evolution of craft distilling is in the increased deals being made as large brand players enter the game, such as Constellation Brands, Pernod Ricard, Diageo and Bacardi. Why the sudden growth? There has been a broad shift to sell more craft items that are considered “premium” and local, part of the farm-to-table movement. Also, spirits came a little late to the game, having been led by beer, soda and coffee. The challenge for the craft brands has always been small distribution and bleeding cash. So what draws entrepreneurs, young and old, to jump onto this mad spirited merry-go-round? It usually begins with a journey of discovery, a vision with passion and innovation. It’s not necessarily one based on an initial profit motive – that is, before reality steps in as in the form of Newton’s third law and the mechanics of business are applied. Next Generation I can use the example of one such “journey of discovery” by successful distillers and business people Erik and Karin Vonk, who created Richland Rum, as a model of how to do it well through vision, passion, dedication and a pursuit for quality, with a unique product. You can read their story within this magazine edition.
– Don Billings
““The United States is a nation of explorers; America is the spirit of human exploration distilled.” – Elon Musk 3
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Cover Story
Contents
48.
Interview with Jean-Charles Boisset of the Boisset Collection
Features
14. 30.
40. 58.
The Adventures of George – The Last Word by Tony Abou-Ganim Oh, How Sweet It Is! Fortified and Sweet Wines of Sherry, by Edward M. Korry, CHE, CSS, CWE Raising Cane: Georgia’s Richland Rum Deep Into Cider-Space: Exploring a Whole Universe of Beverages, by Huy Do, Datassential
Technology and Innovation
12. 18. 46.
Pay It Forward: Next Generation Alcohol Beverage Marketing Support IMI’s iManagePromo™ Partners with IHOP to Drive Burger Sales Competition Mastering the Building Blocks of Innovation, by Lou Trope
Interviews and Spotlights 20. 24. 26. 38.
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Take 5 with Melanie Batchelor, Vice President Marketing, Campari America Spotlight On — Brian Yost of Meliora Consulting Spotlight On — How Ruth’s Chris Steak House® Top Franchisee Beats the Competition with Silicon Valley Technology and Innovation Profile — The Women of Samuel Adams
Properties 34. Whiskey and Golf, by Don Billings Recipe Articles
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Drinks and Dishes with Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen® Seasonal Fall Cocktails by Monin
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EDITOR
EVAN TRAUB,
I joined IMI Agen to Chicago. After Live Nation, my with our first chil relations at DeP always been pas everything in bet
What are your r I have the privileg Chicago’s most a Lettuce Entertain Y and Weber Grill Grand Sierra Re Eataly USA and H
What do you lik Each of the grou something differe program come t discussing cockta print and finally s
What hobbies do Running and try appropriate bala
What are your fa As my friends and being from Cleve also enjoy going
What is your fav My wife and I e 5 and oceanside.
EDITOR’S LETTER Our cover story for this fall issue is an interview with Jean-Charles Boisset. JCB, as he is called, is the head of the international Boisset Collection. His energy and enthusiasm can be felt through the pages! Also in this issue, we have features, interviews, profiles and compelling articles from our regular contributors. So, welcome in the fall season with its cooler weather, beautiful colors and interesting reading! Say “hello” to our IMI spotlight for our fall issue, Evan Traub. Mike Raven Managing Editor, in the Mix Media LEFT: Mike at The Lodge at Sea Island Golf Club
IMI
Spotlight
EVAN TRAUB, Account Manager I joined IMI Agency in February of this year after relocating back to Chicago. After four years with House of Blues Entertainment/ Live Nation, my wife and I were eager to be closer to family with our first child on the way. I studied marketing and public relations at DePaul University here in Chicago and have always been passionate about hospitality, food, beverage and everything in between. What are your responsibilities with IMI? I have the privilege of overseeing beverage programs for some of Chicago’s most acclaimed names: Gibson’s Restaurant Group, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Harry Caray’s Restaurant Group and Weber Grill Restaurants. On a larger scale, I work with the Grand Sierra Resort & Casino in Reno, the SLS in Las Vegas, Eataly USA and Hard Rock International. What do you like best about working with IMI? Each of the groups I work with is incredibly unique and asks something different of me each day. I love to see each beverage program come together as it goes through all the phases – discussing cocktail, beer and wine offerings, tasting, reviewing print and finally seeing the guest enjoy the selections. What hobbies do you enjoy? Running and trying out new restaurants. I try to keep an appropriate balance! What are your favorite sport or sports teams? As my friends and family know, I’m not a big sports fan. However, being from Cleveland, I have pride for my hometown teams. I also enjoy going to Chicago Cubs games when possible.
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What is your favorite travel destination? My wife and I enjoy vacationing in Mexico, both at the pool and oceanside. in the Mix Magazine
What is your favorite food? I love a wide variety of items, but Thai food is my go-to. What is your favorite adult beverage? A very appropriate question! I love old New Orleans-style cocktails, specifically Whiskey drinks like the Vieux Carré. One thing you can’t live without? My family and music.
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Contributing Writers Known as “The Modern Mixologist,” Tony is an accomplished bar chef, speaker and consultant who has created several original cocktail recipes, including the Cable Car, Sunsplash and Starlight. He has recently authored his second book, Vodka Distilled (Agate Surrey, publisher).
Tony Abou-Ganim
Kathy Casey is an awardwinning chef and mixologist, best known as the original “Bar Chef.” She owns Kathy Casey Food Studios – Liquid Kitchen®, a global full-service food, beverage and concept development agency. Contact: info@kathycasey.com. Follow: @KathyCaseyChef.
Larr y McGinn, Par tner Celeste Dinos, Par tner Don Billings, Founding Par tner
PUBLISHER
D o n B illin g s
Kathy Casey
E D I TOR I A L A N D DE S IGN
Editor – Michael Raven Designed by – Kester Chau Copy Editor & Proofreader – Christine Neal Associate Editor – Celeste Dinos Associate Editor – Helen Benefield Billings A DV E RT I S I N G S AL E S
mike@itmmag.com E D I TOR I A L A N D BUS IN E S S OFFIC E
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Huy Do
Lou Trope
Huy Do is a Publications Intern at Datassential, a supplier of trends, analysis and concept testing for the food industry. She enjoys combining her background in research with her passion for food and beverages, to cover the latest trends in foodservice, from alcoholic beverages to global cuisines and flavors.
Lou served as a global VP of Food and Beverage for branded, independent and luxury hotel groups as well as a successful operator in Bermuda, London, Maui, Philadelphia and San Diego. He takes this experience into his new role as the President of LJ Trope & Co. LLC. Lou works with clients to assist them in concept development, strategy and much more.
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Edward Korry Edw ard is an Associate Professor and Department Chairman, College of Culinary Arts, Johnson & Wales University, Providence, R.I. Edward carries many certifications as well as being past President of the Society of Wine Educators and an executive board member of the U.S. Bartenders’ Guild Master Accreditation program.
1 1 9 6 B u c k h e a d C ro s si n g Wo o d s t o c k , G A 3 0 1 8 9 P H O N E 7 7 0 - 9 2 8 - 1 9 80 | FA X 7 7 0 - 5 1 7 - 8 8 4 9 E M A I L m ike @ it m m a g. co m WE B I T M m a g .c o m i n t h e M i x m a g a z in e i s p u b l i sh e d q u a r te r ly by iM i A g e n c y. A ll r ig h ts re se r ve d. No p a r t o f t h is p u b lic a t io n m ay b e re p r i n te d o r o t h e r w is e re p ro d u c e d w i th o u t w r i tte n p e r m is s io n f ro m t h e p u b l i sh e r.
in the Mix is exclusively operated and owned by Incentive Marketing Inc . Submissions: Incentive Marketing Inc. assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs.
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Flavors of Fall When the weather cools and fall quickly approaches, it’s time to update our menus with warm, cozy and robust flavors. Cocktails change from fruity and refreshing to bolder, smokier flavors that pair nicely with the brisk season. Classics such as the Old Fashioned are perfect for receiving a seasonal shift like in this Smokey Old Fashioned. Crafted with Templeton Rye, its lightly spicy notes are stirred up with a touch of smoky Mezcal. Of course, a cocktail is always elevated when served with that perfect little bite – in this case, a delicious, savory cocktail cookie studded with smoky bacon, salty blue cheese and toasty pecans. This delightful pairing is sure to be a fall showstopper on any menu! Cheers to all the warm and rich flavors of fall. – Kathy Kathy Casey is an award-winning chef and mixologist, best known as the original Bar Chef. She owns Kathy Casey Food Studios – Liquid Kitchen® a global fullservice food, beverage and concept development agency. Contact: info@kathycasey.com Follow: @KathyCaseyChef
Smokey Old Fashioned Templeton Rye’s caramel and spice undertones are complimented with easy-to-make orange coffee bitters, adding those warm and memorable flavors of the season. Makes 1 cocktail 1 1/2 oz Templeton Rye 1/2 oz Mezcal 1/4 oz Monin Organic Agave Nectar 2 dashes orange coffee bitters* Garnish: wide orange peel Into a stirring pitcher, measure the spirits, agave and bitters. Fill 3/4 full of ice and stir swiftly for 20 seconds. Fill an Old Fashioned glass 3/4 full with fresh ice (or a large cube). Strain cocktail into glass. Express orange peel oil over top of drink, twist peel, and garnish. * To make the orange coffee bitters: Combine 4 ounces of Angostura bitters, 2 strips of orange zest and 8 coffee beans in a pretty bitters bottle with a dasher tip. Let infuse for a minimum of 2 days before using. 10
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Bacon, Blue Cheese & Pecan Cocktail Cookies Yes ... it’s a bacon cookie! This savory cocktail companion will be everyone’s new guilty pleasure. Makes about 36 to 40 3/4 cup (about 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 oz) pecans 4 strips bacon, minced (you should have about 1/2 cup, packed) Salted butter, as needed to make 1/2 cup with bacon drippings 1 cup (about 4 3/4 oz) crumbled blue cheese 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 cup all-purpose flour Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Toast the nuts for about 5 to 6 minutes. Let cool and then coarsely chop. In a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, sauté the bacon until crispy. Drain the drippings into a heat-proof measuring cup, and reserve the bacon separately. Let cool. To the cooled drippings, add butter as needed to make 1/2 cup total. With an electric mixer, cream the cheese, thyme and pepper together in a mixing bowl. Add the butter/drippings mixture and mix in well. Add the flour and mix the dough until well combined. Add the bacon and nuts and mix until incorporated. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes to chill. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop up the dough by rounded teaspoonful and shape into 1-inch-diameter balls (you should get 36 to 40). Place the balls, spaced 2 inches apart, on the baking sheets. With a fork, flatten to 1 1/2-inchdiameter rounds, dipping the tines into flour as needed, making a crisscross pattern. Bake until lightly golden at the edges, about 14 to 16 minutes. Cool on the pan.
App e tiz er re cip e f rom Kathy C a s e y Sip s & App s c o okb o ok D r in k Re cip e & Photo © Kathy C as e y L i qu i d Kitc h en ®
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PAY IT FORWARD: Next Generation Alcohol Beverage Marketing Support PayBev is a financial services company that specializes in the collection and management of voluntary alcohol beverage marketing support. Traditionally handled by beverage agencies and specialized print shops, this industry is ripe for change and innovation. Building on years of hospitality experience and powered by IMI, PayBev set out to focus solely on the financial bridge between supplier brands and operator activations. This has resulted in greater financial transparency, more consistent legal approvals and most importantly, faster collections and payments. Our chat with Adam Billings, the founder of PayBev, Program investments can be difficult to predict because supplier terms vary significantly. PayBev account holders have access to the current status of every invoice, based on the individual terms of each supplier. The platform also tracks vendor payments from submission to approval, payment and through deposit. This final step is often neglected, but it provides assurance that payment has been received by the vendor. These processes, complemented with status notifications, increase the likelihood that operator promotions and activations are funded and executed properly. PayBev seeks to disrupt the alcohol beverage and hospitality industries by providing a financial tool that promotes branded activations within the strict guidelines of the federal, state and local jurisdictions. PayBev is operated out of Atlanta, Georgia, which is a hotbed for fintech companies across the country. 12
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gives some insight into the creation of the company, how it works and some of the future plans. What was the impetus for creating PayBev? While I was living in Manhattan in 2015, I was working with a few of the burgeoning restaurant and nightlife groups in the city, like Ark Restaurants, Morgans Hotel Group, AndrĂŠ Balazs and BR Guest. The fast pace at which they brought promotions and activations to life was unlike the typical chain accounts I was familiar with. They needed funding options that met the speed at which they were creating branded experiences for their guests. We knew we needed to provide them access to current account balances, transaction detail and program metrics, while ensuring the proper legal guardrails were in place. Six months later, our development team had a working app and the start of PayBev financial services.
What are your two biggest advantages over other agencies that collect and manage marketing support? Speed and transparency. Our team monitors payment and investment requests that come through the PayBev application in real time. Anyone who has had experience working through an agency account manager knows that they are typically managing multiple clients and traveling half of their time. Emailing requests and waiting days for responses or financial reports is not the ideal scenario for processing payments or investments quickly and efficiently. We approve requests that come through PayBev within minutes, rather than the hours or days that are more typical in our industry. We also utilize a third-party payment processor for ensuring payments go out daily rather than weekly. And just as important as transacting quickly, we provide confirmations and notifications to let you know the status of every request, through completion. What changes do you notice from the investors? Large suppliers have pivoted to more complex PO processes and third-party accounting tools to better track their ROI and ensure legal adherence. This undoubtedly creates longer processing times and puts more responsibility on the invoicing party. We have combatted this by training our accounting team in these applications and carefully programming each supplier’s process into our application. There is no sign supplier payment terms are going to reduce and in some cases, they are expanding. For instance, the top domestic beer suppliers now have payment terms between 90 and 120+ days after a PO is issued. This can easily push a payment out five months from when it has been requested. Agencies need to be hyper-aware of these challenges in order to best advise their clients. We utilize various touch points within each supplier’s organization to ensure investments are processed quickly and account holders know when to expect payment. Do you have traditional account managers? Most of our account holders manage their own programs using the PayBev application and our online tools. This allows us to be competitive on pricing while still offering platform support by online chat or over the phone. We also offer service agreements for accounts that need assistance getting started or want more personal investment advice. We pride ourselves on ensuring a great user experience in the application as well as timely and professional support. Who is best suited for utilizing PayBev? While any hospitality operators who currently utilize an agency for marketing support collections could benefit from our financial transparency, we are focused on expanding to up-and-coming regional hospitality accounts and large casual dining operations. It’s not necessarily about the number of units, considering we have single unit account holders all the way up to a thousand-unit chain. We look for high volume, well-managed accounts that want to lead their beverage program and partnerships. We provide all the tools and support to be successful. What’s next for PayBev? The big picture for PayBev is to create a community where beverage suppliers and hospitality operators are able to connect over shared interests. One step in that process is to build a proposal tool where suppliers are able to submit their brands for consideration in operator programs. RFPs have long been criticized by industry professionals for being tedious and inaccessible, so we’re excited to introduce this new application in late fall. Fall 2018 • itmmag.com
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The Adventures of George by Tony Abou-Ganim
Detroit Athletic Club
The Last Word George, back in Las Vegas for some much needed R&R, checked into Mandalay Bay with plans to play some craps, get a massage, spend some time at the pool and have dinner at Libertine Social. During his last visit, he had a wonderful experience at this newly opened Gastro Pub – great food and drink but even better hospitality – and was anxious to return. He was happy to find an empty stool at the otherwise busy bar and was greeted by that now familiar smile and warm welcome he remembered from his last visit. “Hello, welcome back. It’s George, correct?” the attentive bartender asked, while handing him a menu and a glass of purified water. “Yes, very good. I apologize – my memory is not as good as yours,” he replied. “No worries at all. I’m Chiara. What can I get you to start with?” “Well, I would normally have a Negroni but what would you recommend?” George inquired. Chiara just smiled at George and left him to review the Happy Hour menu while she began crafting his libation. She returned moments later and, on a coaster in front of him, she placed a lovely pale green cocktail served in a chilled Nick & Nora glass, with a single black cherry upon a pick. 14
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“Most bartenders keep a couple of drinks that are off-menu in their back pocket. The ‘Last Word’ is one of my favorites,” she shared. “Tony, one of the partners here, knows Murray Stenson from Seattle. Apparently Murray discovered the drink in an old cocktail book around 2004. At the time, he worked at the Zig Zag Café and that’s where Tony first had it. We had it on our menu for a while and I fell in love with it.” George found it to be the perfect balance of sweet, sour, herbal and citrus. It’s sharp and tangy, complex and alluring, with a seductive green hue. “It’s wonderful!” George exclaimed. “What’s in it?” “It’s a very simple, if not a tad unusual, combination of Gin, green Chartreuse, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur and freshly squeezed lime juice,” she answered. “I used Junipero Gin. At 98.6 proof, it stands up nicely to the two liqueurs and the bold juniper, orange and lemon zest provide the perfect foundation.” Just as George was finishing his Last Word, Chiara appeared with another cocktail and placed it in front of him. This drink had a purplish tint to it but, once again, a single black cherry adorned the drink, just like in the Last Word. “I made this one with Empress Gin from Canada. The indigo blue color comes from the addition of butterfly pea blossoms,” she explained. “I think the folks at
the Detroit Athletic Club would approve!” “It’s delicious! It’s amazing how changing out the Gin made such a big difference. They are both fantastic,” he proclaimed. “So why the reference to the Detroit Athletic Club?” “Well, that’s where the drink was apparently invented. It’s a members-only club so I’m pretty sure I’ll never get to check it out,” she responded, smiling. “Can I get you anything else?”
Detroit Athletic Club
View from the Detroit Athletic Club
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“Got to run but you’ve been great – thank you. I’ll just take my check, please.” As George paid his check, he started thinking about the Detroit Athletic Club. Because he was a longtime member of the prestigious Olympic Club in San Francisco, he decided to call and see if that membership entitled him to access the Detroit Athletic Club. It turned out it did, and two days later, George was on a plane headed for Michigan. After checking in with the athletic club’s reception, George was given a sport coat to borrow and was directed to the Tap Room Bar, where he found a spot at the long, 20-seat wooden bar. As his eyes adjusted from the bright sunlight outside, he noticed that the Tap Room, with its deep leather chairs and stools, dark wood, custom moldings and expansive art collection, made him feel like he was sitting in an old, fox hunting club. Just then the barman appeared, dressed in a sharp pressed black shirt, black tie and maroon vest, which matched the room perfectly, and presented George with a menu. “Welcome to the Tap Room. You must be a new member. I’m Majid,” he greeted him. “My name is George and I’m a member of the Olympic Club in San Francisco, and I’m here for a Last Word, please,” George replied.
“Great! It’s a wonderful cocktail that was invented here. In 1916, it sold for 35 cents and was the most expensive drink on the menu,” Majid explained. “It was featured in Ted Saucier’s Bottoms Up in 1951, but it soon faded into obscurity until Murray Stenson discovered it and put it on the menu at the Zig Zag in Seattle. But it has always remained popular here with our members.” Majid prepared the cocktail while George, famished from his trip, looked over the menu, where his attention was grabbed by the sight of the pan-fried fresh Great Lakes perch. His mouth was already watering when Majid returned with his libation. “This is fantastic. How do you think it will pair with the lake perch?” “That’s a wonderful choice and one of the specialties here at the Club; get it with the brown butter. And I would recommend starting with the Café Salad,” he advised. “Perfect, and I’ll have another Last Word, please. And can you tell me about the beautiful mural behind the bar?” George inquired. “The name of the painting is ‘Treaty of Lancaster’ by artist Dean Cornwell, and the painting depicts the settling of boundaries, in 1744, for six Indian tribes and England, for all the land west of the Appalachian Mountains.” While enjoying the painting, George found that his Last Word, which is sharp and pungent, proved not only to be delicious on its own but also to be the perfect palate cleanser to complement the rich lake perch in brown butter sauce. “Save room for dessert?” Majid inquired, after clearing George’s empty plate. “Maybe a Hummer, another great drink created in Michigan, made from Kahlua, Rum and homemade vanilla ice cream? We sell a ton of them!” “Sounds yummy, but I think I’m ready for the check and one more Last Word!”
DAC Last Word ¾ oz Plymouth Gin ¾ oz green Chartreuse ¾ oz maraschino liqueur ¾ oz freshly squeezed lime juice Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass (Nick & Nora) Happiness!
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IMI’s iManagePromo™ Partners with to Drive Burger Sales Competition
iManagePromo™, powered by IMI Agency, is an online application that engages managers in LTOs and assists them in activating their promotions. By providing clear goals and the ability to track their progress, it is designed to keep managers focused and incentivized along the way. The iManagePromo™ platform has successfully executed over 40 LTOs across the hospitality and casual dining industries. With each LTO being unique, the platform is able to accommodate all types of promotions with different types of goals and incentives.
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This summer, iManagePromo™ partnered with IHOP for the third time, to support the introduction of their Ultimate Steakburger. A pre-launch teaser campaign hinting a brand name change from IHOP to “IHOb” went viral and sparked a media frenzy. Everywhere, everyone was talking about IHOP and what the mysterious “b” could be. On day one of the promotion, it was announced the “b” stood for “burger,” and people rushed to their nearest IHOP to give it a try. During the first week of the promotion, burger sales grew at an unprecedented rate, with some locations growing their burger sales more than four times over comps! The excitement of the LTO ignited the staff among all IHOP locations. Restaurants were contacting the promo team almost daily asking when the current week’s scores would be posted to their iManagePromo™ site, and watching as the leaders competed for the top spots. Once the first week’s results were in, we were truly blown away and were curious if this growth rate was sustainable. The second week’s results came in and showed, without question, that the LTO was a major success. As each week’s sales totals were reported, the IHOP team proved that the Ultimate Steakburgers are here to stay. “IHOP’s Ultimate Steakburger Contest was my first opportunity to manage a client LTO of such large scale. iManagePromo’s platform was user-friendly and encouraged a sense of competition amongst the participating restaurants. The excitement generated by the marketing campaign coupled with the ability to easily track performance against other locations in the region motivated the teams to achieve jaw-dropping increases!” – Jeanette Rolla, IMI Account Manager on the IHOP team
“The launch of our new Ultimate Steakburgers program was our first step in establishing IHOP as more than a breakfast destination, and we knew that servers were critical to driving the trial. The Server Incentive Contest was a great way to inspire friendly competition, make our servers the ambassadors of our delicious new product, and ultimately drive strong sales results. IMI’s scoreboard portal was the contest’s home base – an essential tool to update restaurants in real time and sustain motivation throughout the length of the contest.” – Sarah Ghavim, Senior Manager, IHOP Brand Marketing During the course of the four-week promotion, there were over 20,000 page views on the iManagePromo™ platform, with over 1,500 participating locations. After the contest concluded, the prizes were distributed to the winning locations, and another successful LTO had been executed. For more information about iManagePromo™ please visit our website at http://imanagepromo.com/ or contact our promo team at support@imiagency.com.
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1. Tell us about how Wild Turkey’s Longbranch Bourbon came to fruition.
by Mike Raven
Vice President Marketing
Campari America
When Matthew McConaughey decided to come on board as our Creative Director for Wild Turkey, he made it abundantly clear he had a vision for what he wanted this partnership to look like. After his initial meeting with Jimmy and Eddie several years ago, he had a story he wanted to bring to life. That story started with our two television spots that Matthew helped write, which he also directed and starred in, “It’ll Find You” and “Sang our Song.” The natural progression of this relationship was to put his stamp on a Bourbon — a Bourbon that he’s created in collaboration with Master Distiller Eddie Russell. Matthew and Eddie spent many a night discussing their vision for a new Bourbon consumer that we can help bring into the category. The name itself is inspired by the friends who form the longest branches of our family trees. The connections that McConaughey and the Russells have to both the great states of Kentucky and Texas were a major inspiration for this collaboration. McConaughey’s parents met at the University of Kentucky, a mere 15 miles from the Wild Turkey Distillery, while Eddie Russell’s youngest son, Bruce, now lives in McConaughey’s hometown of Austin, Texas. When creating the liquid, the Russells and McConaughey talked at length about how to make a product that represents elements of both Texas and Kentucky. This small batch Bourbon pays homage to Eddie and Mathew’s Kentucky and Texas ties by using a proprietary Texas mesquite and white oak refinement method on a fine eight-year-old Bourbon. The result? A Bourbon that can be enjoyed neat and should be shared with friends and loved ones. 2. Aperol is seeing enormous growth. Is it all due to the iconic Aperol Spritz? The Aperol Spritz, Italy’s #1 cocktail, is taking the U.S. by storm. This summer, Aperol is putting even more energy into building buzz for what is very likely the most photographed cocktail on Instagram. A network of influencers, bloggers and advocates in New York City, Los Angeles and across the country, have helped solidify the Aperol Spritz’s reputation as the essential daytime drink with a series of summer-long events and partnerships.
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First, we constantly have our ears to the ground and fingers on the pulse regarding who/what/where/ when drinkers are rallying around the Aperol Spritz organically, to create complementary programming efforts. We’ve seen great successes here when it comes to harnessing the organic love of influencers especially on digital channels. Our goal is to essentially amplify their love for the Aperol Spritz, rather than shouting marketing messages at them. We’ve invested in everything from experiential programming to social media efforts to keep the Aperol Spritz top-of-mind and in the most relevant places/times with the drinkers looking for a refreshing, low alcohol alternative to wine or beer. Low-alcohol cocktailing is a very big trend in the U.S. today with the Millennial audience. Over the past two years, the brand has increased its presence at a range of consumer events that all share similar characteristics — chic but not intimating, high energy but welcoming, and mostly outdoors where the brand’s sunny lifestyle
approach comes to life. The brand is keen to reflect its Italian heritage but does so with a modern and approachable twist. Recently we were at Full Moon Music Festival and the Jazz Age Lawn Party in New York with our “Ape,” an iconic Italian, three-wheeled vehicle we’ve outfitted and brought stateside. We served Spritzes to festival attendees who Instagrammed up a storm all weekend long. Later in the summer, we’ll be taking the Ape to the West Coast for experiences like KAABOO Del Mar. • Most importantly, we have a wonderful team of specialists who are on the ground educating bartenders and even consumers, about the drink’s attributes and how easy it is to weave into everyday drinking occasions. 3. “Live Grand” is the new campaign for Grand Marnier. Is it meant to re-introduce the brand to a younger audience? It has always been a staple in my book.
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Grand Marnier was purchased by Campari Group back in July 2016. Back then, the only time consumers most likely experienced this Cognac-based brand was in a Cadillac Margarita. To draw drinkers back to this classic spirit and experience it in new ways, we launched Grand Marnier’s first large scale marketing campaign under Campari Group. Dubbed “Live Grand,” the new campaign focuses squarely on elevating experiences from good to GRAND. The centerpiece of our campaign is a television spot created by famed director Joseph Kahn, the man behind some of the most influential music videos of all time. He’s a creative visionary who has worked with musical luminaries like Britney Spears and Taylor Swift, so we felt like we were in tremendous company. Moving forward, the notion of “Live Grand” will be the guiding principle behind all of our marketing, from PR and experiential to social media and beyond. We are also finding ways to extend beyond our familiar, flagship Cordon Rouge expression by introducing our ultrapremium Cuvees collection, including Centenaire, 1880 and Quintessence. Early next year, we will introduce our latest entry in the Cuvees collection, Louis Alexandre. 4. Can you give us some insight into Skyy Vodka’s “Proudly American” campaign and its diversity? We recently launched our “Proudly American” marketing campaign, celebrating the spirit of today’s bold, optimistic Americans while paying homage to our roots as a progressive Vodka born in San Francisco. We are recognizing the evolution of American values and championing a generation whose voice has helped reshape our country today. Proudly American explores the values — and expressions of those values — on which America was founded, and what those mean to today’s optimistic citizens. The campaign juxtaposes famous phrases from American history, such as “Home of the Brave,” with powerful, vivid imagery featuring people who shine brightly in the face of adversity, celebrate diversity, 22
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and are proud to inspire today’s articulation of being American. The campaign captures SKYY’s progressive and innovative origins, and has debuted in a series of phased programs featuring influencers from all walks of life. It kicked off during Pride Month with out-and-proud Olympian Gus Kenworthy and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” favorites Trixie Mattel and Dusty Ray Bottoms. As we move through the summer, we will be featuring a diverse cross section of optimistic Americans, highlighting what makes them proudly American. This fall, we will announce a very big name who will be coming on board to demonstrate why he is a proud, optimistic American. 5. Campari, like a lot of your brands, is experiencing large growth. The brand has a history of unique marketing, from the original posters to the new “Go a Sip Beyond” campaign. What is it you want us to sip beyond? With Americans’ current obsession with bitter flavors in the form of coffee, IPA beers, Brussels sprouts and Negroni cocktails, it’s the perfect time to raise awareness for Campari and immerse drinkers in our world. Campari has always had a strong, bitter flavor that might not be for everyone, but that’s what makes it so intriguing. Even native Italians say you need to try Campari three times before you acquire a taste for it. Though, if you are enticed to go beyond the first (or even second) sip, you’ll be handsomely rewarded. Its aroma is intense, the bittersweet flavor captivating, and the overall experience transcends the glass. Go A Sip Beyond perfectly captures that essence, taking viewers on a journey into our world, sip by sip. Go A Sip Beyond answers the call of all adventure seekers who are looking for something new, different and interesting. From Campari’s nearly 160year history to its secret recipe that has been passed down for decades, Go A Sip Beyond encompasses a delightful element of surprise, stimulation and pleasure. It literally goes beyond expectations and takes a risk that only Campari can rightfully own. To Go A Sip Beyond is to inspire passion, pleasure and open-mindedness in a contemporary way.
Summer 2018 • itmmag.com
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SPOTLIGHT ON
A 35-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Brian Yost recently wrapped up a nearly nine-year tenure in the live music industry and started Meliora Consulting, LLC, a full service consultancy focused on enhancing the guest experience and revenues and profits at entertainment venues, restaurants and bars. Brian’s list of extraordinary experiences includes stints at industry-leading hospitality and entertainment organizations such as Live Nation Entertainment, where he was President, On-Site Products, North American Concerts, and was responsible for ancillary revenue streams at Live Nation’s amphitheaters. At Marriott Hotels and Resorts, he rose to Vice President, Restaurants and Beverage for Marriott’s global portfolio of hotels and resorts. While working at Euro Disney Resort, he was part of the opening crew in corporate beverage operations and then a leader in hotel operations. During that time, he was running operations at Walt Disney World’s Pleasure Island and creating the pre-opening operating plan for the Universal CityWalk Orlando complex. While with Harrah’s Entertainment, he oversaw F&B for the company’s casinos as Vice President, F&B Operations. in the Mix magazine caught up with Brian recently between client meetings for a quick, interesting conversation. ITM – Brian, it’s good to see you again. It’s been a long time since you were last in our magazine. BY – Great to see you again, as well. And yes, it’s been quite awhile, since my Marriott days I think, and I have the gray hairs to prove it!
Zac and Winemaker John Killebrew
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Brian Yost, Meliora Consulting, LLC
ITM – That’s just the sign of a long career in the food and beverage business. Speaking of which, this is quite a career change. Why now, and why consulting? BY – After a nice, almost 9-year run at Live Nation, which is a great company full of incredibly talented people, I decided that it was time to listen to the many, many colleagues and industry contacts over the years who have told me I have a lot to offer the food and beverage business, and should be my own boss. ITM – That makes sense, but why consulting? BY – Over the last few years of my career at Live Nation, I had a number of people approach me asking if I could take a look at some project they were working on, or asking if I could weigh in on some aspect of their business that they were struggling with. Consulting affords me the opportunity to work
with some very talented people who have tremendous operations, or products, or brands, and to help them achieve the same levels of success that I have enjoyed in my career. ITM – So you started this new chapter in February. Who are some of those talented people that you’ve worked with so far? BY – Very shortly after starting the company, an ex-colleague at Legends Hospitality asked if I could help them with an F&B review that they had been engaged on at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, the home of Réal Madrid Football Club. Since then, there have been a few diverse but exciting clients that have surfaced. I’ve been working with a visionary in the sustainability and greening space on a very unique rentable cup program aimed at removing the estimated five billion single-use plastic cups that enter the waste streams at sports and entertainment venues. I’ve also gotten to wear my restaurant hat and am working for some investors in a tremendous organic restaurant chain who are looking to take the restaurants to the next level. And I’ve had the pleasure of partnering with another consulting group, Food Service Matters, who are industry leaders in sports and entertainment food and beverage consulting, on a few of their exciting projects.
ITM – It sounds like you’ve been busy! Have you had any time for anything else? BY – Children of Restaurant Employees (CORE) is still near and dear to me, and I’m still on their Board of Directors because giving back is very important to me. We also really appreciate all of the support that in the Mix has given us over the years. ITM – It’s been our pleasure to support the work of such an important organization that has done so much for the children of the industry. I know that you’ve got to run, but I have to ask how you came up with the name “Meliora.” BY – “Meliora” is Latin for “ever better,” or very roughly translated, “always improving.” There’s a great quote that says “don’t worry about getting perfect, just keep getting better,” and my goal with Meliora is to help clients continue to improve their guest experience, their sales, their profits and their organizations, by using my many years of experience across a lot of great organizations. ITM – Thank you, Brian, and best of luck with Meliora! BY – Thank you very much.
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SPOTLIGHT ON
One of Charlotte, North Carolina’s most booked restaurants on OpenTable, Prime’s successful Ruth’s Chris Steak House® SouthPark location.
How Ruth’s Chris Top Franchisee Beats the Competition with Silicon Valley Technology and Innovation As an industry, we seem to continue to do what we do because it’s “the way we’ve always done it,” especially when it comes to adopting the latest technology or innovations. 26
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And even when we try to be more innovative, we often forget that innovation encompasses challenging the status quo and viewing problems as opportunities. A great example of innovation in our industry is Charlotte Prime, one of the top Ruth’s Chris franchise groups in the world, which has a secret to success that is controversial in an industry claiming tight margins and consistently cutting costs. The group empowers employees to invest in new ideas, run experiments and implement changes normally reserved for senior leadership. This dedication to culture is a vanguard that sets Prime apart. “You’re not just a number expected to slave away all the time. The owners [Jeff and Paula Conway] invest so much in us that GMs and staff feel invested and accountable like partners. You can’t get top sales if you don’t have top people,” states Ashley Hundsdorfer, who started with the company six years ago. “I love our ownership. They care about instilling quality of life and happiness.” Providing your staff with knowledge, tools, autonomy and time not only results in a happier team, but also in a much more productive and loyal one. This is where the Conways share a similar approach to Silicon Valley’s culture. Silicon Valley makes it a priority to invest
it wasn’t accurate and it didn’t align with the Prime in employees’ professional and personal betterment — ethos. “Our managers were there until the break of from company-sponsored professional development and dawn and didn’t have time to review the meaning of flexible PTO to profit sharing, autonomy and accelerated those numbers,” Hundsdorfer explained. leadership roles and responsibility. Chris Johnson, GM at The Pump Most operators would argue margins are too tight House in Rock Hill, or it’s too risky for these South Carolina, a massive types of investments, but After working her way from the venue that Prime helps could these investments store level, Hundsdorfer was manage, had already actually be the promoted to corporate and was started looking for a better competitive advantage trusted with one of the company’s way to do inventory for to exponential success? most valuable assets: beverage himself and his location. Especially when billions inventory. Prime understands the He discovered Partender, of dollars each year are left impact accurately counting and a novel solution claiming on the table from legacy analyzing the thousands of dollars unprecedented speed and industry practices that sitting on their shelves has on a accuracy for inventory, everyone is following. By not investing, not food and beverage operation’s and he got the green light to use this technology. In empowering and being profitability. the first few months of penny-wise, pounduse, Johnson went from foolish — how much twice-a-month to weekly do we lose in the long run, whether due to employee inventory because it was now so fast. Instead of turnover, theft, burnout or negative culture impacting spending almost eight hours on a questionable our guest experience? count, Johnson was able to complete a consistent, Silicon Valley ethos is all about thinking accurate count and import the data into Compeat in differently, working smarter, not harder, and giving time two and a half hours, when previously, just typing back for quality of life and productivity. There’s a focus paper-and-pen guesstimates into Compeat took two on return on investment, not just cost-cutting. And hours. startups in Silicon Valley look at the numbers daily — not After the success Johnson and The Pump just once a month. The same goes for Hundsdorfer and House experienced with the Ruth’s Chris locations Partender’s innovative at Charlotte Prime. “Even with our back office’s counting tool and working After inventory module, our managers Compeat integration, her way from the store started level, Hundsdorfer was were there until the break of dawn Hundsdorfer and didn’t have time to review the rolling it out to other Prime promoted to corporate meaning of those numbers” locations. Now, all Ruth’s and made responsible for Chris locations in the and trusted with one of the group have standardized company’s most valuable inventory operations on Partender, so anyone can assets: beverage inventory. Prime understands the impact easily do accurate, fast inventory and there are no that accurately counting and analyzing the thousands of more fluctuations from arbitrary guessing. Also, dollars sitting on their shelves has on a food and beverage since Johnson and fellow GMs are now able to do operation’s profitability. In her new role, Hundsdorfer a fast, accurate inventory more frequently, they are came across a significant challenge the industry has also able to put more data — more accurate data in supporting beverage profit goals. She realized that — into Compeat, which results in more powerful even though the group had a great back office system, reporting and analytics. And the GMs actually have Compeat, for inventory, the GM still had to print out the time to review these analytics, to make better count sheets and guess, on a 10-point scale, to measure business decisions. their bottles. This process took an incredibly long time, Fall 2018 • itmmag.com
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Hundsdorfer touts Partender’s ease of use and consistency. This ease is only made possible by Partender’s proprietary interface, which allows all different types concepts, from cruise ships and bars to stadiums and airlines, to standardize counting liquid cash, so operators can always reliably get consistent numbers.
Hundsdorfer says, “We have weekly meetings knows what’s expected of them.” with our GMs where we review our target cost to our Even if your organization is not ready to take actual, so we can improve our business. Thanks to the innovative management leaps that Charlotte Partender, we get consistent, accurate numbers we can Prime has taken with its beverage program, you trust. Our GMs aren’t can still find small ways bogged down with to excite, engage and In the first few months of use on paperwork; they can empower your team, spend time reviewing Partender, Johnson went from twice- while having everyone numbers that matter. a-month to weekly inventory on focus on maximizing [Since inventory doesn’t Partender. And instead of spending gross profits. Since it can take seven to eight almost 8 hours on a questionable be extremely difficult hours] the GMs can also count, Chris was able to complete to do it all, investing have two days off, which a consistent, accurate count and in technology like is unprecedented in our import the data into Compeat in Partender can be the industry and helps us 2.5 hours. huge step in providing attract and keep the best unprecedented time people.” Ironically, even back to your team and though the GMs may do setting up your beverage inventory more often now, Hundsdorfer mentions the program for new levels of success. complaints about inventory have stopped. “Everyone 28
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Top Five Lessons from Silicon Valley Tech Startups to Use as a Beverage Executive: CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO. When you have problems, view them as opportunities to improve.
With Partender’s flat-file integration, The Pump House team is able to upload accurate numbers from Partender into Compeat in minutes instead of hours.
Now, all Ruth’s Chris locations in the group have standardized inventory operations on Partender, so anyone can easily do accurate, fast inventory, and there are no more fluctuations from arbitrary guessing. This has also led to more accurate data into Compeat.
EMPOWER ALL YOUR STAFF MEMBERS. Ask someone you’d normally not ask, for their input. You’ll empower them to think differently and you may get a creative solution you would have never thought of yourself. FOCUS ON RETURN ON INVESTMENT. Don’t just cut costs to cut costs. Think about strategic investments and how they increase your profitability — are those expensive fresh flowers really providing additional points to your bottom line? COUNT THAT LIQUID CASH MORE OFTEN. Your inventory data holds data on trends, profit and so much more. Don’t let your innovative approach stop at your cocktail menu. Look at your numbers often and understand what they mean for your business. USE TECHNOLOGY TO INCREASE YOUR WORKFORCE AND OUTPUT. Invest in technology. There will never be a shortage of things to do. Use technology to make more time for what will make the most impact on your success.
Partender lets you get your COGS and actual beverage costs immediately after inventory — no guessing on a 10-point scale or data entry required. Fall 2018 • itmmag.com
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Alcázar castle, site of the Vinoble conference
Oh, How Sweet It Is! Fortified and Sweet Wines of Sherry By Edward M. Korry, CHE, CSS, CWE, Department Chairman, Johnson & Wales University Those of you who have read my articles will know that I strongly believe in the value of sweet and fortified wines in enhancing customers’ dining and tasting experiences.
Vinoble
Set in beautiful Jerez, with streets lined and shaded by Jacaranda trees in full blue floral bloom and with unseasonably cool weather (low to mid 70s) from Atlantic breezes, the 2018 Vinoble conference took place in the 11th century Moorish Alcázar castle. The conference is sponsored by the regional government and the Consejo Regulador of Jerez, so it wasn’t surprising that a majority of wines represented were from this appellation, but there were many wines from regions such as 30
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Málaga, Alicante, Valencia, Montilla-Moriles, Gran Canaria, Port, Sauternes, Tokaj and even from the Quady winery in California. Although I am a Certified Sherry Wine Educator through the Consejo, I still learned a great deal. Sherry wines have the greatest breadth of styles of any wine appellation, from pale delicate Manzanilla de Sanlúcar de Barrameda and Fino, to intensely opaque, rich, sweet Pedro Ximénez, and everything in between.
Trends There are more producers who are making dry, non-fortified wines but must use the regional appellation of Vino de la Tierra de Cadiz, a reflection of overall sales decline. But, I did get a sense of optimism, as there are more bars and restaurants worldwide offering Sherry and Sherry cocktails. Other trends I discerned included a greater distinctiveness of Sherry styles among producers. There is
Lustau Bodega barrel room
a focus on wines with little filtration or no clarification, especially of Fino, Manzanilla and Amontillado styles that are labeled “en Rama.” There are more vintage designated wines, more focus on single vineyards such as from the famous Macharnudo Pago vineyard, and more emphasis on organic and ecologically friendly practices. Leaders, such as Paula Moreno of Williams & Humbert and Antonio Flores of Gonzalez-Byass, are exploring what made the region so notable before the prevalence of fortification, including the varieties other than Palomino and resuscitating Vermuts, which were prevalent in the world market in the late 19th century to the 1960s. There is a proposal to have a new appellation created for Sherry-wine-based Vermuts de Jerez. I tasted a few and there were some standouts including Gonzalez Byass and Lustau. These can be found in the U.S. market.
Styles of Sherry “En Rama” unclarified wines, particularly Manzanillas and Finos, which are widely available in U.S. markets, tend to have aged longer (eight+ years) under the yeast flor veil, resulting in greater depth of flavor. These wines pair so well with hors d’oeuvres, tapas and seafood. Many writers and critics speak of
the saline quality of wines and these wines certainly express that quality, making them very food friendly. Amontillados have undergone both the biological process of flor and oxidative aging, leading to greater overall intensity. Many consumers find them more challenging to appreciate, but given their level of umami, they pair beautifully with difficult foods such as asparagus and artichoke dishes, as well as rich raw or rare tuna. “Olorosos,” “aromatic” in Spanish, are fully oxidative wines that are very dry and measure up to intense dishes such as strong cheeses, steaks or stews. Those who prefer softer wines with intensity should opt for the many cream Sherries, which are oloroso wines mellowed by a small addition of sweet Pedro Ximenéz (PX). These pair well with desserts such as fruit-based tarts, cheeses or foie gras. Many dismiss this style but there are some very high quality complex creams. Lastly, and this list of categories is not all encompassing, we have the Pedro Ximenéz PX. These are among the sweetest wines in the world but what is so surprising about these dark, viscous, complex wines is the high level of acidity, which is needed to balance their sweetness. They are superb with blue cheeses, vanilla ice cream dishes and perhaps the best wines of all for pairing with dark chocolate. Fall 2018 • itmmag.com
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Historic Wines PROFILE
Finally, as it relates to Sherry, there are the “historic” designated Sherries labeled VOS (minimum 20 years old) or VORS (30 years old), otherwise known as Very Old Sherry or Very Old Rare Sherry. It is no exaggeration that I tasted over 50 extraordinary examples of these wines at Vinoble. These wines are what Italians refer to as “wine for contemplation” and are best unaccompanied by food. One of the ancillary events I was invited to attend was the inauguration of Gonzalez-Byass’ historic bottle cellar. The treasure trove of their 5,000-bottle wine library, now offered for sale, has acted as a guidepost for maintaining, improving or creating new wine styles over the past century. We tasted four iconic wines. The first was a vintage Añada 1963 Palo Cortado; the second was a single vineyard Añada 1911 Oloroso de la Finca Amorosa, which was amazingly fresh after all these years. The third was Metusalém de la Década de los Años 30 Medium from a Solera started in 1860. And the fourth was an unfortified Moscatel (Muscat of Alexandria), which was produced for the
1903 inauguration of Pope Pius X and already had 10 years of aging from pre-phylloxera vines. I would be doing all these wines a disservice to describe them and other wines I tasted over the three days in such limited space. Suffice it to say that tasting them was an amazing experience that reveals not only the potential quality of Sherry wines but also their uniqueness. So, while wines such as these latter few may not be easily accessible, there is a plethora of high quality wines, whether fresh styles or within the aged categories, that are readily available. I will speak to the other Spanish appellations in another article. What does this all mean? It means there are huge opportunities for restaurateurs to offer their customers incredible, affordable wines that have eminent food pairability and provide an authentic, impressionable experience. Additionally, the wines are ridiculously priced to allow for profitability. The only requirement is further education of servers on presenting these treasures so customers will better appreciate the offerings.
Ed with Antonio Flores of Gonzalez Byass
Pedro Ximenéz PX wines Outside tasting booths at Alcázar castle
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WHISKY and
By Don Billings
Golf
For several years, I had it in the back of my mind to do a father-andson trip to Scotland. This was on my bucket list, but each year slipped away for one reason or another and the dream remained on the back burner, left to simmer. But this year, in a fury of activity, Adam and I just decided to do it. So, with an invitation from William Grant & Sons to visit the famed Glenfiddich distillery and their smaller sister, the Balvenie distillery, the wheels were set in motion. William Grant & Sons was honored as “Distiller of the Year” and “Scotch Producer of the Year” by the prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition in 2016. LEFT TOP: Waldor f Astoria Edinburgh – The Caledonian LEFT BOTTOM: Turnberry LEFT CENTER TOP: Glenfiddich Distillery Bar. LEFT CENTER: The Turnberry Lighthouse at the ninth hole LEFT CENTER BOTTOM: Barrel repair shop RIGHT TOP: Father and son (Adam Billings), KingsBarns Golf Links RIGHT CENTER: Balvenie master tasting class RIGHT BOTTOM: Glenfiddich Distillery Fall 2018 • itmmag.com 35
So off we fly from Atlanta to London, then on to Aberdeen. We rented a car, and with Adam behind the wheel, we headed for the Malt Whisky Trail and the small village of Dufftown, to explore the magic of the malts in this undisputed “Malt Whisky Capital of the World.” Part of the appeal of Scotland’s legendary drink is that the process of making Whisky hasn’t changed over the centuries, and Glenfiddich and Balvenie are perfect examples of this tradition.
“The light music of Whisky falling into a glass – an agreeable interlude.” – James Joyce Barley, pure spring water, some yeast and plenty of time are all that’s needed to make great Whisky, and Glenfiddich and Balvenie have some of the purest spring water. Did you know? The shape and height of the still affects the final flavor of the spirit. Smaller stills produce heavy, oily spirit compared to the light, fresh spirit produced from tall stills. Legally in Scotland, new spirit has to be matured in an oak cask for a minimum of three years before it can be called Scotch Whisky. Most malts lie for at least 10 years. Whisky casks are recycled and have already been used for American Bourbon or Spanish Sherry. Over time, the spirit reacts to the natural compounds in the wooden casks to develop a rich flavor and color. The longer it’s stored, the more complex the flavors. Every cask of Whisky tastes different, which is why the blender’s art is so revered. Wood breathes and every year, a filled cask loses two percent of volume through evaporation. This is known as the “angels’ share.” Around 20 million casks of Scotch are currently maturing in Scotland – so take a deep breath! Unlike wine, once in the bottle, Whisky will no longer age. Its taste is timeless. The highlights of our tours were the Masterclass Tastings we experienced at each of the distilleries. Scotland is also most famous for the origin of golf – my favorite sport, although to be honest, I am a fair golfer at best. To many golfers, the Old Course at St. Andrews, an ancient links course dating to before 1574, is considered to be a site of pilgrimage. So, from the heart of the Whisky trail, we drove south on Sunset atMagazine Raymond Vineyards the Mix 36 in Michael David Winery grounds
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A90 to the Old Course Hotel in St. Andrews. One of the first golf links we played was not the expected Old or New Course but, instead, just a few kilometers away at KingsBarns, a traditional Scottish seaside links course. With beautiful scenic views from almost every hole looking out to the North Sea coastline, it is recognized to be in the top 100 golf courses in the world. Back in the car, we were off to visit Edinburgh and of course, to have a “wee dram” or two of “uisge-beatha”, Scottish Gaelic for “the water of life.” We stopped in a few pubs within walking distance of the iconic Waldorf Astoria’s The Caledonian hotel (or The Caley, as it is fondly known locally), which is very close to Edinburgh Castle. There are approximately 126 registered Malt Whisky distilleries in Scotland – so many to try and so little time to imbibe! From the capital of Scotland, we continued our journey to Turnberry to play the famed Ailsa golf links. Turnberry boasts an incredibly rich history, not only of the game of golf but also of the history of Scotland itself. The legendary Ailsa course is set along the rugged coastline, a spectacular setting creating one of the most beautiful golfing destinations anywhere in the world. After two days at Turnberry, it was time to say farewell and head home through Glasgow, in the afterglow of a fine father-and-son holiday. The famous Mark Twain once claimed, “Too much of anything is bad, but too much good Whisky is barely enough” and so do many think similarly of golf. In fact, it has been said, and often attempted to be confirmed, that it takes 18 shots to finish off a fifth of Scotch, thus the reason the Scottish invented the game to cover 18 holes.
LEFT TOP: Glenfiddich Distillery LEFT CENTER: Dining at The Old Course Hotel LEFT BOTTOM: Scotch pairing RIGHT TOP: Copper Dog Pub in Spreyside RIGHT CENTER: Glenfiddich mash tun RIGHT BOTTOM: Turnberry Hotel Photo by Drew Kelly
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The Women of
When you think of who fits the traditional profile of a brewer, the first person to come to mind may be a burly, bearded man in flannel shirt and steel-toed boots. What you may be surprised to find out is that women have deep roots in brewing history. In fact, in the early days of brewing, women were the primary brewers. There was even an ancient Sumerian goddess of brewing, named Ninkasi. At Samuel Adams, the legacy of female leadership and brewers also runs deep. Founder and brewer Jim Koch started Samuel Adams with his business partner, Rhonda Kallman. Fast forward to today, and Sam Adams has retained some of the most talented, pioneering women in the beer industry. Two women at the forefront are brewers Jennifer Glanville and Megan Parisi. Jennifer Glanville began her tenure at The Boston Beer Company 17 years ago after applying for a brewery manager job. Just after she started, Jim Koch sent her to brewing school at Doemens Academy in Munich, Germany. “My parents didn’t tell me I could get a college degree in 38
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The nano brewery at the Samuel Adams Boston Brewery. It acts as a test kitchen and is the starting point of all new Sam Adams innovations.
brewing,” Jennifer jokes. “But I can’t imagine doing anything else or being in any other industry.” Over the past two decades, Jennifer has worked hard to build a name for herself in the brewing community. “For me, it always has been about challenging myself to brew the best beer possible,” says Jennifer. “I’m fortunate to work for a company that celebrates creativity and truly believes that if you can dream it, you can brew it.” That creativity she’s speaking about shines through in some of her personal projects, like her famous Oyster Stout brewed with whole Wellfleet oysters each year for the Wellfleet Oysterfest in Cape Cod. Or her fascination with Sahti, an ancient ale that was historically brewed by women through passed-down recipes, which led to a nationwide limited release of a citrusy Finnish Sahti, recreated by Jennifer and called Norse Legend. It’s this culture of restless innovation and constantly pushing the boundaries that led to the development of the nano brewery in 2012. Jennifer was integral in creating the nano brewery at the Samuel Adams Boston Brewery; it acts as a test kitchen and is the starting point of all new Sam Adams innovations. Three years after the nano brewery opened, Sam Adams brewer Megan Parisi came on board to experiment in the space. With more than a decade of brewing experience
Jennifer Glanville, brewer, Samuel Adams
Megan Parisi, brewer, Samuel Adams
at Wormtown Brewery and Cambridge Brewing Company, Megan found her home at Sam Adams and has been instrumental in developing beers and perfecting recipes. Take Sam ’76 for example, the newest release from Sam Adams. It underwent more than 60 iterations in the nano to create the perfect combination of flavor and refreshment, with slight tweaks, different hops and new flavors. This is what Megan thrives on. “The creativity, the science, the ability to sit down with other people and enjoy the fruits of your labor,” says Megan, “these are the best parts about being a brewer.” One of Megan’s recent developments, New England IPA, is bringing the popular style to drinkers across the country. The two skilled brewers agree that while the industry has changed significantly over the years, it has only created
more opportunities for women. “There’s more awareness now around female brewers, and organizations like Pink Boots Society help to create a community of women in the brewing industry,” says Jennifer Glanville. “I’ve seen more clubs and groups of female craft beer drinkers, which is really incredible. We even have a book club that meets at our taproom for Books & Beers. Though they may not fit the burly, bearded brewer bill, Jennifer and Megan, like many other women, are transforming the industry, beer by beer. They are pursuing their dreams, driving innovation and turning their passions into a career. The good news is that more brewers, male or female, means more beer. So what advice do Jennifer and Megan have for anyone interested in brewing? “Just do it!” We can all raise a pint to that. Fall 2018 • itmmag.com
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The Spirit of Georgia® Richland is so much more than a brand … it is the name of the estate where Richland Rum is produced, it is the name of the town in Georgia where Richland Rum is born, and it recalls the history of people who have called this town home for many years. The name also signifies the “rich lands” that grace the area in which Richland Estates is located. This rich soil provides the essential foundation for the Rum’s base ingredient, sugar cane, to grow and flourish. The fertile, loamy land is what gives Richland Rum its exquisite terroir. Richland, Georgia is the origin of the heart and soul of Richland Rum – The Spirit of Georgia.
®
R aising C ane: Georgia’s Richland Rum T
he beauty of good Rum is that it can be made completely naturally, directly from sugar cane juice, without any additives or ingredients other than water. All that is required is guidance of three natural processes: First, allowing yeast to convert natural sugars into alcohol and aromas; second, applying heat to separate, or distill, the alcohol and aromas from their environment; and, third, letting the distillate interact with oak for a long time (barrel aging). When skillfully and patiently guided, these processes produce an exquisite sipping spirit that stands tall in a lineup of the highest rated Single Malts, Cognacs and Bourbons. Of course, the premise of “patiently guiding natural processes” clashes with each of the core principles behind modern day economic production methods and, as a consequence, low cost, industrially produced Rums completely dominate the market. The virtual disappearance of all natural, authentic Rum
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has intrigued Erik Vonk, Richland Estate’s owner and founder, a long time. Two decades ago, he set out on a bold quest to craft the best Rum in America by reverting back to purity and authenticity. For 20 years, Richland Estate has ignored costs, efficiency, yields and time as consequential factors while staying singularly focused on quality. Allow Erik to present Richland Rum – it is pure, authentic and has been made with pride and passion.
Two
Decades of Artisanship
Richland Rum is manually crafted by Richland Estate, which is comprised of Vennebroeck Plantation, where sugar cane is cultivated, and the Richland Distilling Company, with Rum distilleries in the cities of Richland and Brunswick in southern Georgia, U.S.A.
Richland Estate was established in 1999 to bring back a true, American single estate Rum. This field-toglass Rum-crafting approach was long lost in the United States. Today, almost 20 years of sustainable agricultural practices and superior land stewardship at Vennebroeck Plantation have been combined with a relentless pursuit of purity, authenticity and quality in fermentation and copper pot distillation techniques at both distilleries, leading to the production of an exquisite Rum with a rare pedigree.
One
Rum With Four Additional Expressions
Unconditionally dedicated to the pursuit of perfect quality, Richland Estate has been focused for many years on just one expression: Single Estate Old South Georgia Rum – Single Barrel Select. Since its inception, Richland Estate has chosen to age all the Rum it produces. The Estate’s approaches
are unique not only in production but also in aging. First, Richland Rum only rests in virgin 200-liter American white oak barrels (new – never used barrels), which are made, toasted and charred to strict specifications by select artisan cooperages. Second, there is no predetermined, fixed aging period. Instead, the barrel is allowed to determine when the Rum it holds is ready. Given the fact that only new, virgin barrels are used, the average aging period is not longer than four to six years. Once deemed ready, the Rum in each of the barrels is always bottled individually, never blended, making individual barrel selection the norm, not an exception. The Single Estate Virgin Coastal Georgia Rum expression has been developed by simply replacing four+ years of aging with a 60-day resting period in toasted, not charred, barrels, creating a “virgin” version of the Rum. Fall 2018 • itmmag.com
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Richland Estate is also pleased to announce that a Cask Strength expression of the Single Estate Old South Georgia Rum has also been created, not through variances in aging, but in bottling strength. At full cask strength it usually ranges between 105 and 120 Proof (52.5%-60% ABV). Two of the four expressions involve cask exchanges with fellow artisan Georgia producers, Terrapin Beer Company and the Chateau Elan Winery. Under this program, Richland Rum barrels, which held Rum for three years, are used by the brewery and the winery to age beer and Port respectively, adding warm Rum and oak characteristics to their products. After the contents have been bottled, usually in about one year, the barrels are returned to the distillery to age the Rum they originally held for roughly one additional year, allowing for beautiful flavor and aroma exchanges that enhance the already rich base flavors of Richland Rum in a refined manner. The beer and the Port aged in the Rum barrels can be recognized by a “Richland Reserve� moniker adjacent to the Terrapin and Chateau Elan brands. The Classic, Virgin and Cask Strength versions represent the Richland Rum Legacy Series, produced on an ongoing basis. The Terrapin and Elan cask exchanges are limited editions, a one-time production with a specific number of barrels.
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PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS Richland Rum’s Classic
The origin of the Classic in our Legacy Series is our Single Estate Old South Georgia Rum, which dates to 1999. Traditionally, we have allowed our toasted and charred virgin American white oak barrels to tell us when the Rum they hold is ready, typically between four and five years. When mature, each barrel’s Rum is always bottled individually, never blended, thus defining the term “Single Barrel Select.” Richland Rum patrons are encouraged to use our website’s “Barrel Tracer” in order to discover a bottle’s particular characteristics. Simply input the bottle number provided on the bottle neck tag and the Barrel Tracer will present specific details including bottling date and flavor profile. Before bottling, the Rum is diluted to 86 Proof (43% ABV) with distilled water.
Richland Single Estate Virgin Coastal Georgia Rum
Rum is allowed a brief rest of 60 days in a new American white oak barrel that has been toasted only; the Rum is then diluted to 86 Proof and bottled, unfiltered. So it comes unaged, unaltered and unfiltered, from the sugar cane fields of Vennebroeck Plantation, to you. (pictured left)
Single Estate Old South Georgia Rum (Cask Strength)
The Cask Strength Expression is our Single Estate Old South Georgia Rum, bottled undiluted, directly from the barrel. Typically, it is between 105 and 120 Proof and 52.5%60% ABV. During the process of identifying mature barrels ready to be bottled, occasionally casks present themselves with flavor and aroma profiles that deserve a direct bottling consideration. The selected cask’s details and bottling strength are marked on each bottle and can be found on the “Pedigree Tracer” of Richland Rum’s website. Fall 2018 • itmmag.com
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Single Estate Old South Georgia Rum (Chateau Elan) Under the cask exchange program, after aging Richland Rum for approximately three years, the contents of select casks are transferred temporarily to new barrels. The emptied casks are then used by the Chateau Elan Winery in Braselton, Georgia, to age Port for about one year, adding warm notes of vanilla, caramel, oak, leather and tobacco to the Port. After the Port has been bottled, the barrels are returned to the distillery in Richland, where the Rum they originally held is pumped back into them. The Rum picks up hints of sweetness, red fruit, and field flowers, and is bottled when it is considered mature, which usually occurs in about one year. In summary, the Rum rests for a total of approximately five to six years: some three years in a new barrel, about one year in a temporary new barrel, and a period of roughly one final year in its original barrel after the barrel pampered Port for 10 to 16 months. As always, barrels are selected individually for bottling and carry the “Single Barrel Select” designation. The exact aging period can be found on the website’s “Pedigree Tracer.”
Single Estate Old South Georgia Rum (Terrapin) Analogous to the cask exchange program with Chateau Elan, after aging Richland Rum for approximately three years, the contents of select casks are transferred temporarily to new barrels. The emptied casks are then used by the Terrapin Brewing Company in Athens, Georgia to age a Double India Pale Ale for about one year, adding a base of vanilla, burnt sugar and butterscotch to the beer. After the beer has been bottled, the barrels are returned to the distillery in Richland, where the Rum they originally held is pumped back into them. The Rum picks up notes of hops, malt, sweetness and nutmeg, and is bottled when it is considered mature, which usually occurs in about one year. In summary, the Rum rests for a total of approximately five to six years: some three years in a new barrel, about one year in a temporary new barrel and a period of roughly one final year in its original barrel after the barrel pampered IPA for 10 to 16 months. As always, barrels are selected individually for bottling and carry the “Single Barrel Select” designation. The exact aging period can be found on the website’s Pedigree Tracer. 44
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Erik and Karin’s journey of discovery
While living in Atlanta in the nineties, Erik Vonk and his wife Karin acquired a large tract of rolling land near the small Georgia town of Richland, two hours south of the big city. They named their farm “Vennebroeck,” which is Dutch for “ponds and brooks.” Beyond the spot’s natural beauty, Vonk was intrigued by the area’s history of sugar cane farming, which scratched an old itch. “I just sort of had this ‘aha’ moment,” he says. “I’ve had a strange fascination with Rum for a very long time. My initial interest was instilled by my grandfather (my mother’s father in Holland), who was a true Rum connoisseur. He taught me the difference between ‘authentic’ Rums (copper pot distilled directly from pure, unrefined cane juice) and ‘industrial’ Rums (column distilled from molasses, a byproduct of sugar manufacturing).” Starting in the late 1990s, Vonk set out on his quest to grow, distill and barrel-age sugar cane into something that would evoke the lost character of pre-Prohibition Rum. He is quick to point out that nearly all commercial Rum today is made from molasses, the by-product of sugar refining, rather than from the cane syrup used during the 18th and 19th centuries. Working with the University of Georgia
Extension office, Vonk identified the variety of cane that grows best in southwest Georgia’s climate – Georgia Red – and secured permission to build a still for personal consumption. When he decided to turn his hobby into a business in 2007, Vonk knew he would need to jump through a few regulatory hoops, as Vennebroeck straddles two dry counties. As luck would have it, Richland had a longstanding law allowing alcohol within its limits, and the town council was eager to repopulate its long-shuttered downtown storefronts. Vonk selected a general store that had been boarded up for more than a quarter century. And in 2011, Vonk and his distiller, Jay McCain, cooked up the first 300 cases of Richland Rum, and they were off on their journey of discovery. Note: Excerpts from previous articles by Garden & Gun and Southern Distilling News have been used. Website: http://www.richlandrum.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/richlandrum Twitter:@Richland_Rum Instagram: #Richland_Rum
Richland Estate owner Erik Vonk
Photo courtesy of Eureka Restaurant Group Fall 2018 • itmmag.com
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Mastering the
Building Blocks of Innovation
by Lou Trope
The craft cocktail movement has been upon us for several years and is no longer a movement but an expectation from today’s guest. However, let’s not underestimate the amount of time, training and commitment it takes to truly build a fine-tuned craft cocktail program, not to mention attracting the team that can pull it off consistently, drink after drink. Whenever I go to a bar or restaurant for the first time, I do a simple test: I order a classic Negroni. This is the most basic cocktail – equal parts of Gin, Sweet Vermouth and Campari mixed in a mixing glass (although some bartenders will make it in the same glass it’s served in) with ice and then strained over new ice, with an orange peel garnish. This is an easy layup for any skilled bartender. Ordering this simple classic cocktail tells me everything I need to know about this establishment. As you can imagine, I have gotten them shaken with a cherry, made with the wrong spirits, completely out of balance and served with every garnish you can imagine, but I have also been served a perfect Negroni. So how can we create a culture and environment of producing great craft cocktails when most can’t even get the basics right? Well, it’s simple: Master the basics and build on them. Above: Modern Mixologist Bar Tools by Tony Abou-Ganim
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Typical street in Jerez, Spain
The famous Japanese bartender Kazuo Uyeda of Tender Bar in Tokyo notes in his book, Cocktail Techniques, that a guest decides in the first five seconds after entering the bar whether they will like their drink or not. So let’s start with the bar and its appearance. The back bar should be fully stocked and organized. Spirits should be grouped by style with all labels facing out. When possible, bottles should be displayed with accent lighting. The bar should be free of any personal items and clutter. The front bar should be set up with pristine fresh garnishes and professional bartending tools like mixing glasses, bar spoons, citrus juicers and strainers. It should look clean, organized and professional. The guest’s first impression should give them a sense of anticipation that this is going to be a special experience. As with anything, technique matters. Understanding and mastering basic techniques, from stirring in a mixing glass to proper cocktail shaking, is paramount. All bartenders should instinctively know which cocktails are mixed and which are shaken. All spirit cocktails are typically prepared in a mixing glass, stirred 30-45 times and then strained on new ice. Shaken cocktails usually contain a spirit and a juice, and should be shaken in a Boston Shaker approximately 20 times to promote optimal dilution and aeration. Confident and masterful showmanship of basic cocktail-making
techniques with the proper equipment (mixing glasses and shakers) can make a huge first and lasting impression on the guest. Making a great cocktail is not simple. In fact, it is a very precise process; a quarter ounce too much or too little can throw off the balance. The wrong mixer or poor juice quality can also have a detrimental effect on the outcome. Cocktail
Now that we have our bar looking sharp and the team is creating balanced, precise cocktails using excellent technique, it’s time to engage the guest. It’s all about the delivery to sell the experience. This starts with making sure the cocktail looks fantastic. Proper glassware, great ice and a fresh garnish are critical. If the cocktail calls for a mint garnish, don’t use a wilted mint leaf; use a fresh, vibrant mint
making is like baking – it is about exact measurements. Even the most skilled baker would never just grab a bunch of flour, sugar and eggs and start throwing them in a bowl to make a cake. Everything must be measured. The same holds true for bartending. Every drink needs to be measured to ensure balance, consistency and, most importantly, precision. Dale DeGroff (above), known as the “King of Cocktails,” helped us all understand the DNA of cocktails by encouraging us to focus on the components of a classic Whiskey Sour, which are 1 1/2 ounce of Bourbon, 3/4 ounce of lemon juice and 3/4 ounce of simple syrup. Using this formula, we can build off this basic recipe to create thousands of different cocktails just by switching out different ingredients. Understanding this basic formula opens up the world of innovation. Simple syrup can be substituted with everything from agave to honey syrup or house-made simple syrups infused with unique flavors such as blackberry, cinnamon, lemon grass and jalapeño, just to name a few. The combinations are endless. In contrast, it is also critical to master and understand the classics such as the Martini, Negroni, Mule, Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Margarita, Sidecar, Boulevardier and Sazerac, many of which share a common cocktail structure. Like anything you want to master, this will require constant training and practice but the outcome is worth the effort.
sprig. Look at the basics, such as whether the ends are cut off of lemons and seeds are removed from wedges. It all matters. When presenting the drink to the guest, place a cocktail napkin in front of them, introduce the drink, look them in the eye and smile. It sounds simple but it is the difference. So there you have it. We all have seen the master craftsmen behind the bar – they make it look like a graceful choreographed dance as they meticulously mix hundreds of cocktails while giving every guest the sensation that they just received something very personal and special. This skill does not come overnight and requires thousands of hours of training, practice and dedication. However, you can start the journey by enlisting and mastering the building blocks of creating a clean and organized bar, practicing and mastering basic technique, and understanding cocktail structure and the classics, all culminating with attentive and professional guest service. In the end, it’s all about finesse and precision. Cheers! Lou Trope is President of LJ Trope & Co. LLC, an independent consultant working with the hotel industry to provide innovative restaurant concepts, operational assessments and b2b beverage strategies. Fall 2018 • itmmag.com
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Cover Story
Jean-Charles Boisset the Mix Magazine 48 in
jackhutchphotography.com
Jean-Charles Boisset
Jean-Charles Boisset was born into the world of wine in the village of Vougeot in Burgundy, France. Today he leads the family business, a collection of wineries that share more than 18 centuries of combined winemaking heritage and tradition in some of the world’s most prestigious terroirs, from Burgundy and the South of France to California’s Napa Valley and Russian River Valley. JCB, as he is known, has interests in many facets of the fine life including clothing, jewelry, candles and a new perfume, just to mention a few of his other luxury endeavors. Larry McGinn, President of IMI Agency, sat down with Jean-Charles Boisset for over two hours, talking, tasting exceptional wines and eating a gourmet lunch. This is a portion of what they discussed.
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Larry: I’m sure most of our readers know a bit about your background but can you expound on it? JCB: I was very, very fortunate to be born in a tiny village in the heart of Burgundy, named Vougeot. It happens to be one of the most historical, well known villages in the world of wine and viticulture because it’s the Clos Vougeot. The house I was born in was a 16th century home where my parents started the winery. My parents fell in love and then said “we need to start a business.” They started buying and aging wine — in the living room! I was born in a very humble environment and was very lucky in the sense that my grandparents had my parents on the later side, because of the war. Naturally, they lived next to us, so I was really raised in an environment where my parents and grandparents on both sides were alive, and very alive with us. So, I had kind of six parents at once. I was literally born in the vineyards making wine in a small village, knowing everyone in the village. I was not born in a penthouse in New York City or a fabulous apartment in Paris. I was born literally in the winery, making wine since day one! My parents took care of customers and administration, and we had a little cellar master. That’s how my parents got started. My background is really purely wine. I tasted wine all along from the youngest age, and my garden and best friend was Mother Nature. That’s where I played hide-andseek, in the cellar and the vineyards. Wine has been my life
Sunset at Raymond Vineyards
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forever, and I’m 48 today. My daughters are seven, and I was telling them last night how I had tasted and made wine already at their age. I was very lucky to have been raised there and be close to my grandparents. My grandmother was very much into pendulum energy, to sourcing as well as geo-biology, organic farming and biodynamic farming. She was very much into the ideas that you need to put compost on the roses, you need to recycle and treat nature as you would want to be treated, and how the bees have a function. I learned the art of organic farming very early on, since I was four or five years old. We had tasks: I was raised that you get something if you work for it, not like today. If I didn’t garden or work a full week, I would not get anything, whether it was a soccer ball or whatever. We didn’t have much, so you learned how to work for it. We had the opportunity to learn wine early on because my parents received customers at home, whether it was someone ringing the bell to come and buy two bottles of wine or someone who wanted more, usually a restaurateur, importer or distributor. I was like the little sommelier of the house, bringing wine from the cellar at proper temperature, serving it, setting the table with my sister, and cleaning the table and dishes. We would make a franc, about equal to a dollar today. Wine has been my life. I don’t know everything about it, but close — the making of it, the farming of it and the selling of it. The selling of it is more difficult. I worked every summer in all areas, the bottling line, the facility tasks, the harvest, everything.
I studied something very different in school. Studying wine would have been redundant being so handson, and so I studied economics and finance. In retrospect, I realize I should have studied art; it would have been much more interesting. I was always in love with the United States. My grandparents resisted in the war, escaped and entered the Resistance, which was an amazing example. I was raised in Burgundy with the love of the U.S. In the 1970s, it was either the Eastern Block or the Western Block, with the U.S. to the west. But many people were drawn to the east. France was 20 percent communist in those years. I always loved the U.S., culturally, socially, economically, emotionally, aspirationally. I came here when I was 10 1/2 with my parents and grandparents on a trip; I fell in love with it and wanted it to be in my future. At 16 I had the opportunity to come to the French International School in Washington, D.C. Even at 16, I wanted to come to the U.S. and have a bi-cultural life, which I did. (To meet his military service requirement, JCB lived in Pennsylvania for a year and a half doing military work for a French company in the U.S.). I knew very early on I wanted a life to be in between, to use American entrepreneurship and the American way of life, the fun of life, the willingness to take risks, the sense of innovation and marketing. The sense of salesmanship of America and the tradition and heritage of France is something I still love. If you combine the two (countries) you have amazing energy. Lafayette said it, Alexis de Tocqueville
said it in his book Democracy in America, and I’ve read them all — this has been my inspiration and I agree with them. The two cultures are the best. I think we are the biggest family investor in California on both sides (France and America). I think one without the other is not as great as the two together. I think that’s why we are growing and expanding the way we are and attracting so much of the two, because I really think American wineries are better, thanks to our French heritage; and our French wineries are better, thanks to our American dynamism. America is very dynamic and questioning all the time, which I love. This is why I love this country more than my own. I would be more American than French, and if I had to choose tomorrow for whatever reason, I would choose the U.S. And the French know that — they tease me always. I am more American in my way of thinking than I’m French. You may ask “why did you build so much in the U.S.?” Because I’m very energized by it, excited, bullish about it because I think what we’ve started is only the beginning. I feel we have only done the obvious. We’re building a great collection of wineries with an amazing group of people that are performing very, very well, and they’re dedicated to quality — not to me, but to our vision. We have a true vision of quality that has only started. We are attracting a lot of amazing brands, from Baccarat to Lalique and Bernardaud (place settings). We represent them and do a lot of things together, marketing programs and events, because we see
Winemaking tool museum at Buena Vista Winery.
Photo by Drew Clark
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the same world — like from Aston Martin to Maserati and Bentley in the car industry. We’re really bringing together a certain lifestyle: how we set the table, how we drink, the ingredients we use, all the way to accessories, glasses, plates and silverware, to how we serve, celebrate the table, relationships and friendships, and how we are formal but relaxed at the same time. We have fun but we are very quality oriented. This is why we have been successful, in a sense, because we can push the fun of it but we are very serious in the quality we have to offer. So it’s always playing on the fine line of excess and surrealism with quality always in mind. This is why a friend like John Legand decided to join hands with us; he is about quality like us, having fun but within quality boundaries. This is in a sense what we are as a collection of ideas, a collection of savoir-faire, a collection of know-how. Our gourmet store here (Atelier Fine Foods) represents Petrossian caviar, which is the best there is, the best smoked salmon, foie gras, the best cheese, the best San Daniele ham — the best of the best because we want our world to be part of that electric, magnetic energy around savoir-faire. We represent and make our own aioli, mustard and we make the most amazing marmalades. We collaborate with the maker and we represent together a know-how. That is what is so exciting to us, how together we want to represent this: an image that is really well thought of, from the grapes to the wine, to everything around it. We represent a certain lifestyle, an art of life that we want to live. Larry: I think the best word of the day is the dynamics. You have brought marketing over the top, a dynamic to the wine business that took it out of the agricultural ways of life a decade or so ago. Congratulations on that. JCB: Thank you. We feel it is very important, Larry, to bring the world here and vice versa, to bring here to the world. So in other words, the world here is all the phenomenal savoir-faire companies: Baccarat circa 1764, Bernardaud 1840, Silversmith 1830 and San Louis 1598. From the JCB Tasting Lounge in The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco to our reopened JCB Salon–Healdsburg (opened July 14) and our Beverly Hills location (Héritage Invites LVE & JCB opened June 21 inside of Héritage Fine Wines), it is all very exciting. We’re bringing Napa Valley and Burgundy and Sonoma to the town of Beverly Hills. Just a block from Rodeo Drive and Beverly Drive, you can be in our tasting lounge. It’s very important, as you have done very well as a company yourself, as your magazine says, to encourage people to “innovate, indulge and explore.” We want people to explore; we want them to indulge — to the point even that we have a winery and a concept named Secret Indulgence. We want them to plunge into our world. America today is ready to go to the next level. Over the past 40 years, thanks to Julia Child, Martha Stewart and so many others, America has taught us about food and great ingredients, preparing and cooking, the open kitchen and all that. Now the next step is really about food and wine pairing, wines, cocktails, great beers and setting up that whole amazing 52
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experience that you talk about — explore and indulge. That’s so important and that’s why we’re here. People in America are thirsty to know and what I love about America is people are humble enough to ask. That’s why we wrote our book, Passion for Wine: The French Ideal and the American Dream, and we sold out in 30 days. We have a certain “je ne sais quoi” that we love to showcase and present and that’s what we want to bring to people. Thanks to the on-premise market, which we love, because this is our world. Our world is fine hotels and fine restaurants. We are not as big in the grocery stores; this is not so much our business. The hotels and restaurants, this represents the art of the table, presentation, the wine list, wines by the glass and the banquets, and how we bring wine to the forefront, and we magnetize our guests and catalyze the energy within them. It is all about enjoying fine wines and great environments. Larry: How do we take your energy and your vision and your creativity to the consumer? Wine being opened: Raymond Generations Napa Valley Chardonnay. Barrel fermented, only 200 cases made. JCB: I feel there are three ways to answer your question. One, obviously through by-the-glass, the wine list and the menu. I’m a big fan of presenting flights, having an opportunity for the guest to enjoy three different wines to discover. Let’s say you have soft shell crabs or salad even, and there are three different Chardonnays: one from Burgundy, one from the Russian River and one from Napa Valley. So the guest can enjoy an escalation of senses of different tastes and flavors that they will not normally experience. I think our duty in the restaurant world is to constantly show innovation at the account level and show them a way to present wine that is slightly different — whether it’s through flights, kegs, or all the other kinds of innovations that we should bring at the restaurant hotel level. Secondly, I’m a very big believer of managing margin. So it’s not too pricey and people can have access to great wine at a reasonable price. The restaurant is where people will experience a lot of things. When you’re alone in front of a shelf in a store, it can be more difficult to decide, do I go to the $30, $40 or $50 wine?
Top Left: Inspired by the traditional candle-lit cellars of France, the inimitable Crystal Cellar boasts stainless steel walls, a mirrored tasting bar and a collection of historical crystal decanters from Baccarat. Top Right: The Bubble Lounge at Buena Vista Winery. Right: The intimate space of The Red Room at Raymond Vineyards is velvet lined and lit by Baccarat chandeliers.
Photo by Scott Chebegia
DeLoach Vineyards Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir
Photo by Regina Fell
Photo by Alexander Rubin
Photo by Regina Fell Photo by Alexander Rubin
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Photo by Regina Fell
Larry: Not without trying it! JCB: Exactly. I think the restaurant world is a great platform in which to try. So I think we should use the wine list and wine by the glass to be experiential and to partner with the restaurants and hotel restaurants especially. It’s an amazing way for us to build a multi-level opportunity for the guests to really have a taste and an experience. Finally, I really feel as well, Larry, that we should bring more lounges and mini-lounges to hotels and restaurants, like we’ve done at The Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco. We opened the 700-square-foot lounge with couches and a little bar area. It’s only JCB wines and the guests love it. They get the chance to experience our wines while in the hotel. We literally bring the wine country to them. It doesn’t have to be so elaborate — we could have a more flexible way to present it, a less expensive way. Let’s do one in the InterContinental, with the Marriott and the Hilton, at the Waldorf. Or maybe it’s a pop-up, where we build the wine world there, so someone that typically drinks beer or cocktails, who is a transient traveler not used to fine wines, can, in a very cool way, enter that world and discover it. So I think we need to be innovative to partner together. Today, there is the winery and the hotels and restaurants. There are not enough combinations of both of them. Larry: Sixty-five percent of the wine sold through a hotel is sold in banquets and catering. How do we take the success, the uniqueness and the tremendous experience of your home-tasting ambassador program and bring it to our national chain hotel clients? JCB: This is a brilliant question. How do we do this? I really believe we summarize everything through people. The Boisset Ambassador Program is all about people. This program is just a mirror of what I saw my parents and grandparents do around the table. “Please come in and sit at the table, and enjoy our wine, have a piece of cheese, have some ham!” I really feel by identifying carefully a whole series of bars, restaurants and hotels and allowing our Ambassadors to bring people there, we can build a program for it where they can make people dream. I’m going to use an example, like the Loews Hotel or the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco on Market Street. We have many Ambassadors who would love to have a place like that to entertain. Let’s make it very easy to bring business. They could do a tasting and be there to enjoy food, and use the hotel as a platform to connect people. So the Ambassador could be an accelerator to bring people to this location, to connect them to there, as simple as that. I would like to have the 50 or more Four Seasons hotels in the U.S. to be open to all the Ambassadors to entertain at a special price, with a discount to purchase food and all that. The hotels could provide a Top Left: Raymond Vineyards Outdoor Living Room. Bottom Left: Deloach Wine Tasting. Top Right and Center Right: JCB leading a wine tasting at DeLoach Vineyards Bottom Right: Deloach Wine Tasting.
flexible program that would allow the Ambassadors to bring their wines and use the facility to have people drink and do business, much as you allow a wedding or business meeting to happen. We do a lot of business with many of the great trademark restaurants and hotels, but we would like to create something of a more formal agreement. We have over 300,000 followers; it’s a big base. We would make it a reciprocal program for the hotels and restaurants where we, in turn, offer the same discount at our wineries and tasting rooms. Wine being opened: Raymond Generations Larry: You’ve done a tremendous job pulling together a collection of family wineries, both in France as well as here. You’re big, yet you’re small enough to embrace a partnership with a hospitality chain like Morton’s, to create a blend; and to embrace a partnership with Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant, to create something you both share and you both win through. We’re seeing, as custodians of the beverage business with these clients, more interest by hotel chains and upscale dining to get into the blending, control or private label business. Do you see that happening as well? JCB: I think it’s a combination of vision. I’m going to use Tylor as an example (Tylor Field, III of Morton’s The Steakhouse) and Sandy Block of Legal Sea Foods. You have two really amazing people who really understand their brands and their customers. They truly are great because they did not ask us to change the branding but to add a specification to our brands for them exclusively. In terms of Raymond Vineyards Primal Cut (for Morton’s), what Tylor very well understood is that he recognizes we have a great brand in Raymond that people know; they feel confident with the brand. It’s Raymond, but it’s Primal Cut done with Morton’s and Tylor Field. Why I think it’s good is that Tylor has a great palate — I respect him immensely. He understands the menu at Morton’s The Steakhouse and he comes to us, our team — myself, our Director of Winemaking Stephanie Putnam and Vice President of National Accounts Mark Drake — to say “I would like you think about this.” He would still carry Raymond wines but let’s do a specific blend for this, because I feel it will be beneficial for our guests and is a different twist. I know that Tylor knows what he’s doing; I trust him. So I think it’s a good thing in that sense. We are not diluting our brands, we’re enhancing them with Morton’s and Tylor, and that adds value. We have a similar situation with Legal Sea Foods. Sandy Block is a Master of Wine and I have enormous respect for him as a person. I think he’s excellent at what he does and he understands his customers very well. He said he loves DeLoach, doesn’t want to change the brand name but does want to add “1950,” which is the founding year of Legal Sea Foods. So we said “great,” and we called it “Block 1950.” If a large operation says “I want my private label Fall 2018 • itmmag.com
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to be protected and to bring more margin,” I understand why they want to do it but I’m not as bullish because the mission and the vision are different. Let’s do it with our brands. Why do I always want to push our brands? Because we are legitimate. I’m for working with an endorsed existing brand if you really push for it and you’re a great friend and it’s a cool concept, like we’ve done with Fairmont. Gen F has a very original package. We designed it together; we worked with Eric at Fairmont on it. He felt very strong about it for his banquets and how it would be a different consumer, so we did it. So sometimes it makes sense. I’m not saying no or yes — it really depends on the issue. I’m typically in favor of valuing the winery, endorsing it with the venue and when it’s appropriate, like with the Fairmont, branching out doing something that’s very cool and groovy.
Wine being opened with lunch: a DeLoach Estate Pinot Noir, unfined and filtered, open-top fermented.
Larry: What do you think of the Millennials as wine consumers — the 21- to 36-year-olds?
Larry: You’ve been dabbling in high-end spirits for six months or so. At every tasting I’ve been part of that Mark Drake has done, everyone falls in love with them. So, the quality is there, the packaging is certainly there, but what do you see as far as commitment and growth?
JCB: I’m bullish on them. I think they’re very curious, they’re extremely audacious in their choices, and they don’t mind spending $30 for a fine wine. They don’t mind going for something fun and unique. They are very interested in the making, the how-to of the making, the aging and why you made those choices. I’m very excited about them because in America, they’re going to be totally transforming the wine world, which is something that resonates with them because wine is a beautiful thing we craft, we create — it’s not industrial. Therefore, they have taste, they’re well traveled, they obviously have the world at their feet, and they have all kinds of food they’ve tried, so I’m very excited about it. I love tasting with them and they’re showing me a whole world I don’t know. Larry: Our chain hospitality clients are just starting to see them come in the door, from a hotel perspective. We’re finding they loved the Airbnb experience, but now they are tiring of it. It takes more work. If they have the money, they can just be pampered and catered to, and at the same time, have an experience. To your point, I think you’re absolutely right. And what’s cool is, we can all give you credit for thinking ahead a decade ago. JCB: We all want to be on a journey; we all want to dream; we all want to be transported. It’s one thing to come to the wine country looking at the beautiful vines, but that’s a happy few of us. Three million of us come to Napa Valley a year and get to experience this lifestyle. I think the key in everything we do is to have knowledge. My big thing is education all the time, maybe because my grandparents were all schoolteachers. I love to go to places because I love to learn. That’s what really drives me to go to different places. I want to be awakened; I want to see things I don’t know, have new experiences. That’s the fun of it, to constantly discover and learn about food, a cocktail, or a juice, technique, philosophy and the history of anything. What drives us in life is to constantly learn something new. I think that generation is curious. So, I like them a lot. 56
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Larry: About the trailing generation, Generation Z. Is it too early to even prophesize how they are going to impact the business? JCB: I really believe everybody will impact the way we want them to impact, if I may say so. What do I mean by that? If we’re great enough ourselves to inspire them to come to wine, they will. It’s up to us to inspire them, to find out what inspires them. We are doing something very natural and very unique and exciting that is wine. I really believe if they see wine the way we show them, they will enjoy it.
JCB: Thank you so much for asking. We are very bullish on all the beverages that are quality, that follow our certain vision: water, cider, beer, spirits, and obviously, wine and sparkling wine. On the spirits side, we really feel it is so exciting what is happening in America, because America leads the world in spirits, as you know — innovation, cocktails, phenomenal experiences. Many Europeans fly to New York and all over the United States to see what is happening. For us, it’s very fortunate that we have a distillery as well. We understand spirits, we were big in the business before, and we sold it. We used to sell Marie Brizard and many great brands, but we kept the super-premium end and the distilleries. We said to ourselves “wouldn’t it be great to focus on ingredients and super-premium spirits, very highend?” These are things that are exciting and at the same time game-changers in the business. The JCB Spirits you’ve seen are obviously based on wine. So we make wine and then distill it. We went to the highest end — we infuse Vodkas with caviar and truffles, and use 44 beautiful plants for the Gin. Our view is, from the jewelry you wear to everything you drink, it should be within a certain vision — always of superior quality and enhancing what Mother Nature has given us, which is the ingredient. It’s the distillation of Burgundy grapes, the most expensive grapes on the planet! We want to do great things for the future that will last for a long time and are amazing. Our collectors and members all buy them for their ingredients. It’s an estate concept; that’s who we are. In every area, we feel we can add something unique that comes from who we are and we love to do it. Larry: In terms of planning for 2019, the on-premise is 25 percent of the business around the country, roughly, but a lot higher for you. National accounts are 38 percent of the 25 percent, so when you build your on-premise planning, are you going to follow the path you’re on?
JCB: As we do our planning, we make wine that we love to make. I know I’ve said before that Mark Drake and all of us are really restaurant people, food people. So, for example, if you were to try the Raymond Reserve, it is soft, elegant, powerful, but not overly tannic and ripe so that it dominates the food. We really always have in mind the food to be a companion with the wine and vice versa, rather than have one overwhelm the other. That has always been a very important plan for us, to always make sure that we’re in a synergistic situation.
Raymond Vineyards, Corridor of the Senses.
Photo by Alexander Rubin
Larry: That’s a great point because we have found over the last four or five years, especially in the hotels, there are few beverage directors anymore, or food and beverage directors, that came out of the kitchen. There are a lot more chef and beverage people making the decisions. Your vision fits right in with that. JCB: That’s right. You know how often I go and see food and wine pairings and say “what the hell were they thinking?” The wine dominates so much you cannot even taste the sauce. Or the chef has been mad at the sun because it’s all about spices and you don’t feel anything and your mouth is on fire. I think what we try to do with our wines is we make elegant wines, which are meant to be enjoyed with food — we’re not here to make wine for a specific market or to get into a specific business. I think we typically make great wines to enjoy with food or alone, and we are not really saying the trend is there, so we should follow it. It may be a bad business decision in some cases, because if we had made very Parkerized wines in the ‘90s — big, powerful Burgundies — we could have sold more, but at the end of the day, the trend is over. Those were not drinkable wines and they wouldn’t age.
Historic barrel room at Buena Vista Winery.
Larry: The past couple of hours have been tremendous. Thank you very much for your time. Tylor even said to me that I would walk out of here re-energized by the way you think about wine, and how you have shunned the focus on commercialism for the sake of doing the right thing for the ecosystem and your customers, married with programs that entertain and educate. JCB: Thank you for saying that, Larry. We could be much bigger than we are today, with both imports and domestic. But, as you mentioned, the authenticity and doing what we love and being passionate about what we do, is what is most important in life — to go at your pace, to be pushed, to be challenged for sure, to be energized, to be inspired, but to follow a certain deontology to a certain level of ethic. As a company — and it is really all of us, from our vineyard people to our winemakers and the whole team — they are really in it for the right reason. We are all commercially interested in being successful, of course, and having people say “we love your wine,” but really, we are doing what we love to do. I think it’s a great privilege. Left: Jean-Charles Boisset
Photo by Steven Krause
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Deep Into Cider-Space:
Exploring a Whole Universe of Beverages
By Huy Do, Datassential A novice drinker discovering the world of cider for the first time might be intrigued by just how dry this beverage might seem. Depending on how sweet you want your applebased concoction, you’ll end up having to choose among ciders that are “bone-dry,” “offdry,” “semi-dry” or just plain “dry.” Don’t let this vocabulary fool you, though – the cider world is anything but dry. Cider, a complex and tradition-rich beverage, is made by fermenting pressed apple juice and has a history stretching back to early Colonial times. During the Prohibition era, many orchards were destroyed and before they were able to fully recover, alcoholic beverages such as beer and wine took off, leaving cider in the shadows. Now with the boom of American apple production and momentum from the craft beer movement, cider is experiencing a modern renaissance as cidermakers combine heritage techniques and innovation to breathe new life into the industry. In the past four years, cider has grown by 11 percent on alcoholic beverage menus (according to MenuTrends, Datassential’s menu tracking tool), and continues to boom in European countries with ingrained cider cultures (such as England, France and Spain). This makes it all the more important for stateside beverage operators to dig deeper into the cider opportunity.
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Schilling Cider House Demystifying Cider with an Educational Experience
“Cider is a culture,” says Ambrosia Borowski, General Manager at Chicago’s The Northman. “It’s a lifestyle, and it’s alive and well.” Even though The Northman stocks over 100 varieties of ciders including 18 on tap, Borowski shares that their staff are still discovering new tastes and flavors. There’s even more of a learning curve for novice cider drinkers as the drink is often associated with one or two well-known brands, she says. There is also an array of preconceived notions (like cider being too sweet or a too-limited beverage category) that experts like Borowski and Brian Rutzen, The Northman’s Cider Director, are working to dispel, one sip at a time. While the cider landscape has evolved significantly, Jennie Dorsey, General Manager at the Portland, Oregon location of Schilling Cider House, believes that there’s still a long way to go for cider. Because of this, cider houses like The Northman and Schilling are more than just niche drinking establishments – they have also taken on an education role to become places where cider could be more than just a novelty and be taken seriously on its own merits, Rutzen says. Not only that, they also embody the gateway between the consumer and producer simply by displaying the breadth and diversity of cider varieties. At Schilling, customers are often overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of what’s available, and the staff eases that fear of the new by relating ciders to beverages that customers may be more accustomed to.
The Northman takes the approach of greeting guests with a complimentary tasting upon entry, to gauge the guests’ palates and for the staff to better guide guests on a “journey” to uncover their preferences. Their strategy and educational efforts have proved to be fruitful: Every month since they opened, new brands of cider have come into Chicago from all over the world. The Northman is also expanding with a new cider house and beer garden location in Chicago’s Riverwalk. Meanwhile, Dorsey says, the industry has been changing rapidly to develop a common language that connects the cider novice to the professional. There’s even a CiderCon that takes place to connect members of the industry. In-cide(r) Scoop: Try it in Cocktails
With their vast offerings, cider houses like The Northman and Schilling are true testaments to the versatility and depth of cider as a stand-alone beverage. At the same time, craft cocktails can also be a great vehicle for introducing consumers to cider. After all, according to Datassential MenuTrends, there are over 1,500 cider-based cocktails menued across the country. In an article by the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, Mattie Beason from Durham, North Carolina-based Black Twig Cider House emphasizes the value of leveraging the nuances about different ciders in cocktails. Beason suggests using cider as an aromatic substitute for club soda, or as a low-alcohol alternative to Fall 2018 • itmmag.com
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spirits (think of a Negroni with a cider base instead of Gin). The Northman’s Borowski suggests the Stone Fence, a Revolutionary War cocktail she makes with 2 ounces of spirit mixed with 12-14 ounces of cider, as a good starter cocktail since it applies a cider format to the familiar profile of the base spirit. The Northman even has the Stone Fence as a menu category with rotating cider and spirit combinations – its current menu offers the Rusty Pineapple, a tropical mix of Plantation Pineapple Rum and Golden Russet cider (a variety that is dry, fruit-forward and boasts rich honey aromas) from Salem, Oregon-based Wandering Aengus Ciderworks. For another classic alternative, combine equal parts lager and cider to create the Snakebite – simplicity, after all, can be impressive. Leveraging familiar flavors and recognizable cocktails can introduce cider to the novice palate. Cocktails can also be used as a canvas to display lesser-known cider varieties and trendforward flavor combinations. The Cowabunga, a cocktail on the menu of Boston, Massachusettsbased Toro, showcases the tartness of Spanish cider by combining it with Karger blue Gin, lemon and a sage-peppercorn syrup. Quality Meats in New York City leverages the lowABV cocktail trend by blending Bourbon and mulled cider with Averna Amaro, a low-proof herbal liqueur. On the opposite end of the ABV spectrum, there are also several cocktails that combine ciders with on-trend liquors packing high alcohol content, like Mexican Mezcal or Scandinavian Aquavit. In the end, the biggest challenge operators face may be bridging that gap for consumers to give cider a try. Once guests have that experience, it might not be difficult to keep them coming back. According to Datassential FLAVOR, a tool that tracks consumer interest in over 3,000 foods and flavors, 64 percent of consumers who have tried cider say they love it or like it. In Chicago, Borowski is even noticing that consumers seeking the new and unexplored are turning to the wild, funky side of cider. Meanwhile, Schilling Cider House’s Jennie Dorsey perceives heritage ciders focused on terroir and fermentation will be more in line with upand-coming cider trends. To further accelerate consumer knowledge of the alcoholic beverage, operators can take inspiration in creating unique, educational drinking experiences that combine the familiar with the adventurous.
Snakebite Cocktail 60
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This article has been provided by Huy Do, Publications Intern at Datassential, a leading consulting firm and supplier of trends analysis and concept testing for the food industry.
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Seasonal
Caramel Corn Martini 1 ½ oz ½ oz 1 pump 1 dash ½ oz
premium Bourbon Sweet Vermouth Monin® Pineapple Concentrated Flavor Angostura® Bitters Monin® Caramel Apple Butter Syrup
1. Chill serving glass. 2. Fill mixing glass 2/3 full with ice; add ingredients in order listed. 3. Cap, shake and strain into chilled serving glass. 4. Add garnish and serve.
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Autumn Cocktails from
Monin is constantly creating new, trendy and classic recipes for you to add to your drink lists. For autumn, they offer these aesthetically pleasing and flavorsome cocktails. Along with the confidence in using their recipes comes the reassurance of the quality of the Monin product, and the peace of mind that you are serving your guests the best in the world.
Maple Sage Smash 2 dashes 3 leaves ¾ oz 2 oz ½ oz
bitters sage Monin® Maple Spice Syrup premium Bourbon fresh lemon juice
1. Place first two ingredients in bottom of mixing glass and muddle. 2. Fill mixing glass 2/3 full of ice and add remaining ingredients, in order listed. 3. Cap, shake and strain into serving glass with 1 large block of ice. 4. Add garnish and serve.
Spiced Caramel Apple Zinger ½ oz ½ oz 1 oz 1 pump Top 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Monin® Chai Tea Concentrate Monin® Caramel Apple Butter Syrup apple juice Monin® Caramel Concentrated Flavor Gosling Ginger Beer
Fill serving glass full of ice. Pour ingredients into serving glass in order listed. Pour mixture into mixing tin and back into serving glass, to mix. Top with Gosling Ginger Beer. Add garnish and serve.
Hot Buttered Rum 1 pinch 1 piece ¾ oz ½ oz 1 ½ oz 7 oz
nutmeg orange peel Monin® Brown Butter Syrup Monin® Spiced Brown Sugar Syrup Mount Gay® Black Barrel Rum hot water
1. Fill serving glass full of hot water, to warm glass. 2. Discard hot water and pour ingredients into serving glass in order listed. 3. Stir gently to mix. 4. Add garnish and serve.
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