Just as food with backstories sells well, so do cocktails with a history. Highlighting regional specialties behind the bar — a Sazerac in New Orleans, a mint julep in Louisville, Ky. — adds to drinks’ appeal and helps give customers a sense of place. Omni Hotels & Resorts saw cocktail […]
Read moreChefs and bartenders are sourcing their own barrels, making large batches of cocktails and aging them in-house, allowing them to give their customers something unavailable elsewhere. Peter Kreidler, sous chef of Clay Pigeon Food and Drink in Fort Worth, Texas, uses a charred three-gallon white American oak barrel from local […]
Read moreRestaurant chain managers and beverage directors are being empowered to buy locally produced beverages that are popular in their communities. Franchisees are, too, said Tom Lewison, CEO of 36-unit Wild Wing Café. “We allow franchisees to work on their own drink specials,” he said. “We want to be local. We […]
Read moreBottlesociety.com lists more than 600 small distilleries in the United States — every state has at least one now — an increase from about 70 in 2003, according to The Atlantic. “I think it’s what customers want,” said James Gersten, president of New York City-based BR Guest Hospitality. His team […]
Read moreOnce prized only by craft beer aficionados with unusual predilections for bitter flavors, IPAs took the mainstream market by storm this year. Nearly one quarter of craft beers in supermarkets are IPAs, according to Mark Vidano of beverage consulting firm MarkeTeam. And it’s still growing. Research firm GuestMetrics, reviewing point […]
Read moreHigh-concept cocktails that take 10 minutes to make took a backseat to simpler cocktails made well this year. Small flourishes helped attract customers, such as the mole bitters that the Omni Hotels & Resorts added to its Old Fashioned cocktails in Texas or the black walnut bitters they added to […]
Read moreIndependent restaurants across the country upgraded their coffee offerings this year as customers became more accustomed to the higher-end brews of specialists such as Portland, Ore.-base Stumptown Coffee Roasters and Oakland, Calif.-based Blue Bottle Coffee. Exhibitors at Coffee Fest in New York City in March reported a marked increase in […]
Read moreLocal craft beer is a well-established trend now, but local distilled spirits have been coming on strong in the past couple of years. The Atlantic magazine reports that the number of small distilleries has jumped from 70 in 2003 to more than 600 today, and the American Craft Spirits Association […]
Read moreRestaurant chains have been experimenting with “hand-crafted” sodas that often have more sophisticated flavors and are slightly less sweet than traditional soft drinks. Starbucks this summer debuted a line of Fizzio sodas carbonated to order, available in three flavors: Spiced Root Beer, Golden Ginger Ale and Lemon Ale. Sonic Drive-In […]
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