Small Batches: That’s the Spirit!

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Given the rise in popularity of craft beers and local food, it was only a matter of time before the artisan spirits industry would be taking off in the United States as well. Once associated with bootlegging during the Prohibition era, the distilling of small batch liquors actually now accounts for approximately 400 small U.S. distilleries – and they’re producing a variety of spirits, ranging from bourbon to rum, vodka, and gin. Among those small distilleries are Sag Harbor Rum, based in the South Fork of eastern Long Island, NY – as well as a number of Illinois-based whiskey producers, including Koval, which is located in Chicago, where it produces a single-barrel, gluten-free organic bourbon whiskey. Evanston-based Few Spirits, as well as the Lake Bluff areas’ North Shore Distillery, are also on the list. Read more

Is Your Spring Drink Menu Too Cold? Too Hot? Or Just Right?

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Spring is officially here – and with it comes that warm breeze that you’re probably feeling right about now…

Wait. What I meant to say was, “Brrrr! Someone close that door!”

Actually, spring weather, as we all know, is extremely unpredictable. Given that fact, it’s hard to know just what your patrons will be craving most as it starts getting warmer. (Er, that is, a little warmer. Occasionally warmer?) Well, regardless of how you might best describe spring, to be realistic, it’s probably best to have a wide range of drinks available from which your patrons may choose. Read more

Serving Fortified Wines

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Fortified wines are a wonderful and warming drink, perfect for sipping during these last cold days before spring really kicks in for good. There are many misconceptions about fortified wines (such as port and sherry, such as the illustrious Amontillado) – including the notion that they’re just for dessert or that they’re actually a type of spirit (they’re not). These are unfortunate notions, as they tend to steer many people away from enjoying the aromatic, delicious, and complex pleasure that these drinks have to offer. Fortified wines, as their name suggests, are strong (thus leading to the incorrect perception that they’re a type of liquor). While they are indeed sweet, they’re not just for dessert; thus, there’s no reason to be shy about encouraging a patron who just wants to spend some time at the bar sipping something special to consider giving fortified wines (which also include tokay, muscat, vermouth, Marsala and Madeira) a try.

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What the Heck Is a Beer-Wine Hybrid?

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A new drink hit the scene last year, beer-wine hybrids. I’m sure that this new beverage is going to be one of the hottest drink trends for 2014, but you may not have heard much about it because it premiered just before the fall and holiday rush. It’s not quite wine, and it’s not quite beer, but it’s not quite what you’d expect if you just poured some wine into a fresh, cold pint. The popularity and visibility of this new drink is increasing, and soon your guests will be asking you questions about it, questions that you, your sommeliers, and your cicerones should know the answers to.

Now that we’re in  a brief lull between drinking holidays, you have the time to learn everything you need to know about beer-wine hybrids. Read more

3 Springtime Drinks That Bring Crowds

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Springtime is here, and that means that your guests’ drinking tastes have changed to reflect the warmer weather. In the springtime, your customers are clamoring for lighter, fruitier drinks that they can sip while lounging on your newly opened patio. These warm-weather drinks are the kind that inspire your customers to sit for hours in small, informal gatherings and laugh at the college students who walk by in flip-flops, shorts, mini-skirts… and goose bumps. To help you select your new featured drinks for your digital wine menu, I’ve compiled a list of what springtime drinks your customers are wanting right now. Read more

10 Ways to Pack Those Bar Stools Right Now

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Oh no! You’ve hit the slow season for bars! You’ve celebrated New Years, Valentine’s Day, Restaurant Week, Mardi Gras, and St. Patrick’s Day… but now you have to wait until Cinco de Mayo before another big drinking holiday happens. Here are 10 ways to get some butts in those bar stools of yours, even when it’s not a traditional drinking holiday. Read more

Mezcal and Tequila Tips for Bars and Restaurants

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To a tequila novice, the strong, agave-derived liquor (sometimes maligned by the nickname “to kill ya”) may stir up connotations of summer evenings made cooler by salt-rimmed margaritas served on ice (or even images of their frozen, slushy counterpart, churned into a glass with a slice of lime). Certainly, yes, this is one good use for the distinct, flavorful liquor – at least for the less aged variety that carries a sting of flavor many can only tolerate with salt and lime. For that matter, tequila’s smokey relative, mezcal, is starting to make the rounds in cocktails these days, too, with varying degrees of success. However, the truth is that a truly good tequila or mezcal is a soothing liquor that warms the body and is perfect – when unadorned by mixers or garnishes – for sipping slowly on a cold winter’s night, in much the same way one might nurse a fine Scotch.

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Vodka to the Rescue: Back to Basics

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How can you help when a patron wants to order a drink but isn’t sure what to get? Customers who like beer or wine may sometimes be in the mood for something new (or just be open for a pairing suggestion), but what about when the patron isn’t a beer or wine drinker and is just in the mood for some kind of cocktail? Face it: most liquors are very much an acquired taste – with their own, unique flavor that not everyone might appreciate. (Just ask anyone who’s ever had a bad night associated with tequila or whisky; they’ll never forget the distinct flavor). Wouldn’t it be nice if there were such a thing as a basic, unflavored alcohol that you could mix with almost anything to suit whatever mood your patron was in?

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Does Your Bar Sound Successful?

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When people think about their small businesses, they usually talk about the “taste” of success, the “feel” of success, and the “look” of success, but they forget all about the sound of success. When guests come into your bar or restaurant, they decide if they like your business within 10 seconds—and that decision usually happens much faster. You already know that your guests are making snap decisions based on the décor, or the smell of the place, but one thing that also helps your customers decide whether they’ll stay or leave is the soundtrack. Here’s how to fix a few blunders your bar may be making. Read more

The Secret to a Great Martini? Good Communication

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Close your eyes and picture the perfect martini. Got it? Okay. What does it look like? Is it crystal clear, awaiting that first sip from within its classic inverted triangle of an “up” glass, garnished with a twist?

No? Well, then, is it in a stout “rocks” glass packed with ice? Are there olives? If so, how many? What does it taste like? Vermouth? Gin? What kind of gin? Or does it taste like vodka? Or does it essentially just taste like the Arctic? Is it “shaken, not stirred”? Or does the mere question fill you with rage? Read more