COCKTAIL TRENDS

In December of 2011, Esquire.com published their cocktail trend predictions for 2012. Have you seen any of these show up on the menu in your local? 

1) Vinegar cocktails (this includes both shrub use and chasers eg: Pickleback)

2) Crafty 1970s- and 1980s-era cocktails (think re-makes of Harvey Wallbangers and revitalization of the style of drink popularized by TGI Friday and the like).

3) Pre-Made Cocktails (Batching and punch to ease up on the stress of the bartender)

4) Bottled / Carbonated cocktails (pre-bottling drinks and pre-cabonating with a siphon without diluting)

5) Keg Cocktails (Taking over a beer line to serve a pre-made cocktail)

6) New Uses for Marg Machines (My favourite that I never saw in use. Imagine a slushy Corpse Reviver # 2)

7) Nightclub Cocktails (Night Club atmosphere, craft cocktail drinking)

8 ) Rise of Rum (Wayne Curtis is leading this charge of rum interest)

9) Party booze (The triumphant(?) return of Blue Curacao, Jager & Hpnotiq)

10) Skinny drinks (oh Skinny Girl)

So, were they right? I know for certain that at least 7 of those got play in Vancouver. Now, what are they saying for 2013? Well…

Camper English – Alcademics.com

1) Carbonation (we’ll see an on-going use of siphons and perlini units to change the structure of typically non-fizzy drinks – will this go mainstream?)

2) Molecular Mixology 2.0
 (another chapter in the cocktail caviar and molecular game… are we ready?)

3) Meat at the Bar
 (Don Lee’s Benton’s Old Fashioned was just the beginning. Crossover from Butcher to bartender will grow vast in 2013. Probably due to every bartender’s love of bacon)

4) Low-Impact Liquor
 (I’ve had an Adonis on my cocktail list for years. In this age of strict Drinking and Driving laws it is essential to offer Mocktails or Zero-proof lists)

5) Slow Drinks, Faster
 (Old Fashioned cocktails need 6 minutes to be made properly, Fact or Fiction?)

TheSpiritsBusiness.com

1) Big Garnish (Garnish can cost up to 25% of the drink’s pour cost. It can also turn an $7.50 drink into a $12 proper cocktail. Customer value perception is key here)

2) YouTube (Self promotion of bartenders through a free service. Who needs TV and print media when twitter and facebook get your face on everyone’s laptop, pc and mobile device?)

3) Fun (Bartending is about service and people. Loosen up those bow ties and arm bands and pour yourself a shot. Maybe shave that curled up moustache and smile for a minute while you’re at it)

International Hotel & Restaurant Association

What’s Hot bartender survey – top 10 drink menu trends for 2013: 

(This is a survey that was taken by bartending professionals all over the United Sates)

1. Onsite barrel-aged drinks (not so much a new trend… see Jeffrey Morganthaler circa 2011)

2. Food-liquor/cocktail pairings (Tales of the Cocktail has trademarked the phrase “Spirited Dinner.” In Vancouver look no further than Kale & Nori’s Bittered Sling Bistro)

3. Culinary cocktails (e.g. savory, fresh ingredients) (Rosemary is a staple in many drinks. Basil too)

4. Micro-distilled/artisan liquor (Pricey if you live in BC, but craft-made products are the way to go)

5. Locally produced spirits (seems like the same as #4)

6. Locally sourced fruit/berries/produce (Again, the bartender visiting the farmer’s market with chef is no new trend)

7. Beer sommeliers/Cicerones (the next big thing – you heard it here first)

8. Regional signature cocktails (Derek Vanderheide’s Port Authority was on at least 9 cocktail lists in Vancouver, and two in Seattle. Drinks that define cities are how epic drinks like the Manhattan became classics)

9. Beer-based cocktails (Beer Cocktails? Never heard of em… )

10. Locally produced beer (Welcome to Vancouver: Parallel 49, Powell St Brewery, R&B Brewing, Steamworks, Red Truck et al.)

TK’s Predictions – I can’t put together a comprehensive list without putting myself out there. Here are Trevor Kallies’ cocktail trend predictions of 2013. Let’s see how I do:

1. Cask Proof Cocktails (using cask-strength or over-proof spirits in classic recipes)

2. Old/Forgotten Spirit Styles (Old Tom Gin, Sloe gin, long-ou-of-production spirits will make a comeback in 2013)

3. Crossover Drinks (drinks that use kitchen techniques, or new uses for old tools and products)

4. The Death of the Speakeasy (not so much the Death of, but hopefully new bar owners can come up with new ways to describe their design other than “prohibition-themed” or “Chicago circa 1930.” this also goes for theme events, 2010 was Mad Men, but the last 2 years have been Boardwalk Empire)

5. Bitters (More than just homemade or new styles. I predict bitters being used in a whole new light – Full ounces in drinks, shots of, and even using to cook.

So there you have it! The trends of this past year and some predictions of the year to come. Let us know your cocktail trend predictions in the comment section, or if you know of a great bar doing a good job of any of these let us know that also.

BOTTLED COCKTAILS

It was only a matter of time before this cocktail trend came back. We’re not talking about shop bought margherita mix here, but high quality, ready to go batch made classics.  Lets face it, maintaining consistency when serving large quantities of cocktails can be fairly tricky. Training bartenders is killer expensive; the length of time for each serve can be horrific, especially on peak session.  A number of commercial bottled products are available although many have failed to achieve any level of cut-through, presumable because they’re not that great.

In the US we’re increasingly seeing a new cocktail trend forming.. its becoming common to find operators bottling their own drinks ahead of service.  It’s not all about efficiency and consistency though. In fact, the origins began this time around in 2011 when Clyde Common in Portland, Oregon began the trend by ageing their Negroni in a bourbon barrel.  As well as imparting a depth and smoothness to the drink it has kickstarted the volume cocktail movement which has continued since.  It’s worth a thought, SoulShakers, the London based cocktail consultancy work on a number of projects, look up John Salt in Islington for some great examples

Bacardi Sends the ‘Message in a Bottle’ to the Future Generation of 2062

14 December 2012 | By Popsop Staff

As many companies nowadays traditionally do, Bacardi, the biggest family-owned global alcohol business, has recently marked the yearlong celebration of its 150th anniversary with the burial of a commemorative time capsule at the iconic Bacardi headquarters building in Bermuda, for the brand’s descendants and future employees (and, of course, fans) to be opened again in 2062, the year of 200th brand’s anniversary.



The 6ft x 1ft (1.82m x 0.30m) custom-created, stainless steel capsule was encased in a granite cap and cement pedestal and registered with the International Time Capsule Society.

The items put in the capsule were carefully selected by Bacardi employees from different countries and included: photo of nearly 500 members of the Bacardi family, medal for the “World’s Most Awarded Spirit”, collage of marketing materials for the 150th anniversary, letters and notes, Bacardi 2012 ad, a yearbook with various social, political and economic highlights of 2012 and some unexpected things like a quartz geode of volcanic origin in Uruguay and decorated African storage gourd.



Reference :-  http://popsop.com/59958

Cocktail Tool Innovation

Cocktail Tool

A new cocktail tool to keep in your pocket

Forget those bottle openers that you used to hang from your key ring in college.

Microplane, maker of the eponymous supersharp graters, zesters and shavers, has released a new, dainty tool ($20) that should be in the back pocket of anyone tending bar.

No larger than an outstretched palm, this undulating piece of stainless steel is a bottle opener on steroids.

At its tip is a sharpened circle to make perfect, pith-free fruit twists. The body of the tool features Microplane’s trademark metal perforation, peerless for zesting. Finally, the heel of the tool features a tried-and-true bottle opener.

These seemingly simple attributes make the construction of varied drinks a cinch: Finishing off a beer, a nutmeg-dusted flip, and a martini with a twist can become one single, fluid motion. Take it for a practice run with this variation on a Pimm's Cup with fresh ginger. And with drink lovers taking their tools on the road with increasing frequency, the Microplane opener has the added advantage of compactness and general toting ease. 

Pair Cocktails and Food

Dare to Pair Cocktails and Food

Audrey Saunders, Ryan Magarian, and other top mixologists offer recipes and advice for the holiday season
By JJ Goode

 

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That restaurants around the country are beginning to offer food–cocktail pairings is a testament to how far cocktails have come in recent years, an acknowledgment that thoughtful, carefully made cocktails are worthy of chefs' creations. "Finally restaurants are hiring talented bartenders with great palates, who understand balance, depth, and complexity," says Audrey Saunders, owner of Pegu Club in Manhattan, whose bar-food menu lists suggested cocktail pairings.

Magarian believes his greatest cocktail-pairing success involved a grilled romaine salad with bacon, apple, and Roquefort vinaigrette and a sidecar made with apple brandy. "A guest said, 'Now I can't imagine having that salad without that drink,'" he says. "This is the goal of what we do." When Magarian asked a sommelier what he would've paired with that same salad, he said, "'A Riesling, because it's a little sweet,

has nice acidity, and is very fruity.' Then I said, 'That's just like my sidecar!'"

"If you take two seconds to think about what you drink instead of just grabbing what's handy, you're going to increase your enjoyment exponentially," says Karen Page, author (along with her husband, Andrew Dornenburg) of What to Drink with What You Eat (Bulfinch Press, 2006). So in deciding what drinks to serve your guests, take into account the deviled eggs you made or the oysters you shucked. "An oyster is this light, bright, briny thing and so is a Martini," says Dornenburg. "Whereas if you paired oysters with a Manhattan ... well, I have a hard time even saying that out loud."

Tips for great pairings

• Use logic

You don't have to be a master mixologist to dream up exciting pairings. "Just think about association of flavor," says Karen Page. "Olive oil in a dish might take you to lemon. If you're working with butter sauce, you might want to use vanilla." Deciding what to pair with Thanksgiving dinner? Consider a drink with cranberry.

• Compare and contrast

A cocktail can complement a dish by either matching or contrasting its flavors. "People who do barbecue pairings will often use bourbon," says Andrew Dornenburg, as the smoky flavor of the meat goes well with the smoky, woody flavor of the spirit. "If you have something something that's really hot, like a spicy tuna roll," says Ryan Magarian, "choose something with cooling flavors, like a cucumber-watermelon Mojito."

• Add herbs

Mint gives Juleps and Mojitos a delightful boost, so why stop there? "Herbs are an excellent way to bond cocktails with food," says Magarian, who uses them often to match similar flavors in a dish and to add an extra layer of complexity to his cocktails. He frequently pairs sage with tequila and gin with rosemary. Incorporating herbs into cocktails doesn't always mean muddling; sometimes just a sprig as garnish provides the aromatic touch you need.

• Enhance, don't compete

"Don't pick a cocktail that will overpower the dish," says Saunders. "For example, I wouldn't serve whiskey with raw oysters, but I would certainly serve it with our sloppy duck sandwiches." Magarian agrees: "You wouldn't have a Bordeaux with sushi, and you wouldn't have a Manhattan with sushi."

• Ease up on the alcohol

Cocktails are lower in alcohol than most people think. After a spirit is combined with citrus juice and simple syrup, then diluted from being shaken or stirred with ice, says Magarian, the resulting drink's alcohol content can be as low as, if not lower than, 20 percent, close to that of a California Zinfandel. Still, you don't want to pair a particularly alcoholic cocktail, such as an Old Fashioned, with a dish that has especially subtle flavors.

• Consider body

When pairing cocktails, pay attention not only to flavor, but also to mouthfeel. "Apple juice has a whole different body than tomato juice, which has a whole different one than seltzer," says Page. Just as you might serve Sauternes with dessert, you should consider a similarly full-bodied cocktail for the end of the meal.

• Keep an open mind

Will Goldfarb, the innovative pastry chef in New York City, is a big fan of unconventional combinations, brazenly pairing his sweets with dry red wines and making similarly counterintuitive decisions with his cocktails. For example, instead of serving very sweet cocktails with chocolate desserts, he chooses lighter, more acidic ones made from rich-flavored brown spirits, such as cognac and aged whisky. For confections that incorporate fruit, he suggests sweeter cocktails to temper their tartness. He reminds us that there are no rules and all that matters is that a pairing works.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/drinking/cocktails/foodpairings#ixzz2A18vqJhq

BBFB PREDICTS 2013 COCKTAIL TRENDS

16th October, 2012 by Becky Paskin

Big garnishes, YouTube and lively bartenders are the three drinks trends set to take off in the UK in 2013, according to Bacardi Brown-Forman (BBFB).

Big garnishes, like the one used on this Aged Pisco Punch served at London’s Nightjar, will be hot stuff in 2013

Having already predicted the rise of sharing cocktails, innovative drinking vessels and the use of Japanese drinks techniques during 2012, the drinks company has looked forward to the year ahead and chosen its top three trends to watch.

“These are the things that we think will spread through the trade over the next year,” said Ian McLaren, head of training at BBFB. “You may have seen some of these before but it’s what we think will grow in popularity.”

Big Garnish

First on the list is the extravagant, considered garnish, which although has been in circulation at high-end hotel bars for decades, is something BBFB believes will become trendy in the mainstream in 2013.

“They can be expensive and as such it is only the big hotel bars leading the trend, but they can be cost effective,” said McLaren. “Generally a good garnish costs 25% of the overall price of making a cocktail, but the flourish means you can get away with charging that little bit more. Plus a big garnish can catch people’s eye and generate drink jealousy, helping bartenders to upsell.”

He noted the garnishes created at London bars Purl and Nightjar, as well as at the Merchant Hotel in Belfast, as inspirational.

YouTube

Believing that the power of the internet should not be underestimated, McLaren suggests bartenders in the UK will get into the habit of uploading videos of themselves as promotional material for their bars.

“You are more likely now to learn from a bartender in Berlin than a bartender next door,” he said. “The Americans are very good at putting their staff on YouTube making cocktails and such, and we have to get ourselves out there too. Consumers and guests love it. If we can upload more videos, it will make a big difference to business.”

Fun

Lastly, sulky bartenders failing to engage with their guests will become a thing of the past, according to BBFB. It believes bartenders generating a fun, interactive relationship with their customers will be a hit over the next year.

“Having fun in the bar industry is not about making smutty innuendos on a cocktail list, or mucking about with your mates in the bar team. Not many people go out for a serious experience; they go out to have fun. Making your guests a part of what’s happening in your bar, and giving them an experience to remember is what will set you apart from the one next door.”

In addition, McLaren also highlighted the Martini, carbonated and bottled cocktails as additional trends to watch during 2013.

Source :-http://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2012/10/bbfb-predicts-2013-cocktail-trends/

FUTURE OF LIQUID NITROGEN COCKTAILS IS IN DOUBT

10th October, 2012 by Andy Young

The future of liquid nitrogen cocktails is in the balance following a horrific incident in Lancaster, UK.

Gaby Scanlon, 18, had her stomach removed after drinking a cocktail containing liquid nitrogen

Gaby Scanlon, 18, had to have her stomach removed after drinking a cocktail containing liquid nitrogen.

The incident has prompted many to question the future and safety of using chemical substances such as liquid nitrogen and dry ice in cocktails.

Doctor John Ashton, director of public health for Cumbria, told the Independent: “This girl is the victim of an irresponsible alcohol industry that’s now competing on gimmicks. Alcohol itself is a very dangerous thing if improperly handled and liquid nitrogen is a toxic chemical. It destroys human tissue.”

It is reported that Scanlon’s cocktail, called a Nitro Jagermeister, was prepared correctly, but Marion Beke from Nightjar told sb‘s Becky Paskin that he thinks the incident could bring change to the industry.

He said: “I think because of what’s happened to this poor girl, the law is going to change. Dry ice is very cold and can burn your stomach in the same way something hot can. I think liquid nitrogen will definitely be banned or restricted after this and dry ice could be affected too”.

The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued a warning to bars currently using or considering using liquid nitrogen to make cocktails.

It said that although the substance is not toxic, it does expose the human body to extreme cold temperatures if ingested.

Colin Houston, head of incident management, FSA, said: “There are safety and handling guidelines around the use of liquid nitrogen, especially in relation to food.

“It is the business owner’s responsibility to make sure that their staff have been trained and are aware of the potential risks of using liquid nitrogen. They also have to have appropriate safety measures in place to protect both their staff and consumers.”

He added that the FSA is working with local police and health and safety officers to encourage them to monitor the use of potentially harmful substances as part of their regular inspection regime. It is also speaking with other departments and agencies to investigate the issue and decide whether any further action is needed.

All food manufacturers, retailers and hospitality businesses in the UK are lgally obliged to ensure that all food and drink sold to the public is fit for human consumption.

Paul Aitchison, chairman of Lancaster City Council’s Licensing Act Committee, said that he was at the same bar a few months ago and tried the drink.

Mr Aitchison said: “I heard about this story this morning and I was quite shocked because I have actually tried it myself. It was quite scary to think that it could have possibly happened to me.”

http://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2012/10/future-of-liquid-nitrogen-cocktails-is-in-doubt/