December 2020

Welcome back to the Chilled 100 Tour. Wendy is off to Tampa. 

The event was hosted by Quintessential brands, where they provided four different cocktails for the Chilled 100 to try. This included a Greenall’s Blueberry-Basil Fizz, Puttin’ on the Ritz, a Bunny in the Blue Moon, and lastly a neat pour of the Dubliner Honeycomb Whiskey.

Wendy Hodges Tampa

“I have to say what an amazing night! I met some great bartenders in the area and the drinks… Amazing! Making connections with other professional bartenders, it was worth the drive up from Naples/Ft. Myers Beach. Everyone has a passion for upping our game behind the bar and learning new techniques, it was the perfect group. I think my favorite cocktail of the evening was this made with Greenall’s Blueberry Gin. It was a perfect pairing with the sashimi. So crisp and refreshing. The Dubliner Honeycomb Whiskey was a great end to our evening,” said Susan Cousins, Tampa’s Chilled 100 member.

The featuring brands of the event were Greenall’s Gin, Greenall’s Blueberry Gin, and the Dubliner Whiskey. Taking place at the Copper Shaker in St. Petersburg, the chef, and mixologist, Juya Ebrahimi created delicious food and cocktails. They all paired perfectly with the spirits from Quintessential.

Chilled 100 member, Julia Melucci added, “I was so honored to be included in the Chilled 100 dinner for Tampa Bay! Aside from the camaraderie, I loved the way the dinner was coursed and paired. My favorite course was the Puttin’ on the Ritz cocktail with Oysters 3 Ways. Honestly, all of the cocktails were outstanding. I’m not usually a big Irish Whiskey kind of gal, but I can now say hands-down that my favorite is the Dubliner Irish Whiskey. The honey finish in that just speaks to my soul! Gatherings like this are such a good learning and growth experience for everyone in our industry. New products are introduced to the market daily and we all have specific tastes, so what better way to expand your palate than to surround yourself with like-minded industry professionals. Aside from all of the good, drinks, and fun, the highlight of my evening was learning to ballroom dance with Wendy in a dive bar while wearing our matching beanies. I look forward to every Chilled opportunity in days to come.”

Tommy Hubbard, also part of the Tampa market added, “I enjoyed the dinner because each drink paired very well with the accompanying course. The drinks progressed with the meal starting with light and refreshing with the amuse-bouche, to spirit forward with the main course and ending with a neat pour of whiskey to cap the night with dessert. The Chilled dinner was much appreciated as the Tampa Bay area expands its craft cocktail scene.”

The post Where’s Wendy? Chilled 100 Tour: Tampa appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

After spending six years serving his country as a member of the Marine Corps, Steven Huddleston was drawn into the world of hospitality while at school.

Steven Huddleston

“A career following my degree path in accounting wasn’t going to leave me happy and fulfilled,” Huddleston told us. As a natural introvert, being behind the bar encouraged him to build connections and come out of his shell in a way that no other industry could. Now he works in the food and beverage community in Charlotte, NC, consulting for brands and bringing his accounting background to the hospitality industry.

We caught up with him after he competed in the Bacardí Legacy competition to learn more about both his beautiful cocktail submission and the cause he championed while competing. “When picking a cause, I had to think about one that related to both my Legacy cocktail, Mi Mariposa, but also truly represented how Bacardí feels about family and my own personal legacy,” said Huddleston, explaining that the cocktail he created was inspired by his daughter. Due to his own history, he chose Children of Restaurant Employees, or CORE, as his cause. “CORE is an organization that truly could have helped me through the lowest moment of my life,” he added. “I want to do everything I can to support CORE and raise awareness, so no one has to feel lost.”

CORE has been in operation since 2004 and has raised more than $4 million to support families in the hospitality industry across the country. The program works by offering grants and financial assistance to the families of restaurant workers after several types of qualifying events. Expenses they can help cover include rent, utilities, medical bills and supplies, therapy, childcare expenses, and children’s needs such as diapers and formula.

What advice would Huddleston give to bartenders who are struggling? “Talk to someone! The worst thing you can do is think that you are stronger by doing it alone. Whatever your problem is I assure you that it can get better if you just talk to someone and take to time to say HELP. I was a very stubborn person who thought that I should solve my problems on my own and it took me too long to say I couldn’t do it alone and needed help.“

Huddleston added that for bartenders looking to support CORE in these unprecedented times, there are a few different ways. “Whether you are an individual monthly donor, a CORE Ambassador, or someone who refers a family for CORE support, any involvement makes a difference.” In the meantime, he ends with the note, “Support and awareness through social media support is always a great help. So, tag and share as much as possible! Social media can be tagged at #mimariposalegacy, @core_gives, @italicusrdb, @bacardiusa, @bacardi @brokenspirits.cc and @mi_mariposa2020.”

Mi Mariposa

Mi Mariposa

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Bacardi Superior
• 1/2 oz. Italicus Liqueur
• 3/4 oz. Vanilla Syrup
• 3/4 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice

Preparation: Shaken & Double Strained Into a Tall Stemmed Cocktail Coupe. Garnish with Italicus Flavored Isomalt Glass Bulb Holding Edible Flowers.

“My cocktail is themed around butterflies as my daughter always made me call her my little butterfly. I always told her that like butterflies, people always have a chance to change into something beautiful and to never count someone or something out.”
– Steven Huddleston

The post Championing CORE: Catching Up With Steven Huddleston  appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Meet Zev Glesta!

Zev is part of the Chilled 100 in New York. He was born in Brooklyn, New York but raised in Sydney, Australia until his family moved back to their homeland. He moved to Montreal to pursue a degree in Fine Arts. He found a love for cooking in Canada which resulted in him attending the Culinary Institute of America, where he received his bachelor’s degree.

Zev currently resides in the big city, where he was worked at The Modern for the past four years. He is extremely proud of the time he has worked there. Adding, “The bar team at The Modern are some of the most supportive and creative people I have had the pleasure of working with.

Zev Glesta – Chilled 100 Member, NY

What’s your go-to cocktail?

My go-to cocktail: Daiquiri. Nothing beats a cold, linear, and bright daiquiri. High acid, low sugar–wishing I was enjoying one at a bar right now!

What are your favorite cocktail trends?

My favorite trend: molecular gastronomy. This was something I learned a lot about during my time in Melbourne. The science behind syrups, Brix, aroma, distillation, etc., and the ability to modify elements to achieve a different cocktail experience has heavily influenced how I see bartending. At Dinner by Heston we had a rotary evaporator (something that is used in medicine) that we used to distill rocks and then created a mineral-driven vodka that represented the Barossa Valley.

Do you have any unique skills/what separates you from other bartenders? 

A huge skill and hobby of mine is foraging. This was something I picked up during my time at the CIA in upstate New York. I first started doing it when I found out I could sell these delicacies for money at the local restaurant and to the CIA itself, but the more I studied and went to seminars, this has become a huge part of my life. I often use these foraged goods (mushrooms, fruits, herbs, etc.) in my cocktails and food which has led to a deeper product knowledge and learning how and what to use around me.

What cocktail ingredient can you not live without? What ingredient is overrated?

My favorite cocktail ingredient: aromatic bitters. I like to think of bitters as the “salt and pepper” of cocktails. A dash or two adds depth, length and can round out any cocktail.

An overrated cocktail ingredient: flavored liquors. I think there are so many books, websites, podcasts, Instagram accounts out there that can teach you how to infuse liquor yourself. This gives you the exact control over your overall product, and the ability to create some unique and delicious things!

What’s one piece of advice you could have given yourself when you first started as a bartender?

One piece of advice: taste everything! Build your index of flavors. Learn the difference between acidities, different levels of sweet, textures, etc.

Follow Zev on Instagram at @RaisezBar

The post Chilled 100 Spotlight – Zev Glesta appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Accounts that follow the hospitality industry in some fashion saturate Instagram.

Very few sustain to the point where ten times out of ten I read the caption. Most miss the mark because they post too much, too little, are too showy or self-promotey, or have an agenda cloaked in false honesty, modesty, or excitability.

Robert Darwell posts every single day, once a day @thedailyserver. He has not missed a day, for more than seven years. That’s remarkable, in and of itself.

But @thedailyserver’s beauty lies in the fact that the account seamlessly and humbly blends Robert’s globetrotting with a genuine appreciation of the server or bartender he features on any given day. When Robert visits an establishment, he tries to find something out about the person serving him. He takes pictures, writes a biographical caption, and posts.

Because Robert spends so much time in restaurants and bars – and keeps it interesting for us – I figured he’s the ideal person to query on everything from our current state of affairs to why he does what he does.

Rocco: What prompted you to start @thedailyserver?

Robert: (In June of 2013), I had just learned about Instagram, and most people were posting photos of their food or cocktails. I wanted to do something different that featured and honored the people who worked in the service industry and brought me that food and drink.

I was a waiter at TGI Friday’s in college, and I always say that it was my best training for becoming a top entertainment lawyer. It taught me to quickly “read the room,” provide service, and take responsibility.

How many bars and restaurants do you visit in a year?

Occasionally, I post a guest photo, but nearly every photo I post is one I take and I will visit at least one (and, often more in a new city) new restaurant or bar every day of the year, so easily 350. I would say that in a typical year, I visit at least 30-40 different cities.

You were doing takeout early in the pandemic. As things reopened, you began to dine in (or outdoors) when available.

I started ordering takeout from restaurants and even bars with to-go cocktails because I wanted to support the hospitality industry (and have some great meals and drinks). From the outset, I felt pretty safe picking up from various restaurants because there were never any lines and the places had limited staff who all seemed to be following strict precautions.

As various places opened, I ate or drank outside and felt comfortable doing so where there were no crowds. I felt the same way about dining in. The first time I dined in was at a Waffle House in Tennessee. There was almost no one in the restaurant. Every other booth was closed, silverware came individually wrapped, refills came in a fresh cup, staff was very limited, the menu was disposable, and there were no condiments on the table. Early on, Waffle House seemed to have put a lot of thought into their reopening. I used that as a baseline for my visits to other places.

What has travel been like during the pandemic?

The first time I flew again – on May 2 – the plane was 80% empty. However, an irresponsible agent decided to upgrade every seat to first class and fill it to capacity even though the back of the plane was empty. I didn’t feel comfortable with that so I sat in the back and had 20 empty seats around me. By the end of May when I flew from Nashville to LA, flights were almost entirely full. Most people wore a mask and were respectful of one another. There’s no ice on the plane (and I love ice). Even in first class, just bottled wine and beer.

Favorite bars in the United States?

During the past year, I really liked a small place called Blue Quarter in New York City. It was created out of a storage room. A strip mall speakeasy, Realm of the 52 Remedies in San Diego, really stood out.

One of the places I always look forward to going to when I am in Nashville is the Rosepepper. They make their very potent margaritas based on the original Baja recipe, so they are served almost clear in color. I’ve met and connected with so many people at the bar there.

Define hospitality.

Attentiveness without being fussy or annoying. Someone who keeps my space clean/cleared and my water glass filled. I really appreciate someone who can read my mood at the moment and knows when I need something or when I want to be left alone for a while.

Best hospitality you’ve ever received.

In Paris, I went to a funky restaurant in the not so popular 18th Arrondissement called CO. The chef liked to bring his dishes out to the table. We got to talking, so on the weekend he invited me over and cooked a private meal for me. That was pretty amazing. A year or so later, he was in LA as a participant on a Netflix cooking show. He and another contestant wound up staying with me and cooking some meals at my place after they were eliminated from the competition.

What’s the “new normal” with respect to travel and hospitality?

Initially, I thought things would snap back pretty quickly given how everyone’s collective memory is pretty short term. But, as the pandemic lingers with no clear end or plan in sight, I fear that some things will be more permanently changed – fewer flights, masks as a regular part of traveling and large gatherings, reduced capacity at restaurants and bars (necessitating higher prices) and less casual lingering.

It’s hard to truly feel welcomed when you can’t see the smile on someone’s face.

The post Celebrating Hospitality Workers, Every Single Day appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Where’s Wendy is back and she’s in Palm Beach.  

Due to rain, the dinner was moved inside but they were able to enjoy an outside tasting before. The dinner took place at Crosby Kitchen in Jupiter, Florida. The night ended with a raffle and an open bar.

“It was so needed. I networked with all of the people at that dinner, met new friends and old. Appreciated the opportunity to try out a new venue I’d never been to, try new food, and of course, the vodka and tequila didn’t hurt either,” says Palm Beach Chilled 100 member, Melissa Smith.

Monkey in Paradise hosted the event and guests were able to choose between a cocktail using the vodka or one of the Blue Nectar Tequila expressions.

Angela Dugan, Chilled 100 member, added, “It was such a breath of fresh air to see industry folks that I haven’t seen, much less got to hang out within so long. We are all in the grind together, so it was so nice to connect, laugh, and share a drink together. The Monkey in Paradise Vodka and Blue Nectar Tequila are great products and brands. It was nice to hear their stories and sample the Tequila line in its entirety.

Earlier this year, the owners of Monkey in Paradise purchased the Blue Nectar Premium Tequila brand. A farm to bottle tequila from the fields of the distillery in Mexico

“It was great seeing other industry leaders all enjoying some quality cocktails, dinner and education together on a well-deserved night off while learning more about some familiar brands and not so familiar brands that we wanted to taste and learn more about after the dinner,” said Chilled 100 member, Rob Husted.

The post Where’s Wendy? Chilled 100 Tour: Palm Beach appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Thanks to the endless variety of cocktails nowadays, establishments may feel compelled to flood their menu with options.

While an abundant selection is excellent to keep things fresh and flexible, it could also result in guests ordering drinks that fail to satisfy them. The drink could be made to absolute perfection, but still, the guest’s ignorance of its components can easily overrule quality. This dilemma is evident across the industry, calling for places to come up with intuitive solutions. The goal in mind is to bridge the gap between customers and concoctions they would truly enjoy.

Pre-Pandemic Scenes at Blue Ribbon Federal Grill

Located in the heart of Wall Street, and in the shadow of the Federal Reserve, a joint called Blue Ribbon Federal Grill developed a brilliant menu, carefully detailed to make sure each guest knows precisely what’s coming their way. Chilled had the pleasure of sitting down with Sam Ehrlich, Wine Director at Blue Ribbon Restaurants, who elaborated on their approach to menu design, what influenced it, and more.

We were curious about what makes the menu at Blue Federal Grill unique. However, Sam Ehrlich pointed out that practicality reigned superior to individuality during the process of creating the menu. He stated, “Honestly, “unique” was never really our first goal. When my colleague Sean Sant Amour and I were designing the bar menu for BRFG, our primary goal was creating something fun and accessible for a clientele with which we had no previous experience. The bar program we were building was going the most ambitious and sophisticated of any of our restaurants to date at the time and we wanted to avoid certain pitfalls.”

Cocktail Collection at Blue Ribbon Federal Grill

Going into further detail on said “pitfalls,” he explained “chiefly the creation of a cocktail list that relies on a very wide selection of ingredients, quite a lot of which might be unfamiliar, without providing the guest any guidance of what to expect from a drink.” Sam and his colleagues wanted to prioritize not leaving any guest in the dust and took some pointers from other businesses they believed to be proficient in that matter. “We started first by thinking about the menus of other bars we admired that really took the time to demonstrate for their guests what drinks were about and why they were successful. Cane & Table in New Orleans and Attaboy and Blacktail here in NYC were all major influences in that they employ a really coherent graphic component in their cocktail menus.”

Blue Ribbon Federal Grill Cocktail Menu

While highlighting the part of his menu that stands out to guests, he continued to dive deeper into the inspiration of his menu. He quoted “There is no question that the centerpiece of our menu is the cocktail graph. Sean and I had both visited Cane & Table a couple of years apart and were both in total admiration for the compass that they employed in their menu, to guide customers toward the right drink. We wanted to make our own version of this and when we thought about where we were going to be stationed, nestled in the heart of Wall Street, we knew that a Profit & Loss chart was the answer. It was something that would be instantly recognizable to most of the guests coming in the door and combines a little humor with a clear statement about what to expect – whether a drink will be familiar or a little different and how strong it will feel (Low-Proof, Full-Proof or Over-Proof).” The graph does an excellent job at mapping each cocktail according to factors of strength and disposition, and the menu makes sure to list every possible ingredient found in the drinks.

After learning the backstory of the menu, we asked Sam the simple question: Just how important is menu design for a bar? He replied, “In an age when serious cocktails, made well and with high quality ingredients, are the standard rather than the exception, great design is not only essential but expected.”

Sam capped off the interview with a few helpful tips for bars/bartenders who are looking to craft a stand-out menu:

“It can be over-the-top or understated but there needs to be some intention on display.”

“Make sure that you are working with someone whom you trust and who can execute your ideas.”

“Lastly, while there are certainly bars that can pull it off (the late great Blacktail really stood out in this regard), book-length menus mostly detract from a guest’s experience. A couple of pages should be sufficient to demonstrate your selection.”

*Like many restaurants across the country, Blue Ribbon is currently closed due to Covid. However, we thought it was a great time for restaurants to consider updating their menus while there is more downtime.

The post Guiding Drinkers to Euphoria Opposed to Displeasure: Expert Weighs in on What it Takes to Craft the Ideal Cocktail Menu appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

“That customer is making me feel unsafe.”

“Our manager told me I’d lose shifts if I called out.” “Why aren’t you taking a shot with us?” “My body hurts; I wish I could take a break.” “The boss just told me a mistake I made is going to come out of my paycheck.” “I just went to the bathroom and cried.”

Mental Health in the Hospitality Industry

These are all phrases I have said or have heard in my personal experience as a hospitality worker. I sometimes find that my mental health is being beaten down from all directions throughout a shift. This led me to wonder, “Am I the only one feeling this way?” Searching through social media for mental health support and giving a brief survey to my peers about their experiences, I found out that I am, indeed, not alone. There seems to be a broad consensus that the topic of mental health has long been neglected in our field with seemingly no end in sight. So, where do we start?

Callie Stewart

I sat down with Callie Stewart, a mental health expert and a licensed Master Social Worker. She is the Director of Strategic Engagement and Partnerships at the National Organization for Victim Assistance; she is also a service industry veteran.

Many people agree that the hospitality industry is wonderful to work in because of the community it breeds. Stewart says that “the community created through the service industry can be one that is extremely welcoming and supportive.” While I feel that is 100% true, I wonder why our strong community still struggles with supporting each other regarding mental health.

So, what barriers to mental health are inherent to the service industry? To this, Stewart says that “people in the service industry are often under high amounts of stress… because of a busy night, uncertainty regarding income, having to manage antisocial behavior from customers, responding to sexual harassment, racism and homophobia, and listening to the emotional turmoil of others. In addition, part of your job is to build connections and make sure people have a good time. There is this idea that to serve is to be engaging and social, regardless of what you have going on personally. And alcohol can be an easy way to loosen up and get in the mood to put on your “server face.” Still, it also becomes a fairly normalized quick fix in the industry that isn’t always beneficial to the individual.”

With all this stress thrown at us day in and day out, we must begin to have open conversations. Stewart’s thoughts on this are that “if mental health problems aren’t addressed or communicated in a community, red flags and concerns end up being avoided, under-recognized and normalized. It is important to reflect on how we evolve our habits to belong and how we are enabling others to change or avoid issues.”

Through this writing, I hope we can all come together to start thinking about how our role in the industry enhances or inhibits the importance of mental health. The more supportive and healthier we all are the better success in work, life, and community. We are all in this together, so let’s start a conversation.

What mental health topics do you want chilled to cover?

The post Let’s Chill Out: Chilled Media Introduces Mental Health Column Led by Industry Professional and Social Work Student, Megan Marshall  appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Vodka dates back to the Middle Ages using cereal grains as its main ingredient.

Potatoes stepped in as a substitute in more recent times; fruit flavorings later on. Today, global brands experiment with various natural proteins like whey and quinoa, and explore unique filtrating – through lava rock and “black diamonds” – to produce the best neutral distillate possible.

Below are eight crystal clean, ultra-smooth vodkas from around the world combining their native water with selective distillation and a rare filtration process to produce premium liquids.

New Zealand’>s Broken Shed Vodka

Distilled from whey

Broken Shed Vodka

Sure, every story has two sides. But, does every story result in a refined, two-ingredient bottled product? Back in 2009, two American expats spewed out ideas to produce the next premium vodka – all while boozing in a broken shed near Lake Wanaka in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. Later, they hooked up with local kiwi, also master blender, Mark Simmonds. The trio spent over one year treating the filtration process; testing distillates and ten diverse water sources across the country to craft the purest recipe.

Breaking free, Broken Shed Vodka is a breakdown of distillate base, whey. Whey, or “milk honey” is a sustainable byproduct of dairy production. Sourced from grass-fed cows in New Zealand, the natural protein is essentially the watery part of milk that remains after the formation of curds. As for water, two distinct native sources are utilized in the making of Broken Shed: straight spring water from the North Island and natural, volcanic rock-filtered water from a 15,000-year-old aquifer on the South Island. Together, the two fluids create the perfect balance of mineral content resulting in a clean, confident vodka. That means, no additives or sweeteners; certified naturally gluten-free and GMO-free, too.

Tasting notes start with “sweet bread” on the nose, leading to a stoney and slight peppery palate, and end with an extremely smooth finish.

Available in 20 states at a suggested retail price of $24.99.

Iceland’s Reyka Vodka

Filtered from lava rock

Reyka Vodka

Here’s a unique vodka that embodies every characteristic of Iceland’s wellspring. Reyka Vodka represents the epic volcanoes and glaciers, vast fields of lava rock, and towering waterfalls of spring water, Iceland has to offer.

Set outside of Reykjavik, in Borgarnes, the distillery is powered by the steam from nearby hot springs. This geo-thermal energy captured from deep in the earth supplies power without adding impurities to the product, nor planet.

A rare Carter-Head Still – the first and only one of its kind used to distill vodka – is responsible for Reyka’s smooth taste. Lava rocks deploy as a natural and efficient filtration system having zero tolerance for impurities (and are conveniently located in Iceland’s many fields). Icelandic glacial spring water also adds to Reyka’s silky finish. Each and every bottle is crafted in preciously small batches to ensure highest quality possible.

Available at $22.99 via Drizly.

Italy’s Carbonadi Vodka

Filtered through “black diamonds”

Carbonadi Vodka

Enter the House of Carbonadi and meet Ricky Miller III, the charismatic, minority leader steering the luxury vodka market. Carbonadi Vodka is an ultra-premium vodka distilled at the foothills of the northern Italian Alps. The Piedmont region – known for some of Italy’s highest-quality wheat – provides nutrient-rich soil for organic wheat material and pristine Alpine water to make the mash of Carbonadi.

The ingredients are distilled five times and passed through a striking filtration process using black carbonados, or “black diamonds” – the toughest and rarest form of natural diamonds with super-absorbent properties. The extra porous attributes of carbonados extract impurities that a conventional filter cannot. A final step of micro-oxygenation creates a crystal-clear vodka of superior smoothness for sipping neat or on the rocks. An exceptionally pleasant aroma of green herbs, bay leaf and dried mint to be expected.

Available in California, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, and Florida at a suggested retail price of $69.99.

France’s FAIR. Vodka

Distilled from quinoa

FAIR. Vodka

Fair trade, demand the French; hence the finest fair trade and organic quinoa sourced from an 14,000-foot-high Altiplano plateau in South America to produce, well, vodka.

Nearly 1,200 independent farmers – all members of a Fair trade Certified co-op – supply the sustainably-harvested quinoa seeds that make up FAIR. Vodka. Quinoa is considered a superfood due to its nutritional content – first recognized by Incas over 5,000 years ago, and now by global consumers – marking FAIR. Vodka’s label gluten-free and vegan certified (avoiding animal involvement).

Along with the high-valued quinoa, FAIR. Vodka’s great flavor comes from the advanced production process – the result of a two-year joint research project between Andean farmers and French distillers of Cognac. The intricate process calls for the grains to first be brewed into beer before distillation. Later, light corn alcohol is added for smoothness. Overall, the liquid is warm and earthy, releasing nutty aromas and buttery bites.

Available globally at a suggested retail price of $30.99.

England’s Chase Original Potato Vodka

Distilled from potatoes

Chase Original Potato Vodka

Ah, “roasties” – beloved by the Brits, completely foreign to Americans. They’re just roasted potatoes that are sometimes flatten, fermented, and filtered into premium vodka.

Chase Vodka has a graceful quality tied to real British roots, exactly 250 glorious potatoes in every bottle. Three types of ‘tatoes are harvested on the Chase family farm in England’s Herefordshire county: King Edward, Lady Claire, and Lady Rosetta. The entire “field-to-bottle” process continues on-site for two weeks, before introducing a creamy yet clean vodka.

“It’s great seeing the raw materials we grow on our farm being turned into products that sit on the shelves of some of the world’s top bars,” shares Harry Chase, potato farmer and founder of Chase Vodka.

Available in select states at $38.00 via ReserveBar.

Sweden’s Råvo Vodka

Distilled from winter wheat

Råvo Vodka

RÅVO [ raw-vo ]; from the Swedish words for raw, or rå, and Vodka. In other words, simplicity in a bottle. Råvo Vodka is made from winter wheat seeds, rapidly distilled five times through stainless steel column towers lined with ceramic filters, and blended with local spring water (treated via reverse osmosis) – the purest form of vodka. The raw material is reaped from Vastergötland, famous for its endless fields of winter wheat.

Near Lidkoping, the distillery is set in a bucolic area of rural Sweden, on the edge of one of the cleanest water sources in the country. The aqua is especially high quality with what can be described as a crisp and soft character.

Råvo Vodka is chic and flawless. It has a bare and balanced body with a (marsh)mellow mouthfeel and citrus finish.

Available at $18.99 via Drizly.

Russia’s Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka

Distilled from corn and first filtered through charcoal

Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka

With a ‘World’s #1 Vodka’ title (during a devastating global pandemic), Smirnoff is hands down a common household item today. Corn-based, Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka is triple distilled and ten times filtered resulting in an 80-proof spirit bursting in fresh flavor with a dry finish.

During filtration, the liquid is pumped through columns filled with a predetermined amount of activated charcoal. It travels through at a set rate of speed to achieve a very specific amount of contact time with the charcoal – one of the best natural filters, also the first for vodka-making. By the time the vodka exits – ten hours laters – the liquid is as 100% as it can possibly become.

Both kosher certified and gluten-free boxes are checked too – in addition to a 35-plus bottle range of flavored vodkas like Vanilla and Green Apple.

Available at $13.99 via Drizly.

Japan’s Haku Vodka

Distilled from white rice and filtered through bamboo charcoal

Haku Vodka

Here’s Haku Vodka – a soft aromatic and slightly sweet rice spirit from the Suntory distillery in Japan. The name Haku means “white” in Japanese, though translates into “brilliant” too – fitting for 100% Japanese white rice turned brilliant craft vodka.

Milled and polished to perfection, white rice is esteemed for its “mild and subtly sweet flavor,” also prized as the ultimate symbol of Japan. It conveys Suntory’s commitment to working with the best and most authentic ingredients from Japan. To start, white rice is fermented with “rice koji” to create a mash, then distilled through pot stills to create a rice spirit. The neutral distillate cycles second time through two different processes to create both flavor and volume, before being blended and filtered at Suntory’s Liquor Atelier in Osaka.

Next, the bamboo charcoal filtration – a Suntory proprietary method. Clearly, the charcoal absorbs the impurities present in the distillate; though the minerals from the bamboo actually add the smooth- and mellowness. The amazing filtering ability comes from its super-porous structure: three times more porous cavities per gram than other wood charcoal. The final, artisanal product is luminous.

Available at $28.99 via Flaviar.

The post Vodka on a Global Scale appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Founded and owned by husband and wife duo Melkon Khosrovian and Litty Matthew, Greenbar Distillery is California’s first since the prohibition, and shows off the world’s largest portfolio of craft spirits.

They keep their focus on their spirits all the while erasing their carbon footprint by helping rebuild South American rainforests.

For every bottle they sell, Greenbar Distillery plants one tree. They have been able to plant over 807,000 trees to provide carbon sinks and even help for local famers in Central America.

They only use certified organic ingredients to stay eco-friendly. This prevents the destruction of clean farmland by not contributing to the addition of artificial fertilizers, synthetic pesticides, or genetically modified organisms into our world.

They also reduce pollution and waste from packaging through lightweight bottles and using waste recycled labels.

We got to hear from Litty and Melkon, and here’s what they had to say about their distillery.

“All Greenbar Distillery spirits share two qualities: a California vibe and the ability to simplify cocktails,” they say. The California vibe reflects their use of fresh, new ingredients and focus on sustainability, while the simplifying vibe evolved more gradually and in sync with the cocktail movement. They say that their distillery and “cocktailing 2.0” both began around 2004 when they realized how much people loved complex drinks, and so their aim was to create complex, rich spirits with few ingredients.

They believe that their spirits are unique because they focus on the present for inspiration, while others on the market look to the past. “We try to capture a moment, an emotion or point of view with each of our spirits based on what we experience in Los Angeles,” they explain.

Regarding sustainability, Greenbar is all about it. “On average, we generate 2.5 kilos of CO2 for every bottle we make and ship. One tree we help plant absorbs 790 kilos of CO2. Added together, this means that one bottle of Greenbar spirits produces a net negative carbon footprint -negative 787.5 kilos worth!”

After four years of being open, Litty and Melkon learned that organically grown ingredients have a cleaner and brighter flavor and decided to make the switch. Since then, they have planted over 840,000 trees and made over 14 million Americans carbon negative for a day. What inspires them is the fact that they are helping rather than hurting the Earth, and keeping our planet beautiful for future generations.

The owners of Greenbar want bartenders to know that their spirits are distilled to have complexity and depth in order to help simplify the cocktail construction. Their spirits are many great things, plus eco-friendly… “Think of the positive impact you can make on the planet… as well as your tip jar… in one shift!”

The post On Location: Greenbar Distillery in Los Angeles, California appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

As an industry, we have to get past the undeniably unprecedented nature of what happened to us.

In fact, it does little, if any, good to lament that COVID-19 and the attendant shutdowns happened to us. In an environment where government intervention is scant to non-existent to hardly effective, we have to get past the reality that we got shut down through no fault of our own and better prepare for the future.

In this article, I detail two steps every bar and restaurant in America should take immediately.

Gabriella Clare Marino

Create An Emergency Fund

It’s personal finance 101 for individuals and it should be standard fare for restaurants and bars.

In an Eater LA article, Osteria la Buca owner Stephen Sakulsky said this in reference to having to close the restaurant’s takeout business due to an employee contracting COVID-19:

We’ve had the luxury of building a rainy day fund… That’s why we do these things, so we can be prepared for this.

I’d make one adjustment to that comment. I’d replace “luxury” with “necessity” or “obligation.”

Personal finance 101 teaches individuals to become debt-free (maybe not possible for bars and restaurants) then create an emergency fund with enough cash to cover three to six months of living expenses. In the pending “new normal” there’s no reason why businesses in the hospitality industry shouldn’t follow the same principle. In fact, it’s probably critical.

If you’re an established bar or restaurant that doesn’t have an emergency fund to cover, if the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, up to a year’s worth of expenses, you need to find out how to make that happen.

Luca Bravo

In a business with huge expenses and razor thin margins, how do you accomplish this? Evaluate everything you’re doing and free up cash you can sock away.

Are you a bar with a coffee program? Do you really need that coffee program? Can you, at the very least, cut that coffee program in half?

Are you a bar that serves food? Do you really need an all-out, restaurant-style food menu? Can you serve your guests just as well with three-bite snacks (in the spirit of Death and Co.)?

Look at everything you do — current programs, expansions, labor. Decide – with raw honesty and objectivity – if you can do it more efficiently, forgo it, or cut it. Take the savings and plow it into a savings account each month until the balance equals up to (and preferably) one year of operating expenses. In other words, create a fund that will sustain your business for up to one year without revenue. In the takeout days of COVID-19, you might use this money to supplement reduced revenue.

If you’re a new restaurant, part of your path to opening and/or your pitch to investors should be that you’re simply not ready to open without an emergency fund equal to a year of expenses.

Run Leaner

Employees (myself included) know all too well that many bars and restaurants are notorious for running lean. Suddenly, this doesn’t seem like as much of a bad thing.

If we want bars and restaurants to be around for the long-term – thus increasing the chance they can provide stable employment – it’s probably better that they run lean. Post-pandemic, they need to run leaner than ever.

As an example, bars and restaurants should ask, and employees should expect to work multiple roles. The days of standing behind the bar and not moving from behind the bar for an entire shift should be over for bartenders. Bartenders should prepare to double as server/host. If a bartender takes a section, you can run with one less server on a shift.

Not only does this type of multitasking help a bar’s bottom line, it can provide a better guest experience. There’s nothing that has worked better for me as a bartender from a hospitality standpoint than taking tables. If you’re going to be a few seconds slower, you can make up for it by giving guests one-on-one attention from the person making their drinks.

This cost-savings can be temporary. But COVID-19 has made it imperative that bars and restaurants take these and other measures, but not for all of the reasons we hear listed daily amid this conversation. They need to do it to create the aforementioned emergency fund.

Without sufficient federal, state, and local support in most places, an emergency fund will prepare establishments to weather whatever the next storm is.

The post How Bars Can Better Run Their Businesses Post-Pandemic appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News