Tuesday, March 12, 2019

7 Irish Beers You Should Try That Aren't Guinness

By. Zach Mack

O'Hara's Irish Craft Beers

Despite being almost intrinsically linked to beer, it’s almost tragic that Ireland isn’t better known for its burgeoning brew scene. Thanks to government-enacted legislative changes and direct government support for upstart craft brewers, the number of breweries on the Emerald Isle has skyrocketed in the past decade to over 60, and while consumption of beer overall in the country was slightly down, craft beer consumption was up 12.7%. That means a demand for Irish beers beyond the ones associated with the "perfect pour." Start with these prime Irish beers, all of which are available in the US and represent a wide array of styles that go well beyond the traditional stout or whatever dyed-green adjunct lager your favorite bar calls Irish on St. Patrick's Day.

Lough Gill Brewery

Lough Gill Round the Clock Stout

Stout, 5.2%
Sligo
Beer geeks in the Northeast are probably no stranger to Lough Gill, which has been available in the US market for close to two years. The broadly satisfying portfolio includes everything from Berliner Weisses to Irish Barleywines, and they’ve even done an “oyster gose” collab with Industrial Arts and Thin Man Brewing. But even coming from a country that is all but synonymous with stouts, they’ve managed to go above and beyond with Round the Clock, a well-balanced “breakfast stout” made with Irish oats sourced from Flavahan’s. The rich flavors of freshly brewed coffee are up front and center over the medium-full body whose creamy texture never comes close to overwhelming the palate.
O'Hara's Irish Craft Beers

Carlow Brewing O'Hara's Irish Red

Irish red ale, 4.3%
Carlow
Unlike most of the other young upstarts on this list, Carlow (better known as O’Hara’s) can actually trace its history way back to Ireland’s first craft beer boom in 1996. But even for a beer that’s been available stateside for much of its existence, there are few breweries anywhere in the world who have avoided the temptation of trend chasing as well as Carlow. Take their Irish Red, for example, a style that has been as bastardized and lost to the sands of market forces perhaps more than any other. In the hands of many, it’s an overly sweet, unbalanced toffee bomb. In the case of O’Hara’s, it is a true-to-style, honest-to-goodness take with a refreshingly light body, a caramel-kissed toasty maltiness that soothes the palate, and a crisp, smooth finish that avoids the cloying profile of other beers supposedly made in this style. You owe it to yourself to revisit this done the right way.To see the full list and continue with original article, click the link!

Monday, March 11, 2019

Corona is tapping into the non-beer drink trend with 3 tropical lime malt beverages

Corona is branching out beyond beer with a trio of tropical-flavored refreshing booze-spiked beverages.
The beer brand's first non-beer beverage, Corona Refresca, is a flavored malt beverage available in three varieties: Coconut Lime, Guava Lime and Passionfruit Lime. The Guava and Passionfruit flavored drinks will be available in six-packs ($9.99), while the Coconut Lime flavor can be found in a 12-pack ($16.99) with all three flavors.
The drinks will hit the market later this month in California, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Florida, North Carolina before going nationwide in early May.
Corona's new drinks, which weigh in at less than 199 calories per 12-ounce serving and 4.5 percent alcohol by volume, are the latest products in a trend that shows no signs of cooling off.
Sparkling, refreshing flavored beverages and seltzers are big sellers within a mixed drinks category that saw sales rise 6 percent in 2018, according to International Wine and Spirits, a research firm that tracks the industry. Those products were outperformers in an overall U.S. beer and spirits industry that faced declines for the third straight year, IWSR says.
Among the top sellers are Smirnoff Spiked Sparkling Spritzers, as well as Bud Light premium malt beverage drinks and Spiked Seltzers – just two of several beverages owned by Anheuser-Busch – and Redd's and Steel Reserve drinks (owned by MillerCoors). White Claw Hard Seltzers had triple-digit growth in 2018, IWSR says.
Overall, sales of the top 20 selling flavored malt beverages rose 11.6 percent to $2.6 billion over the 52-week period ending Jan. 27, 2019, according to IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm, which tracks retail sales at grocery stores, convenience stores, drug stores, mass market stores and other outlets.
"We know consumers are seeking an alternative malt beverage experience," said Ann Legan, vice president of brand marketing for Corona, which tested Corona Refresca with consumers. The drinks are "for multi-cultural females and males who are looking for a premium spiked refresher that delivers a taste of the tropics," she said.
Just as consumers have embraced sparkling waters as lower-sugar and lower-calorie alternatives, alcohol imbibers are also seeking healthier options with less booze, says IWSR's U.S. president Brandy Rand. "As these products are also in cans, they are portable and convenient which appeals to consumers. They also fill a gap for non-beer drinkers looking for something easy to drink," she said.

Sunday, March 10, 2019

Judge: Family that ran Hogan's Irish Bar can remove property from shuttered Cape Canaveral pub

By. Rick Neale

Image result for hogans irish pub
MELBOURNE — The family that operated Hogan's Irish Bar may soon be allowed to re-enter the pub to remove inventory, equipment and possessions — some of which were imported from Ireland.
On Feb. 19, property owner Vincent Keenan shut down the North Atlantic Avenue tavern just south of Cape Canaveral,, triggering a social media uproar. Pub founder Patrick Hogan says he was wrongfully evicted, while Keenan says he fired an under-performing employee.
Keenan has not let the Hogans return to the site since the closure. On Feb. 21, Hogan requested an emergency temporary injunction to retrieve personal property and fixtures. An agreement was struck during a Wednesday hearing at the Melbourne Courthouse.
“They can have the bar. They can have everything in the building. I want an empty building," Keenan testified on the witness stand.
“They can take the sinks. I wish they’d take everything. Let’s make it that they take everything off the property. Because I don’t want to be left with four or five dumpsters of garbage — which is what I have now," Keenan said.
"Everything off the property, except the concrete building and the air conditioners and the plumbing attached," he said.

Saturday, March 9, 2019

Sunsplash Water Park in Cape Coral reopens this weekend; now serving alcohol


Related image
On Saturday, Sunsplash Water Park reopens to the public, and a controversial change has been made that now allows visitors 21 and up to drink alcohol.
Lots of planning and training has been provided to employees to help deal with the alcohol  consumption by visitors, like how to spot any drinking that is getting out of hand. The Mayor of Cape Coral likened the training to the way employees at Disney World are trained.
Park officials say beer, wine, and smoothies will be available to guests, but there is a two drink maximum that will be heavily enforced. Despite the limits on drinks, some parents aren’t on board with the new alcohol rule.
“Absolutely not, the park is for the children, let the adults go to the bar,” said Patricia Gottschalk, who lives in Cape Coral.
But other don’t see an issue with it.
“I’m not concerned about it, the majority of parents particularly the type of people who are going to invest their time and money and take their kids to a place like Sunsplash…they’re responsible.”
Despite how some may feel about the new rule, the park plans to open on Saturday, and the new Tiki Bar will be serving drinks.
The city spent thousands on the licensing to provide alcohol to guests, but officials expect close to $90K worth of revenue to be brought in.

Friday, March 8, 2019

Florida lawmakers could let dogs in breweries, reduce limitations on distilleries

By. Ryan Gillespie

Image result for brewery images
As craft beer breweries blossom across the state, lawmakers are reviewing legislation that could open up other boozy businesses supporters say have stymied by regulations.
With the two-month legislative session underway, several pieces of legislation will be considered that could reduce regulation on craft distilleries, allow dogs inside of breweries and allow small restaurants in Kissimmee and St. Cloud to serve liquor.
The various proposals have been supported by various members of the of Central Florida delegation, including Republican Reps. Anthony Sabatini, Mike La Rosa, Josie Tomkow, as well as Democratic Sen. Linda Stewart.
Opposition to some of the legislation has come from Orlando-based ABC Fine Wines & Spirits and the Wine and Beer Distributors of Florida. But Phil McDaniel president of the Florida Craft Distillers Guild, is optimistic the industry could see a loosening of regulations.
“I think there will be some compromise,” McDaniel said.

Craft distilleries

While craft beer breweries and wineries are allowed to hold multiple licenses, allowing both to sell and serve their creations, distilleries aren’t able to hold more than one.
McDaniel said a Senate bill filed by Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg would put spirit makers on equal footing. It soared through two committees.
The bills would allow for shipping to out-of-state customers, opening up local distilleries to wider markets.
“When people come on vacation, they want to experience things that are made here…and bring them back home,” McDaniel said. “If these laws change, I think you’re going to see rapid growth.”
However, Scott Dick, a lobbyist for ABC Fine Wines & Spirits, told senators last month the organization was opposing the bill because it gave distillers the benefits that breweries and wineries receive, said allows them to distribute out of state, something distributors aren’t allowed to do.
“We look at it as a work in progress,” he said.
Scott Ashley, president of the Wine and Beer Distributors of Florida, told the Commerce and Tourism Committee his group also opposed it because distillers would compete with distributors and wouldn’t be required to maintain farmland or use mostly Florida agriculture as certified Florida Farm Wineries must.

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

3 Reasons Why Hotel Food and Beverage Is on the Rise

By. Rory Crawford

Eating is as critical to the human experience as finding a place to sleep.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with thousands of great hospitality businesses over the last few years. One shift I’ve noticed and heard from our customers time and time again, is the increasing focus on food and beverage within the U.S. hotel space—spending at hotel bars and restaurants grew 5% last year. I recently sat down with three industry leaders to get their perspective on growing trends, the history of hotel food and beverage programs in the U.S., and where they think this evolution is taking the industry.

Hotel food and beverage programs were a luxury, not a basic amenity

Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott: three massive hotel brands that historically dominated the hotel market. In the past, they were solely focused on driving revenue with their rooms. Food and beverage programs were considered an amenity, not a core competency. Lokesh Singh, who has 35+ years of experience managing food and beverage for various hotels and government agencies explains the breakdown. “40 years ago, things were very different. Food and beverage was not a revenue-producing department for brands like Sheraton. If you broke even, you were in very good shape.”
When hotels did invest in their food and beverage programs, it was often in their banquet and event catering business. Dean Wendel, Corporate Director of Food and Beverage for Concord Hospitality explained how extravagant these events really got. “Going back to the Ritz Carlton in the mid 1980’s, we had large corporations were spending a lot of money on events and conferences. There was seemingly no expense too grand to pull off an event. We were doing single events going for $100k, $200k, and more.”
The U.S. hotel industry was hit hard by the 2008 economic downturn. Between 2008 and 2009, market demand shrunk by 7.5%—a blow felt by everyone in the industry, including Wendel. “Staffing got cut and changes were made to maintain the level of profits…brands like Courtyard and other select service hotels were focused on gaining the profits from rooms. Once we hit 2008, everything kind of just fell out. We had to work twice as hard to capture the same amount of business, and you had to execute flawlessly or you would lose the business.”
Almost a decade removed, things are looking up for the hotel industry. But, with time comes changing tastes and needs. In my experience working with food and beverage directors, I’ve noticed three specific trends most of all.

Third-party management companies are here to stay

Third-party hotel management companies are here to stay. For many brands looking to reinvent themselves, hiring these companies makes sense—their approach to hoteling is holistic, creative, and can be much more dynamic than legacy hotel brands.
These management companies are also increasingly focused on upscale full-service food and beverage projects. In order to compete, these management companies are creating a unique food and beverage core competency and executing their strategy across their portfolio of hotels. That way, every patron gets the same exceptional experience across the brand, regardless of which individual location they’re visiting.

Monday, March 4, 2019

Essential Bar Management: Ordering Dynamics and Reducing Shrinkage

By Rory Crawford

Among the many challenges that go into managing a bar or restaurant is dealing with shrinkage or lost product, a huge profit drainer.  According to beverage auditing companies Beverage Metrics and Stock-Taker, industry average shrinkage rates are 25 percent, and the National Restaurant Association reports that 75 percent of shrinkage is due to theft.
While many restaurants and bars focus on inventory control systems to reduce shrinkage, reconsideration of ordering processes can be even more helpful. These simple tips will help you make smarter purchases that reduce shrinkage, and ultimately generate greater profits for your establishment.

Avoid Purchasing Based on Quantity Discounts     

We know it can be difficult to resist a good deal. And while it might seem like quantity discounts increase overall profitability due to the potential of reducing your cost per ounce, factoring estimated shrinkage into the equation will directly counteract these cost reductions.           
Let’s assume a regularly priced case of vodka costs $200 and the distributor is running a two-plus case quantity discount that grants you 10 percent off each case if you purchase two or more.
Despite only needing one case, that 10-percent discount is too tempting, so you buy two cases for $360 (Two times $200 per case – Two times $20 discount per case). Instead of spending $200, you end up spending an additional $160 and getting twice as much product.
If we assume 25 percent shrinkage, $40 (25 percent x $160) of this additional product will be lost. Since the $40 loss is equal to the total discount you received in the first place, shrinkage ends up wiping out any cost benefits of the order. Top it off with the extra space and time needed to count the additional product, and that good deal suddenly feels like a rip-off.
bar

Purchase to Reduce Sitting Inventory

Since shrinkage takes the discount out of Quantity Discounts, how can you increase profitability with smarter ordering? Focus on one key goal when making purchase decisions: reducing sitting inventory. 
If you have $40,000 in inventory and sell $10,000 of product each week, you have four week’s worth of sitting inventory on hand. By reducing your sitting inventory to $30,000, you will not only gain $10,000 back in your pocket, but you will also reduce your shrinkage by $2,500 (25 percent times $10,000). Remember that if 25 percent of any product you purchase will be lost to shrinkage, the less product you have on hand the less you lose, and therefore the greater your profits.
By only ordering product that you absolutely need, you will quickly reduce your sitting inventory levels, increase your bar’s efficiency, reduce shrinkage losses, and increase your bar’s overall profitability.