Official 'Game of Thrones' wine collection just in time for Season 8!

Celebrated winemaker Bob Cabral said that if he ever crafts another "Game of Thrones" wine, he would aim for one that would represent the entirety of Westeros.

As Tyrion Lannister matter-of-factly tells Jon Snow, “Everything is better with wine in the belly.” And as it turns out, the folks behind HBO's “Game of Thrones” believe that principle extends to the show itself, too.

Thanks to acclaimed winemaker Bob Cabral, fans can now enjoy sipping official wines that embody the spirit of the series and its characters, imbibing fine wines just as their favorite characters often do on-screen. 

HBO first teamed up with Vintage Wine Estates (VWE) and Cabral in 2017 to create a set of wines for its blockbuster show. That selection included a Chardonnay, a Cabernet Sauvignon, a red blend and later a Pinot Noir, which was added to the collection in 2018.

“Vintage Wine Estates & I presented a couple of initial wine blends to HBO to facilitate the discussions of collaborating on this project,” Cabral tells Fox News. “Once they met us all face-to-face and we tasted the blends, the deal was pretty much set. HBO and the winemakers at VWE, that I work directly with, have been a dream to work with.”

Continue Below

Posted By: Jules ScullyContinue below

Craft Brew Alliance (CBA), through its pH Experiment business unit, has announced the launch of a new line of low-alcohol, low-calorie seltzers.

Called Pacer Low Proof Seltzer, the range will be available in the US as of July in three flavours: blood orange, meyer lemon and lavender, and melon and mint. With an ABV of 2%, each beverage is gluten-free and contains fewer than 50 calories.

The beverages are the latest innovation to come from CBA’s pH Experiment, which was launched last year and is focused on creating, incubating and accelerating new products that put drinkers’ needs first.

pH Experiment general manager Karmen Olson said: “We already knew moderation was becoming more important to drinkers. What we understood more fully after last year’s research was that moderation means different things to different people in different occasions.

“We heard from many drinkers who said they wanted something that would help them pace themselves to stay in control. With seltzers growing triple digits but available only in non-alcohol or 5% ABV, we saw an opportunity to create a low-proof offering that would allow drinkers to moderate at their own pace.”

Pacer will be available in two pack sizes: a variety 12-pack and a blood orange six-pack.

Last month, pH Experiment released Pre Aperitivo Spritz, which is described as “a distinctively dry botanical bubbly inspired by the classic Italian cocktail”.

Post-Workout Beer Is Now Officially a Thing

By. Phil Galewitz

MARATHON BREWING JOINS A GROWING NUMBER OF BREWERIES MAKING LOWER CARB BEER TO DRINK WHEN YOU’VE RUN ON EMPTY.

photo courtesy Jamie Taylor

When I received my first bottle of 26.2 Brew last month from Marathon Brewing Co., a subsidiary of Boston Beer Co. (owner of 2019 NY International Beer Competition double gold medal winner Samuel Adams), I knew I couldn’t just pull it out of the refrigerator, plop on the couch next to my pups and enjoy like any other beer.

I had to earn it.

This isn’t just any beer: it’s beer inspired by the Boston Marathon and geared to help runners and others who deserve a drinkable beer for their hard exercise. Some runners might even call it a “recovery beer”—not to recover from a night out partying on the town, but from an hour or two or exercise.

As such, I went out for a run around the spacious Washington D.C. National Mall (think Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument) near where I work. While 26.2 Brew is named after the official marathon distance, I opted for a 5-mile run that late winter day. It was a good brisk workout in near 50 degree temperature that still had me sweating when completed.

Rather than just reaching for the water cooler when I got back to my office or a bottle of Gatorade, I poured some 26.2 Brew into a glass. The golden hazy ale has just 9 grams of carbohydrates and only 120 calories so it’s a light beer for sure. But its no Miller or Bud Light. Made with Himalayan sea salt and coriander, the beer had some subtle flavors to match.

I’m not saying you could drink 26.2 Brew like water, but it did go down easy and was light enough to easily quench my thirst and then some. I could easily finish a bottle or two as just reward for sweat-filled workout, but without feeling guilty that I was gaining back all the calories I had just burned off.

The 26.2 Brew was released to store shelves nationally the first week in March, and is a new take on a Boston Beer (Sam Adams) ale brewed just for finishers of the Boston Marathon since 2012 and a select few other marathons.  After all, we’re in running season now in the US, and runners can expect to see many local races of all distances in the months ahead.

FEWER CARBS AND CALORIES SHOULDN’T SACRIFICE FLAVOR AND SATISFACTION

Jamie Dowd, Carrie Browne, Jamie Taylor and Beth Mourelatos with 26.2 Brew after running in the Marathon of the Treasure Coast in Stuart, Fl., photo courtesy Jamie Taylor

 The beer was developed by Shelley Smith, a brewer from Boston Beer, marathon runner and triathlon finisher, to provide “purpose and balance for drinkers seeking more.” She says, “As someone who loves beer and running, having the opportunity to brew a beer that helps runners celebrate their hard work was a passion project for me.” Smith is also an advanced Cicerone and manager of research and product Innovation at Boston Beer. "Understanding what is important to runners is what made brewing this beer different from what is currently available. While most brewers are stripping flavor to hit a certain calorie mark, we focused on brewing a beer that not only fits what runners were looking for, but also delivered a great taste." As she developed the recipe, Smith invited other runners—including her brewery teammates as well as Boston Marathon champions Meb Keflezighi and Desiree Linden—to gain insight into what drinkers and athletes want in a beer.Continue below

How to Run a Successful Bar

Whether you manage a pub or nightclub, the challenges of running a successful bar go far beyond just keeping customers' glasses full. You need to ensure that you're well stocked, serving tasty drinks, creating events to excite potential customers, and protecting yourself from any potential liabilities. While managing a bar may be difficult, we broke it down into 8 simple steps to help you make a profit from your bar business. 

8 Steps to Run a Bar Successfully

Whether you own a bar and want to improve your profits or you're considering starting a new business, following these 8 steps to learn how to run a bar.

1. Keep Your Bar Stocked

Keeping your bar stocked goes far beyond just filling your back bar cooler or refrigerator with beer, liquor, and wine. You will want to track what drinks your customers are drinking and which types of alcohol you're using more often than others. This will allow you to adjust your orders, so you spend less money on alcohol that's less popular while keeping your bar filled with the popular items.

Essential Items Every Bar Needs

Stocking your bar or nightclub is also more than just the liquor and beer itself. Here's a list of things that you should always have on hand in your bar: 

• Bar napkins
• Straws and stirrers
• Glassware
• Mixing glasses
• Cocktail shakers and strainers
• Liquor pourers
• Cocktail mixes
• Garnishes

2. Measure Your Liquor to Reduce Overpouring

While an extra-strong drink may not seem like an issue, consistently overpouring drinks can end up costing your bar hundreds of thousands of dollars in the long run. 

Fortunately, there are ways that you can measure your pouring and prevent waste in your bar. Here are a few examples of how your bar can prevent overpouring and waste:

• Use measured pourers. Measured liquor pourers make it easy to approximate portions and help prevent spillage to eliminate the risk of wasted product.
• Teach bartenders to use jiggers when crafting cocktails.Using jiggers when crafting cocktails not only prevents overpouring, it also ensures that your customers get a consistent drink each time. 
• Choose the right glassware. Using the right glassware can also help reduce your liquor costs. Heavy-base glasses have a thicker bottom, so you don't have to use as much liquid to fill them as standard glassware, which will result in savings over time.

These bar managing tips can not only help you reduce waste in your bar, but they can also ensure consistency, which is key for keeping your customers happy and coming back to your bar.To read the complete article click the link below

7 states that have strict laws about how and when you can drink alcohol

By. Ann Schmidt

To read the full article, click the link below

• The United States has a long history of regulating alcohol consumption, from Prohibition in the early 20thcentury, to the Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984.
• The Drinking Age Act essentially required all states to mandate a 21-year-old drinking age or lose federal funding for state highways and by 1988, all 50 states complied.
• Despite the mandatory minimum drinking age, states still have their own interesting laws about alcohol and some states are actually strict about it.

The United States has a long history of regulating alcohol consumption. 

In 1919, the ratification of the 18th Constitutional Amendment banned alcohol across the country. It wasn't until 1933 when Prohibition was repealed by the ratification of the 21 st Amendment. 

Before 1984, each state could set its own minimum age requirement for drinking. But then Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which said states had to comply with a minimum drinking age of 21. States were compelled to comply, as the federal government would withhold federal funding for state highways if they did not. By 1988, all 50 states had complied. 

Despite the uniform drinking age across the country, each state still has its own unique liquor laws, including where you can buy alcohol and what times you're allowed to buy it. Many states have time restrictions on Sundays and restrictions on obtaining alcohol licenses. 

Scroll down to find out which states have some strict liquor laws. 

New Jersey only allows two liquor licenses per chain store.

Attaining a license to sell alcohol in New Jersey is no easy feat.

 Shutterstock

Chain stores in New Jersey can only obtain two liquor licenses throughout the whole state, so even though beer and wine can be sold in grocery stores in New Jersey, it's not as common because of the license limit. 

The number of liquor licenses is also limited by population, so a municipality can give out one consumption license (for restaurants and bars) for every 3,000 people and one distribution license (for liquor stores and other off-premises stores) for every 7,500 people. 

This law makes it so attaining a license in New Jersey is incredibly expensive; One license even reportedly sold for $1.6 million.

How to Set Drink Prices In Your Bar or Restaurant

Choosing bar drink prices can be a tricky aspect of running a bar. Too expensive, and you drive away customers. Too cheap, and you won't be in business for much longer. One of the most important aspects of a restaurant, and especially a bar, is to create a profitable and manageable list of cocktails. There are many variables that each business needs to take into consideration when figuring out how to price drinks, like rent and overhead, but there are also a few industry standards that we'll highlight to help you properly price drinks for your bar or restaurant.

Establish Drink and Cocktail Prices

When taking into consideration how many different types and brands of liquors are used, it can seem quite overwhelming to begin setting a standard for your pricing. Fortunately, it's just simple math that will be applied across your entire drinks menu.

How to Price Bar Drinks

You can follow these steps to help you estimate the price of the drinks at your establishment.

1. Calculate the liquor cost. You can use the following formula to help get to this number: Bottle Price / Ounces in Bottle = Liquor Cost per Ounce
2. Calculate the pour cost or beverage cost. You can use the following formula to help get to this number: Cost to Make the Drink / Price You Sell It for = Pour Cost
   • Most locations will set the pour cost at 20% to 25%, while others will use 22% for wine, 20% for beer, and 14% for liquor. You can adjust the percentage to what works best for your establishment.
3. Calculate the drink price. You can use the following formula to help get to this number: Liquor Cost / Pour Cost in Decimals = Drink Price
4. Factor in the garnish prices. You can do this similarly to how you calculate the liquor cost and price out each individual ingredient, or set a flat rate that is added on to the drink price.
5. Factor in the shrinkage variance. Most bars will add in an additional fee of approximately 20% to cover the cost of lost product due to expiration or damage.
6. Round to the nearest quarter. The number you get after you complete your calculations may not be a well-rounded number. To make the price more visually appealing, round to the nearest quarter to create a cleaner drink menu.
7. Evaluate and adjust. The prices you come to may not always be the most cost-effective price for your demographic. Make adjustments and track the impact it has on your clientele to find the best menu pricing for your establishment to be profitable.

Drink Cost Breakdown in Practice

We’ll walk through the pricing breakdown of a basic drink to provide a visual of the calculation above. To start, we’ll say that a 25-ounce bottle of liquor costs $22.

• Liquor cost: $22 purchase cost / 25 oz. per bottle = $0.88 per ounce
• Pour Cost: We’ll use 20% as a standard.
• Drink Cost: $0.88 liquor cost / .2 pour cost = $4.40
• Garnish Cost: We’ll use a flat rate of $0.50. The drink total is currently $4.90 with the drink cost and garnish cost combined.
• Shrinkage Cost: Using the shrinkage rate of 20%, you’ll want to multiply the drink total by .2 and add that amount to the price.
  • $4.90 drink total x .2 shrinkage = $0.98 shrinkage cost
  • $4.90 drink total + $0.98 shrinkage cost = $5.88 new drink total
• Round to the Quarter: The final drink price is $6.00.

Understanding that most drinks do not consist of just one type of liquor or ingredient, you’ll want to price out your ingredients the same way you calculated the liquor cost and add them all together. Multiply the liquor cost accordingly to how many ounces of that particular liquor you used in the cocktail. You would then use that recipe total in place of the liquor cost during the drink cost step.

Four-Tier Liquor Pricing

Liquor pricing will usually fall into a four-tier organizational system that can help you adjust your pour cost according to the liquor quality.

• Well: These brands will usually sit in the well behind the bar. Well drinks are made with the cheapest liquors in your establishment and usually mixed with multiple liquors and drink mixes. They will have the highest pour cost, set at approximately 30%.
• Call: These brands are the most popular brands in your establishment and are usually located directly behind the bartender. Customer can usually call them by name when asking for a drink. They will have a pour cost set at approximately 25%.
• Premium: These brands will usually be located on the lowest shelf behind the bar and will be the highest quality certain brands have to offer. They will have a pour cost set at approximately 20%.
• Super-Premium: These brands are considered to be top-shelf bottles and will be the highest quality liquors in your establishment. They are generally liquors that have been aged and distilled. They will have the lowest pour cost, set at approximately 15%.

Organizing your bottle brands into these four categories can provide a quick reference system when setting drink prices. 

Creating Standard Recipes

Establishing standard recipes for each drink is important to ensure consistency and quality. If each bartender makes cocktails a different way, your customers aren't only receiving different types of margaritas, but your effort to price the beverage is essentially useless.

When standardizing recipes it's also important to stress the necessity of avoiding over-pouring to your bartenders. Over-pouring costs bars thousands of dollars per year, but you can help prevent that by adding measured pourers behind the bar.

For full article click the link below

TOP Bar Trends for 2019

Posted in: Foodservice Trends | Bars & Breweries | By Michale FergusonClick For The Full Article

In 2019, it's anticipated that many people will choose to save money by drinking at home instead of going out to bars. When they do go out, customers will be expecting craft drinks made with unique ingredients, complex flavors, and visual appeal. Today’s digitally savvy customers have more choices than ever before when it comes to where they will spend their disposable income, so they’ll be looking for a special experience that can’t be found at the typical watering hole or local dive. Paying attention to new techniques and trends will help bar owners and managers to create an interesting and fresh bar experience for their guests. We’ve identified some emerging trends that will help you to retain your customer base and attract new business in the new year. 

Bartending Competitions

Over the years, the role of the bartender has evolved into a position that garners much more respect and prestige than in the past. The primary responsibility of serving drinks remains the same, but bartenders are expected to create a spectacle through the use of flashy preparation, creative garnishes, and their own innovative cocktail recipes. The rise of bartender competitions gives the bartending community a place to show off their skills, gain the recognition of their peers, and compete for a cash prize. Winning a competition can help put a bartender, or the bar where they work, in the spotlight. Think about entering your bar staff in one of these upcoming competitions to gain some acclaim for your bar: 

• Heaven Hill Brands Bartender of the Year
• Bombay Sapphire Most Imaginative Bartender Competition
• The Diageo Reserve World Class Bartender of the Year 
• Jameson Black Barrel Neighborhood Bartender Competition

Japanese Whisky

Appreciation for Japanese whisky has been on the rise since 2014, when Yamazaki’s 2013 Single Malt Sherry Cask was named the best whisky in the world by critic Jim Murray. Modeled after the Scotch tradition of whisky production, Japanese whisky is distilled twice before being wood-aged. Also like Scotch whisky, it’s spelled without an “e”. A notable difference between Japanese whisky and American whiskey is an emphasis on improvement versus consistency. No two bottles of Japanese whisky will taste the same as distillers seek to refine each batch. It’s also not widely available in the US, which adds to its mystique. Try serving Japanese whisky with artful presentation to showcase this meticulously-made spirit. 

Butterfly Pea Flower Tea

Mixologists are using a secret ingredient to create visually stunning cocktails that change color with a swirl of your straw. The butterfly pea flower has been used to make herbal teas in Asia for centuries and is now gaining fame as a cocktail ingredient. When first brewed, the tea is a deep, striking blue color that is worthy of attention on its own. But when the pH of the water is adjusted, the color will change from blue to purple to pink. Adding a lemon slice as a garnish allows guests to add their own lemon juice, creating an interactive color-changing experience. Another method is to freeze the tea into ice cubes and add them to drinks, causing swirling color changes as the cubes melt. 

Wellness

Health-consciousness has found its way into the alcohol industry, leading to a demand for cocktails and spirits containing ingredients that we associate with wellness. Superfoods, medicinal herbs, teas, and cold-pressed juices are being used to create cocktails that could double as health tonics. The anti-inflammatory spice turmeric is emerging as a popular ingredient, as well as herbs like thyme and tarragon. Customers want the best of both worlds; they want to wind down with a hand-crafted cocktail and still feel like they are doing something good for their body.

Mocktails

One of the biggest and most surprising trends for 2019 is non-alcoholic cocktails. The craze began with low ABV drinks and has now evolved to 100% virgin cocktails that are as finely-crafted as the alcoholic kind. The growing demand for no-proof drinks is being attributed to a couple different factors. Consumer awareness of cocktails has changed from the basic mixed drink to an intricate and meticulously-crafted production. Non-drinkers want to get in on this experience too. They want to socialize with their friends in a bar environment and enjoy a carefully prepared drink with complex flavors. A second factor is the emergence of non-alcoholic distilled spirits like Seedlip, a no-proof beverage similar to gin. With high-quality ingredients like this, bartenders are able to make creative, delicious virgin cocktails that vastly overshadow the humble Shirley Temple. 

Mezcal

The Mexican spirit mezcal has been growing in popularity and is poised to become one of the best-selling spirits in the upcoming year. Thanks to its smoky flavor profile, it’s a bartender favorite when it comes to making unique cocktails. Like tequila, mezcal is made from harvesting the heart of a mature agave plant. In tequila production, the heart is steamed in an oven. To make mezcal, the heart is cooked in an earthen pit filled with wood and charcoal, which creates the popular smoky flavor. Adding a mezcal cocktail to your drink list will definitely draw some attention in 2019. 

Brut IPAs

As far as craft beer is concerned, IPAs are predicted to remain the most popular beer style in 2019. Brewers are always looking for ways to improve upon their recipes and the creation of a new type of IPA is currently causing a lot of excitement in the beer world. Kim Sturdavant, brewmaster at the Social Kitchen & Brewery in San Francisco, was experimenting with removing residual sugars from a traditional IPA earlier this year. The result is a hoppy, aromatic beer that's light in texture and uniquely bone dry, like champagne, which he aptly named the Brut IPA. Breweries all over the country are now experimenting with this style and it’s worth consideration when you create your tap list. 

Bars Inside Bars

The speakeasy fad that’s been going strong for several years is evolving into something a little less gimmicky. Instead of a secret bar with a hidden entrance, you can now find small, intimate bars placed inside of larger, busier bars. While the main bar serves customers en masse, those who are seeking a less-lively crowd can retreat to a quieter bar and order their favorite cocktails from a more detailed menu.

Sustainability

Today’s consumers not only care about their own health, they also care about the well-being of the planet. 2019 is poised to be the year of sustainability and cocktails are included in that trend. A sustainable cocktail is made with locally-sourced, organic ingredients that have a minimal effect on the environment. Going a step further, using ingredients that would otherwise end up in a landfill, like fruit peels and skins, helps to support a zero-waste policy. Aquafaba, the leftover liquid from canned chickpeas, is in great supply in commercial kitchens and can be used in place of egg whites to make frothy, creamy drinks. Make sure to highlight sustainable ingredients in your cocktail descriptions and stock your bar with locally made spirits. 

We’re at a point in time where consumers demand the very best products and service in return for their hard-earned money. This has created a competitive market that demands innovation and creativity. It’s not enough to slide by with a basic cocktail menu and the same list of spirits you’ve had for years. Try incorporating some of our predicted trends to build excitement around your drink list and to keep your bar environment fresh and contemporary.