Quenching the thirst for flavor
Trends in beverages tend to mirror those in foods, which means flavor is now playing a major role on the drink menu.

by Steven Olson

Perhaps the most exciting development I have witnessed in the world of beverages over the past several years is the return to flavor.

Consumers today are looking to experiment. They want to explore. They want to learn, even if they don't want to be taught. Their choices in beverages are mirroring the trends we can track with our food menus. No longer is the consumer content with the flavorless, generic, poorly distilled well liquor. Bland, insipid house wine is not special enough. Mass-produced beers just won't cut it anymore. Now consumers want something better, something more exciting. They want more flavor.

We have emerged from the culinary doldrums of the '60s and '70s, the age of the consumer's "fear of flavor." At one time in this country, we were afraid of anything outside our limited scope of food and beverage. Pasteurized and homogenized were the buzz words of the day, and home cooks preferred canned, prepared meals and TV dinners.

Our drink choices tended to mirror those desires, and we witnessed the decline of classic cocktails, the advent of the fruit drink, and the rise of the sweet elixir. Large breweries took over where handcrafted beers once stood tall. Coca-Cola continued its climb to superstardom, and we indeed became the personification of the Pepsi Generation. Vodka ascended to the throne as the most popular spirit as we continued to seek out ways to catch a buzz without tasting the booze.

The stock market's woes of the late '80s may have actually brought forth a silver lining. Restaurants were forced to offer better values, because customers were suddenly seeking out good deals; they wanted more for their money. In addition, strict drunken-driving laws and a new national conscience, coupled with restaurant and bar liability laws and awareness, forced us into moderate drinking. Renewed concerns for our personal physical health certainly added fuel to the moderation movement.

Since the '80s, we have seen the average American drinker become more discriminating in her and his taste, and in subsequent choices of beverages. Popular slogans tossed about within our industry discuss drinking less but better: the return of the classic cocktail, the need for a premium well, customers calling for their brands by name — all solid indicators of this very fortunate and timely return to the world of flavor.

This craving for more intensity of flavor is the driving force behind virtually every consumer trend. For once, it is founded in good taste rather than adept marketing, though we must be wary of the hype more than ever.

High spirits
The perfect example, and the perfect place to start, is with the most popular spirit in America: vodka. Since 1976, vodka has been a shining example of the notorious American "fear of flavor." It still claims No. 1 status, but now as an array of "super-premium" flavored vodkas from virtually every country imaginable. Made from a grain or a vegetable you've never considered for vodka, and finished with the latest exotic water, the liquor is sold in tall grappa-esque bottles that were never meant to be placed in the well. In blind tastings, nary a one of these could touch those vodkas previously deemed super-premium, but they answer the customer's call for premiums and fit the bill for the heavily promoted "New Classic" cocktails.

A new twist on triple sec

Over 300 mixed drinks are made using triple sec, which is usually added to cocktails for flavor, not necessarily for the alcohol. Manufacturers are now offering a way to add this crucial cocktail ingredient without the alcohol. Non-alcoholic triple sec offers the same orange flavor as its alcoholic counterpart, but with a lower cost — which means bigger profits for operators. This new twist on triple sec also allows operators to use it for non-alcoholic drinks, keeping the same flavor profile as traditional triple sec. "We find that with triple sec, people are wanting the flavor profile rather than the alcohol," says Jeff Polisoto, marketing manager for foodservice at Mott's, which now offers a non-alcoholic triple sec among its Rose's line. "Plus, for operators, the profit potential on beverages is huge Ð even on non-alcoholic beverages. So with the long history and tradition of Rose's Triple Sec, we saw this as a great opportunity." Non-alcoholic triple sec provides cost-effective beverage solutions to generate higher profits, and offers opportunities to be more creative on the non-alcoholic drink menu. -C.H.

Tequila, America's fastest-growing premium spirit category, has long been dominated by anything but premium tequilas. And it's not the popularity of the margarita, America's most popular cocktail, that has fueled the surge of tequila. Instead, it is a handful of boutique, handmade tequilas and single village mescals that are the driving force. It is the desire for better taste that makes consumers crave the top quality of these outstanding agave-based spirits from Mexico. A bar without these tequilas is a bar that I will not be drinking in, and believe me, I am not alone in that conviction.

The martini, enjoying its highest level of popularity since "The Thin Man," has helped spawn a recent resurgence of perhaps the most important cocktail spirit of them all: gin. Although vodka is still the dominant force, classic gin retains its place as perhaps the finest white spirit distilled today. As a nod to the need for even more flavor, super-premium boutique gins, which claim to be softer and smoother, yet spicier and more aromatic — perfect for the mixed drink — have recently bombarded the market. While the brands you already know and love are still better in many cases, a new array of players is knocking at the door.

Here is a hot category you should be aware of: small-batch bourbons, cognacs, armagnacs, and single-malt scotches. Have you tried the super-premium blended, or even vatted malt scotches yet? Single-malt scotch motivated much of this recent movement for the quest for flavorful premium spirits, and rightfully so, but it is blended scotch that made us aware of the category, it is blended scotch that is still the base for some fine cocktails, and it is the blended scotches that have most recently answered the need for more flavor and even higher quality by introducing super-premium blends.

Have you tested the Spanish brandy market? Have you noticed that premium liqueurs are hotter than ever? Do you have the basic pedestrian grappa, or are you offering state-of-the-art Italian distillation? Have you even considered a South American aguardiente? Are you still stuck in the light and dark rum doldrums, or are you the first on your block to serve a rum to be savored in a snifter?

One of the hottest trends I see around the country is rum for after dinner. Many of us have been enjoying premium rum in this fashion for years, but I say it is the next hot trend that will take the industry by storm. Perhaps rum will even be the next tequila-type success story. If you haven't started offering rum for sipping, now is the time.

Are you using fresh juices and premium mixers in your cocktails, or are you still wielding a gun? Premium cocktails deserve premium ingredients — yes, consumers can taste the difference. Classic cocktails are indeed back, and exciting house cocktails can be just another way to put your personal stamp on your program — while adding substantially to your bottom line. Twists on the classics are recommended here; I suggest you create cocktails within your theme.

Tap into new sources of wines, beers
How is your wine-by-the-glass selection? Are you offering food-friendly options that are chosen to complement the food, or better yet to serve as a condiment with the cuisine, to enhance the dishes on your menu? Have you explored the top-quality, food-friendly options from growing regions in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Spain, Chile, Argentina, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, or lesser known areas of the U.S., France, and Italy? These are essential to your list.

Have you even begun to tap into the potential of serving sparkling wines — and the cocktails made with them — with food? Are you going to be a part of the growing movement of Americans who have discovered the many different styles of sherry, and how amazingly versatile they are with all types of food? Have you responded to the consumers' cravings for flavorful, food-friendly varietals? Not the chocolate and vanilla of merlot and chardonnay, but the exciting, fruit-forward, crisp, refreshing qualities of Riesling and Pinot Noir and other great cool-climate varietals?

Do you have handcrafted beers? From Belgium? On draught? Are you providing the option of American craft brews? Have you explored the affinities of beer with food, or tried offering tasting menus with different styles of beer matched with the food?

Take non-alcoholic drinks seriously
Do you have exciting non-alcoholic alternatives, such as cocktails, sparkling fruit juices, smoothies, natural sodas, and non-alcoholic beers, or are you content with the free refills of iced tea? One of the most common ways to lose potential sales is to offer half-hearted alternatives to alcohol. Over half (51%) of American consumers claim to be teetotalers, and yet we often overlook the revenue potential of this segment of our consumer base. If your customers want iced tea, make it special, and provide options within the category. You might be surprised how many non-drinkers would just love holding that sexy martini glass with a delicious non-alcoholic cocktail, created especially for them. It's also time to offer a greater variety of children's drinks — they deserve something more interesting than a Shirley Temple.

Speaking of tea, there is no longer an excuse for poor tea service, or for basic tea bags without an option. American consumers have a renewed desire to experience tea. There are many small tea companies that would be happy to work with your individual restaurants, and the very largest and most well-known quality tea operations offer a vast selection of delicious teas and will provide perfect displays for presentation to the guest.

Have you allowed the Starbucks revolution to pervade your menu space? There is no excuse for not offering a variety of great coffee options, and today's consumer will settle for nothing less than a premium cup of fresh-brewed Joe, the perfect crema on their espresso, or an ethereal cloud of steamed milk on their latte.

Forward-thinking pairing
Have you tried matching cocktails or spirits with food? I'm not talking bar snacks here, but actual menu items. Begin with appetizers paired with aperitif cocktails, or desserts with after-dinner spirits in a snifter. Once it catches on, which it undoubtedly will, expand your repertoire into the remaining menu items, yes, even main courses; it is a golden opportunity just waiting to be seized.

Think of it this way: No food should ever be served without an appropriate beverage, and no drink should ever be served without appropriate food. Higher levels of guest satisfaction are inevitable if the guest is offered this type of dining experience.

Follow that thought process by offering food on all beverage menus, or at least suggestions of it, and by offering appropriate libations on all food menus. You are not only providing tools for your servers, you are offering more interesting alternatives in dining, which will result in happier guests. It's a way of cross-marketing for higher profits.

A great restaurant doesn't have to boast the world's greatest list for every beverage category in the world, but a well-selected representation of each category is a good starting point. The key is to offer the options and let the consumers determine their drink of choice and the price point they are comfortable with (upselling is long since dead, but creative check-building is an art form).

We already know that our customers are stepping up and seeking alternatives. They may be consuming a bit less, but they're certainly willing to pay more for quality. Empower your service team with appropriate training so they can empower these guests. Think options, alternatives, education, tools, upgrade — but most of all, think flavor.