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6 Beverage News 20 Recipes36 New Products 38 Last Call

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SUMMER 2019 • VOLUME 20 NO1

13 The Best in Beer

17 Long May They Rule!Burgers and fries forever.

23 Raising SpiritsTaking drinks from the expected to the extraordinary comes from the right cocktail mixes and supplies.

27 Shake it UpWith an expanded definition of what constitutes vodka in Canada, the already strong spirit is sure to see more and more entries.

31 Easy PickingsCreating a popular appetizer menu is simple and affordable.

33 Building a BrandCustomized training paves the way for increased profitability and customer loyalty.

8 Sample StyleVariety is key for Taste Restaurant Groupcover photography courtesy Chad Reynolds, The Golden Media Company

On Cover…8

23

The Canadian government has at last introduced legislation to remove the federal require-ment that alcohol moving from one province to another go through a provincial liquorauthority. The only remaining barriers now fall under provincial and territorial jurisdictionand can only be removed by the provinces and territories. Currently, the provinces haveliquor monopolies and strict limits on the amount of alcohol that can be brought acrossprovincial borders which gives significant market advantages to domestic businesses, mak-ing the market less competitive and attractive for distillers outside the province and country.Canadian wineries, breweries, distilleries and other alcohol producers directly employ about20,000 people, while alcohol manufacturing sales exceeded $8 billion last year, including exports of almost $1 billion.

So, the recent move by the Federal government is welcome news but, as Restaurants Canada put it, only “a firststep”. The Canadian Vintners Association also welcomed the government’s commitment by saying it was a major stepforward to create jobs and generate more prosperity for Canadians.

But getting the provinces and territories to reach interprovincial alcohol trade agreements will be tough. At the FirstMinister’s conference in December of last year, First Ministers did agree on the importance of strengthening tradebetween provinces and territories in order to foster economic growth and improve the everyday lives of Canadians.It was agreed to accelerate work to address these issues. “Interprovincial winery-to-consumer delivery is somethingnine out of 10 Canadians believe should be permitted, and the proposed consultations cannot happen fast enoughfor the 700 grape wineries across Canada who eagerly await the opportunity to make this choice fully available toCanadians,” says the Vintners Association.

The argument in favour is that these antiquated interprovincial trade barriers prevent Canada’s world class wine,beer and spirit producers from selling to most Canadian consumers, who desire choice, and are ultimately harmfulto the industry by discouraging expansion. Research conducted by the Senate of Canada suggests internal tradeconstraints cost the Canadian economy as much as $130 billion a year. The current barriers affect small- and medium-sized businesses particularly hard. Canada’s global competitiveness depends on the success of domestic businesses.It is often said, in fact, that while we are busy pursuing international free trade deals, we cannot even trade freely onhome soil — which appears ridiculous. Increasing trade is good for both consumers and business.

Of course, every jurisdiction jealously guards their market. But even major chambers of commerce under theumbrella of the Canadian Global Cities Council, see the urgency ofremoving barriers to trade, proposing last year that provinces makean “icebreaker” deal on interprovincial alcohol trade.

We just need to make it happen! Frank Yeo, Publisher & Editor(204) 954-2085e-mail: [email protected]

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33

beverage news

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Volcan De Mi Tierra Awarded 8Medals of Distinction in 2019

Volcan de mi Tierra has accepted eight medals of excel-lence during a competitive circuit of spirit awards in 2019. Anemergent luxury spirit brand conceived in May 2017, Volcande mi Tierra was distinguished this year for its two premierexpressions, Blanco and Cristalino, at New York InternationalSpirits Competition, The International Review of Spirits, SanFrancisco World Spirits Competition, and the World TequilaAwards. Continuing to cultivate quality with its product andbrand, Volcan de mi Tierra progresses on the recognition andnumerous gold medals acquired in its first year.

Dixie Black Pepper Named ‘Best Flavored Vodka’ Established in 2000, The San Francisco World Spirits Competition is among the most

respected international spirits competitions, and is the largest event of its kind in the U.S. Thisyear, 2,260 spirits competed. Of these, there were 46 flavoured vodka entries, in whichDixie Black Pepper won one of only two Double Golds awarded and walked away withhonors for “Best Flavored Vodka,” beating out brands including Deep Eddy, Hangar One,Smirnoff, Cîroc and Absolut.

Dixie Black Pepper is created by steeping Szechuan black peppercorns in the brand’s coreDixie Southern Vodka for one week and then with locally sourced serrano peppers for anotherweek. The result is a balanced pepper vodka with a clear color and aromas of char-roastedand marinated green and chili peppers; it is considered the “go to” vodka for Bloody Marysacross the Southeast.

Global Record BreakingE.L.E.V.A.T.U.M. Voyages to the40th International Festival deJazz de Montreal

Curators of the Curious, we call upon thee! The astound-ing spectacle that is the Hendrick’s Gin E.L.E.V.A.T.U.M.reappeared this June at the 40th edition of the InternationalFestival de Jazz de Montreal, inviting the Curious to foray intothe wonderfully unusual world of Hendrick’s Gin.

“We are positively delighted to return for a second yearand share our world of whimsy at the 40th anniversary of theFestival International de Jazz de Montreal,” comments JessicaMieczkowska, Canadian brand manager, Hendrick’s Gin.“Hendrick’s Gin E.L.E.V.A.T.U.M. aims to elevate the jazzfestival’s auditory experience with an enchanting symphonyof ocular wonderment marrying sound with spectacle, jazzwith gin, and soar with score.”

BOAR Ginis the World’sRecord Award-Winning Gin

The story of a small family dis-tillery in the Black Forest soundslike a fairy-tale: the finest spiritshave been produced by hand ina small valley here since 1844.Now, their gin is drawing greatattention worldwide.

BOAR Gin from the BlackForest is being awarded goldmedals in renowned completionsaround theworld. TheD e u t s c h eL a n d w i r t -s c h a f t s -Gesellschaft(DLG) [Ger-man Agricul-tural Society]awarded itthe gold andcer t i f ied i tas being thebest gin inGermany. Atthe Global Spirit Awards in LasVegas, BOAR Gin was chosenas the best gin and the bestclear spirit in the world. In NewYork, the BOAR distillery wasonly recently chosen as the “Dis-tillery of the Year”.

The traditional disti l lery isbreaking new ground in the pro-duction of fine distillates in termsof flavour and quality. It refinesand harmonises its BOAR Ginwith mountain spring water richin minerals and the rare BlackForest truffle. This worldwideunique production process con-fers this London Dry Gin a mildand complex flavour profile.

Sproutly Announces Joint Venture withMoosehead Breweries to Launch Cannabis-Infused Beverages in Canada

Sproutly Canada, Inc. and OCC Holdings Ltd., an affiliate of MooseheadBreweries Limited have entered into a definitive agreement to form an exclusivejoint venture to develop, produce, and market non-alcoholic cannabis-infusedbeverages in Canada using Sproutly’s proprietary, naturally produced watersoluble cannabinoids known as ‘Infuz2O’. Both companies will bring theirrespective strengths to the joint venture to develop a line of great tasting cannabisbeverages featuring a rapid onset and offset effect unique to the category.

Ampersand Distilling Co. Celebrates Award Win andNew Organic Vermouth Release

For the fourth consecutive year, Ampersand Distilling Co.has received the award for Audience Favourite Vodka at BCDistilled, the province’s premier artisan distillery festival. Afteryears of industry and public acclaim for their sought-aftervodka and gin, the family-owned distillery prepares toexpand the brand further with a 2019 release of ImperativeDry Vermouth next month. Based in the Cowichan Valley,Ampersand Distilling Co. was founded by the Schacht familyin 2014. With a family background in engineering, theSchacht’s created Ampersand Distilling Co. to combine theirscientific knowledge with traditional distilling techniques andorganic farming to produce handcrafted small-batch spirits

In May, the company is excited to release its 2019 Imperative Dry Vermouth in collaboration withRathjen Cellars. An exclusive B.C. dry vermouth, this year’s release is made with organically harvestedOrtega and Petite Milo grapes grown on the Saanich Peninsula; wormwood harvested fromAmpersand’s very own five-acre farm; as well as other organic and wild harvested botanicals.

Botanist Bar ofCanada’s FairmontPacific Rim Crowned2019 ‘BOLS AROUNDTHE WORLD’, World’sBest Bar Team

Botanist Bar at Fairmont Pacific Rim hasbeen named Lucas Bols ‘BOLS AROUNDTHE WORLD’, World’s Best Bar Team. Asone of six bar teams in the world compet-ing for the global title and a trip to a city oftheir choice, this is the first time this competi-tion shifted from individual to team submis-sion in celebration of its 10th year.

At the global finals held in the BolsHeadquarter city of Amsterdam, teamswere challenged to design a cocktailinspired by a Dutch master painting that iscurrently on display at the iconic Rijksmuse-um. Botanist Bar was given a Liotard paint-ing, a still picture of a Dutch girl at Break-fast painted by Swiss artist Jean-Etienne Lio-tard in 1756. The Botanist Bar team recre-ated a still mannequin scene inspired by thepainting by dressing up bartender MaxCurzon-Price, accompanied by a clarifiedmilk punch designed a la minute, a boldand complex risk for a timed challenge.

To round out the finale, each team re-creat-ed their home bar experience as a ‘pop up’on Reguliersdwarsstraat, a popular street inCentral Amsterdam known for great bars andrestaurants. The team served up their cocktailcreation, Into the Æther; a show-stoppingfloating libation inspired by the fifth element ofspirit, featuring Bols Genever as its base,combined with white tea, elemental ver-mouth, forest herbs and seawater to empha-size bold and surprising flavours.

The final competition was judged by ajury of international industry icons thatinclude Ryan Chetiyawardana, World’sBes t Bar tender 2015 and owner ofWorld’s Best Bar 2018, Dandelyan, Lon-don, Boudewjin Mesritz & Lydia Soeda-di, founders and owners of Tales & Spiritsand The Jitterbug Saloon, Amsterdam,Steve Schneider, partner and head bar-tender of Employees Only (NYC & Singa-pore) and led by Ivar de Lange, the BolsMaster Bartender.

Renshaw Named U.S. Bartender of the YearKatie Renshaw of Chicago, IL was named the 2019 U.S. Bartender of the

Year at the United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG) World Class FinalsSponsored by Diageo. The national finals, which brought together 15 finalistsfrom around the country for an intensive two-day, five-part challenge, culminatedat the brand new, soon-to-open Bulleit Distilling Co. Visitor Experience on theKentucky Bourbon Trail, in Shelbyville, KY.

Renshaw’s flawless attention to detail and outside-the-box thinking immediate-ly caught the eye of the judges’ table leading her to win the Bulleit Final FrontierChallenge, awarded to a finalist who mastered the art of the cultural frontierthat the Bulleit brand aligns itself with, as well as the national title. Renshaw willrepresent the U.S. in Glasgow, Scotland this September for the Global WorldClass Finals and to compete for the esteemed 2019 Bartender of the Year title. Inaddition to the prestigious national title, Renshaw will also collaborate with

the Bulleit Distilling Co. bar manager to create the first signature cocktail menu for visitors to enjoy apremium and innovative experience at the new Bulleit Distilling Co. cocktail bar.

Dublin Calling Opens in Calgary Leading hospitality and entertainment company, The MRG Group has

announced their newest venture in Calgary, Dublin Calling, the city’snewest go-to destination for pub grub, pool, ping pong, skee ball anddarts. Looking for a patio to sit back and have a cold one? They haveone too. This twist on an Irish Party Pub is located at 1637 37th St SWand is The MRG Group’s third unique experience of the Dublin Callingbrand. With every game on the pitch or the ice, they will show sportswith sound on their 25+ screens, include in-venue games like basketball,skee ball and ping pong. “DC” as the regulars call it, welcomes everyone with events such as darttournaments, pool tournaments, lady’s night and long weekend themed parties. The menu willbe serving up delicious pub classics such as burgers, fish and chips and flat breads. “We are veryexcited to opening our third Dublin Calling in the heart of Calgary,” says Matt Gibbons, president,The MRG Group. “Our mission is to always provide unpretentious fun in our venues. We feel Calgaryis the perfect place to bring something new to the market while staying true to our core values.”

6 www.barandbeverage.com / Bar & Beverage Business

Victoria Caledonian Distillery Wins Best Canadian New Make WhiskyVictoria Caledonian Distillery’s single malt spirit has been named Best Canadian New

Make in this year’s World Whiskies Awards. These prestigious awards are an annual compe-tition attracting the best international whisky brands. The Vancouver Island based distilleryalso claimed a bronze medal for their Macaloney’s Twa Cask Islay blended Scotch.

This Scottish influenced distillery uses traditional distillation techniques, Scottish copper pot-stills, and BC grown barley to make surprising smooth and remarkably fruity single malt ‘newmake’ and whisky.

Dr. Graeme Macaloney, president and whisky-maker said of the award, “It’s a truly amaz-ing accomplishment for our young distillery which is just 2.5 years old. There are some reallyfantastic distilleries with decades of experience who regularly compete for these awards,which is a testament to the world class expertise that we’ve assembled plus our focus on qual-ity. We’ve got some fantastic spirits in maturation right now and I think Canadians will beblown away with the whiskies we’ll be releasing in six months time!”

Bar & Beverage Business / www.barandbeverage.com 98 www.barandbeverage.com / Bar & Beverage Business

by Melanie Franner

On Our Cover

What do you get when you combinea love of travel with a love offood? For husband and wife team,

Brad and Carmen Hamm, you get not one butfour distinctively different restaurants. All oper-ating within Saskatoon.

The dynamic duo, who co-founded TasteRestaurant Group, may have been born andraised in the city, but their goals took them farafield.

“Brad and I knew we wanted to have anumber of different restaurants,” explains Car-men. “We’ve always liked to travel so ourplan was to seek out the more interestingrestaurants while travelling to get ideas. All ofour brands are very different, but they all offeran urban feel, sort of an escape from every-day life.”

THE FIRST COURSEThe couple’s first foray into the restaurant

business brought them to Calgary to learnfrom BMeX Restaurant Group Inc. The resultwas the launch of UNA pizza + wine inSaskatoon, a neighbourhood restaurant serv-ing Californian-inspired, thin-crust pizza withMediterranean-influenced food and flavours.

The local eatery, which offers seating for 80inside with another 50-seat patio, launched inJanuary 2016.

“We opened in what turned out to be adown economy but we received a really greatresponse from the community,” adds Carmen.

One of the key personnel for the new ven-ture was Courtney Hill, who was hired as gen-eral manager. Her husband, Chris Hill, was along-time executive chef in the city and hejoined the corporate fold in June 2017 as cor-porate chef.

It wasn’t too long before a great real-estatedeal presented itself, along with the opportuni-ty to launch another brand.

“We went to Mexico City with Courtney andChris to get a feel for authentic Mexican flavoursand to familiarize ourselves with the rich historyof Mexican food,” explains Carmen.

And thus, Picaro Cocktails & Tacos wasborn. Picaro specializes in “Latin Local”, dis-tinct flavours that are reminiscent of Mexico,but are crafted with local ingredients.

But the group was just warming up.

VARIETY IS KEY FOR TASTE RESTAURANT GROUP

photo courtesy Chad Reynolds, The Golden Media Company


about 700 square feet of space builtout specifically as a take-away area,”explains Carmen. “But we found thatour customers were booking the spacefor private events so we decided to turnthe space into another restaurant.”

Bar Gusto opened in May 2018. TheItalian-themed restaurant is the brain-child of Chris Hill and his ExecutiveChef Alex Stephenson.

“We opened Bar Gusto with the phi-losophy of doing charcuterie, cheese,fresh pasta and a bit of carne,”explains Hill, who adds that the 26-seat

restaurant is a cozy, intimate space thatcaters more to fine dining.

Bar Gusto is open four nights aweek. It is available for private eventson the other nights, with customers ableto choose from either the Bar Gustomenu or its neighbouring UNA Pizzamenu.

Á LA CARTETaste Restaurant Group now has four

successful restaurants under its umbrel-la. For Carmen and Brad, it’s a dreamcome true. But it’s not one that will endany time soon.

“Carmen and I came to the end ofour initial 10-year goal this year,” con-cludes Brad. “We’re now working withChris and our leadership team to estab-lish the next stage. Our business is allabout our people. We enjoy growth;we like its challenges. And we like theopportunity it presents to our people.”

And, according to Chris, it’s the peo-ple that make the difference.

“Whenever we opened a new restau-rant, we had our ups and downs, justlike any restaurant would,” he says.“But the one thing that never waveredwas the quality of our staff. Integrity isa big thing in this company.”

Weekly face-to-face meetings withmanagers helps ensure that this all-impor-tant integrity funnels down to the staff.

And it’s this commitment to ideals likethese that will foster future growthoppor tunit ies for Taste RestaurantGroup in the many years to come. ♣


SECOND COURSE“When we purchased the real estate

property in the summer of 2017, weknew that we wanted to run two restau-rants out of the one building,” explainsBrad. “The Riversdale neighbourhoodused to be a bit down and out but ithad experienced a resurgence and wasbeginning to attract a lot of businesses.

We recognized it as a great opportuni-ty so we had Chris design the kitchento service two restaurants right from theget go.”

An exist ing tenant continued tooccupy the smaller of the two spaces sothe company opted to launch Picaro inthe larger of the two. It, too, met withgreat success.

When the tenant eventually left, theteam got ready to launch the nextphase of their growth plan: Cohen’sBeer Republic. But they decided toswitch things up, moving Picaro intothe smaller of the two spaces andlaunching Cohen’s Beer Republic inthe larger one. Cohen’s has seatingfor 86, and they share a 14 seat pri-vate dining room.

As a result, the team closed downPicaro in November 2018 andre-opened it in the new space in Janu-ary 2019 with seating for 44.

Cohen’s Beer Republic opened inNovember 2018.

The pub-style restaurant offers 22beers on draught and 50+ bottles,along with an impressive whiskyprogram.

THIRD COURSEThe next stage of the company’s

growth plan came about almost byhappenstance.

“When we opened UNA, we had

Picaro Cocktails & Tacos specializes in “Latin Local”.photo courtesy Chad Reynolds, The Golden Media Company

Cohen’s Beer Republic offers 22 beers on draught and 50+ bottles,along with an impressive whisky program.

UNA pizza + wine serves Californian-inspired, thin-crust pizza with Mediterranean-influenced food and flavours.

Chad Reynolds, The Golden Media Company


photo: Michael Squier


Bar Gusto was opened with the philosophy of doing charcuterie, cheese, freshpasta and a bit of carne.


We are proud to have been the Construction Management partner for UNA and Picaro/ Cohen’s.

Congratulations

Passion leads to great results.

stratadevelopment.ca


Over the last decade or more the big story inthe beer market has been the rise of localcraft breweries fuelled by a consumer inter-

ested in quality and uniqueness. But are we reachingthat point of market saturation for craft breweries?

One of the factors altering the market today isthe acquisition of craft breweries by the large com-panies such as A-B InBev. While many of theseacquired brands retain their craft identity, funda-mentally they are no longer part of the craft scene.Post-acquisition they are no longer considered craft.

Locally, things are bound to get more competitivenow that most people live within 10 miles of abrewery. How many craft brewers do we need? Atsome point the ones that aren’t making good beerare going to fail.

Even so, those in the craft segment are continuingto innovate. A good example is the rise of CBDbeer. Last year Fort Garry Brewing teamed up withcannabis producer Delta 9 to come out with the first

CBD infused product. Today, it’s near impossible toget through a day without hearing about one newCBD-infused product or another.

Low-calorie beers will also grow in popularity ashealth-consciousness take hold in the beer world.You can only drink so many calorie-rich double IPAsand imperial stouts. Low-carb and low-calorie beerswill, as well as non-alcoholic beers, will becomemore prominent as a result.

One of the most ubiquitous trends of the pastfew years has been the Northeast IPA, known forits extreme juiciness and its hazy appearance,which it gets by virtue of being unfiltered. With-out filtering, hop particles remain in the beer,which adds flavour, of course, but also makes thebeer look c loudy, of tent imes bordering onopaque. This year, we will see a return to someof the qualities that characterized the West CoastIPAs that were so popular not long ago: bitter-ness, clarity, head retention.

Beer

by Frank Yeo

THE BEST IN BEER

photo courtesy shutterstock.com


Lagers are by far the most popularbeer, however. Unlike ale, which isbrewed and fermented under room tem-perature, lagers are brewed and ferment-ed in much cooler temperatures. Knownas bottom-fermenting yeast, this coolertemperature allows yeasts in lagers tosink to the bottom of a glass and resultsin a longer fermentation process. Unlikeales, lagers are a golden-like colour, andhave a refreshing after-taste.

There has been a considerable uptickin the amount of craft lagers being pro-duced and there is no reason to thinkthis trend will slow down in 2019.

The entire landscape of craft beer haschanged drastically over the past fewyears, with small, local breweries reigningsupreme. One of the main reasons is fresh-ness: it’s long been said that the best beer,and especially the best IPA, is the freshestone you can find, so it makes sense that asthe public becomes more educated aboutthat particular style, the ones that aremade, sold and consumed on the samepremises would be the most popular.

In Manitoba, Farmery Estate Brewery,operated by brothers Lawrence and ChrisWarwaruk, is known for growing ingredi-ents on their family farm - such as barleyand hops - as well as brewing beer at theFarmery brewery in Neepawa, MB.Farmery is a unique farm-to-table conceptfor breweries: it taps into the “buy local”movement by educating customers aboutwhere the barley and hops for their beercomes from, while they enjoy a premiumbeer, such as their Farmery PremiumLager and Pink Lemonale, and newestbeers this season, Great White Northseries, and Pink Lemonale with Tea.

Farmery is a popular destination forlocal, national and international visitorsfrom around the world who are lookingfor unique Canadian tourism experi-

ences. “People appreciate being ableto see how the ingredients for our pre-mium beer is grown as well as brewedhere at Farmery,” says Co-OwnerLawrence Warwaruk. “It’s a specialexperience like no other.”

Because of this unique agri-tourismblend of brewing and farming, in 2018Farmery was selected to be part of Trav-el Manitoba’s Star Attractions program,which recognizes Manitoba’s tourism

destinations of note fortravellers.

Building on that pro-g ram, t he Warwarukbrothers expanded theiradded-value philosophyto tourism, by doing amarketing collaborationwith Frontiers Nor thAdventures of Churchill,a family business that

guides tourists towards experiences allover Manitoba, from the bison of Rid-ing Mountain National Park, up toChurchill and its northern lights, belugawhales and polar bears. Chris War-waruk says, “We are proud to show-case all the great tourism destinationsof Manitoba and Canada overall to vis-itors all around the world.”

As part of that collaboration, and tohighlight Canadian and Manitobantou r i sm des t i na t ions ,Farmery Estate Brewery isbrewing their “GreatWhite North” series ofbeers with thematic Cana-dian tourism-attractionlabels on the cans. Thefirst of their “Great WhiteNorth” series are the deli-cious “Belgian-style WheatAle”, an ale brewed with

a barley, wheat and oats infused withexotic notes of coriander and freshoranges, featuring a beluga on thelabel; and the “Northern Light Lager”, alight and refreshing lager which featuresa polar bear on its label.

It is this type of local initiative com-bined with quality local products andseasonal releases that are still grabbingthe consumer’s attention.

As for imported beer, the marketremains strong despite craft beerscontinuing momentum. Grant Shaw ofBeverage Concepts International saysthat sales of the Asahi line are robust.

“As far as Craft Brews affectingImports, we have not noticed anychanges with our Asahi Super Dry prod-ucts from Japan. However, we havenoticed our imports from England/Europe have experienced some declinesin sales, notably our organic line ofproducts from Sam Smith Brewery inEngland. We hope to see them recoverwith the introduction of Sam Smith NutBrown Ale in a 440 ml slim can and aSam Smith Lager in a 440 ml slim can.We believe we will the first in BC to offera premium imported beer from arenowned brewer, Sam Smith of Tadcast-er, North Yorkshire, England Est. 1758,in a 440 ml can.”

Imported beers have retained theirimage as top quality even though they do

not meet the desire for localproduct. The beer connois-seur seems quite willing toexperiment with these prod-ucts as well pointing to theoverriding importance of thepremiumization trend. ♣

Samuel Smith’s is a premiumimported beer from England.

Farmery Estate Brewery newest beers for thesummer season are Pink Lemonale with Teaand Great White North.



Burgers and fries are still the most popularorder according to NPD Group marketresearch, and to keep this top spot, restaura-

teurs are finding ways to balance traditionalappeal with modern food trends.

Riding the Healthy WaveToday eating mindfully spans all generations; as

Mintel’s Global Food & Drink Trends 2019 states,“Healthy aging is emerging as a food and drink

opportunity.” Burgers and fries are under the nutri-tion spotlight, but by addressing nutrition concernswhile leveraging the category’s popularity andfamiliarity, restaurateurs can continue strong sales.

“At Dr. Praeger’s, sales of our sensible-eating,plant-based products are growing at more than 40percent per year,” says Canada Representative, JeffPost. “These days, restaurateurs are consideringplant-based burgers in their own right rather thantrying to mimic beef burgers. Our Black Bean

Long May They Rule!BURGERS AND FRIES FOREVER

by Deb Draper

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Quinoa Veggie Burger doesn’t pretendto be anything but a hearty and healthyalternative to meat protein, an appeal-ing way to enjoy your veggies.”

Post notes that Dr. Praeger’s PerfectBurger satisfies those customers “com-promising” with a plant-based burgerfor health reasons. Made with pea pro-tein rather than soy, this burger deliversthe mouthy, beefy feeling that burger-lovers crave.

French fries face their own chal-lenges in the healthy eating stream.“Consumers aspire to be healthy butstill want to enjoy the dining experi-ence,” says Greg Boyer, marketing

director at McCain’s Foods. “The key tohealthy indulgence is balance; we’reconstantly working oninnovation to increasethe nutritional value ofour products. We soakpremium products in saltbrine, lessening the needfor additional salt at therestaurant end; we havedeveloped menu optionsfor other vegetables,such as our Crispy Avo-cado Slices–a French fryalternative for dippingor on a shareable appe-tizer platter.”

The benefits of use of healthier cook-ing oils can be featured on menus,while healthier dips elevate nutritionlevels. “We are seeing a trend towardsfresher, cleaner and more natural ingre-dient lines in dips,” says Clint Casmiro,senior associate brand manager forKraft Heinz. “Our Renées Aiolis with noartificial flavours, colours or preserva-tives are an example of how we havetapped into this market trend.”

“Restaurants might offer a variety offries,” says Michael Ste Marie, LambWeston senior regional sales managerCanada. “We have hundreds of differ-ent skus in French fries — cuts, sizes,sweet potatoes, twists — elevating friesfrom being the same old side dish tomore of a menu choice.”

Kraft Heinz works with restaurants todevelop custom menu offerings, includ-

ing new applications for poutines. Cas-miro notes the new chicken and wafflepoutine being launched in June atSmokes Poutinerie. “Bold multiculturalflavours and cuisine fusions are ontrend, and traditional menu items suchas poutines with a creative twist, canlead to a unique recipe.”

Boyer agrees that operators shouldthink about different flavours and tasteexperiences. “It’s no longer merelyabout what’s being served, but abouthow it’s being served. Thoughtful pre-sentation can command a premiumprice — like rolling out a ‘flight of fries’with different spices, sauces and dipsor offering fries in a cone or mini-pail.”

Some Things Don’t ChangeSmith’s Quality Meats has been in

the burger business for over 60 years,and Glen Linney, president, seesdemand for meaty burgers comingback big time. “The trend is going

back to a real meat block,80 per cent meat, 20 percent fat. To fulfil the home-style burger experience,our burgers are speciallyformed with tat terededges for that homemadeappearance.”

Meanwhile, Linney isseeing huge growth in theseven- to eight-ounce size.“It’s all about the presenta-tion, the wow factor —these are almost steak

burgers.” All the burgers have veryclean labels with minimum seasonings.

And this makes it easier for restau-rants to keep on trend by adding ethnicflavour choices to their homestyleburgers. Technomic’s Burger ConsumerTrend Repor t 2018 found harissaseasoning up 40 per cent, while use ofSriracha has increased by 20 per centfor several years. Casmiro suggestscreating a “house” sauce througha blend of Kraft Heinz sauces; forexample offering “Korean Mayo” bycombining Richardson Korean BBQSauce with Heinz Real Mayo.

Unique flavours, artisan choices suchas pretzel buns for burgers — all thesewill drive millennials to try and sharenew menu offerings.

Home Sweet HomeIn its 2019 Chef Survey, Restaurant

Canada identified the Locavore move-ment as one of the top ten food trendsin Canada, and it’s one that restaurantscan use to their advantage by featuringlocally-sourced burgers and fries ontheir menus.

“We have an entire program aroundsourcing our products,” says Ste Marie.Customers can sit at the table, use theirsmartphones and see where their fries

originated — right back to which farmgrew the potatoes.”

Or customers can stay at home,ordering burgers and fries straight fromtheir favourite restaurants delivered totheir front doors.

“The number one issue in the restau-rant industry right now is home deliv-ery,” says Ste Marie. “Over the last fourto five years this has been an amazingride, from fast food to higher-end restau-rants. The big question is: how to getquality food from door to door?”

In response, Canadian French frymanufacturers have developed prod-ucts that maintain the crispy textureloved by customers for up to 30 min-utes from leaving the restaurant, evenretaining that texture after reheating ina microwave.

Restaurateurs face many challenges inmeeting changing food trends andcustomer expectations, but at the sametime, there are even more opportunitiesout there that will keep burgers and frieson menus for generations to come. ♣

Dr. Praeger’s Perfect Burger is a plant-based burger made with pea protein.

The Crispy Avocado Slices from McCain’sFoods are an alternative to French fries.

Korean Mayo combines Richardson KoreanBBQ Sauce with Heinz Real Mayo.

Lamb Weston provides hundreds of differentskus in fries that can help elevate them to moreof a menu choice.

Smith’s Quality Meats notes that their burgershave very clean labels with minimum seasonings.

recipes

Try these new recipes to add some flair to your …

COCKTAILS • MARTINIS • MARGARITAS • SMOOTHIES • DAIQUIRIS

Vodka Smash

Ingredients:2 oz. Alberta Pure Vodka4 Lemon Wedges8 Mint Leaves0.5 oz. Simple Syrup

Method:Muddle mint, lemon andsimple syrup in a shakertin. Add ice, Alberta PureVodka and shake. FineStrain into chilled Coupeglass. Mint sprig garnish.

Vodka Gimlet

Ingredients:1.5oz Banff Ice Vodka1oz Lime Juice1oz Simple Syrup

Method:Shake all ingredients withice. Strain into chilledCoupe glass. Lime twistgarnish.

Maple Glaze

Ingredients:40 ml Luksusowa15 ml Calvados5 ml Maple syrup (grade A)

Dan’s ‘54 Bar Car

Ingredients:2 oz. Crystal Head Vodkasplash of dry vermouthsplash of olive brine2 olives1 pearl onion

Method:Add a splash of dry vermouthinto a glass. Swirl around tocoat the bowl and dump anyexcess. Add Crystal Head andolive brine into a shaker withice. Shake well and strain intothe coated rocks glass. Thismethod creates a subtle anddelicate dirty martini. Garnish: Skewer of one pearlonion and two olives

The SwedishPaloma

Ingredients:1.5 oz. Absolut Grapefruit1.5 oz. Ruby GrapefruitJuice1/3 oz. Lime JuiceSoda Water1 Wedge Grapefruit

Method:Fill a shaker with icecubes. Add Absolut Grape-fruit, ruby grapefruit juiceand lime juice. Shake andstrain into a highball glass.Top up with soda water.Garnish with a grapefruitwedge and a sugar rim.

Aruba Ariba

Ingredients:From Hilton Aruba Resort & Casino4 servings:2 oz. vodka2 oz. 151 proof rum0.5 oz. Coecoei (Passion-fruit nectar or syrup assubstitution)0.5 oz. crème de bananas2 cup orange juice2 cup cranberry juice2 cup pineapple juiceOrange SlicePineapple Slice

Method:In a cocktail shaker, add allingredients and shake wellfor one to two minutes.Pour into a large cocktailglass and top with a splashof cherry grenadine andlightly stir.

Code of Flowers

Ingredients:1.5 oz. Gem and Bolt1 oz. Lime juice1 oz. AgaveFlower Petals

Method:Shake all ingredients totaste over ice.Glass: 8 oz. Rocks (short)Garnish: Flower petals

Strawberry-Rose Cocktail

Ingredients:Courtesy of Heather Baird, Sprinkle Bakes2 oz. Smirnoff Strawberry-Rose Zero Sugar Infusions2 oz. Brewed hibiscus tea1 oz. Passionfruitsparkling water

Method:Fill an old fashioned tum-bler with ice. In a cocktailstirring glass, combine theSmirnoff Strawberry-RoseZero Sugar Infusion, hibis-cus tea and sparklingwater. Stir well and pourover ice. Serve immediately.

COCKTAILS • MARTINIS • MARGARITAS • SMOOTHIES • DAIQUIRIS

DRINKMENU



Creating and mixing drinks takes the right tools ofthe trade. That may be shakers and spoons thatfeel natural, stylish affordable glassware, or

unique well-crafted flavours. The expectation is that anybar or restaurant can deliver on more than just thebasics and with the proper equipment there’s no reasonfor a bartender to feel anything but relaxed and confi-dent in doing so. Jeff Jamieson, partner with Fifth and Vermouth, notes

a bar should be stocked with shakers, strainers, barspoons, mixing glasses and proper glassware in orderto make drinks properly.“You should be able to have the right equipment to get

those drinks out there,” he says. “As cocktail making getsmore popular, these things get more important.”Juice mix containers or bar mix pourers and jiggers

are favourite tools of Erika Maddox, assistant market-ing manager on cold beverages for Nestlé Professional.“These products keep your juice fresh and allow you todeliver a consistent cocktail quickly,” she notes.

Cocktail Mixes

by Ronda Payne

Raising SpiritsTaking drinks from the expected to the extraordinary comes from the right cocktail mixes and supplies.


Between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019,receive one (1) 3-gallon Beverage Dispenser when you purchase the minimum number of cases of

qualifying NESTLÉ® Vitality® or NESCAFÉ® Cold Brew Coffee Handmix Concentrate products.

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Deedee Johnston notes Monin Concen-trated Flavor adds flavour withoutsweetness and requires only three to sixmillilitres to create consistency easily.

“The line is available in a range ofsavoury, spicy, fruit and herbal flavoursderived from nature,” she says. “Bar-tenders should look to use high quality

mixers and flavours that contain no orlow sugar as consumers are cravingless sweet cocktails.

Jamieson would like to see bar-tenders play more and create their owntinctures, mixes and syrups, butacknowledges there are many verygood pre-made syrups available.

Fruit juice concentrates like NestléVitality allow control over juice portionsand reduced packaging waste accord-ing to Maddox. She recommendsessentials like orange juice, lemonade,cranberry juice and grape juice.

“We are constantly innovating andfinding new ways to meet consumerneeds out of home while reducing opera-tional complexity,” she says. “One of ourlatest innovations that has proven to cre-

ate exceptional and indulgent cocktails isour Nescafé Cold Brew Concentrate.”

Bars need a number of tools to allowfor both creativity and consistency. Itincludes the right glassware and mixingelements as well as great mixes andflavourings to deliver a great drink timeand time again. ♣

Before high quality bar sets wereavailable, people would often be mix-ing drinks in a pint glass. Now, there isa range of barware that looks great butalso performs. The same can be saidfor glassware. The right glass makes ahuge difference to the perceptionpatrons have of their drink. It’s part ofcreating a thoughtful experienceaccording to Kristen Voisey, founder ofCocktail Emporium.

Her business sel ls a number ofglassed she designed to be stylish,pleasurable to hold and yet also afford-able for bar and restaurant use.

“I felt like the bar industry needed afew more interesting unique glasswareoptions instead of the standard coupeshape,” she says of the Potion HouseCocktail Coupe and Dream Deco Coupe.

MIXING IT UPBut being thoughtful in drink delivery

is also about what’s in the glass. Forexample, Voisey is loving Ms. Better’sMiraculous Foamer which is an all-nat-ural, vegan alternative to egg whites.

“We were a little skeptical when itfirst came to us, we are complete con-verts now,” she says. “It produces athink, rick foam, without changing theflavour of the cocktail.

Simple syrups are an-other item that fits intothe “bar staples” catego-ry. High-quality pre-madeflavoured syrups givebartenders consistencyand control. Jesse James,western territory repre-sentative with GerhardsCanada notes that syrupsfrom Routin 1883 canprovide creativity.

“Take a classic gin andtonic for example,” hesays. “Add a lavendersyrup to this recipe and youhave a unique drink featureguaranteed to enhanceyour summer menu.”

Routin 1883 syrups areproduced exclusively in France and rangefrom basic flavours like strawberry andapricot to cherry blossom and orchid.

Another source for flavour and con-sistency is the Monin Concentrated Fla-vors offered through C.W. Shasky &Associates. Marketing Associate

Product Showcase

Brewing Up Interest

Nestlé’s Nescafé Cold Brew Concentrate gives bartenders a way to play with cold brew coffee witha consistency that keeps patrons coming back.

It’s suitable for brunch menus through to after-dinner indulgences with its exceptionally smooth, subtly sweet and slightly chocolately profile. This cold brew is made with4C Responsibly Sourced coffee beans.

Spice It Up

Simple syrups can be anything but simple with products like Routin 1883’s Spicy Cayenne Peppercarried by Gerhards Canada.

The spicy hit is complemented by a touch of cinnamon andallows creative bartenders to create new favourites like aspicy hard lemonade, spicy old fashioned or spicy spritzwith just a pump of syrup into the cocktail shaker.

Basil Makes it Better

For one of nature’s most recognizable flavours, C.W. Shasky & Associates carries the Monin brand Basil Concentrated Flavour.

There’s no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives in the concentrate which is a low calorie (no added or artificial sweeteners), true-to-nature flavour that can bringextra life to a mojito or basil gin smash with a tiny amountadded before mixing.

Professional Tools For Professional Bartenders

Professional Tools for Professional BartendersPotion House bar tools and glassware were createdwith the professional bartender in mind.

Bars and restaurants don’t have to compromise on “cool”with these affordable items carried by Cocktail Emporium.The five ounce Cocktail Coupe glass can be gold-rimmed orplain and elevates any cocktail that’s poured into it.

James Bond Would Approve

The Professional Series Shaken and Stirred Cocktail Set from Fifth and Vermouth is capable of creating drinks even the biggest cocktail aficionado would approve of.

It’s a seven piece set consisting of: shaker, shaker lid, mix-ing glass, jigger, spoon and two strainers. Best of all, withthese seven pieces just about any cocktail is possible.


Ms. Better’sMiraculousFoamer is an all-natural,vegan alternative toegg whites.


A bar should be stockedwith shakers, strainers, barspoons, mixing glasses andproper glassware in orderto make drinks properly.

FROM THE FREEZER TO THE CAESAR

INGREDIENTS8 oz. Clam Juice1.5 oz. Polar Ice® Vodka3 dashes Worcestershire Sauce1 tbsp. Celery Salt1 tbsp. Fine Maple Sugar1 tbsp. Seasoning Salt1 dash Hot SaucePinch of Salt & Pepper1 Celery Stalk1 Strip of Crispy Bacon, if desired

Mix the maple sugar and celery and seasoning salt together on a flat plate. Rim glass with mixture by wetting rim of glass with a slice of lime. Fill the glass with ice, pour in Vodka and clam juice. Add the Worcestershire, salt and pepper, and hot sauce. Add celery stalk and stir well. Garnish with bacon.


Even though whisky seems to be on everyone’s lips, the clear spirit winner is vodka. Represent-ing five million cases of sales annually in Canada - vodka is the second largest category indollar value and is growing at two per cent. With the recent adoption of expanded criteria

for what constitutes vodka in Canada, the spirit is set to offer bars and beverage makers moreinnovative ways to incorporate this strong spirit.

In July, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) broadened its definition of vodka to align more withU.S. and European Union standards. Previously in Canada vodka could only be made from grain or potatoes,filtered through charcoal, and had be as colourless and odourless as possible. However, with the wideneddefinition craft distillers who make the spirit out of everything from corn, beets, grapes, apples, and even diary(Ottawa-area Dairy Distillery makes vodka from cow’s milk), can actually label it vodka for Canada.

Spirits: Vodka

by Carly Peters

Shake it UpWith an expanded definition of what constitutes vodka in Canada, the already strong spirit is sure to see more and more market entries


28 www.barandbeverage.com / Bar & Beverage Business Bar & Beverage Business / www.barandbeverage.com 29

“This change will no doubtbring an influx of new vodkasinto Canada that previouslywere not allowed to be soldas a vodka. This is going toadd more diversity to the cate-gory and encourage more cre-ativity on the liquid side,” says

Kristina Cappellini with Crystal Head Vodka, whichrecently picked up a gold medal at the 2019 Interna-tional Spirits Challenge for Crystal Head Aurora, anEnglish wheat-based vodka.

Crystal Head, which steers away from using flavoursand additives to focus instead on a different single grainbase to release expressions, is working on a newexpression for 2020. When vodka was made withoutadditives or flavours, terroir plays a role in the taste ofthe vodka and so does the watersource, which most people forgetabout, says Cappellini.

“60 per cent of your vodka iswater, so the source and taste ofthat water is very important tothe final product especially whenproducing something completelypure like our vodka,” she sayspointing to the pristine waterused from Newfoundland for thedeluxe brand.

In recent years consumers havedeveloped an interest in super

premium vodka with the intent to drink to just enjoythe spirit (in other words not just to get a buzz on). Infact, the deluxe category is growing at eight per cent,substantially outpacing the standard and premium cat-egories which are growing at one per cent.

“Consumers are trending towards spending a littlemore for a quality product,” says Chris Ronikier,senior brand manager for PMA Canada Ltd. whichoversees brands from the “vodka belt” includingPoland and Finland such as Wyborowa, Finlandiaand Luksusowa, which means luxury in Polish.

“Having some quality vodka options on the backbar allows the bartender to get creative and satisfyeven the most finicky of guests to their bar,” statesMichael McLean of Beam Suntory which overseesAlberta Pure and Banff Ice Summit vodka. “As moreand more on-premise accounts look to improve their

cocktail offerings, vodka provides thecanvas to work with the creativity andinspiration of the bartenders.”

After being shunned near the start ofthe craft cocktail craze, vodka is prov-ing to be the perfect cocktail base as itcan be paired with fresh fruits, purees,or infused syrups very easily he adds.It has also lets bars return to classicslike the Vodka Martini, The Grey-hound, and the White Russian.

When it comes to the millennial barcrowd vodka fits in with their desire for“better for you” drink options — think lowcalorie, no artificial flavours, no excessivesugar or sweetness. Absolut Vodka’snewest addition — Grapefruit — is madewith the actual citrus’ flavouring anddoesn’t contain any added sugar.

“In 12 months [flavoured vodka] hasgrown more than 60 per cent versuslast year; primarily driven by innova-

tion,” says says Dan Flecker, senior brand managerfor Absolut Vodka, adding citrus and berry flavoursare dominating the flavoured category.

He adds this same demographic is calling for moresustainable vodka options. Absolut is a leader in this

field, with carbon neutral distillation, an extensiverecycling program, and single sourcing — a smalltown called Ahus in Sweden. Additionally, the AbsolutVodka distillery has been categorized as one of themost energy-efficient distilleries in the world by theBIER Water and Energy Use Benchmarking report.

This also flows into forward-thinking drink options,such as sustainable vodka cocktails, that, for example,re-use single use ingredients like citrus husks.

With the widened definition of vodka in Canada,it’s clear there will be even more ways to incorporatethis strong spirit in all beverage stylings. ♣

Crystal HeadAurora recentlywon a goldmedal at the 2019 International Spirits Challenge.

Grapefruit is the newest addition to the AbsolutVodka line and is made with actual citrus flavouring.

PMA Canada oversees brands from the“vodka belt” such as Wyborowa, Finlandiaand Luksusowa.

Beam Suntoryoversees AlbertaPure and BanffIce SummitVodka.

“Having some quality vodka options on the back bar allows the bartender to get creative and satisfy even the mostfinicky of guests to their bar.” photo courtesy shutterstock.com

LOOK FOR THE UPCOMING FEATURES IN

OUR NEXT ISSUE FALL 2019 (Release date:September)Winter Menu Planning • Manitoba UpdateCentre of Plate: Poultry • Sauces and Bases

Soups • Coffee and TeaEquipment: Cookware • Pizza ReportPlant Based Foods• Holiday Season

From trends to necessities and everything in between,WE COVER THE ISSUES THAT

ARE IMPORTANT

• Annual Buyers Guide• Spirits: Whisky • Shooters• Sporting & Entertainment Events• Holiday Promotions• Classic Cocktails• Tapas Bar Menu • Insurance / Liability• Barware & Equipment Supplies • Holiday Safety & DD Programs• Reno & Design Feature

CONTACT ELAINE DUFAULT, ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER / NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER

(T)1-800.337.6372 EXT 213 DIRECT: (204)661-8686 (F) 204.954-2057 (E) [email protected]

FALL/HOLIDAY 2019 ISSUE EDITORIAL SCHEDULE

Serving Those Who Serve Alcohol! www.barandbeverage.com

(RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 2019

E X P E R T S M O N D I A U X E N V O L A I L L E

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www.reuven.com or call 416.929.1496

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Easy PickingsCREATING A POPULAR APPETIZER MENU IS SIMPLE AND AFFORDABLE


Abasket of fries and nachos maybe fun to snack on, but theincreasingly sophisticated palette

of patrons obliges bar owners to pro-vide a far greater variety of appetizers.

Fortunately, according to food profes-sionals, this is relatively easy.

Audrey Lanigan, marketing managerfor Export Packers Company Limited,notes “Sustainable, fresh appetizers aremore popular now than ever in thebar scene. Consumers, particularlymillennials and Gen Z’ers, are moreconcerned about the sustainability ofthe seafood they eat.”

An sustainable product availablethrough Expor t Packers is OceanJewel’s five new shrimp appetizers,whose benefit “is that they can go fromthe freezer to the table in less than fiveminutes,” says Lanigan. “The productsalso enable kitchen staff to pair theshrimp with any popular flavours or sig-nature dips.”

Acknowledging that smaller, sharableplates are popular, Lanigan adds thather company “Offers items that aregreat for sharing, whether it’s ourspring roll coated shrimp or breaded orlightly dusted Calamari.”

Juriaan Snellen, executive corporatechef for McCormick Canada, agreesthat small plates mean big profits, andcreating appetizers that please patronsis not hard because you can transformclassic pub food with the simple addi-tion of sauce or seasonings.

“Take wings. You can toss them inFrank’s RedHot® Stingin’ Honey Gar-lic™ Sauce, which has a classic garlicflavour kicked up a notch with the kindof heat only Frank’s can deliver. Anoth-er example is fried onion rings or pota-to skins. Both of these items can bemade completely new by coating them

Appetizers

by Robin Brunetphoto courtesy shutterstock.com


in Piri-Piri sauce and serving them witha cooling dip. Plus, you can upsell foran extra buck per order based on justseveral cents worth of sauce.”

Snellen recalls not too long ago beingin a pub that served a three-tiered appe-tizer platter. “It was just $6 worth offood but it sold for $28 and was in highdemand due to the wow factor. This typeof presentation can be done with a littleeffort. In fact, even the mostmundane offerings can bespruced up: instead of justdumping bread on the table,why not put different types ofbread into a basket and servewith a variety of dips?”

David Cocker, corporateresearch chef & business devel-opment manager at ReuvenInternational Ltd., points out that“Ethnic flavour-packed streetfoods are popular with patronsand easy for back of house,and dark meat poultry is com-ing back in a huge way.

“Addit ionally, tradit ionalJapanese izakaya favouritesseems to be replacing Mexicanas the overall ethnic cuisine invogue. In fact, the demand for tradition-al and ethnically flavourful products hasdeveloped a lineup of great productssuch as Reuvens’ Chicken Karaage,chicken breast katsu and crispy bread-ed chicken thigh.”

The strength of Reuven’s chickenproducts is that so many of them —including the Reuven Naturals lineup— have a neutral flavour profile, “Thatway it’s easy for chefs to use them asthe staple protein ingredient in theirdishes to produce variable ethnic dish-es whether it be Indian, Mediterranean,or other ethnic dishes,” says Cocker.“We also provide pubs with twists onclassic appetizers, such as our fullycooked Frenched Chicken WingDrumette, which is an elegant alterna-tive to the traditional chicken wing.”

Yet another twist on classic pub fareis provided by Frobisher InternationalEnterprise Ltd. via the Ocean Mamabrand. Frobisher’s foodservice managerWayne Kolins explains, “Calamari iswidely considered the most popularappetizer in bars, but we offer apineapple cut raw squid filet that is farmore refined and attractive on a platethan tentacles. Plus, the filets can beused in soups, as a topper, or in stir-fries.”

Kolins suggests that the more adven-turous pub owner should considerputting Ocean Mama frogs legs on the

menu. “They’re lower in fatand higher in protein thanchicken, and they reallydo taste like chicken – hon-estly,” he says.

Finally, Tom Grande,senior vice-president ofTEJA Food Group, sayscompanies like his are con-stantly developing newproducts to suit a wide

range of tastes. “Our newKapow Bao Buns areauthentic clam-shaped steambuns ready to fill with yourfavourite ingredients, andwe recently launched theKapow Tempura Temptationsfeaturing green beans,yams, and cauliflower. Also,

our new Kapow Dumplings are easy toprepare and a great alternative to therising cost of wings.”

Classic bar food is designed as acompanion to drinking, and while insome venues the effort to create some-thing new has led to fancy fare such askobe sliders and truffled popcorn, inmost cases the best way to keep kitchenstaff and patrons happy as well as boostone’s bottom line is to take stock of basicmenu items — and offer variations.♣

The responsibilities of bartenders go far beyondserving a drink quickly and efficiently. These indi-viduals are expected to engage with guests, con-

tinually review their health and safety, assess guest’sage and sobriety level, and potentially respond tochallenging situations, including harassment. Trainingwill provide the skills that your employees need tohelp navigate through these challenges.

“As a bar owner it is important to support your staffand ensure that they are current with the most recentlaws and develop the skills they need to help themkeep customers and themselves safe,” says RichardAnderson, executive director, Smart Serve Ontario.

Through Smart Serve Ontario employees receivefoundational information, including legal rights,responsibilities and obligations, skills and knowl-edge to serve alcohol in Ontario. Although there iscurrently no mandated recertification in Ontario,Anderson highly recommends voluntary upgradingevery few years to ensure that both staff and own-

ers remain informed of the challenges and changeswithin the industry. The most recent update includ-ed equipping the industry with information on howto better understand the signs of cannabis use, andhow to respond to them.

At the very least, Shannon Fontaine, CEO, Manito-ba Tourism Education Council (MTEC) advises that anemployer needs to ensure that their bartending staffhas a valid Smart Choices Responsible Service Certifi-cation. However, Fontaine stresses, that bar ownerswould benefit from encouraging staff to attend a morecomprehensive program, like MTEC’s 7-week Bar-tender and Food Beverage Program to their collegeofferings. Their curriculum includes several foundation-al aspects of the food and beverage industry includ-ing customer service, professionalism, handling diffi-cult situations, emergency first aid, provincial foodhandlers, learning the tools and equipment for bar-tenders and preparing and serving mixed drinks anda work practicum with industry businesses. “The ben-

by Anne-Marie Hardie

Training

CUSTOMIZEDTRAININGPAVES THE WAYFOR INCREASEDPROFITABILITYAND CUSTOMERLOYALTY

Building a Brand

photo courtesy Smart Serve Ontario

The Reuven Naturals lineup have a neutralflavour profile.

Chicken Karaage is part of Reuven’s lineup of ethically flavoured products.

TEJA Food Group’s Kapow Dumplings areeasy to prepare.

Kapow Bao Buns from TEJA Food Group areauthentic clam-shaped steam buns that areready to fill with your favourite ingredients.

Frank’s RedHot Stingin’ Honey GarlicSauce has a classic garlic flavourkicked up with a notch of heat.

McCormick’s Piri-Piri sauce is agreat coating for onion rings orpotato skins.

and in turn their brand.“Every bar is different, sothe focus and the goalsof each venue will vary,”says Mike McLean, nationaltrainer, Mixxit Canada.The Mixxit Training pro-gram is an example ofa fully customizable pro-gram with a variety ofofferings from foundation-al skills to Master Classes.“For the more advanced venues weoffer a module called Mixxit With tohelp get the entire bartending teaminvolved with menu creation,” saysMcLean.

Beam Suntory’s bourbon specialistand whisky ambassador, Matt Jones isalso an advocate for delivering acustomized training program thatincludes both the core health and safetyelements and the aspects that helpdefine the brand. “From a consultantperspective we believe in customizing

the training so that it is branded specifi-cally towards the need of the venue,”says Jones. “This helps the employeesunderstand the brand, it’s core values,while also providing a sense of owner-ship towards the venue.” Customizationallows bar owners to develop a program

that focuses on specificski l ls and beverages,including flair techniquesand delivering uniquebeverage experiences,like dry ice and activatedcarbon cocktails.

“I’m a big believer thatservice comes first, andthat client engagement iskey,” says Zack Prohaska,founder, Cocktai l andDreams. “In the 19 yearsI’ve been in the industry,

it’s becoming much more professionalincluding teaching proper techniqueslike stirring and mixing. However, it isthe engagement with their guests thatkeeps them coming back.” Whenworking with bartenders, Prohaskafocuses on developing their profession-alism including providing strategies that

increase efficiencies andthe techniques of the bar-tender. “A bartender isl ike a f ish and a f ish-bowl,” says Prohaska.“When you bartend witha little bit of style it createsa conversation, grabsthe guest’s attention and

engages them to return for more.” The required training for bars and

bartenders is essential for the healthand well-being of all of those involved,providing employees with a foundation

to work in the industry. However, totruly elevate their environment, barowners should look for opportunities todeliver customizable training andadvance the overall knowledge andskill of their employees. It is throughthese trainings that employers havean opportunity to increase employeeloyalty, maintain health and safety,increase productivity and improve theoverall guest experience. ♣


efit to the industry is gaining well trainedemployees which is why we have delib-erately made the college program,whose curriculum is based on NationalOccupational Standards, seven-eightweeks in length,” says Fontaine.

When contemplating training, Bran-don Mackean, director,technical services, YOWCanada Inc. emphasizesthe importance of routinereviews, including monthlyfire drills and lockdownprocedures, to keep thesepractices at top of mind.YOW Canada Inc. onlinetraining is an outlet for barowners and their staff toreceive techniques andstrategies to mitigate haz-ards within the workplaceincluding WHMIS and Workplace Vio-lence and Harassment.

Going Beyond the Foundations

Focused skills training provides anopportunity for bar owners to elevatethe overall performance of their staff,

YOW Canada Inc. notes that online training isan outlet for owners and staff to receive tech-niques and strategies to mitigate hazards with-in the workplace.

Mike, McLean, nationaltrainer, Mixxit Canada

Matt Jones, bourbon specialistand whisky ambassador, Beam Suntory

Zack Prohaska, founder, Cocktails & Dreams

Smart Serve Ontario employees receive foundational information, including legalrights, responsibilities and obligations, skillsand knowledge to serve alcohol in Ontario.

Focused skills training provides an opportunity for bar ownersto elevate the overall performance of their staff.

smartserve.ca/refreshFOR A SAFER AND HEALTHIER ONTARIO

Psst...time to "Refresh" and reduce the risk. It’s not mandatory but it is important. Updating your training can help you keep your guests, customers, and staff safe.

1– For full details related to the FREE Re-Certification course and timelines, please visit smartserve.ca/refresh. Limited time offer for select accounts. ® Smart Serve is a registered trademark. Smart Serve® Ontario is a registered charity recognized by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) as the official delivery agent of the Responsible Alcohol Beverage Sales & Service Training Program for Ontario.

With the release of an update to the Smart Serve Ontario Responsible Alcohol Beverage Sales & Service Training

• NEW - Cannabis Signs of Use training module • Learn in six languages - English, French, Chinese, Korean, Punjabi, Spanish • Includes both service and retail sales training

More Great News! 1

®

Audeohost Launches New App to RevolutionizeBar Entertainment

It is hard to consume programming content unless the sound is on when you are at a venue.Audehost has launched an app that lets patrons do just that. A customer downloads the app from the

respective app store (Google play store or Apple Store) while each bar/venue has an Audeohost Serverthat takes the sound from the TV cable or satellite set top box and puts the sound out on Wi-Fi. A customerconnects their phone to the Audeohost Wi-Fi to pick up the audio on their phone.

“I am a big rugby fan”, says Shane O’Neil, president, “and love knowing the pre-game and post-game studioand on pitch discussions. These are often not available as many bars will kill the sound as soon as a game is over.”

The app is simple by design. With many bars showing multiple sports at the same time in one room, having thesound for all the games at the same time creates noise. Audeohost lets the consumers that want to hear TV do just thatand whatever program they choose. “They can even be watching on while listening to another. They can go to the washroomand stay connected. They don’t have to pay for anything.”

From a bar viewpoint, says O’Neil, with Audeohost they have a mechanism to share more of their already expensive program-ming with their client and appeal to a different client base — be all things to all people. “Audeohost uses Social Media todrive take-up but with the standard apps like twitter, facebook and Instagram. Bars can use their own social media to advertiseAudeohost. Looking at innovative ways and new features for patrons to use. Bars can tweet out to users about specials and offers.The more people use it, the better.”

O’Neil feels Canada a ripe market for the product.“We tend to apply the KISS factor a little compared with our southern neighbours, but we go big just as much here with many

restaurant spaces and multiple channels. Audeohost is a tool that simply connects people to the sound in the venue whowant to consume content. Audeohost is about Hearing the Complete Picture.” www.audeohost.com

A Taste of the Amalfi Coast with Corby Spirit andWine’s New Premium Gin: MALFY

MALFY Gin uses traditional Italian distilling methods that date back to the 11th century, and localbotanicals combined with Mosivo Water from Crissolo Spring, the purest water in Italy.

The traditional distilling methods are combined with the finest Italian ingredients, including juniper fromTuscany, coastal-grown lemons, rhubarb, Sicilian blood oranges and Sicilian pink grapefruits. These freshflavours are combined to create four exquisite gins inspired by the Amalfi Coast.

“We are delighted to introduce MALFY to our Canadian customers. Premium gin is growing more and morepopular, and we are excited to offer this high-quality brand to all gin lovers out there,” said Valerie Brive-Turtle,Corby’s director of communications, public relations and S&R. “This taste of Italy is a great addition to our interna-tional brand portfolio and offers Canadians a refreshing and satisfying escape from the heat this summer.”

“As a gin enthusiast myself, I am incredibly excited to be able to experiment and create the most delicious summer cocktailswith a true taste of the Amalfi Coast. MALFY is a wonderful addition to the Corby gin portfolio. Either mixed into a cocktail or sim-ply paired with soda and lemon, this gin will delight even the most demanding palates,” said Donnie Wheeler, premiumgin advocate for Corby Spirit and Wine.

Romeo’s Gin Now Available in Ontarioromeo’s gin, developed and produced in Montreal, has been met with great success and international

accolades since its launch in 2015. As such, it is with great pride that Duvernois Creative Spirits, the par-ent company of romeo’s gin and Pur Vodka, announces that its award-winning gin is now available onLCBO shelves in Ontario. romeo’s gin isn’t the most popular independent gin in the country for nothing:it’s a gin like no other. It is a spirit curated for non-conformists, those who live life without boundaries. Witha unique aromatic signature based on juniper, lavender, cucumber, almond, dill and lemon, romeo’s gin isreminiscent of the first days of spring. A cause before a product, every edition showcases selected artworkfrom various urban artists from Montreal and beyond to highlight and democratize urban art. One per centfrom the sale of each bottle goes to romeo’s Fund, a unique initiative that doesn’t simply provide funding, butgoes further by establishing durable and authentic partnerships with artists and their projects. What’s more, romeo’sgin is proud to have its very own urban art museum since 2018 — romeo’s museum Mile-End, showcasing 24 muralscreated by 24 Montreal artists in an industrial staircase of a busy building in the Mile-End neighbourhood.

Austin’s First Organic Vodka Launches with Five Unique Flavours

Frankly Organic Vodka, Austin’s first organic vodka crafted with USDA certified organic, non-GMO,gluten free ingredients, has launched five new flavours. Frankly Organic Vodka is handcrafted fromorganic sweet corn and organic fruits, roots and botanicals harvested from healthy soils without the use ofsynthetic pesticides. Distilled five times and filtered twice in small batches to deliver an exceptionally cleantaste with a smooth sweetness on the palate. Frankly Organic Vodka lists all ingredients on the label toensure customers are aware of what they are drinking.

“To live Frankly is to live honestly,” said Kristen Risk, co-founder and vice-president of marketing communica-tions of Frankly Organic Vodka, “Consumers today appreciate transparency and so do we. Most consumers areunaware of theingredients in their spirits, and therefore it was imperative to list ours on the label. We are passionateabout conscious living and proud of the organic ingredients in our bottles.”

Tom’s Town Distilling Co. Announces New Double Oaked Bourbon

Tom’s Town Distilling Co. has released Tom’s Town Double Oaked Bourbon. Bottled in Tom’s Townsignature art-deco style-bottle, inspired by the Great Gatsby era of Tom Pendergast, this warm, spicy,crowd-pleasing bourbon is perfect for cocktails.

With notes of maple, butterscotch, and honey, this bourbon provides a soft mouthfeel and a pleasantwarm spice in the middle. The finish is smooth and velvety, with baked cinnamon and toasted nuts.

“We are excited to add this approachable bourbon to our line of unique craft spirits,” said Co-FounderDavid Epstein. “Our new bourbon is versatile, smooth, and will be the perfect addition to any bourbon cocktail.Like all of our spirits, it has a lot of personality and flavour.”

Tom’s Town Double Oaked Bourbon employs an innovative wood stave finishing process, which begins with traditionalaging in white American oak barrels followed by a second aging with French and American oak staves.

Polish Your Image with Bar Maid’s Glass and CutleryPolishing Machines

Building on the success of its GP-100 Glass Polisher, Bar Maid Corporation has released a newCP-7000 Cutlery Polisher. This pair of polishing machines makes glassware and cutlery polishing fast andeasy, while reducing labour costs, risk of injury and unhygienic handling associated with hand polishing.

Bar Maid’s top-selling GP-100 Glass Polisher is fast and efficient… at least five times faster than handpolishing, easily paying for itself with huge labour savings and more sanitary than using a bar rag to polishglassware. But since its release, the number one reason customers say they are buying it is… SAFETY!With the GP-100 there’s virtually no glass breakage or associated injuries resulting in considerable savings inglassware and potential Workers Compensation claims. Many major hospitality chains now specify it. Bar Maidnow offers a two-year limited warranty on GP-100 Glass Polishers (requires registration with Bar).

Tequila Shaker Shots are the latest innovation fromBlack Fly Beverages

Black Fly Beverages has built a Canadian success story pioneering craft produced spirit mixed drinksand introducing innovation to a Canadian market thirsty for quality drinks.

Driving innovation in the Ready-to-Drink category (RTD) — and the first Ontario company granted dis-tillery licence in more than 100 when they launched in 2005 — Black Fly is now taking a shot with TequilaShaker Shots, launching the first Canadian RTD tequila shot and competing with a foreign company that hasbeen the only company making and selling RTD shots in Canada for the past 15 years. Black Fly’s TequilaShaker Shots are innovative in design, packaging, format and — most importantly — ingredients and taste.

“Black Fly Tequila Shaker Shots are a Mexican-inspired tequila popper made Black Fly style with authentic andpremium ingredients, including 17 per cent genuine Mexican tequila, real lemon and lime juices, refreshing soda anda hint of salt.” says Rob Kelly, co-founder of Black Fly. “I have been wanting to create a unique shot for the past 10 years, but itwasn’t until we moved into our new plant with all new bells and whistles that we had the ultimate flexibility to innovate, deliver andproduce this exciting innovation and continue to expand our ever-growing lineup of spirit mixed drinks all across Canada.”

Rather than a traditional 30mL shot, Black Fly Tequila Shaker Shots are served up in a big 50 mL test tube-style bottle for a veryinteresting reason — every 400mL wide-mouth Black Fly bottle starts out in a preform shaped like a test tube before it ismade right in Black Fly’s plant into Black Fly’s signature bottle shape.

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Thirty-one-year-old Thomas Yeo has only been a professionalbartender the past four years, but it has been a passion ofhis long before he decided to make it a career.

His first job was slinging beer which he notes doesn’t bareany resemblance to what he does now. After a few yearsaway from the hospitality industry he got back into itpart-time while working on his master’s degree and quicklyrealized that he wanted to do this more than what he wasstudying. This is when he started to go down the rabbithole of craft cocktails and really discovered his passion forfood and drink.

“I would absolutely call it a passion. Even before I hadever done it professionally I was that kid who would showup at parties with a box of raw sugar cubes, a bottle ofAngo, and orange and some bourbon and grab some iceout of the freezer to make old-fashioneds,” shares Yeo.“I realized pretty quickly that I loved the creative and socialaspects of bartending, but it wasn’t until I took over as thehead bartender at Studio East (in Halifax) that I started to

consider making it a career. I was picturing myself becominga professor or diplomat, but gradually fell more and more inlove with the world of food and drink. I have always been abon vivant and I consider getting to live in a world thateveryone else pays to enter for a few hours at a time a greatprivilege and joy. Once I started going down the rabbit holeof spirits, fortified wines, syrups and tinctures and realizedhow truly bottomless it was I was hooked.”

Yeo gets to use his creativity at the Atwater Cocktail Club(ACC) in Montreal where he has been since January 2019.The only limit to what he gets to do creatively is beingable to produce the cocktails consistently in a high-volumeenvironment. Yeo likes to use unusual ingredients and flavourcombinations in his cocktails and that fits well with theprogram at the ACC.

This speaks well to the cocktail culture in Canada.“I think we’ve reached the point where cocktail culture is

breaking into the mainstream and it’s great to see. Cocktailbars seem to be replacing nightclubs as the preferred nightspots in most big cities and with that comes a trend towardsdrinking better and more knowledgeably. People are gettingexcited about what bartenders and distillers across the coun-try are doing and are eager to learn and try new things.”

This culture may be reflected in the competitions he hasbeen in. Two recent competitions that stand out in his careerare Made with Love and Diageo World Class Canada.

Made With Love was the first cocktail competition heentered when he started out, so winning his first national

final with them two years later was a really special momentas it felt like he had come full circle.

“The regionals this year were the first time I entered acompetition with the express goal of winning it rather thanjust enjoying and learning from the experience and I thinkthat more determined approach showed in the results.National level competitions are always incredible opportuni-ties to meet other industry leaders and keep your finger onthe pulse of bartending in the country.

Another program that has meant a lot to his developmentas a bartender, his relationships in the industry and the pathhis career has taken is the Diageo World Class program. Hefound meeting bartenders Lauren Mote and Kaitlyn Stewarttruly inspiring and a big part of why he entered despite feel-ing he didn’t have the experience yet.

Being in the national top four for World Class has been ahighlight of his career. To make it to the national stage forthe second year in a row and achieve his personal goal oftop four really felt like an affirmation of his choice to leaveacademia and pursue bartending as a career.

If the past four years are any indication, it is clear thatthe sky is the limit for Yeo and that academia’s loss is thebartending world’s gain. ♣

last call by Nicole Sherwood

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLETHOMAS YEO IS A BON VIVANTIN THE COCKTAIL WORLD


QUALITYTHE ONLY THING CANADIANS WON’T APOLOGIZE FOR

SUMMER 2019 - $6...Telephone (204) 954-2085 Fax (204) 954-2057 - [email protected]...

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