Introducing...The So Co Pepper Girls"

From the minute we heard that those two iconic brands from the bayou were getting together we knew it would be hot. Southern Comfort is the true ‘spirit of New Orleans’ and was founded there in 1874 by a bartender and the recently released So Co Fiery Pepper fuses the iconic hot pepper sauce Tabasco from Avery Island, Louisiana which dates back to 1868.

Beverage Underground went on location to the 813 and Ybor City in Tampa for the Official Florida Launch of So Co Pepper on Monday October 22.  The event was held at ‘The Castle’ and it featured the debut of the  ‘So Co Pepper Girls’ as well as a bartender mix-off where guests could sample a cocktail and vote for their favorites.

Southern Comfort Fiery Pepper is sweeping the country and has established itself as a great shot and more mixable than you’d expect. Larry ‘Smokey’ Genta sampled new recipes, met up with professional bartenders from the Tampa Bay area and interviewed Tim Columbus of Premier Beverage. 
Brown-Forman and Premier Beverage hosted the event on The Castle’s Industry Night on Monday October 24 at one of Ybor City’s legendary bars.  Alan Kahana, who owns The Castle nightclub and other Ybor properties created the concept in 1992, and it remains as one of the most popular Gothic/Industrial  Dance Clubs in America.

The USBG and other area bartenders submitted recipes and made So Co Pepper cocktails that guests voted on for a grand prize, all-expenses paid trip to New Orleans the home of the iconic brand Southern Comfort and a trip to nearby Avery Island Louisiana to visit the Tabasco farms and bottling facility.

There’s a real good chance that your bar and your bar staff could use a little tune-up before the holiday season.  All over the United States wine lists are being updated, carpets are being cleaned and bands are getting booked in anticipation of increased business, but most often the most visible and vital revenue center in restaurants is neglected.

On-premise beverage sales have become both more elusive and more  important  for every beverage license holder and trust me…it’s time to rally or replace the troops, scrape up a few hundred bucks and get a ‘check-up from the neck-up’  before heading into what the industry calls O-N-D.

It must be a team effort, and all links of the chain must be examined for cracks from the ownership commitment, the management guidance and the staff compliance to give the guests the best beverage and bar experience possible.

Every other industry employs sales motivators, consultants and coaches when its ‘big game’ time. Many vocations require continued education and gather for seminars and retreats to improve their sales, and most know  the importance of perception and image as they compete within their own industry.

But the hospitality industry consistently falls short and forgets that continued marketing is intended to bring attention and act as a reminder and that the experience is how we are judged long after. The  public determines our fate and our image remains as the most important factor of continued customer support  and allegiance to your brand.  Are you relying on ‘luck’ and the 20 minute seminar from the guy who sold you the wine ‘deal’ to motivate your staff this season?  Contact us at www.BarMechanics.com for a comprehensive ‘check-up’ from the neck-up’ to improve sales, service and your image.

We typically forget that our guests see and hear way more than we’d like and visually every bar needs attention., I mean virtually every bar, has cosmetic gremlins and a myriad of eyesores and sight glitches. From old tents and flyers, menus and back bar clutter to the wear on the salt shakers and margarita rimmer, your guests and ‘clients’ can tell you need a makeover.

When was the last time the image of your environment was upgraded  by the management and even the staff?  Each and every staff member and bar manager can pay more attention to details and even spend a little money on enhancing their business.  when the ownership, management and staff can each do their part the guest benefits and the job security for all increases. certainly a change in equipment, fixtures,  decor and even supplies comes from management, but the staff must invest as well. Car Mechanics buy their own tools, chefs invest in their own knives, hair stylists have scissors for various cuts and it seems that servers must get free wine keys and bartenders forget to bring a pen with them.

First take a good look at your BARTOP.  Does it look like a more like a NASCAR driver’s uniform, with 13 image-seeking logo’s bouncing from the bar rails, napkin holders, shakers and even the tip cup?  Are your straws skinny and black this week and wider and striped next week depending on who the chef gets them from?  Now take a look at the shape they are in…does the napkin holder and mat match the decor or each other? Does it promote a brand that never sold or you don’t carry?  It’s all too typical, and so is the answer that justifies this image fumble. “They were FREE’.

As retailers we often use and are abused by the word FREE, but  this is an instance and example that the trade-off of receiving a free bar mat may not be worth the VALUE of having a coordinated and uniformed look.  Removing the logos (that aren’t yours) and selecting bar supplies that have one color or colors that will enhance your image could immediately improve THAT image.  Now coordinate  throughout the bar to tie it together with the same color bar rail mats, get new stainless shakers that could be wrapped in matching slip proof vinyl, throw out the rolled mesh and get interlocking deck mat squares to store and stack glasses.  Oh yea, don’t forget to make them all the same color…down to the straws and see how quickly you ‘class up’ while ‘shoring up’ the bar.

Find all the tools of the trade from supplies to equipment at the most comprehensive industry site  www.BeverageUndergroundMall.com

But what about those really cool branded napkin holders and shaker cups that the companies “give away for for free’?  Keep them, store them and then use them for what they were intended for…promotions.  You’ll get, and the product will get more attention and sales if you replace your bar supplies for a night or week of promotions with the branded napkin holders, bar rails and other POS merchandise displayed along with a drink value feature, a menu and a sales incentive for the servers and bartenders.

You can also improve your image and sales for very little money by upgrading  the PRODUCTS that are used behind the bar.  Are you making the rent with the savings found by pumping the juice through the gun or buying a brand of sour mix and lime juice just because its ships in a ‘store & pour’ container?  When was the last time you checked the calibration of the soda gun? More syrup means more cost and weaker drinks which leads to over-pouring and…red ink.

Surveys show that  many customers order down or order the bottled light beer special because of the grade of orange juice you’re pouring.  certainly the vodka and juice is more profit friendly than the bottle beer special (systematically raised annually before football season) so maybe a better, ‘more real’ orange juice or a cranberry juice  will improve sales and inspire new ones.  Have you had a cocktail mixed with bottled tonic lately?An upgrade in the products  that you use as modifiers to your $40 vodka and $60 bourbon will be noticed by your guests more than the ‘glacial waters’ and extra year in ‘American oak’.

The GARNISH tray too often hurts more than helps your image. Best case scenario is to have in out of sight the best you can, but this is not realistic for efficient service and best use of bar space. The garnish experience is perhaps the most memorable and should have the attention of every staff member from chef to server.  When fruit is delivered the bar should immediately sort lemons, limes oranges and any other berries, fruit or vegetables used at the bar selecting the best available for garnishing cocktails.  The garnish tray as well as the salt and sugar rimmers must be kept clean on the outside as well as the inside,  and they too should and could be in the same color selected in your now mono-chromatic and uniformed bar.

The BARTENDER must be much more than just ‘on-time’ and available to work nights. Harder to define in each establishment, but the position of bartender, and the attitude of the beverage staff as a whole is key to the success of your establishment.  Each staff member should appreciate and respect the industry, the products and the craft at any and every level of service. Knowledge of the products and the trends are required and commitment to proper and efficient service, friendly and genuine hospitality a passion for sales  and an insistence for profit must be balanced every shift and by every owner, manager and employee.

Beer: Certainly we can pick out craft beers from all parts of our own country that can deliver the full bodied flavors or the boldness of imports.  Full Sail, Magic Hat, Sierra Nevada, Blue Point Brewing and of course Samuel Adams all have seasonal selections and line extensions to satisfy ever palate. Be sure to throw in a six pack of ‘craft brew’ in the ‘frig along with the 4th of July holiday deals that Bud, Miller and Coors are pitching in the grocers and off-premise picnic displays.

Wine: Bubbly from Sonoma will start the day off perfect in your Florida Orange Juice and warm weather means a chilled bottled of California white works to enhance or accompany lunch but don’t forget to put a light chill on that California Red for anything coming off the grill. Pinot Noirs, Merlots and even California Cabs iced to about 60°-65° will make that burger taste great and that porterhouse taste better. 

Spirits: American products have great range in quality and price and while most well items and typical ‘bar brands’ are made in the USA, it doesn’t mean there aren’t find quality spirits found in certain categories. Certainly there are categories like Scotch and Canadian Whiskeys, London and Holland Gins, Rums from every island and tequila just from Mexico…but there are plenty of Independence day cocktail options. Vodka: Smirnoff is an American Brand and while it gets great ratings at its price point there are others to consider.  Rain Vodka is an award-winning certified organic vodka made in America and 360º Vodka is the first ‘Eco-friendly’ Vodka that is quadrupled distilled and five times filtered.  All three have extended their flavor lines with Sminoff offering more than 18 flavors.  Bourbons and American Whiskey: Bourbon  is OUR whiskey…distilled and bottled in Bourbon County Kentucky and with heritage names like Jim Beam, Elijah Craig, Elmer T. Lee, Pappy Van Winkle and George T. Stagg you know the men behind the labels were authentic American Distillers.  Certainly Maker’s Mark, Wild Turkey and Woodford reserve are Bourbon icons as well, but other whiskey like Jack Daniel’s and George Dickel Tennessee Sour Mash also belongs under your red white and blue holiday drink list. Laird’s Applejack: The oldest American made spirit is ‘applejack’ made fro the concentrated cider from apples.  In 1780, Robert Laird established America’s first commercial distillery in the tiny community of Scobeyville, NJ and was issued  License #1.

The first ‘Olive Way’ location will be in a 2,500-square-foot shop in the Capitol Hill neighborhood and will show a change in decor to include more earthy colors, an indoor-outdoor fireplace and cushy chairs.  Regional and neighborhood oriented themes will include local artists’ work,  reclaimed building materials, a community work table and a meeting area set off by a sliding door.The menu at Olive Way will be bigger, full of savory foods that pair with coffee, wine and beer. And customers will be able to customize the offerings, some of which will be freshly made. The larger footprint will encourage groups and individuals to enjoy wine from the Pacific Northwest’s vineyards and beer from local Washington and Oregon craft brewers. The coffee theater market approach will place espresso machines in the middle of the store and the counters will be narrower and more like a bar to bring customers closer to baristas. The  machines will brew one cup at a time to extract deeper flavor from beans.A ll the changes are part of an appeal for more afterwork customers at a chain that gets the bulk of its in-store business before 11 a.m.

Starbucks plans more measured growth than the explosion of stores that set the company back when many were forced to close. The company seeks to relax its mega-corporation image with ‘Olive Way’ by returning to its days as a place where people want to linger for hours sipping coffee. Expect to see free, unlimited Wi-Fi in all existing company-run stores, and customers even being able to tailor more drinks. New stores will open with more community flavor. A Seattle shop uses an old bleacher from a nearby high school for shelving, and a New York City store’s floors and counters are made of wood reclaimed from a century-old Pennsylvania barn.

With the slowest off-season I have witnessed in a long time occur this year; many of my fellow colleagues in the hospitality industry are game planning to maximize profits for their respective business for the upcoming busier months.  Yes, the right amount of advertising and target promoting will get people through your doors.  But without the foundation of excellent service, all your dollars and efforts to get people to dine and drink in your establishment goes for naught.

Excellent service directly correlates to your bottom line profits.  Arm your staff with the right knowledge, up to date training and incentives for performance.  This may seem like management 101, but all these methods work.  That is why they are used across the board from high-end bars and clubs; to neighborhood eateries.

Emphasize guest interaction.  Give samples of whatever specials you are running.  And when all else fails always smile.  Cheesy?  Why yes, but it works.  You know all your efforts in advertising, training and knowledge are bearing fruit, when you start seeing new and unfamiliar faces.  Regulars and repeat customers are great; they show your methods work.  New faces mean growth and opportunity.  It all starts with excellent service.

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