FSR July 2023
LIQUID INTELLIGENCE
incentive to purchase. For Cohen, their Jug Club for to-go gallons of margaritas peak in summer with a 15 percent increase in sales, and Furious Spoon’s RTD cocktails from Old Smokey and Greenbar Distillery are so huge in o -premises takeout and deliv ery sales they stopped selling fountain soda for a time. Even the DISCUS report showed 82 percent of consumers pre ferred RTDs because “they taste bet ter than beer,” and because of spirits’ growth, changes spill into policies like California’s SB277 legislation for fairer treatment of spirits-based RTD cocktails. “ ese lower tax rates make RTDs more a ordable and in turn, stimulate indus try growth,” says Teo. “If the policy in your state allows for it, and you’re not trying out [RTDs and cocktails to-go], it’s a missed opportunity as an additional revenue stream.” Because of diners’ altered sipping preferences, full-service restaurants now also select more diverse and inclu sive spirits brands. “We try to be as inclu sive as possible and try to nd emerging brands,” Williamson says. “If it’s some thing we test, taste, and people like it, we want to champion that brand because as we grow ours, we want to grow with peo ple because it’s about relationships.” is lends to the spirit industry’s strength, too, with the widening variety promot ing innovation. “We’re seeing a trend where people are more conscious about what they’re consuming and want to know about the brands, know the story, know where it’s from, and the average consumer doesn’t look the same,” explains Teo, “We have di erent backgrounds, races, ethnicities, and orientations, and with that diversity, consumers are identifying with the sto ries of these brands.” And those stories bubble up in restau rants’ bottom lines, says Raab. “When you have that story behind that prod uct that’s special, unique, and di erent, that’s where it’s important for the res taurateur to gain more value out of it.” Adds Rollich, “I want to know why it’s special, because that story [is] how I sell to the customer.”
LOOKING AT SPIRITS FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT, CONSUMERS ARE PICKING WELL CRAFTED COCKTAILS TO PAIR WITH MEALS ‘VERSUS DRINKING BEER AFTER BEER,’ NOTES DANNY WILLIAMSON, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AT FURIOUS SPOON RAMEN SHOP. GREENBAR DISTILLERY / THE MISSION
“You have to be willing to fail, and if you’re not, you’ll never create anything cool,” Rollich says, “Every single ingredi ent is made or juiced in-house; it changes the whole avor pro le of the cocktail.” Aphotic uses housemade gin and 80 di erent botanical spirits distilled in house for their cocktails including their signature martini with ve of their dis tillates, Dulse, orris root, bitter orange, juniper, green tea, Noilly Prat original dry vermouth, and Bodegas Hidalgo manzanilla sherry. “One of the reasons beer isn’t grow ing in restaurants as much as cocktails is when you have one IPA, you’re kinda
full and your palate is shot, then you still have dinner,” explains Rollich. “Cock tails are more in line with appetizers and it’s easier to have a few plus pair with your palate.” Alongside booming top-notch spir its and RTDs, experts say pro ts follow suit for full-service restaurants. “When we look at spirits from a nancial stand point, it can be a better bang for the buck in what you get out of a well-crafted cocktail with your meal for that dollar amount versus drinking beer after beer,” explains Williamson, who says better quality and inventive spirits and RTDs help increase check average and diner
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FSRMAGAZINE.COM
JULY 2023
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