Craft Brew Business recently released a list of the Top 5 craft beer styles of 2014. And to no ones surprise, IPAs are number one. And though IPAs still reign supreme in the world of the craft drinker, there are a lot of other styles fighting for a space on tap lists across the country. One of the more intriguing categories of beer making some head-room (apologies for the foamy-pun) in beer halls is sour beer.
There is a growing trend of adventurous restaurant goers who seek out new and unique experiences. Customers at bars and restaurants are looking for new wines to drink, old cocktail recipes to resurrect, and exotic fusions of new flavors to taste.
One trend on the rise in the beverage industry that consumers are excited about is private bottle programs. Read more
It’s been in the news a lot lately that there’s enormous interest and growth in hard root beer. Small Town Brewery, based in Wauconda, IL, has been a leader in this space with Not Your Father’s Root Beer. Luckily for me here in Illinois, we’re the only ones who have it on tap and in it’s harder form of 10.7% or 19.5%ABV. I’ve been enjoying it since it came out last year and distribution has spread widely throughout the US.
How big of a trend is it? Well the beer came out last year, from a tiny microbrewery. It’s not the 6th best-selling craft brewer and the beer accounts for 3.3% of the entire craft market!
Sommeliers are most famously known to be working in fine dining establishments, overseeing the wine program with their stereotypical snooty attitudes. These practices are changing, however, as sommeliers are getting recruited by more casual restaurants who want an expert to help the guests with a friendly disposition. How do you know if you should recruit a sommelier, and what are the benefits associated with doing so?
Creating a distinctive edge for your restaurant is a worthwhile strategy. Many restaurants are unable to stay in business within their first year of opening and if they do, they should start following popular trends that inspire customers to come in and try something new. Introduce one or all of these trends in your restaurant to stay current and drive in traffic.
Restaurants and wine producers, get your grapes ready. Millennials are here to take the wine industry by storm. U.S. wine consumption dramatically increased when the first group of Millennials reached the legal drinking age in the early 2000’s. It continues to grow today, Millennials accounting for 27% of total U.S. consumption as reported by Wine Industry Advisor. Restaurants can start taking advantage of the peaked interest of wine by learning Millennial’s habits, wants and needs.
It’s no surprise that social media has grown to become a vital part of any business strategy. Instagram, the social media platform that allows users to share photos and videos, has become a giant in the social sharing realm. The endearing part about Instagram is that users can post whatever they please, images ranging from day-to-day activities to professional photographs of memorable moments.
Recently, Instagram released a new version of their “Explore” tab, which has restaurants who were previously uninterested scrambling to join the social media movement. Read more
More and more restaurants are turning to beverage-related strategies to bring in customers and boost sales. Drink sales are often overlooked in the pursuit of finding the correct target consumer and with competition on the rise, their importance is greater than ever before. Build customer loyalty while bringing your restaurant into the spotlight with these 4 beverage branding tips.
The pink beverage has significantly gained in popularity the last few years. Information company Nielsen revealed a 34% increase to $63 million in the rosé category the past 52 weeks (which ended May 23). Sales are growing globally, as rosé wines are overtaking red and white varietals in some countries. As summer arrives, consumer’s taste for sweet and dry blush wine escalates. All the ranting about rosé has inspired us to create a list of the top pink wines that need to be in your restaurant.
Did you know that the color of wine and how well it goes with a meal are the two most popular factors considered when choosing a wine to drink at a restaurant or bar? Or that consumers located on the east and west coast prefer wine, while those located inland are more likely to prefer beer? Read more