Beverage

When you watch Agnieszka Rojewska compete in the 2018 World Barista Championship, the first thing you notice is that she’s having fun. She’s smiling, she’s chatting, and she’s making her guests — the competition judges — feel like they’re seeing their favorite barista at the corner café.

That’s exactly her intention, she tells the judges: "What is the future of specialty coffee? For me, it's right back where we all started: when we're enjoying a cup of coffee in a specialty coffee shop. And this was enhanced by barista hospitality and customer service skills.” 

Rojewska became the first Polish barista and the first-ever woman to win the prestigious championship. Hamilton Beach Commercial® interviewed Rojewska about her historic win and her unique approach.

Psst. Want to see a magic trick?

In just 20 seconds, this ordinary blender will turn regular skim milk into silky, frothy cold foam. Amazing!

For our next trick, we’ll combine some raspberries and heavy cream. Voilá: indulgent, flavored whipped cream — and yet the delicate berries haven’t been smashed to pieces. How did we do it?

It’s the magic of the AirWhip frothing jar. This innovative jar harnesses the power of a Hamilton Beach Commercial high-performance blender to rapidly foam, whip and emulsify while treating delicate ingredients with care. What can it do in your kitchen?

Go ahead: Order 1 million smoothies. Heck, order 2 million.

“No problem,” says the Quantum^®950. “Coming right up.” 

On June 8, 2018, we flipped the switch on a Quantum^®950 High-Performance Blender in the lobby of the Hamilton Beach Commercial^® headquarters in Richmond, Virginia. Since then, it has been running nonstop for more than 6,000 hours. You can see it for yourself in our livestream.

So, why did we build a high-performance commercial blender capable of making a million drinks? And will it ever quit?

“Alcohol-free spirits” sounds like an oxymoron — like “jumbo shrimp” or “working vacation.” While non-alcoholic wine and beer can be appreciated for their flavor, the whole point of liquor is that it packs a punch. 

But non-alcoholic spirits, which bring complexity and depth to craft beverages, are having a moment. Globally, fewer people are drinking. In 2000, 47.6 percent of the world’s population over 15 consumed alcohol, according to the World Health Organization (WHO); now, 43 percent do. Europe has witnessed a 10 percentage point decrease in the drinking population. Is now the time to put alcohol-free spirits behind the bar?

Hamilton Beach Commercial has been working with the Dairy Queen® system to develop an automated, hands-free mixer for the iconic BLIZZARD® frozen treat. Today, we’re proud to announce that American Dairy Queen Corp. has recognized Hamilton Beach Commercial as its 2018 Equipment Supplier of the Year.

“They’ve done for us what we hope all vendors will do for us in the future,” the Executive Vice President-Strategic Initiatives for American Dairy Queen Corp. noted during the awards presentation at its annual Supplier Summit. “Through diligent development and testing, they brought…innovation and technology to our restaurant production core, on a product that is really, really important to our system.”

What’s the only thing better than a freshly made Manhattan?

A Manhattan that’s been happily snoozing in an oak barrel for a few weeks. 

The novelty and sophisticated flavor of barrel-aged cocktails have proved to be consistently popular with bar patrons. But aging cocktails isn’t the simplest process: You’ve got to prep your barrel, seal the leaks, store it properly, and monitor your mixture’s progress. To succeed, you’ll need a killer drink recipe and a bar staff that’s enthusiastic about experimentation and attentive to detail.

Let’s look at the pros and cons of serving barrel-aged cocktails.

$10 used to be the magic number.

A decade ago, that was a typical price for a craft cocktail. Since then, that number has climbed and climbed — $14 to $16 is normal now, and in cities like New York and Los Angeles, no one blinks at $20.

Why have cocktails gotten so expensive? Restaurant operators cite several reasons: rising rents, the increased demand for quality ingredients, and most importantly, the cost of labor, which includes hiring skilled bartenders and paying for the time required to make elegant, complicated concoctions.

Serving high-end cocktails can do wonders for a restaurant’s bottom line, bringing in a 15-25 percent profit (compared to the 4-6 percent margin most operators see overall). But what if customers start to feel cocktail price fatigue?

An Artichoke Negroni that combines the delicate flavor of baby artichokes with gin.

Bourbon that tastes like smoked cinnamon.

Maker’s Mark flavored with roasted black sesame seeds and sesame oil.

Imagination is the only limit when you’re creating infused cocktails — that, and the time it takes to develop the flavors. But there is a  way to heighten flavor and cut the time required from days to hours: a vacuum chamber sealer.

Juice and smoothie flavor trends come and go, but the immense popularity of both juice and smoothies continues — and the power players won’t be juice bars, but restaurants that have all-day foot traffic, predicts John Craven, founder and CEO of BevNet.  

Maybe this will be the year your business adds a juice or smoothie program. But in the battle of juicing vs. blending, who wins? Is one healthier than the other, and is one a smarter choice for operators?  

Let us tell you the legend of the Kahlua Colada: a source of endless fascination for us at Hamilton Beach Commercial. After we put this frozen piña colada recipe on our blog three years ago (courtesy of Bartender Magazine), it rapidly became our most popular post of all time — and remains a hit to this day.

Why is the Kahlua Colada so popular? Maybe because it’s both simple and surprising. The combination of Kahlua, cream of coconut and pineapple juice sounds odd, but it works. In that spirit, here are a few more fun riffs on the piña colada to inspire you.