Beverage

Alcohol has long been used as a flavoring in ice cream, but eating a quart of rum raisin never got anyone buzzed.

Until now.

Enter the ice cream “barlour” — an ice cream shop that serves spiked scoops.

From an operator’s perspective, the boozy ice-cream trend is attractive for several reasons. One, the check sizes — $12 to $15 for some popular chains, according to Nation’s Restaurant News. Two, it offers multiple streams of revenue: catering weddings and company parties, selling pints to go, and online ordering/delivery, where local laws allow. Three, alcoholic ice cream melds well with other concepts, such as coffee, milkshakes and dessert cafés.

The first question people ask: “Will this ice cream get me drunk?”  The answer is typically no, although a four-ounce serving of 5% ABV ice cream may produce a modest buzz.

You can make it decadent or elegant. Low-cal or super-rich. Sweet or savory. Any way you whip it, cheese tea is delicious. 

Consumers in China, Japan and other Asian nations have been enjoying this frothy, fun drink for years — even waiting hours in line just to try it. Back in 2017, The Washington Post was calling it “the latest Instagram-worthy food trend.” While cheese tea hasn’t quite hit the mainstream in the United States, more tea shops are beginning to offer it. Let’s take a closer look at the cheese-tea trend.

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.