Beverage

It’s not last call for cocktails in the United States yet — far from it. The sale of spirits hit a record high in 2017, claiming nearly 37 percent of the total beverage alcohol market share. That’s good news for bar operators — now, the challenge is continuing to surprise and delight savvy consumers.

 

 

 

Here's your recap for the top 5 most-read blog posts for February 2018.  Kahlua Colada continues to come in first for views...so from now on, we'll be doing a "Top 6" to include just one more post for a little more variety.

 

Read on. If you see content you like, be sure to join the HBC Community for regular updates, whether it's Beverage, Food, Hospitality or Recipes.

Celebrity chef Kathy Casey’s favorite word is “wow.” She applies it to everything she does: cocktail creation, menu consulting, restaurant development, TV hosting and cookbook writing. She’s the owner of Kathy Casey Food Studios - Liquid Kitchen, a global food, beverage, and concept development and innovation agency.

In an increasingly competitive marketplace, how can restaurant and bar operators serve up that wow factor? “Always do something that is a little bit different, whether it’s a serving vessel, a garnish or an unexpected ingredient. Do something that sets you apart,” Casey says. “For instance, using a tiny wooden clothespin to secure a cocktail garnish; that extra little touch makes it memorable. When it comes to food, a combination of textures, unexpected flavors, and a unique presentation can make it a photo-worthy snap.”  

Kathy Casey. Photo credit: Kathy Casey Food Studios.

 

In case you missed them, these were the top 5 most-read blog posts for the month of December. Kahlua Colada continues to rule the roost as the number one most popular post, regardless of the fact that we are well into the cold months here in the U.S.

Read on. If you see content you like, be sure to join the HBC Community for regular updates, whether it's Beverage, Food, Hospitality or Recipes.

Happy New Year! As we take a moment to pause and reflect on the year that's passed, let's take a look back at the posts that pulled in the most views in 2017 across all four of the Hamilton Beach® Commercial blogs.

Read on...and if you see content you like, be sure to join the HBC Community for regular updates.

As we roll into the end of the year, we're pulling together our top blog posts from our Beverage blog for 2017. Here is our most popular content for the year. See any surprises? 

Read on...and if you see content you like, be sure to join the HBC Community for regular updates, whether it's Beverage, Food, Hospitality or Recipes.

In case you missed them, these were the top 5 most-read blog posts for the month of November. Kahlua Colada continues to rule the roost as the number one most popular post, regardless of the fact that we are well into the cold months here in the U.S.

Read on. If you see content you like, be sure to join the HBC Community for regular updates, whether it's Beverage, Food, Hospitality or Recipes.

Does your bar blender gather dust from November through April, only to roar back to life when it’s margarita season? This winter, put the blender back to work by mixing some frozen drinks that will invigorate your cocktail program. The secret to selling frozen drinks in winter is simple: Channel customers’ seasonal moods. We’ll tell you how.

But first, remember the basics of successful drink blending: Always put liquid ingredients in the jar first. Follow by adding solid ingredients such as fruit and ice. And for a consistent blend every time, invest in a powerful, commercial-quality bar blender.

Take a trip back through all the cocktail trends of the last few years, and the variety is dizzying. Produce-driven cocktails. Revivals of classic cocktails. New twists on classic cocktails. Craft frozen cocktails. Tiki drinks. Even the once-scorned staples of college bars, like the Long Island Iced Tea, have gotten a makeover from modern mixologists.

Is there anything left to try? Oh, yes: The last frontier in cocktails is all about science. Mixologists at places like Washington, D.C.’s barmini and Chicago’s Aviary are adapting the techniques of molecular gastronomy to serve up drinks that change color, fizz and smoke. But there’s a method to this madness. Here are five principles they follow.