In 2009’s tough economic climate, where every penny counted, operators looked to alcoholic beverages to fill up in profits.
Operators prepared specialty drinks with less expensive brands and ingredients while they changed and updated beverage menus in an effort to keep guests’ interest up as they tried to keep spending down.
Just as handcrafted cocktails employing fresh and seasonal ingredients mirrored consumer’s interest in fresh and seasonal food, alcoholic beverages in 2009 also reflected trends in food preparation. The growth of “better” burger concepts and upscale comfort food fit in with the shift away from more challenging, exotic fare during these uncertain times. In addition, drink menus featuring liquor-laced shakes and spiked lemonades echoed the trend.
At chef Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak, the burgers served in the lounge include Prime and American Kobe beef burgers, lamb burgers, and salmon burgers that can be topped with artisanal cheese, farmers market vegetables and a variety of sauces.
To accompany these burgers, Bourbon Steak features drinks like the Bourbon Malted, made with Jim Beam bourbon, salty caramel sauce and malted milk powder; the Grasshopper, prepared with green crème de menthe, white crème de cacao, vanilla vodka and peppermint oil; and the Rum Raisin, made with Appleton Estate 12-year-old rum and puréed rum-plumped raisins.
And at BLT Burger in New York, the classic milk shake gets shaken up just as the classic cocktails are reinvented on the cocktail menu, with concoctions like the All Nighter, made with Kahlua, Bailey’s Irish Cream, espresso and coffee ice cream, and Grandma’s Treat made with vanilla ice cream, Maker’s Mark bourbon and caramel.
And cocktails were not alone in getting the upscale comfort treatment. Beer also had a heady year as operators recognized the humble beverage had superstar potential.
New beers were inspired by styles from around the planet and experimentation with techniques like barrel aging and using different varieties of wild yeast to produce more sour brews.
Restaurants and bars stocked more and different beers, in particular craft beers, distinctive beers and high-quality beers that tapped a market for affordable luxury.
The Greene Turtle, a casualdining chain based in Edgewater, Md., has 22 taps and about the same number of bottled beers. The brand said it sells more than twice as much beer as wine and spirits combined.
Daniel Boulud’s DBGB Kitchen & Bar in New York, listed 22 drafts from around the globe.
