What’s Shakin’ in the Bar & Nightlife Business: Week of October 16

Bar, nightclub and restaurant operators, managers, bartenders and other staff members have a lot to keep tabs on. From every day operations tasks to new product releases to spirit, beer, wine, cocktail and food trends, keeping on top of bar and nightlife news each week can be a project in and of itself.

That’s where we come in. To make things that much easier for you we’ve put together a detailed rundown of what happened this week that you should know. You need to know what international products are finally being distributed throughout America, what innovations are being made in glassware and bar and kitchen products, what and when music streaming services are featuring a new album, and so much more. In life, knowledge is power. In this business, knowledge is dollars.

 

Get in on this 10-day global cocktail promotion.

SPIRIBAM 2017 Old Fashioned Week November 1 - What's Shakin' week of October 16
Image: SPIRIBAM

If you haven’t already done so, register now at www.old-fashioned-week.com to participate in the third annual Old Fashioned Week. Once you’ve done that, put your bar’s shakers in storage and prepare your bartenders to rely on their mixing spoons and glasses from November 2 through 11. This worldwide celebration, as you may have guessed from its name, is a global celebration of the Old Fashioned. You and your staff are encouraged to either serve your guests the most classic or premium Old Fashioned cocktails, or the most original, different or innovative Old Fashioned. Six brands have partnered with Old Fashioned Week 2017: Altos Tequila, Angostura Bitters, Havana Club Rum, J.M Agricole Rhum, Monkey Shoulder and Wild Turkey. The goal for this year’s event is to have at least 600 bars around the world participate, a massive increase over last year’s 180 bars throughout 14 countries. Given that some of the most famous bars in the world have said the cocktail they serve the most is the Old Fashioned, you can see the value of participating in this event and promoting your involvement at your bar. After you’ve registered, share your participation with Old Fashioned Week’s Twitter via the hashtag #OldFashionedWeek.

 

Do you operate in a vegetarian- and vegan-friendly city?

WalletHub 2017’s Best Cities for Vegans & Vegetarians - What's Shakin' week of October 16
 
And if so, how dedicated are you to fulfilling vegetarian and vegan dietary needs on your menu? November 1 is World Vegan Day, so WalletHub did the research and released their 2017’s Best Cities for Vegans & Vegetarians report. You can head over to their site for the full report, but the top 10 cities on WalletHub’s list, from tenth to first, are San Diego, Miami, Scottsdale, Washington, DC, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orlando, Portland and NYC.

 

A wonderful abomination.

Lost Spirits Abomination technology aged whiskeys make history - What's Shakin' week of October 16

Lost Spirits Distillery has made history with their technology-aged whisky. The distillery’s Abomination peated malt – aged in a mere 6 days via revolutionary and patented technology – was given a score of 94 points in the 2018 edition of Jim Murray’s The Whisky Bible. Two expressions of Abomination were entered into judging, Sayers of the Law and Crying of the Puma. The latter scored 93 points while the former outscored 95% of the world’s top whiskies and also earned The Whisky Bible’s Liquid Gold designation. You can read more about Lost Spirits’ technology-driven approach to aging here.

 

Congratulations – it’s triplets!

Woodford Reserve Distillery Series French Oak Cask Finished Rye - What's Shakin' week of October 16
 
Number three of Woodford Reserve’s Distillery Series rye triplets has been announced. Joining Blended Rye and Toasted Oak Rye is French Oak Cask Finished Rye, developed by Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Chris Morris. French Oak Cask Finished Rye uses the same rye mash distillate as the distillery’s Master’s Collection Aged Cask Rye. This expression is then matured in French Oak barrels that held Pinot Noir before they were seasoned with Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon. According to Morris, this expression is the fruitiest among the trio of Distillery Series ryes, making it unique among the majority of rye whiskeys. This 86.4-proof rye is the color of light honey; characterized by a nose of shortbread, kiwi, honey and toasted cedar; delivers flavors of brown butter and grilled pineapple brushed with honey; and “finishes like a mouthful of soft Key Lime Pie.” Is your mouth watering yet? We thought so.

 

Dogfish Head Liberates New Truths With Release of Liquid Truth Serum IPA

Dogfish Head Liquid Truth Serum IPA - What's Shakin' week of October 16
 
Dogfish Head, the brewery that brought us continual hopping and other innovative hop dosing methods, is introducing a new IPA to bars and restaurants. Liquid Truth Serum is a 6.8% ABV, 60 IBU, medium-body IPA that kicks off the 2017 Dogfish Head Art Series. Dogfish Head brews this new IPA by adding each hop – in pelletized, powdered, leaf and liquefied forms – after the boil has been completed, meaning Liquid Truth Serum is a 100% post-boil hop-oriented India Pale Ale. Liquid Truth Serum shatters the myth that beers only gain IBUs when hops are added during the boil. The result is an intensely aromatic, “juicy-hoppy” beer with well-balanced citrus and tropical notes.