Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2015 i Market Watch

Sophistication has been a byword of the Miami scene for some time, and this vibrant market continues to evolve. So many big names in the culinary world have planted their flag there—including Michael Mina, Jean-Georges Vongerichten and José Andrés, to name just a few. Now, with a thriving array of cocktail bars rising to critical acclaim, the city’s mixology culture is as exciting as anywhere in the country. The appeal of craft cocktails is carrying over into all facets of Miami’s food and beverage scene. Wine, of course, has kept pace with this growing sophistication, raising its profile in the on- and off-premise, and many venues are pushing the envelope with diversified, often esoteric offerings. The city now even has its own craft beer industry, with a number of recent…

Philadelphia’s Kevin Sbraga unveiled his American restau-rant Juniper Commons in December. The venue features a menu inspired by the 1980s, with dishes like shrimp cocktail, roasted chicken and prime rib. The cuisine is joined by a gin-centric drinks menu that highlights modernized classics. Following a $29 million transformation, Le Méridien New Orleans opened in December in the space that formerly housed the W Hotel. Along with renovated hotel rooms and the new lobby bar Longitude 90, the hotel debuted LMNO, a destination restaurant that serves New American fare infused with global flavors. The sleek upscale dining destination Spoke & Steele opened in December in Downtown Indianapolis, offering fresh and local American cuisine prepared by chef Tyson Peterson. The menu highlights meat and fish entrées, and the bar empha-sizes spirits in…

Jim Beam Single Barrel Bourbon Jim Beam Bourbon introduced its first single barrel offering in February 2014, and the recep-tion has been very positive, according to Beam Suntory senior brand manager Jamie Rose. “We’ve been really pleased with the launch performance,” she says. “It acts as a step-up brand into the fast-growing premium segment.” The 47.5-percent alcohol-by-volume (abv) Jim Beam Single Barrel ($34.99 a 750-ml. bottle), the brand’s first super-premium offering, has found an audience both with existing Jim Beam fans and with consumers of higher-end whiskies. “We’ve seen success throughout all the key whiskey channels,” Rose notes. “The offering performs strongly both in the on- and off-premise.” The brand has done particularly well in fine dining and upscale whiskey accounts, both on its own and in high-end cocktails. Marketing…

Tiki drinks and tiki bars have been rising in popularity for several years now, and thanks to this trend, many cocktail lovers are becoming increasingly familiar with rum. “A fascination with cocktail history has shined a light on tiki drinks and punches, which certainly brings rum to the forefront of the conversation,” says Melissa Gallagher, bar manager at Leon’s Full Service in Decatur, Georgia. Teddy Collins, lead bartender and general manager of Miami’s Radio Bar, also points to this natural correlation between the rise of tiki drinks and the increased exposure of rum. “With the recent tiki resurgence, rum is being used more often and in new ways on cocktail menus,” he says. For its weekly “Tiki Tuesdays” promotion, Radio Bar offers $8 rum cocktails, including such classics as the…

Rémy Cointreau officially confirmed Valérie Chapoulaud-Floquet as the company’s CEO in January. She was first appointed to the role in June, after Frédéric Pflanz stepped down in early 2014. Chapoulaud-Floquet spent more than 20 years with the L’Oréal Group before joining Louis Vuitton in 2008. Brown-Forman Corp. has made a series of changes to its executive lineup, including 28-year company veteran John Hayes’ appointment to the newly created role of senior vice president and chief marketing officer. Hayes previously served as managing director of the Tequila Herradura portfolio and was most recently global managing director of Jack Daniel’s brands. Brown-Forman has also named Mark McCallum as executive vice president and president of Jack Daniel’s brands. McCallum joined the company in 2003 as chief marketing officer for its spirits brands and…

Stoli Group Taps New CEO....In effort to consolidate gains for Stolichnaya vodka and expand the company’s foot-print through acquisitions, Luxembourg-based Stoli Group has promoted Robert Cullins to CEO from his previous role as global commercial director at parent company SPI Group. Val Mendeleev, who had been serving in dual CEO roles at Stoli Group and SPI Group, remains the parent company’s CEO. In addition, John Esposito has been promoted to chairman of the company’s U.S. subsid-iary, Stoli Group USA, from his previous role as president and has also been added to the Stoli Group board. He was tapped to run Stoli Group USA in early 2013, following Stoli vodka’s departure from William Grant & Sons USA. The brand grew 6 percent to 1.6 million cases in 2014, according to Impact…

Aiming to turn a little into a lot, Grain Spirits + Food opened in Midtown Atlanta in December with a focus on craft cocktails. The venue boasts several Bourbons and other whis-kies, small-batch beers and wines, and upscale bar bites, including oysters and mac and cheese. Featuring a firehouse theme and 30 beer taps, Hook and Ladder is an old-school bar with a friendly vibe. The venue opened in December in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood with a menu of craft beers from around the country, including local Goose Island labels. The bar also offers a variety of shots and bomb-style drinks and a handful of wines by the glass. The beer haven Small Brewpub opened in December in Dallas’s Oak Cliff neighborhood, pouring a rotating roster of six beers made…

The record for retail succession around Chicago hasn’t been very good in recent years, but Howard “Bud” Schwarzbach is continuing his legacy. He launched the first Wine Discount Center store in 1986 on Chicago’s Near North Side, grew the business to five locations and became a Market Watch LeaDer in 1999. As he approached retirement age, the retailer had no obvious heir to the company. His son, Peter Schwarzbach, who received a master’s degree in business from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, had taken a job in Kentucky as a steel buyer for Toyota Motor Co. and seemed unlikely to ever trade working at one of the world’s largest corporations for stacking cases of Chardonnay. Yet family businesses can take unpredictable turns. Finding himself unemployed in 2001, Peter Schwarzbach moved…

SWEET TI By Karen Grill Ingredients: 1½ ounces Rhum J.M Agricole Blanc 40-percent abv rum; ½ ounce Montenegro amaro; ¼ ounce Art in the Age Sage liqueur; ¾ ounce blackberry lemon jam1; ¾ ounce lime juice;Lime wheel. Recipe: Combine rum, amaro, liqueur, jam and juice in a mason jar, add crushed ice and swizzle. Garnish with a lime wheel and a paper straw. 1 2Heat 1 cup evaporated cane sugar, 2 pints fresh blackberries, 2 lemon peels and 2 tablespoons water on high heat until the mixture reduces by half. Strain ingredients through a China cap to remove most solids and cool in a sealed jar. I ROCK RUFF & STUFF By Robert Ferrera Ingredients: 1½ ounces Afrohead rum; ¼ ounce Ancho Reyes chili liqueur; ¼ ounce Mandarine Napoléon orange…

On-Premise News Chicago’s Alinea Will Close For Renovations Alinea, Chicago’s celebrated molecular gastronomy restaurant, is undergoing a makeover later this year. Partners Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas plan to close the 64-seat restaurant for six weeks this summer for significant renovations that will include a new layout. According to reports, the new Alinea will offer meals in several parts, with diners starting their experience in a downstairs salon and then moving upstairs to continue their meal, possibly at multiple tables. While Alinea is closed, its owners are contemplating guest pop-up forays in other cities and venues. New York City’s Nobu To Move Downtown The original location of the restaurant Nobu, which pioneered high-end modern Japanese cuisine in the United States, will relocate from New York City’s Tribeca neighborhood to the…

Beer Sommelier Italian brewer Pietro Fontana has written a new book that provides an in-depth look at the world’s beer styles and brewing processes. The 232-page tome ($39.95) features chapters on the origins of beer, how it’s made, serving techniques and beer-producing countries, from the United States to Belgium. The coffee table–size hardcover also includes full-color photography by Fabio Petroni and 24 recipes by chef Giovanni Ruggieri that perfectly pair beer with food. For more informa-tion, visit Sterlingpublishing.com. Oak Infusion Spiral Avon, Minnesota–based The Barrel Mill has introduced a smaller version of its Oak Infusion Spiral that allows bartenders and home brewers to easily add barrel-aged flavor, color and aroma directly to 750-ml. bottles of spirits or beer. Each spiral is made from premium American white oak, spiral cut to…

Haig Club Single Grain Scotch Whisky Diageo North America introduced a new single grain Scotch whisky in December. Made entirely from grain whisky produced at the Cameronbridge distillery, Haig Club ($70 a 750-ml. bottle) has butterscotch, tropical fruit and spice on the palate. Backed by soccer star David Beckham and media mogul Simon Fuller, the 40-percent alcohol-by-volume (abv) whisky is available nationwide. For more infor-mation, visit Haigclub.com or call Diageo at 203-229-2100. 2014 Diageo Special Releases The eleven single malt Scotch whiskies in Diageo’s 2014 Special Releases lineup arrived in the United States in February. The range includes Benrinnes 21-year-old ($400 a 750-ml. bottle), Brora 35-year-old ($1,250), Caol Ila Unpeated 15-year-old ($120), Caol Ila 30-year-old ($700), Clynelish Select Reserve ($800), Cragganmore 25-year-old ($500), Lagavulin 12-year-old ($130), Port Ellen 35-year-old ($3,300),…

RUTH’S CHRIS Steak House has been breaking barriers for decades. Founded in 1965 by Ruth Fertel, the 142-unit upscale steak house chain has helped shape the fine dining scene in the United States and perse-vered for 50 years, through changes in ownership, financial turmoil and an ever-growing high-end steak house segment. The concept’s longevity is a testament to its quality offerings and strong leaders, who have crafted a restaurant that works on a large scale, but manages to maintain a local focus for the communities it serves. The company began modestly in New Orleans, but now boasts locations in 35 states and 13 coun-tries. Growth hasn’t diluted the concept, but rather made it a destination around the globe. Total revenues increased 7.4 percent to $346.1 million in 2014, and beverage…

Riesling, loved by faithful fans of its drier expressions, is also poised to capture wine drinkers who seek additional sweet options. “Consumers are purchasing sweeter Riesling offerings as an alternative to Moscatos,” says Melissa Devore, vice president of wine buying at Total Wine & More, which projects rela-tively flat Riesling sales this year. The stores carry about 250 Rieslings ($5 to $70 a 750-ml. bottle). “It’s a tale of extremes, from newer wine consumers seeking something bright and fresh to the more high-end Riesling fans who know and love it,” says Bob Paulinski, senior vice president of wine for Beverages & More (BevMo). He antici-pates up to a 4-percent increase in Riesling sales this year. BevMo stores offer an average of 25 Rieslings ($8 to $75 a 750-ml. bottle). Both…