Innehållsförteckning för April 2022 från Market Watch

“It’s so much more fun to build something than to just go out and buy something.” “Either properly or improperly I’ve always tried to get my people to strive for perfection. We never achieve it. But by trying, we generally improve. I’ve never done anything that’s come close to being perfect.” “Julio always preferred gardening, raising things, being in the field, and he nicely gravitated toward planting vineyards. I, on the other hand, gravitated toward getting to know the retailer, getting to understand marketing, and I spent my time doing that.” “When we made the wine, then of course the next thing was to sell it, using common sense. Go and call the retailer, look his shop over and talk to him.”…

Since the start of the pandemic, beverage alcohol has been one of the fastest-growing e-commerce sectors—a development that has given rise to increased expectations from consumers for on-demand delivery of their orders. As a result, new on-demand delivery options have emerged, while established platforms are rapidly expanding and increasing their investments in the space. At Mesa Liquor in Mesa, Arizona, on-demand orders have grown to account for 10% of sales, says owner Sam Yousef, noting that any margins lost from fees to third-party delivery providers and investments in own-store delivery have been made up by increased volume sales. Mesa has been partnered with Drizly for about three years and signed on with DoorDash a few months ago. “I would consider partnering with other companies,” Yousef says. “It could further increase…

Offering an upscale but approachable glimpse into Chinese culture, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro is built on a foundation of Asian heritage and American innovation, with a strong bar program and an emphasis on creative mixology. The restaurant chain boasts more than 200 locations across the United States and an additional 97 internationally. The bar is a focal point at all of its units and the company is in the midst of implementing a massive renovation project that further highlights the bar. After nearly 30 years in business, P.F. Chang’s remains a destination for higher-end Asian fare and inventive mixed drinks. “Communicating our authenticity and rich heritage is important to us and a foundation for everything we do, and we feel that sets us apart from other restaurants,” says Heidi Bergeron,…

The International House of Pancakes (IHOP) will soon expand the availability of beer at its restaurants, as the breakfast-focused chain works to diversify its menu options. IHOP’s expansion of its “Bubbles, Wine & Brews” program, which launched last summer, is one of many examples of family-dining chains looking to grow their menu offerings and improve overall sales. “We’re reaching new audiences, who are looking for afternoon and evening dining occasions,” says Kieran Donahue, chief marketing officer at IHOP, which has nearly 1,800 franchised locations around the world. IHOP began testing the program, which also features wines from E.&J. Gallo Winery, last August at five restaurants in San Diego and New Mexico. The chain plans to expand the program into New York, Rhode Island, Maryland, Ohio, and other markets this year.…

LA: Craft Cocktails Shine At Worldly California Bistro Featuring a cocktail menu that honors the history of Los Angeles and food that celebrates Mediterranean, Asian, and Italian flavors, Ella opened in February in Los Angeles’ Sixty Beverly Hills Hotel. The concept, created jointly by the hotel and Umbrella Hospitality Group, has a bustling bar program in an atmosphere that blends the bistro cultures of Europe and New York. Ella’s creative cocktail menu includes signatures like About Artemis, mixing coconut-washed Ford’s gin, Green Chartreuse, Scrappy’s Celery bitters, house-made falernum, and pineapple and lime juices, and the 21 Grams, made with Hennessy XO Cognac, Woodinville Bourbon, Mister Bitters Honeyed Apricot & Smoked Hickory bitters, house-made salted caramel syrup, and apple cider reduction (specialty drinks are $16-$50). The restaurant also emphasizes natural and…

In the early days of the pandemic, revenues at The Violet Hour in Chicago had slowed to a trickle. This craft cocktail venue was already highly experienced in creating batched cocktails, due to a thriving events business. So when the law changed to allow for cocktails to-go and cocktail delivery, the bar team jumped on the chance to secure their survival. “We immediately pivoted, and (to-go cocktails) were our sole income for a couple months,” says Terry Alexander, partner at The Violet Hour, who notes that unlike many states, Illinois does not have a food order requirement when selling drinks to-go. “That was all we were living on, basically.” The lounge quickly expanded its offerings and even launched a subscription service for cocktail delivery. Fast forward to today, and to-go…

Alcohol-enhanced seltzers have enjoyed massive growth recently as consumers embraced their easy-drinking functionality. New players and established brands alike jumped into the category, creating a flurry of activity in this emerging and surging RTD segment. Along with gaining a strong customer base at the retail level, seltzers quickly started appearing on-premise, both on beer lists and as an ingredient on cocktail menus, and that’s accelerating as more restaurants and bars reopen after Covid-19 closures. Throughout 2021, alcoholic seltzers continued their meteoric growth and many brands are focusing on the on-premise as a key sector moving forward. Brands like White Claw, Truly, and High Noon dominate the craft seltzer category, but big-name players like Bud Light and Smirnoff also have seltzers that are doing well, even on-premise. “The hard seltzer category…

Hugo Peña entered the New York City food and beverage industry at the age of 18 and never looked back. “I started as an assistant server and bar back at Empellón Taqueria in the West Village, and was immediately engaged in the work,” he recalls. “Watching the bartenders mixing drinks while also providing great service to guests fascinated and inspired me to become a bartender one day.” That opportunity came once Peña turned 21 and was promoted to bartender. After five years at Empellón Taqueria, he moved on to the venue’s Midtown Manhattan location in 2017 and quickly rose through the ranks to lead bartender, a role that allowed him to create his own cocktails and further hone his craft. Peña’s next big bartending break came in 2019 when he…

More than two decades ago, Wine Spectator editor and publisher Marvin R. Shanken was granted a rare interview—the first and last of its kind—with the famously private Ernest Gallo, co-founder and chairman of what was then and continues to be among the world’s largest wine companies. The interview, at Gallo’s home in Modesto, California, nearly didn’t happen, and the full footage has never before been shown publicly. Now it is exclusively available on WineSpectator.com. Shanken explains that the long-withheld film was “a labor of love,” created as a birthday gift to Gallo, who had turned 90 the month before the interview was filmed on April 20, 1999. “To those that don’t really know Ernest Gallo … he was like the Henry Ford of the wine business,” Shanken says. “He created…

For a good chunk of last year, Vineyard Brands couldn’t find a way to ship wine from New Zealand to key U.S. markets. “Shipping literally stopped for about eight months,” says Greg Doody, president and CEO of Vineyard Brands. “There was no shipping—no freight forwarder that handled wine would ship from New Zealand or Australia to the west coast of the United States.” At the start of last year, the situation was framed as simple delays. But halfway in, the shippers acknowledged there were no immediate plans to resume shipping, Doody recalls. “We diverted to the east coast, but we lost four months,” he says. “We were able to fill the pipelines again. Now it’s just a matter of being able to get the wine. We sold everything we could…

In the not-so-distant past, luxury spirits investors made their purchases through auction houses, in travel retail shops, or at select high-end retailers. While those avenues remain highly relevant, new platforms are seeking a slice of the luxury spirits pie. BlockBar is one such company, offering a non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace for luxury wine and spirits producers that has upended traditional models. Launched last year, BlockBar offers asset-backed NFTs directly from brand owners. Each NFT corresponds to a physical bottle, and customers have the ability to exchange the digital version for the physical version. In simple terms, the buyer owns the physical bottle, Block-Bar stores it for them, and the digital version serves as proof of authenticity, verification of ownership, and the right to have the physical bottles delivered. Thus far,…