Alcademics.com

Working With Beverage Bloggers: DOs and DON'Ts

The other day I gave a talk on social media at the WSWA convention in Orlando. The audience was mostly distributors, brand owners, and PR professionals.

We had five people on the panel and just an hour to to talk, so naturally I was the last one to speak and we were already over our allotted time in the room. I had to make it fast so I condensed a ten-minute talk into about three minutes, which is longer than it will take you to read the rough outline of my talk below.

Working With Cocktail Bloggers: DOs and DON'Ts

DON'Ts

1. Don't call, unless you are asked to call. 
2. Don't send packages without your information or sell sheet. Mystery booze is nice but won't help you get press.
3. Don't treat every blogger the same. The National Enquirer isn’t the same as Cat Fancy; it's the same way with blogs. Different bloggers publish different sorts of content- one person may review your blueberry vodka, another may publish recipes with it, and another might write an industry trend piece about the rise in berry flavors. Familiarize yourself with the top blogs and pitch accordingly.
4. Don't think a blogger is obligated to write about your product just because you sent a sample or a recipe. Instead of following-up with “When will you be posting?”  try: “I hope you enjoyed the sample. Is there anything I can provide you with?” (Also, bloggers aren't obliged to respond to emails- we're busy too.)
5. Don't block access to information. If a blogger has a question that only the master distiller can answer, do your best to get that answer. Be a conduit for information, not a roadblock.

DOs

1. Do create shareable content and shareable media, and give it away. Shareable content includes brand histories, tasting notes, distillery profile, and especially recipes. (And hire somebody to create good new recipes.) Shareable media includes photos (bottle shots, cocktail pictures, party shots from events, cell phone snaps from bar visits), videos (How-to-make cocktail videos, distillery virtual tour, live tasting with distiller), and projects (send out tools to help bloggers build their own content: a comparative tasting kit, home blending exercise, cocktail ingredients, bar tools,  punch bowls, etc.)
2. Do Provide Incentives and Rewards. These include Samples: send large size ones and send them often. Someone reviewed your product positively? Send even more! Admission: to press events, parties, out for drinks with the brand ambassador, etc. Bloggers don't get as much love as traditional journalists, so a little bit of love goes a long way. Money: Some blogs charge for spirit reviews, recipe development, and of course ads, but you can also hire bloggers to cover events, to photograph cocktails, or to be the party photographer. Fame: If a blogger posts something about your brand, use your own social media tools to retweet, post on Facebook. etc. to drive traffic to the blog. The blogger gets more hits and the brand gets more attention. It's a win-win. 

I focused on just my top tips. I welcome your additional suggestions in the comments.

To see the slides from all speakers for this presentation, follow this link. Mine are last.

Styles of Pisco: A Mystery Solved

Depending on where you look online, you'll find that there are either three or four categories of Peruvian pisco.This is confusing if you want to write about it.

The Problem

Some sites say that there are four types: Puro, Aromatico, Mosto Verde, and Acholado.

Others say three: Puro (which includes the four aromatic varietals of the Aromatico category above), Mosto Verde, and Acholado.

As far as I know, the national pisco association of Peru has no official information in English. And the two very official-looking websites above have different answers.

The Evidence

But in the process of trying to figure out how many types of pisco there are I think I also figured out why there is confusion. Or rather, I asked enough people who figured it out for me. Particular thanks go to pisco historian/author Guillermo Toro-Lira who scanned in the old laws so we can compare it to the new ones.

When the pisco norm (technical standard) was released in 1989, there were actually five approved categories of pisco. Toro-Lira scanned in the norm for us, which comes from the book: "Crónicas y Relaciones que se refieren al origen y virtudes del PISCO Bebida tradicional y patrimonio del Peró", Banco Latino, Lima Perú, 1990.

Here are the most relevant pages (click to enlarge) especially the second one. As you can see, the five categories are puro, mosto verde, aromatico, aromatizado, and acholado.

The aromatized category allowed for distilling or infusing other fruit into pisco.

But when the norm was updated in 2006 [PDF of it is here], there aromatizado category is gone (maybe that was eliminated between 1989 and 2006; not sure) and Aromatico and Puro are merged into Puro:

5. CLASIFICACIÓN
5.1 Pisco puro: Es el Pisco obtenido exclusivamente de una sola variedad de uva pisquera.
5.2 Pisco mosto verde: Es el Pisco obtenido de la destilación de mostos frescos de uvas pisqueras con fermentación interrumpida
5.3 Pisco acholado: Es el Pisco obtenido de la mezcla de:
- Uvas Pisqueras, aromáticas y/o no aromáticas.
- Mostos de uvas pisqueras aromáticas y/o no aromáticas.
- Mostos frescos completamente fermentados (vinos frescos) de uvas aromáticas y/o no aromáticas.
- Piscos provenientes de uvas pisqueras aromáticas y/o no aromáticas.

What looks to be  fair translation of that is here.

The Answer

So, the current law as of 2006 is that there are three categories of Peruvian pisco. Seeing how the law changed, we can understand all the confusion.

http://www.elpiscoesdelperu.com/boletines/enero2008/NTP21100_Pisco.pdf

Teaching a Sherry Class at the Beverage Academy in SF

[Update- realizing this is Memorial Day, we have decided to postpone it until a later date.]

On May 30th, I'll be teaching a class at Bourbon & Branch's Beverage Academy!

I'm really excited about it. Sherry is a big category of rather complex fortified wine, so I'll be busting out my PowerPoint ninja skills and a whole lot of tasting glasses. Here's the class description.

Oh Sherry!

Sherry is wide category of fortified wine that’s due for a big comeback. Already bartenders have adopted it as favorite mixing ingredient in cocktails, and wine connoisseurs are giving it renewed attention.

Delicious as it is, sherry is no simple sipper: There are two sweet (Pedro Ximenez, muscatel) and five dry styles of sherry (fino, manzanilla, palo cortado, amontillado, oloroso); plus the dry sherries can be sweetened to create pale cream, medium, and cream styles. All are aged and blended in the famous solera system (in two very different ways) that gives sherry its unique flavor characteristics. Don’t worry, you’ll understand it all by the end of the class.

We’ll taste these styles of sherry and learn the amazing processes by which they’re made, learn how to drink it and where to buy it, and use it to make a sherry cocktail or two.

Instructor: Camper English

Camper English is a cocktail and spirits writer and educator who contributes to the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times Magazine, Fine Cooking Magazine, and many other publications. He travels the world visiting distilleries, blending houses, and bodegas and shares it on his website Alcademics.com. He has visited bodegas in each of the three major sherry producing cities in Spain and written numerous articles on the topic.
   

Classes at the Beverage Academy are high-end affairs. We'll be in The Wilson, the latest room at B&B. All students are seated at the bar, there will be proper tasting glassware and tools and equipment to make cocktails.

The class starts at 7PM, lasts about two hours and costs $95. It is limited to 14 students. I hope you'll be one of them on May 30th. 

Buy tickets here, or learn more about the Beverage Academy here.

And if anyone is signing up for the Market to Glass seminar on April 18th, I'll see you there - I'm helping out (washing glasses, mostly) and learning how to run a smooth seminar.

 

Sherry is wide category of fortified wine that’s due for a big comeback. Already bartenders have adopted it as favorite mixing ingredient in cocktails, and wine connoisseurs are giving it renewed attention. Delicious as it is, sherry is no simple sipper: There are two sweet (Pedro Ximenez, muscatel) and five dry styles of sherry (fino, manzanilla, palo cortado, amontillado, oloroso); plus the dry sherries can be sweetened to create pale cream, medium, and cream styles. All are aged and blended in the famous solera system (in two very different ways) that gives sherry its unique flavor characteristics. Don’t worry, you’ll understand it all by the end of the class. We’ll taste these styles of sherry and learn the amazing processes by which they’re made, learn how to drink it and where to buy it, and use it to make a sherry cocktail or two. Instructor: Camper English Camper English is a cocktail and spirits writer and educator who contributes to the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times Magazine, Fine Cooking Magazine, and many other publications. He travels the world visiting distilleries, blending houses, and bodegas and shares it on his website Alcademics.com. He has visited bodegas in each of the three major sherry producing cities in Spain and written numerous articles on the topic.

Is This The Best Blue Cocktail Ever?

Cocktail Menu: 1022 South in Hilltop, Washington

Here is the new spring/summer menu from 1022 South in Hilltop, Washington. The menu comes from owner/bar manager Chris Keil, who put it together with the help of some of his staff.

Click the link below to see the full menu.

Sloe and So It Goes

With The Bitter Truth Sloeberry Gin joining Plymouth Sloe Gin in the category of sloe gins that have sloes and gin in them, your Sloe Gin Fizz doesn't need to be full of false advertising. 

That's basically what I talk about in my most recent post for Fine Cooking. 

Cocktail Menu: Spring Drinks at the Walnut Creek Yacht Club

Here is the new menu for the Walnut Creek Yacht Club in Walnut Creek, CA.

Spring 2011 Cocktail List 

Spring Flavors

from the farmers market to the cocktail glass

The Garden Elixir

House-made carrot syrup with muddled radish and spring herbs; celery bitters, Cocchi Americano Aperitivo and Citadelle gin; fresh orange and lime juices.  Served tall over cubed ice with a splash of Seltzer water

Kumquat-Passion Fruit Smash

Fresh kumquats muddled with local honey syrup and fresh thyme; fresh lemon juice and passion fruit puree; Flor de Cana white rum with a dash of Lemon Hart overproof rum.  Served in a short glass

Sabroso

Fresh dill and cucumber muddled with a dash of sugar, a pinch of salt, and fresh lime juice; St. Germain Elderflower liqueur and reposado tequila with a hint of smokey Mezcal. Topped off with chilled Prosecco.  Served tall over cubed ice

Click below to keep reading the menu.

Annoucing: SpeakEZ! Prohibition Pubs

This is a project I've been consulting on for several months- time for the big announcement!

[For those of you just discovering this, take note of the date of this post...]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ramada Inn Launches New Dining Concept in 18 US Locations: SpeakEZ! Prohibition Pubs

Aberdeen, SD, April 1, 2011 --Great restaurant chains are founded on great ideas. Tiki drinks created by Donn Beach provided the inspiration for the Trader Vic's empire. Fern bars that began with Henry Africa's begat T.G.I.Friday's, Houlihan's, and Bennigan's.

Today, in a style inspired by speakeasy bars Death & Company, Bourbon & Branch, and PDT (Please Don't Tell), Ramada Inn is proud to announce SpeakEZ! Prohibition Pubs, a series of cocktail and dining experience centers opening in 18 US hotel locations this May, with a planned expansion to 35 locations by the end of 2012. 

SpeakEZ! Prohibition Pubs celebrate American Prohibition, a time period when jazz music thrived, flappers danced, and mobsters threw all the best parties. Each SpeakEZ! Prohibition Pub will  have unique "secrets" including hidden dining areas like replica bank vaults, one-way mirrors, and special menu items only available with the password. All experience centers will share menu and design elements including:

• Bartenders and servers in mustaches, suspenders and bowties or flapper dresses.
• "Hidden" restrooms behind sliding bookcases.
• Cocktails served in teacups, coffee mugs, and flasks inside hollowed-out books.
• Soda guns that look like Tommy guns and salt and pepper shakers in the shape of shotgun shells.
• Birthday party "police raids" on special request.
• Secret Passwordz (TM) Just-For-Kids Menu.
• Unlimited Frozen Hemmingway Daiquiri specials at happy hour.
• Breakfast specials including Flapper-Jacks (TM) and Grits Gatsby (TM).
• Beverage pairing menu items, including Charles Lindbergh Cheese Sticks (TM) with our I'll Take Manhattan(TM), and Mustache Curly Fries(TM) with Slip Me a Rickey(TM)
• Thin WoMan (TM) low-carb cocktail menu

All SpeakEZ Prohibition Pubs will embody our motto: "Good Times Are Not Prohibited."

-END-

About Ramada Inn: Ramada Inn is part of the Wyndham Worldwide group. Wyndham Worldwide is one of the world's largest hospitality companies across six continents. We offer individual consumers and business customers a broad array of hospitality products and services as well as various accommodation alternatives and price ranges through our premier portfolio of world-renowned brands. For more information, contact press manager Avril Phule.