Bring Back the After Dinner Drink
AS
THE
HOLiDAYS NEAR and
the New England weather turns to its usual snowy state, ’tis
the season for heavier dishes and big red wines to grace our
tables and warm our souls. In a bygone era, the end of the
meal was when the cigars came out and the cordials, cognacs
and ports arrived. Indulging in an after dinner drink in a
large snifter is a great way to end the meal, yet these
libations don’t sell the way they once did. Regardless of
anyone’s opinion on smoking, there certainly seems to be a
parallel between the ban on smoking in restaurants and the
decrease in consumption of after dinner drinks. Whatever the
reason, 25-year-old single malts, vintage armagnacs, and
rare bourbons can easily gather dust on the shelves without
some creative selling techniques and a well-educated staff.
From a business perspective, after dinner drinks are very
profitable and it’s a shame to think that patrons may not
even be aware of them as an option.
In looking at
the staff, bartenders and retail sales people have a
distinct selling advantage because the bottles are right
there. A bottle that is prominently displayed on the back
bar or store shelf is an open invitation to a sale after the
question of “What’s that one?” is asked. For some reason
patrons are less intimidated by the complexities of the
myriad variations of spirits, which is to our advantage.
Also, the bottles themselves are often visually unique,
thereby inviting interest.
In restaurants,
consider encouraging bartenders to give a small sample to
the client who has expressed interest in a particular
bottle. This 1/5th of an ounce investment into your program
can lead to some very profitable results – not to mention
generating client loyalty. Featuring flights in varying
styles is also an excellent opportunity to move more
product. Highland versus Islays scotches, barrel-aged rum
versus bourbon, colheita versus vintage ports, and all three
levels of Grand Mariner are but a few enticing flight
options. For servers, show or re-educate them on the
classics – this will always lead to positive results. After
one staff training I performed, the Sauternes sales with the
Foie Gras dish jumped remarkably, as did the recommendations
I gave that went with the cheese course. It never ceases to
surprise me how remarkable the effectiveness of the staff
“buy in” is when they can taste the product through the
magic of food and wine pairings. And as staff memories can
fade, the old standby of pairing drinks with the dessert
menu is one of the easiest ways to keep staff fresh.
Chocolate is always a challenge, not only because of its
difficultly in pairing but because of the many different
styles it comes in. Ports, oloroso sherries, banyuls and its
lesser known cousin, maury, are good places to begin. These
pairings are certainly not limited to restaurants; the
tasting note cards can be edited to include your retail
staff’s favorite choices with dessert.
Retail can be a
little more difficult because – with a few exceptions –
retailers do not seem to do too many spirits tastings. In
this situation, staff education is even more of an important
selling tool. A client looking for a certain producer that
is not available is an easy way to lose a sale. Knowing the
style of the producer via theory and tasting, while being
able to confidently recommend another brand, can save the
sale and perhaps create a repeat client.
Restaurants and
retail stores can also partner together to form a very
lucrative situation with a little creativity. For example, a
producer sponsored Scotch nosing at a restaurant can be
assisted by marketing from the retail outlet. The
restaurant, in turn, during the tasting can state that any
of the products tasted and enjoyed during the event can be
purchased at the retailer’s store. Another joint marketing
tool is to feature dessert recipes created by the pastry
chef that can be done at home with pairings available at the
retailer. In short, the opportunities with some thought and
joint commitment are endless.
In this
fast-paced world we live in that is constantly getting
faster, the time to retire and smoke a cigar from our past
has been lost. For our physical health this is a good thing,
in our mental, not as much. To take the time and truly dine,
relax and look for other means of continuing the gastronomic
bliss of a good meal with good friends can easily continue
after dessert with education and a little
creativity.
