Posts Tagged ‘Beverage’

Digital City:

Next time you walk into your favorite neighborhood bar, you may not be able to order a cosmopolitan or a rum and Coke.

That’s because in the highly competitive restaurant industry, some bars are adopting a new tactic to separate themselves from the pack.

It’s all about establishing a niche – and it seems the key may be in your cocktail.

Smart barmen are taking classic run-of-the-mill cocktails off the menu in favor of unusual and innovative drink creations.

In San Francisco, where this trend has really taken off, bartenders are acting much like chefs, putting their own signature on cocktail menus that are often customized to the restaurant’s cuisine.

Photo by cx_ed.

From Business Opportunities Weblog.

Duluth News Tribune:

Your beer will remain cold until the last sip at Aces on First in Duluth because of a unique innovation added to the bar.

Aces on First became the first bar in Minnesota to install stainless steel coasters known as Chilldiscs that keep a 4-inch surface in front of every barstool at a frosty 26 degrees.

“It really keeps the drinks cold. It’s new, innovative and it’s fun,” Patronas said. “It was scary at first to have someone drill into your bar, but Aces wants to be cutting edge.”

Chilldisc, which was invented by Fred Kent of Westminster, Md., has reached bars in 13 states, mainly on the East Coast, since it was introduced to market last year. Kent’s invention pumps a corn-oil substance from insulated tubes underneath the bar to each coaster.

“It’s like a food-grade antifreeze, but there are no coils like a standard refrigerator,” said Kent, who has worked on the invention since 2004 after a 30-year career in the commercial refrigerator and metal fabrication businesses. “It’s a proprietary method of cooling to get the same results.”

“It’s a great product because it gives a competitive advantage,” Bradley said. “In the recession and this economy, it helps to get that happy-hour crowd.” He also said bars can offset their cost by selling the advertising space on top of the coasters.

Photo by Chilldisc.

From Business Opportunities Weblog.

Springwise:

Summertime is filled with opportunities for brands to show they care, whether by helping consumers find a place to change at the beach or by giving them a little cooling refreshment during a heat wave.

Targeting the latter option is Soak Media, a UK firm that gives out free bottled water to London commuters courtesy of on-bottle advertising.

Focusing only on the months of July and August, Soak sells advertising space on 330 ml. plastic bottles filled with Buxton water and then hands them out for free to overheated London commuters, who would normally pay GBP 1 or more for such refreshment. Soak’s own staff hands out the bottles from an ice-filled cart, after which time it estimates the bottles spend about 50 minutes in the average consumer’s hands.

The company also does specials including leaflet tip-ons, specially shaped bottles and sampling. Perhaps best of all, however, is that it donates all its profits to charitable causes.

Given the ongoing controversy over plastic water bottles, it’s not entirely clear that such vessels will be the right medium to focus on going forward.

Nevertheless, the last two heat waves saw a 20 percent increase in bottled water consumption, Soak says, so there’s no doubt consumers can use a little extra help staying hydrated.

Photo by Soak Media.

From Business Opportunities Weblog.