13 May 2010

Modern Restaurant Trends Related to Alcohol according to NRA’s Chef Survey

Posted by Crystal under: Recession Tips & Tricks; Restaurant Business .

Each year National Restaurant Association (NRA) surveys professional chef members of the American Culinary Federation to keep up with food and beverage trends. Here are some of the most popular modern trends related to alcohol beverages according to NRA’s Chef Survey:

Locally Produced Wine and Beer. Until recently, locally produced wine and beer were frowned upon by restaurant owners due to their perceived poor quality. Besides, local wine and beer products were not able to withstand fierce competition from more well-known and established wineries and breweries, and they didn’t have the adequate sales force to drive the sales. However, as local wineries and breweries begin to emphasize their uniqueness and build reputation, restaurant owners are more open to try locally produced alcohol and support local wineries and breweries.

Culinary Cocktails. Culinary cocktails are the new school of cocktails. They are usually made with savory, fresh ingredients, using fresh juices, earthy spices, infused syrups, fruit, and herbs. While classic cocktails, such as Martinis, usually have a high alcohol content, culinary cocktails place more importance on non-alcohol ingredients, emphasizing refreshing, pure and simple qualities of the drink. Such cocktails are becoming a popular item on many restaurants menus.

Micro-Distilled, Artisan Liquor. Another big trend in the alcohol market is the increase over the last few years of the number of micro-distilleries, which produce hard alcohol, including whiskey, brandy, gin, rum, and vodka. Because various states have recently changed the laws, many micro-distilleries are now springing up to manufacture premium liquor under new, local brands. Such unique products are gaining increased popularity and have attracted support of many restaurant chefs.

Food-Beer Pairings. More restaurants these days are offering food-beer pairings to their guests. Just like food-wine pairings, food-beer pairings are based on the flavor of a particular type of beer, sweet or dry maltiness, or any other beer quality. The pairings are done on the basis of how a certain type of beer complements or contrasts a certain type of food. For instance, a rich dish can be contrasted with a light beer, while a strong stout can be complemented with a dark chocolate dessert.

Gluten-Free Beer. A lot of Americans have gluten intolerance, which is an allergic reaction to a protein found in various grains, such as wheat, rye, barley, spelt, oats, and so on. Ingesting even small amounts of gluten can cause serious health complications in some affected individuals. Because of this, more breweries are looking for ways to produce 100% gluten free beer or low-gluten beer. Some of the most common substitutions utilized to replace gluten grains in beer fermentation process are rice, soybean, corn, sunflower, flax, sorghum, and quinoa.

Specialty Beer. Fruit beers are also gaining popularity in restaurants. Brewed with fruits or vegetables, these beers are especially flavorful. Common fruits are cherry, peach, and raspberry. Some breweries only add flavored extracts to the finished product, instead of fermenting the fruit. Other types of specialty beer are beers flavored with tequila from blue agave nectar, or pumpkin-flavored beers.

Organic Cocktails. Restaurant chefs are paying more attention to the quality of ingredients not only in foods, but in alcohol as well. The most popular trends are using pesticide-free vodka, organic vodka, carbon-neutral rum, and organic agave nectar as a sweetener. Organic cocktails are made using fresh ingredients, such as garden-fresh herbs and fruits, organic berries, organic vegetables, and so on.

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