Page 38 - July Hawaii Beverage Guide

AWTTHEBAR BY ROBERT PLOTKIN
JULY 2017
the bartenders’ workstation serves several functions. The garnish tray and frequently used single service items, such as straws, sip sticks, sword picks and cocktail napkins or drink coasters are placed on the bar top in front of the station for easy access to both the bartenders and servers.
This area is also where servers pick-
up their drink orders and return dirty
glassware. The surface area for beverage
wine buzz BAR STATIONS AROFITABILITY GROUND ZERO
While there’s no such thing as the perfectly designed bar, some are much easier to work than others. Every misplaced step the bartender takes costs the bar money in lost productivity. Beverage operators are passionate about the logistics of drink production—how the workstations are configured, where equipment is placed relative to the workstation and how the inventory is merchandised. They are, after all, responsible for ensuring that the facility is designed to operate at peak efficiency; anything less negatively impacts revenue and service.
“I think one explanation for poorly
designed bars is that operators are often
forced to make compromises between
concept and function,” suggests Steve
Goumas, owner of the Rula Bula Irish
Pub in Tempe, Arizona. “While such
scoop in the right hand. Likewise, a hand sink is ideally positioned to the right of the workstation allowing the bartender to dump the excess ice and fluid from his mixing equipment, blender or returned glasses with a minimum of movement.”
Well liquors should be positioned in a speed rack mounted to the front of the workstation for immediate access. A speed rack is a stainless steel, enclosed shelf designed specifically to hold liquor bottles.
Two-tiered (double) speed racks are also
concessions are unavoidable, the result
Imported by Guarachi Wine Partners. montewines.com
Pink Power Continues APACe... is often a great looking bar that nightly
operates in chaos. Those design changes
„ Lest anyone fear the public has cooled to the pink stuff...well, a
might work on paper, but the impact they products and prevent bartenders from
mass rosé picnic—a “Pinknic”—drew 9,000+ people to Governor’s
terlAto enlists Pruning Pros to
Island in NYC. Amid reports of Rosé spilling over to ice cream and
varietals is now pink-hot, with the addition of
STATIONSANDPEAKsoPmReOoDf tUheCmToIsVtIcToYveted consultants in Europe (they are currently
liquor displays and workstations, which in
The other equipment that should be
ice bin. It should be constructed of stainless
saving the vines of Bordeaux’ top vineyards from fungal crisis).
a Monterey County Rosé. Made primarily of
turn, dictates the speed at which bartenders
steel with a rigid frame construction. The
Terlato’s Pinot Grigio illustrates their deft hand, with concentration of
Pinot Noir, the wine showcases subtle aromas
can make drinks and provide hospitable
balance of the equipment and supplies
located near the bartenders’ workstation
of berries, watermelon and dried tea leaves.
service,” says Jean-Pierre Etcheberrigaray,
should be positioned around the station to
includes the draft beer system and the
The Alsatian-style bottle and screwtop are both
mass-produced Pinot Grigios. “We have plans to purchase more land in
create an effective use of space so that drink
refrigeration equipment, such as the vice-president of food and beverage for
unusual for the category.
Collio and increase production over time—we don’t want this to be a small
orders can be made with a minimum of wasted motion. Wasted motion negatively
reach-in cooler and top-loading beer box.
b o u t i q u e w i n e , b u t a l a r g e r p I r on j t e e c r t c t oh an t t si nh oe wn st a t hl e Hw o o t r el d l s h . o “w A d i f f e r e n c e o f
Reach-in doors should be hinged so they
„ And just when you think you’ve seen enough pink bottles, along
impacts speed of service open toward the bartenders’ workstation
three feet one way or another may not seem like much when you’re deciding where to position a glass-washer, but it can add up to hundreds or even thousands of extra steps for bartenders a week. That’s a lot of wasted time.”
And after all, time is money. ■ ROBERT PLOTKIN is a judge at the San
Francisco World Spirits Competition and author of 16
books on bartending and beverage management including
Secrets Revealed of America’s Greatest Cocktails. He can
be reached at www.AmericanCocktails.com or by e-mail at
come cans. Born of the laidback California surf and aiming to make
Since most bartenders are right- for easy access. Shared equipment, such
rosé good-to-go anywhere, The Drop 2015 California Rosé comes
handed, equipment and supplies should as automatic glass washer, a three- (four-)
in four-packs of 250ml aluminum cans, for a SRP of $14.99. The
be positioned so that there is a minimum compartment sink unit and the glassware
brand is named after the make-or-break decision a surfer makes to
of cross-handed operations required drain boards should be positioned
take on a wave, so it’s meant to be
making drinks, says David Commer of equidistant between the workstations,
for adventurous types—especially
Commer Beverage Consulting and former thereby reducing the amount of cross-
those who might typically reach for
T.G.I.Friday’s beverage director. traffic between the bartenders.
hands and glasses with their left. To maximize efficiency, glasses should be stored to the left of a workstation, allowing the bartender to pick-up the glasses with their left-hand and add the ice using the
A-4 HAWAII BEVERAGE GUIDE JULY 2017
making. Florescent lighting mounted
underneath the bar top and abutting the
bar die is usually sufficient. Track lighting
behind the bar may also be effective.
a can of beer. Distribution is under
“For example, right-handed bartenders It is important that bartenders have
way in CA and NY (Park Street);
naturally pick-up bottles with their right adequate lighting behind the bar for drink
next up OK, TN, TX, CT.
available. Call brand liquors and liqueurs
pick-up must be large enough for several
shelf liquors and liqueurs should be
delineate this section of the bar top as a
located directly behind the workstation
on the back bar above 42 inches. This
will allow bar guests to easily see the
It is also advisable to use the area
adjacent to the workstation for the sundry
smallwares and the bartenders’ mixing
equipment. This shelf area is ideal for have on bartender productivity may result having to stoop downMtAo kretrwieveorthlemd. ClAss Pinot grigio
storing mixing tins, mixing glasses, bar in lost sales for the life of the business.” To save on storage “sApbaocuet vbehyeinards atghoe, we became determined to make a ‘Grand Cru’
sorbet and even gummy bears, new pink wines continue to pop up.
The operational hubs of the bar are the „barFtrenscdoebrsa’ldiwisolrakusntcahtinognsth, eiwr hrsict-hevesrhould roasléwianytostbhefUa.cSi.nmgaorkuett:toAlìteh,efrobmarthtoepTesnoutahat dethll’eAmbmarirtaegnlidaeerstacteanin sMeaerewmhmaat’.sThgeoiwnigneoisna. blWendheonfSdyreashig(n98in%g)aandbVaerr,mtinhteino(b2j%ec),tiavnedis imtomepdoiastietilyonprensesaerdlyofefvthereystkhininsganadbalerntedned,er wnitheendosmtaoceprraetipoanr.eSRaPny$1d8r.ink within a six-
foot radius.
„ The red-hot Chloe line of California
The focal point of the workstation is the
bar, design the shelvexspreosfsiothn eof PdinsoptlaGyrigio,”srpeocoalnlss,Bilsl pTerrilnagto, swtrhaoisneefrasm, ilbyohtetlpeedopener, case wide enough (baupipldrothxeimPinatoetlGy rig1io2-category from non-existent into one of most
ViñA Montes serVes uP trio
of red white And Pink
can be placed in speed racks to the left drink orders to be placed on cocktail trays.
and right of the bartenders’ workstation.
Speed of service is impeded and a backlog
These speed racks are frequently mounted
can occur if there isn’t sufficient surface
on the sides of top-loading beer boxes or
area allocated for staging finished drink
Leading Chilean winery Montes has introduced a trio of summer
wines. Montes Spring Harvest (SRP $15) is the rst 2015 Sauvignon
Blanc to arrive from Chile, from the cool, coastal Leyda Valley. Montes
“Cherub” ($16) is a vibrant blend of Syrah and Grenache, showcasing
four-compartment sinks.
t h e t e r r o i r o f t h e C o l c h a g u a o r V d a e l l r e s y . . F B a r t a h s e s r a r n a d i l s s o a n r , e A u n r o e l r i o m Ma l o l y n t e u s s e S d r . t o
Premium, super-premium and top-
and Aurelio Montes Jr. also reworked Montes “Twins” ($16) to create
a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Carmenere and Tempranillo.
merchandised in display cases optimally service area.
16 inches) to accommpopdualtaer vpaoriesititeiosnininthge U.S.
knives. The surface of this shelf should
b o t t l e s t w o d e e p . T h i s w i Hl l i s a f ol l r o m w u l a y o i n u c l u t od e d f r u i t f r o m t o p s i t e s i n C o l l i F r i u l i O r i e n t a l i
be covered with glassware netting to allow
shelve a backup of eac(rhesbproannsdib—lewfoitrhmofeswt of Italy’s best whites) and the partnership of Marco the wet mixing equipment to air dry.
exceptions—and eliminSiamteonist oamndePieorfpatohloe Sirch, aka “The Pruning Guys.” Their revolutionary need for undercounteralpiqpuroarcshtotorapgruen. ing—which ena“bTlehsevipnhesystiocalivleladyeocuatdeosf ltohnegebr,ar largely p r o d u c e h i g h e r q u a l i t y g r a p d e s e t a e n r d m s i t n a y e s d i s t h e a e s e p - l f a r e c e e —m h e a n s t m o a f d e e q t u h e i p m m e n t ,
wine opener, cutting board and paring
avor, chalky minerals and terri c length—all qualities missing from most
truly complex and outstanding Pinot Grigio can be,” says Terlato.
William Terlato, Marco Simonit, and Pierpaolo Sirch
The bar top area directly in front of robert@barmedia.com. HAWAIIBEVGUIDE.COM