W Taipei ’ s 5Beer , crafted by North Taiwan Brewery , is served exclusively at the hotel ’ s Woobar .
Market Street Wheat at Four Seasons Hotel San
Francisco ’ s MKT complements the restaurant ’ s Haute Dog , a house-made hot dog featuring a shortrib frank , bacon , fried onions , smoked tomato remoulade and kimchi .
Hotels are drinking in the craft beer movement , with a number of properties serving beers brewed exclusively for them .
Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas recently introduced Cabaletta , a saison golden ale created by Aria mixologist Craig Schoettler and Baltimore ’ s Stillwater Artisanal Ales founder and brewer Brian Strumke . The beer is designed to appeal to both craft aficionados and more casual drinkers with a light , crisp body comprised of pilsner malt and wheat accented with German hops .
W Taipei also launched its first beer , 5Beer , served exclusively at the hotel ’ s Woobar . Crafted by North Taiwan Brewery , the beer goes through secondary fermentation in the bottle , similar to how champagne is made . The
EXCLUSIVE
BREWS pronunciation of “ five ” in Chinese is similar to “ woo ,” which is how 5Beer got its name .
A number of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts ’ U . S . properties serve unique craft beers . Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco ’ s MKT features Market Street Wheat , a smallbatch blonde wheat homebrew made at local Speakeasy Brewery . Executive Chef Mark Richardson says the beer is simply an extension of MKT ’ s locally focused bar program .
“ We actually serve 50 different liquors all sourced from within 50 miles ( 80 km ) of the hotel , so local is really our thing when it comes to beverages ,” Richardson says . “ The partnership with Speakeasy was a way to extend that emphasis on local sourcing to our beer menu .”
HEALTHY
DINING ’ S
CUTTING EDGE
Guests ’ quest for wellness through healthy eating continues to follow new directions , and hotels are responding . Last November Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles launched a Paleo menu at its Breeze restaurant . A Paleo lifestyle is based on the idea of consuming what ancient people did in the Paleolithic era — whole , unprocessed , nutrient-dense foods such as grass-fed meats , wild-caught seafood , fruit , vegetables and nuts . Breeze ’ s Paleo menu includes dishes such as seared sea bass with roasted artichokes , kalamata olive-tomato ragu , cauliflower “ rice ” and pinenuts .
Jill ’ s Restaurant at St Julien Hotel & Spa in Boulder , Colorado , last summer introduced Vegan Fridays as part of its lunchtime Tuscan Table buffet . For US $ 11.95 , diners can choose from offerings including vegetable minestrone soup , grilled vegetable and basil pesto flatbread and a salad of farro , tomato and parsley .
Philippe Antoine , general manager of Jill ’ s Restaurant , says Vegan Fridays are so popular the outlet ’ s business has increased almost 40 % on Friday afternoons . “ Boulder is a very food-conscious city ,” Antoine notes . “ We launched Vegan Fridays after seeing an opportunity to fill a void and offer vegans a fine-dining option while also providing non-vegans a different — but equally delicious — cuisine choice .”
Dishes served during Vegan Fridays at St Julien Hotel & Spa ’ s Jill ’ s Restaurant have included a beggar ’ s purse of tempeh and winter vegetables with pea and carrot coulis .
44 HOTELS June 2014 www . hotelsmag . com