The PDT HK at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong serves stylized drinks ( right ) to accompany its comfortfood menu .
COCKTAIL TRENDS ARE RAISING THE BAR , AND THE ROI , FOR HOTEL F & B .
Contributed by JEANETTE HURT
Bad Hunter
Honkie Dog
and manages , such as Libertine Social at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas , “ it ’ s still 25 % of our mix .”
And , of course , the locavore spirit has invaded the beverage sphere , driving sales of food and beverages . “ Local is huge , huge , and everyone is into locally made ,” Rigby says .
It also can be a point of differentiation . “ I ’ m working on a project in Michigan , and we ’ re trying to source cherries for a house drink , and we want them to be Michigan cherries ,” Abou-Ganim says .
Sweet also reigns supreme . “ I ’ ve spent 38 years working in this business , and as much as we talk dry , we still drink sweet ,” Abou-Ganim says . “ I ’ m always adjusting to the balance of sweet and sour , but when in doubt , lean a little to the sweet .”
More interesting and complex non-alcoholic drinks are becoming an integral part of bar menus . “ People have always ( been drinking mocktails ), but instead of ordering water or Coke , they ’ re going for
Big Fan
these more popular mocktails ,” Rigby says . “ We ’ re seeing those people who ’ ve decided not to drink having something more interesting .”
“ Great experimentation is fantastic , but I think we are going back to simplicity ,” Abou-Ganim says . “ We are focusing on doing the classics and doing them really , really well , putting on our own twist or a local twist and paying more attention to the details – the quality of the mixers , the quality of the glassware , the quality of the ice and the techniques we ’ re using .”
Drinking isn ’ t the only thing people are doing . “ Another big trend , front and center to me , is that people continue to want to eat in a bar , versus looking for a specific restaurant ,” Rigby says . “ They might go to a bar for something to drink , but if there ’ s a great menu , they ’ ll stay and eat . That means you ’ ve got to get the food right .”
Read on to find out how hotel bars around the world are putting their unique spin on cocktail trends .
( COMFORT ) F & ( STYLIZED ) B
New York City ’ s renowned PDT ( Please Don ’ t Tell ) Bar is a modern speakeasy entered through an old-fashioned phone booth at the back of a hotdog joint , but a successful pop-up two years ago in Hong Kong led the bar ’ s founder to partner and open a location at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong .
The 30-seat PDT HK serves highly stylized cocktails with signature comfort foods ( think tater tots and hot dogs served with kimchi or the Honkie Dog , fried with shrimp and mayo ). Drinks are a mix of PDT classics and exclusives like Big Fan , a beer cocktail with tequila , lime juice , pink peppercorns , guava and Moonzen Fuijan radler ; Bad Hunter , a John Collins twist with Chivas-blended scotch , Fernet Hunter , lemon juice , dragon eye and Champagne ; and Milky Tea , an egg-based drink with rum , cognac , tea , condensed milk and bitters .
May 2018 hotelsmag . com 41