In a glass by themselves: Today's better beers, wines and cocktails demand the proper showcases

Cheers, April, 2002 by Robin Campbell-Ouchida

Just as trends come and go in the world of fashion, the same holds true for glassware. While specialty glasses, like the traditional brandy snifter or distinctly shaped glasses for Margaritas and Martinis, will always remain popular to some extent, trends in glassware for beer, wine and spirits change with consumer demands.

Experts agree that glassware is integral to the marketing mix of every bar and restaurant. "Glassware is an important part of the drink line. Consumers ask themselves how does it look, feel and taste?" said Larry Varvella, director of beverage marketing for American Hospitality Concepts, Inc. "It's important to have a line that you're proud to put drinks into."

To demonstrate the importance of using up to date glassware, Applebee's has spent the past year evaluating the overhaul of its entire glassware program. "We have had a lot of our glassware for many years and it's time to update it," said David Brown, senior beverage marketing manager for Applebee's International Inc. "Glassware has changed a lot since the first Applebee's opened in 1980 and we have found that the appearance of being 'bigger' is what our customers are currently looking for."

Whether a bar or restaurant focuses their sales more on beer, wine or spirits, glassware choices are serious decisions not taken lightly by operators. A choice of one stem line over another, one beer mug or one Martini glass can make the difference between lackluster and admirable sales.

Is bigger better?

As with other products, glassware decisions are usuallly only as important as what it is your concept sells the most. Casual dining venues, such as Applebee's, often sell more beer than any other alcoholic beverage. "Beer has proven to be Applebee's highest seller, with spirits being the next top seller," said David Brown. "The Brutus Beer, our appropriately-named large beer, has gone over very well with consumers."

"In casual dining restaurants, it is apparent that consumers are looking for drinks, especially beer, in containers that give them a larger appearance. We are trying to fill that request by rounding out our beverage program with more glassware that we can call our 'own', such as the Brutus."

American Hospitality Concepts, Inc. (AHCI), is also big in beer sales as the operator of a number of casual dining concepts including the most well-known, Ground Round. "About 55% of our liquor sales at The Ground Round is beer," said Varvella. "About half of that is draft beer."

The Ground Round offers a 14-ounce pint-style glass as well as a 22-ounce Boomer mug. The pint glass is used for draft beer in addition to being served chilled with bottled beer. The Boomer is used strictly for draft. "We look at our glassware on a regular basis to keep the experience energized," said Varvella. "Because of research, we switched to the Boomer mug about a year ago, which has proven very popular."

Even though the Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, is known most for its high-style cocktails, master mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim also must keep up with beer trends. "We offer an eclectic selection of beers throughout the hotel. One that has been very popular is the 20-ounce Imperial Pint offered in the Sports Book. It's a draft beer served in a proper English pint glass, something you don't find often in Las Vegas."

Too Many Glasses?

"In Europe, traditional beers are always served with the proper glassware and we are trying to bring that experience here," said Abou-Ganim. "For example, wheat beers should be served in a bowling pin-shaped glass while ales and stouts need their respective vessels in order to ensure the full enjoyment. To give our guests the ultimate beer drinking experience, we are in the midst of implementing proper glassware in the Petrossian Lounge."

Mike Shelton, general manager of Rosemary's Restaurant in Las Vegas, reiterated the importance of education about glassware. "I've seen a growing awareness in America toward European beer traditions," said Shelton. "I believe that offering unusual products, things that people might not try otherwise, opens minds and makes for unique experiences. Glassware is part of that education."

"A good example of a company bringing European traditions to America is the Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, New York. They brew Belgian-style beers as well as import brews from Belgium. We recently hosted a beer dinner using their products, including their line of logo glassware."

While Bellagio and Rosemary's are trying to be as "proper" as possible, "the United States will never be like Europe when it comes to beer and glasses," said Decker Reidpath, executive director of marketing for Oneida Food Service. "Breweries in Europe provide logo glassware to operators, which, because of liquor regulations, can't always be done in America." Reidpath noted that the 16-ounce mixing glass is still the most popular beer vessel in the United States.

Matching the wine

Casual dining venues do not usually expect high wine sales and tend to base their glassware on that fact. "Wine does okay but we are trying to get its sales to a higher level," said Applebee's Brown. "We don't expect its sales to be along the same lines as beer and spirits, but we would still like to raise its profile. As part of our glassware overhaul, we are looking into new glasses for wine,"