Artisanal Spirits: Forcing People from Their Comfort Zones
Photo by Gabi Porter
People are devoted to their liquor brands. And often militantly so. I’ve found that, sometimes, the only way to get them to try a local, artisan spirit is to simply NOT carry their tried-and-true old standbys. Remove them from the equation entirely. Plain and simple.
If you’ve ordered a Grey Goose Martini up with a twist the last twenty times you’ve gone out to dinner, it’s pretty safe to say you’ll do so the next twenty times you go to dinner. In your eyes, that brand is the only brand that gets you. Its a safe, warm lighthouse in the dark, stormy seas. A haven waiting fireside after hours of being jostled through the icy jaws of your day.
So, this puts us, a restaurant wholly devoted to local, craft spirits in a jam. Sure, we can grab patrons when they’re young, impressionable and up for experimenting (Jesus, I sound like a schoolyard crack dealer), but what about the stalwarts? The diehards who will go to battle defending their Ketel Ones, their Stolis, and their Absoluts like a soldier does his flag. Don’t fuck with my life raft–this is what I got going for me; the only pure, reliable thing I ask for. I am a simple person with simple needs, and I want my Tanqueray security blanket.But if you remove those from the premises entirely, here’s how the conversation of hospitality can go:
“I’d like a Grey Goose martini dirty, on the rocks”
“Sorry, maam, we don’t carry Grey Goose”
“WHAT?! Why, you the little snot-nosed s#t%! What kind of fine-dining restaurant doesn’t carry Grey Goose??”
“‘Maam, I apologize for the incovenience, but let me explain. Just like with our food and wine offerings, the spirits program focuses on, and celebrates, small, artisan producers. Our goal is to introduce our guests to some of the great products we’ve sourced, and have you leave tonight having tried (and hopefully enjoyed) something new. Did you know they make great vodka in Long Island?”
“Long Island? You mean that silly strip of land just past Queens?”
“Yes, that’s the one. It’s a great area for growing potatoes. And I think you may find it quite nice. Would you be open to trying that in your martini instead?”
And then slowly, the guard starts to come down. A conversation about what they like ensues, and the fun can begin. Will everybody like this approach? Maybe not. But, maybe, just maybe, by taking their bottle away, and essentially leaving them no choice but to try something new, they’ll thank you for shining a light in a corner they never even knew existed.Sometimes we need a nudge into the great unknown of the new.
David – I enjoyed your piece and the counter-attack on entrenched belief systems it espouses. My wife and I employ this strategy at our holiday parties at which we serve exclusively wine, beer and spirits produced in New York State. We get a few scowls and grumbles at first, but in the end, everyone is thrilled. It is eye-opening to most on the issue of quality, and it is exciting in its experiencial uniqueness. Very few are even vaguely aware that New York State is such a great source of diverse and excellent spiritous beverages. Taking away from them their standard go-to brands forces their eyes open, and most are happy for the enlightenment. If other NYCR readers would untertake the same strategy this year – NYS-only Holiday Parties – it might create a new pool of many hundreds, if not thousands, of converts to support this important local industry. Empire State Cellars in Riverhead has an exhaustive collection of NYS product, providing a one-stop-shop for those interested in an NYS-themed party. http://www.empirestatecellars.com
Sorry for the seemingly shameless commercial plug, but I’m really just trying to be helpful.
Most of our parties are NYS-centric, but that’s mainly because we generally go NYS-centric all the time. It’s just easier for us to buy 5 or 6 cases of things we love when we go upstate or out East. (Although my father in law brought a bottle of something non-NYS with him at Thanksgiving that we have to drink soon.)
hell yes to this. keep fighting the good fight, it’s contagious.
Agree 100%. In my house almost everything we serve is made or grown on Long Island even when it’s just the two of us. I don’t care if I don’t have so and so’s favorite wine, I’m all about promoting the great stuff we make here and s/he can suffer through it. BTW, it’s “on Long Island” not “in Long Island.” Sorry, pet peeve.