Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/825186
Restaurant Daily News Saturday, May 20, 2017 5 0 AMERICANS PUCKERING UP FOR CRAFT SHRUBS AND BITTERS By Lorrie Baumann Interest in craft cocktails is propelling the development of a wide range of syrups, shrubs and bitters, and these same products are also drawing interest from the consumer who's looking for a healthier alternative to sugary sodas, the cocktail experience without the alcohol or the good-health associations of fer- mentation. Shrubs are syrups made by blending fruit and spices with vinegar and sweet- ener, while bitters are tinctures of botani- cals in alcohol that are used as flavoring agents or tonics. Bitters are ingredients in classic cocktails like the Manhattan, the Old Fashioned and the Sazerac, which is thought by some to be the first cocktail ever invented, but they've become increasingly popular with mixologists over the past few years because they add the bitter flavor that's unfamiliar to many Americans. That unfamiliarity is part of what enhances the taste experience, says Marianne Courville, who makes The Hudson Standard, a line of artisanal- quality shrubs and bitters that reflect the flavors of the Hudson River Valley. "It puts the body on a kind of alert, because a lot of poisonous plants are bitter," she said. "The idea of a cocktail is that you want to hit all of those taste notes, but in a very cohesive way, in a way that makes sense." The Hudson Standard's Catskill Masala Bitters won a 2017 Good Food Award. Others in the line of bitters include Ginger Bitters, Spruce Shoot and Celery Bitters and Love-Struck Bitters. Love-Struck is based on an ancient Roman recipe for an aphrodisiac that combined hyssop, thyme, peppercorn and ginger, which Courville says struck her as a nice combination of ingredients for a bitters drink as she was reading the recipe. "Then I added quassia bark, which is a very strong bark and very bit- ter. You just have to be very careful about how much you use because it's strongly bitter, aromatic and spicy," she said. "It's fun. People really like it." Her shrubs, which include Pear Honey Ginger Shrub, Strawberry Rhubarb and Apple Coriander Maple, and Cassis Berry and Peach Lavender, are sour rather than bitter. While there are many cocktails that include a sour note that often comes from the addition of cit- rus juice, the sour notes in a shrub origi- nate in vinegar. They're particularly use- ful to mixologists who are mixing cock- tails in big batches or making them ahead of time, since vinegar preserves the cock- tail's flavors better than citrus juices, which change their flavors when they're exposed to air. Courville is finding that her shrubs have also begun to attract the attention of those who see them as a healthier alter- native to sugary sodas. "The popularity of shrubs in the last three years, in our experience of tasting all over the place, is that they are equally used as a craft bev- erage, as a soda or syrup. What we like is that people are recognizing that using a shrub soda is way healthier than a high fructose soda," she said. "It is being seen now as a healthy alternative. Seven grams of sugar would be about average for a serving for a shrub today – it's a lot less than a brand-name soda. That varies by maker, of course, and we're a little bit more in the vinegary side." For more information, visit www.thehudsonstan- dard.com. Courville is, of course, is not the only maker of artisanal cocktail mixers who's seeing the explosion of interest in the craft cocktail mixers. Q Drinks intro- duced Q Grapefruit at the Winter Fancy Food Show for its line of fizzy cocktail mixers designed to bring out the flavors of the spirits with which they're mixed. They're sold in four-packs of bottles or cans, each one sized to make one cock- tail. The Tonic, Ginger Ale and Club Soda are also packaged in a 750ml bottle that's great for a party. The Tonic that's the original product in the line and a finalist for the sofi Award in 2010 is made with agave nectar for a flavor that's less sweet than other tonics. It's also fizzier than other tonics, and it's flavored with real quinine. A newer Indian Tonic is made with cane sugar for a sweeter fla- vor that brings out the juniper flavor of a dry gin. Q Ginger Beer also has less sugar than other ginger beer brands, and it's very spicy and extra-carbonated, made especially for mixing rather than drinking on its own as a soda. A four-pack of 6.7-ounce bottles retails for around $5.99 to $6.99. Visit www.qdrinks.com. Despite their new enthusiasm for the sour and bitter, Americans haven't lost their sweet tooth, either, and Sonoma Syrup Company's line of fla- vor-infused simple syrups, cocktail mixers and apple cider drinking vinegar is a whole range of products that will enhance both bar and coffee cupboard. Artisan bar mixers in the line include Classic Grenadine, Sweetened Lime Juice, Five Citrus Sweet & Sour, Pure Olive Juice and Olive Mary Mix. On the sweeter side, the flavor-infused sim- ple syrups, useful for coffee drinks, homemade sodas, flavored iced teas and for cocktails include White Ginger Infused Simple Syrup for Moscow Mules and Ginger Lattes; Meyer Lemon Infused Simple Syrup, which adds bright flavor and sweetness to lemon- ade, teas and Lemon Drop Cocktails: Pomegranate Simple Syrup for Lavender Lemon Drop cocktails, over ice cream or in iced tea. A Sonoma Syrup Six Pack includes Classic, Lavender, Meyer Lemon, Almond Orgeat, Mint and Pomegranate and retails for $79.95, while a Barrista Latte Gift Set includes Vanilla Bean, Hazelnut Syrup and Classic Simple Syrup along with two pumps and retails for $55. Each 8-ounce bottle of the bar mixers makes about eight cocktails. Each 12.7-ounce bottle of syrup makes about 16 cocktails. For more informa- tion, visit www.sonomasyrup.com. Simple syrups from quince & apple are made by hand in Madison, Wisconsin. Fruits are sourced from the Midwest when possible, and all ingredi- ents are all natural and non-GMO. Varieties include Tart Cherry Grenadine, which won a 2014 Good Food Award; Rhubarb Hops; Lime and Cucumber; Honey Lemon; and Citrus. For more information, visit www.quinceandap- ple.com. Runamok Maple offers its barrel- aged, smoked and infused maple syrups in beautiful heavy glass bottles that sug- gest cocktail uses while the bottle is still on the shelf. To make the barrel-aged maple syrups, the maple is poured into recently emptied bourbon, rye or rum barrels, and as it ages, the syrup draws in the essence of the spirits without the alcohol. The company's Cardamom Infused Maple Syrup is infused with organic cardamom from Guatamala, and a tablespoon or two in a cocktail will add this sultry flavor, while background notes of smoke and caramel can be added into a cocktail with Runamok's Pecan Wood Smoked Maple Syrup. All of Runamok Maple's products are certified organic. Visit www.runamokmaple.com. DRY Sparkling markets its products as lightly sweet, culinary-inspired sodas, but Sharelle Klaus, the company's Founder and CEO, is far from oblivious to the products' potential uses for craft cocktails, and the company's website fea- tures a plethora of recipes for pairing the sodas with alcohol. The company debuted its bold and spicy Ginger DRY Sparkling flavor in easily transportable 12-ounce aluminum cans at Natural Products Expo West. Demand for this popular flavor is strong, as DRY saw with its limited edi- tion 750 mL holiday bottle offering, and the company offers recipes for cocktails called The Southern Belle, which includes bourbon, peach liquor and lemon juice; and the Dry Tequila Fizz. Ginger DRY is made with four all-natural ingredients, including a touch of cane sugar – about a third of the sugar of lead- ing ginger beers and ginger ales. It is Non-GMO Project Verified, gluten free, OU Kosher certified, caffeine free, sodi- um free, and made without any artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners. Visit www.drysparkling.com. PAESANA: GOOD FOR CUSTOMERS, GOOD FOR BUSINESS According to the United States Department of Agriculture, sales of organic foods in the U.S. increased from $11 billion in 2004 to $27 billion in 2012. The USDA also reported that the 7.4 per- cent growth rate in organic food sales during 2012 was more than double the annual growth rate for all food sales that year. Furthermore, the Organic Trade Association states that the trend is expanding as Americans are continuing to widen their demand for organic foods – with sales of organic products in the U.S. increasing to $35.1 billion in 2013. The consumer appetite for healthier choices is growing considerably and rap- idly. However, that doesn't mean today's shoppers are willing to give up taste. A simple "organic" label is no longer enough to convert or retain the loyalty of food buyers and chefs who demand noticeably fresher taste, as well. L&S Packing Company, a family owned busi- ness, has introduced its line of premium quality Paesana Organic Pasta Sauces and New Premium Organic Condiments to meet that doubled-up demand. "Our premium organic pasta sauces are rich in nutrients and are made with the freshest ingredients without addi- tives," said Jacqueline Scaramelli- Massaro, L&S Vice President. "They're also sautéed to perfection just like all our other sauces to capture the finest and fullest flavor." The line is being touted as just as fla- vorful as the delicious sauces the family's great-grandmother proudly and lovingly made in her kitchen way back in 1902. "Seeking organic brands on store shelves has become a top priority for mil- lions and millions of consumers, particu- larly moms who are reading nutrition labels more careful- ly than ever to assure that their families are eating foods that are good for them," said Scaramelli-Massaro, a moth- er who knows first-hand that nutritional choices are impor- tant, but also that those choic- es need to provide superior taste. Paesana Premium Organic Pasta Sauces are available in five flavors, including Tomato & Basil, Tuscan Pepper, Marinara, Vodka Sauce and Roasted Garlic. All flavors are made with 100 percent imported Italian tomatoes selected at the height of freshness. Paesana Premium Organic Condiments currently feature Marinated Mushrooms, Portobello Mushrooms and Non Pareil Capers. The new lines of sauces and condiments are also organically certified by QAI and are gluten free. As is the case with all products from L&S Packing Company, Paesana Premium Organic Pasta Sauces and Condiments have undergone highly rig- orous quality control processes and have also been taste-tested through every phase of product development. "The depth and breadth of our com- mitment to quality and our dedication to unmatched flavor have defined our family and our company for generations," said L&S President Louis Scaramelli, IV. "We're excited to say that our organic pasta sauces have exceeded our own highly stringent criteria and demanding expecta- tions for healthier ingredients combined with incredible taste, and we're certain these top quality sauces will be extreme- ly popular with today's continuously growing numbers of health-conscious consumers." For more information, call 631.845.1717.