The year 1917 began with our nation on the brink of World War I, which would eventually happen a few months later when President Woodrow Wilson declared war on Germany. On a different gridiron, the New Year began with Oregon beating Pennsylvania in the third annual Rose Bowl. And throughout the year and across the country, bars, saloons, and taverns were as popular as ever. But what were bars serving 100 years ago?

Throughout the food and beverage industry, there's no denying a trend toward everything "craft." From beers and cocktails to coffee and chocolate, consumer preferences are trending toward small batch, locally made, sustainably created, and artisanal focused. But how is this trend affecting things that are more traditional, specifically as it relates to bar and beverage? What is happening to all the Irish pubs? Are we losing our love of all things "green"?

One of the biggest revenue makers for sports venues and stadiums is food and beverage, but unless you take a deeper dig into the statistics, you might not realize how important those sales really are. According to a report from oBizMedia, two thirds or more of a facility's total concessions come from food and drink like hot dogs, cracker jacks, and other ballpark F&B staples.

Oktoberfest is one of the most celebrated beer-drinking events in the entire world. Though the original began in Munich in 1810 as part of a wedding celebration between Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese, the event has spread across the world as an annual celebration of German culture, music, food, and beer.

It started last year, and the trend is continuing to grow. Hard root beer and other hard sodas are taking the country by storm. But what is hard soda, and how does its popularity translate to profitability for bar and restaurant operators? The hard soda category includes standard cola flavors and derivatives like cherry cola, but the true leader in the category is hard root beer. Hard root beer exists as an anomaly somewhere between a fascination with American nostalgia and the ever-popular craft beer craze.

Maybe a bar operator wants to include storage in the underbar area where it will be in line with 30-inch high equipment or work surfaces. Maybe an owner is retrofitting an existing underbar because adding bottled ciders to the beverage list requires more refrigeration capabilities in a limited space. Maybe a designer wants to use low height cabinets during the planning and designing phase of a new bar. Now this is all possible with low-height back bar refrigeration and storage from Perlick.

The Perlick factory just outside of Milwaukee can be a large and overwhelming place. But if you know what to look for, it can also be an eye opening place that sheds light on the whole Perlick philosophy. One of the easiest ways to learn about Perlick is to go behind-the-scenes. Quality and innovation are the names of the game.

When it comes to back bar and underbar refrigeration, options mean everything. From color to door design to temperature control, finding the right bar refrigeration unit can increase bar efficiencies, allow for more accurate beverage storage, and ultimately increase the productivity and profitability of the bar. Essentially, your bar refrigeration needs to "fit."

It’s been a long day, and your customers are heading into your bar for a nice cold beer. But when the bartender pulls the pint, what's supposed to be a refreshing beverage pours as a glass filled with foam. The reason is because the beer line is running too warm, and the negative effects are numerous. As we get into the heart of summer, warmer temperatures can impact not only your customers’ experience, but also your bottom line. While most 16 ounce beers should have about 2.25 ounces of head, any more than that will leave your customers feeling cheated.

From speed rails to beer towers, keeping a bar productive and efficient will keep the profits pouring. Installers of bar equipment need that same efficiency when installing equipment like ice chests, sinks, and faucets. Nothing can derail a bar or foodservice operation like downtime needed to install new underbar equipment. It negatively affects both the installer's and the bar operator's time. And in the bar industry, time is money.

Many holidays have an iconic character associated with them. Christmas has Santa Claus. Valentine’s Day has Cupid. Cinco de Mayo has the bartender. Much like St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo is both a cultural celebration and sales enhancer for bars and restaurants. We know what we do on Cinco de Mayo, but why exactly are we celebrating?

Ever walk into a bar or restaurant, glance upon the massive beer tap list covering hundreds of ales and lagers, and after an hour of studying, decide on that same Irish Stout you always order? There’s an inexact science to curating a beer menu that not only meets the demands of your customers, but maximizes the profitability of your bar. But can there be such a thing as too many beer taps in your bar?

Miller Park announced this week that the renovations to their concessions area is now complete and ready to go for opening day, April 3. Miller Park's new food and beverage program includes 24 draft beers, all brewed in Wisconsin, and flowing from Perlick taps. Beer selections include Citrus Happy, Lo-Gii and Outboard from Milwaukee Brewing Co., Happy Place and Upward Spiral from Third Space Brewing, 5th Element from One Barrel Brewing Company, and more.

In today’s digital age, what was “hip” a week ago is likely old news by now. Trends and tastes are changing faster than ever, and nowhere is that more prevalent than with bar and beverage selections. The group with both the influence and the buying power spearheading these changes are Millennials. For restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, it’s important to offer bar and beverage selections that reflect this generation’s tastes. But before you offer the newest craft cocktail, you want to first understand what quenches the thirst of this demographic.

Over the past several weeks, we've looked back at the last century to see how far we've come in the world of bar and beverage. From the 1917 wine vintages in Europe to cocktail trends through the decades, it's been fun reminiscing about what bars were serving 100 years ago. But now we'd like to take a look at why Perlick is here and the reasons we're still in business after all these years. Let's take a look back at 100 years of bar and beverage equipment innovations.

As the entire country gathers around the television on Super Bowl Sunday, we’ll all have our rooting interests. Some will be pulling for their favorite team and others will be rooting for the host to announce, “The wings are ready!” However, a good number of us will have far more interest in the commercials than the football game itself. Ask someone about their favorite play in the Big Game or their favorite commercial and we bet they’ll recite the advertisement first!