As we wind down an old year and look toward a new one, we thought we'd take a few minutes to review what was a remarkable 2017 in the bar and beverage world. As more and more consumers look toward high quality beverage options, each year seems to bring a new set of opportunities and associated challenges. So let's take a look back at what some of those were in 2017.

When you can't build out, build up. That's the basic idea behind the new Wine Column Refrigeration from Perlick. And because these units provide maximum visibility with a small footprint wine display, they're ideal for restaurants and foodservice operations that don't have an ideal space for increasing the visibility of wines but are looking to increase wine sales.

From fine dining restaurants to your local sports pub, even a quick survey of America's beverage programs will show the growing presence of cider. And because the cider market segment is so versatile, it requires greater consideration than most areas of the bar. To understand cider, or cidre, you first have to look at who's producing it. Cider usually comes from apples but can also be made from fruits like pears. It's bottled and marketed like beer, often as a gluten free alternative. It is also bottled and marketed like wine, particularly the French varieties.

Pumpkin beer comes in many forms, and as we near the Thanksgiving holiday, the varieties of pumpkin beer get better and better. From cinnamon and sugar rims to pumpkin spice stouts served with dessert, you know what to serve WITH your beer, but are you serving it the right way? Let's take a look at a few important factors to consider when serving pumpkin beer.

Flavor and aroma will make or break the reputation of any wine. But we’d be remiss not to include visual appeal in a list of factors that can impact a guests’ purchasing decision. There are two pillars to a profitable wine program: storage and display. The latter should not be overlooked, as the visual impact of a wine display is quite often the first impression for dining guests. And when a restaurant or bar wants to showcase premium wines, the equipment makes all the difference.

For any restaurant’s wine program, successful wine preservation hinges on two major factors: storage and display. Proper wine storage is key to maintaining flavor profiles and quality. Just as important, however, are the conditions in which the wine is displayed. Is your wine program profitable? If not, you’re likely not addressing these pillars of wine preservation.

Baseball and drinking beer. These two American pastimes have gone hand-in-hand over the last 100 years. But the relationship between baseball and beer has had its ups and downs. In the late 1800s, the National League kicked teams out of the league for selling beer. Today, you can’t go one pitch without seeing beer advertisements.

All over America, summer revolves around great weather, captivating entertainment, and of course, delicious food and beverage. Name the food, you can likely find it at an amusement park, state fair, or music festival: deep-fried Twinkies, beer-battered bacon-wrapped brats, ice cold beer. Summer festivals bring in huge crowds over several days or weeks during the season. And if there’s one thing these folks want to do, it’s eat and drink.

Looking to build a profitable beer dispensing system? We know what you need, and we know profit is the bottom line. That’s why our engineers have poured over our systems to ensure they run as efficiently as possible. Our systems reduce waste to make sure you get the biggest bang for your buck when you choose a Perlick Beer System.

* The following Art of Bar Design Q&A article with Greg Rodd, Sales Engineer Manager with Perlick, first appeared in the February edition of Foodservice Equipment & Supplies magazine. What makes for good bar design? The bar is a profit center. A well designed, efficient bar has the right equipment arranged to minimize bartender movement, which equals more drinks per hour and translates to higher profits.

Just over 100 years ago, Perlick was founded in a small shop on Reed Street here in Milwaukee. Over the course of the last century, we've introduced mechanical refrigeration to the industry, created the first remote beer system that can carry beer 100 feet, and have evolved into an industry leader in commercial bar and beverage equipment. And we have the Best-In-Class Awards to prove it.

It's your choice. When designing your bar with maximum throughput in mind, you get to decide the features, the quality, and the configuration. These choices will ultimately determine how efficient your bar will be, how productive your staff will be, and how profitable your operation will be.

Vermouth. A classic almost mystical spirit that experienced its heyday in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Its versatility is limited only by the bartender's imagination, as it works in cocktails ranging from the Martini to the Manhattan to the Negroni. But to understand why vermouth is making a comeback, you first have to know why it lost favor in the first place.

Perlick's range of forward sealing faucets are the most sanitary beer and wine faucets on the market. They feature a revolutionary ball and floating O-ring design that eliminates the need for a valve shaft. This leads to cleaner dispensing because the beer and wine are not exposed to air. For customers, this means better tasting beverages without safety concerns. For operators, handle levers don't stick, and there's no build up of mold and bacteria in the body of the faucet.

Mixing ice cream with alcohol can be a tricky endeavor. First of all, you need the right equipment behind the bar to make it happen. Second, you need the right menu strategies and recipes. Finally, you need the type of consumer interested in this unusual style of cocktail. And apparently this is happening because boozy floats and alcoholic ice cream drinks are currently trending.

Does your bar lack space and beer selection? In many cases, these commodities go hand-in-hand. Operators want more space, and today's customers are requiring more and more selections. Thanks to the new Wall Mount Beer Dispenser from Perlick, both are possible. This unit comes in any length up to 96 inches and can hold up to 32 different faucets. By adding additional units, the number of beers an establishment can offer is endless.