With so many quality bars around the country, it means a great deal to be labeled as “the best.” From the menu and cocktail quality to the atmosphere and bar teams, a lot goes into being recognized at the top of the industry. Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards have become one of the most prestigious and coveted honors a bar can attain.

The Gin and Tonic is a cocktail we often associate with the U.K. or here at home in the United States. But if we're looking at how this barroom staple has changed over the years, and we're being objective when we do it, there's no denying the Spanish have mastered the Gin and Tonic. Why? To begin, we have to look at the origins of the drink, and that starts with the British.

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.

Instagram is a great place to get mixology inspiration from professionals and home experts alike, but there are a few cocktail bars we check in on often because of their beautiful imagery, creative recipes, and quality classics.

Bumped, bruised, scratched, and scraped. That should be the description of a prizefighter after twelve rounds, not a bartender after an eight hour shift. But bartending can be a demanding job that is both physically and mentally draining. Luckily, there are ways to reduce stress and injuries for bartenders, and one solution is through bar equipment design.

From sea to shining sea, the United States is filled with high quality cocktail bars as part of the great cocktail revolution. But at the recent Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, the Columbia Room in Washington, D.C. took the Spirited Awards honor as Best American Cocktail Bar. The award recognizes the American bar that set the highest standards in the industry and influenced national cocktail trends over the past year. Considerations for the award include menu, bar teams, atmosphere, and cocktail quality.

Whether it's in a hotel lobby, a new trendy restaurant, or a speakeasy, a cocktail bar is often the most profitable location in any food and beverage operation. Because it represents so much potential, it's even more important to consider best practices to help maximize the profitability of this space. Let's take a look at five essential tips for a profitable cocktail bar.

The modern rebirth of the speakeasy can be traced back to the 1990s, but it took the craft cocktail renaissance the last 15 years to really cement it into our everyday bar vernacular. Since then, more and more speakeasies have been established across the country, and in many cases, one of the signature features of those establishments has been the entrances.

Ben Franklin may not have been talking about cocktails when he came up with that proverbial saying, but nowhere does it ring more truly today than behind the bar. Every second is key for bartenders, and proper organization and bar setup saves them time for when they’ll need it most. The craft cocktail movement has led to more complex cocktail recipes, and consequently, warranted the need for bar setups to become more elaborate. That’s why the concept of mise en place has moved from the kitchen to the bar.

At Perlick, we’re all about bar and beverage innovation. We’ve been that way for 100 years. And now, the latest bar equipment design can be found directly in front of bartenders. The improved Perlick speed rail and lock cover design is the solution to lingering problems for bartenders and bar operators alike. Productivity can be hampered if the bar is not designed with a bartender in mind. A speed rail is one such piece of bar equipment that can provide a number of benefits if designed for efficiency.

When you think of the Kentucky Derby, what comes to mind? Fancy hats? Singing “My Old Kentucky Home?” The Call to the Post? Or how about an ice cold mint julep? Hopefully the latter. No cocktail is so closely attached to a sporting event like the mint julep and the Kentucky Derby. You don’t need to be at Churchill Downs to enjoy a mint julep (although we highly recommend it). No matter if you’re in the racetrack infield, sitting on Millionaire’s Row, or throwing a Kentucky Derby party at your bar or restaurant, no Derby weekend is complete without this minty concoction.

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.

The Tobin Ellis Signature Cocktail Station is one of Perlick's greatest innovations over our first 100 years as a company. With the rise of craft cocktails, bars needed an easy way to maintain quality while increasing quantity. And when you increase quantity, you obviously increase profits. The craft cocktail trend is no longer a trend. It's a movement that's here to stay. So let's take a look at what some of the country's most prominent bartenders, beverage managers, and operators are saying about the Tobin Ellis Cocktail Station from Perlick and how it's changing their business for the better.

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.

A lot has changed over the last 100 years. From bars to wine, the beverage world has evolved since 1917. Subsequently, so has the popularity and trendiness of certain mixed drinks and cocktails. Peek behind any bar and you’ll see what amounts to a museum of ingredients needed to create nearly every combination of cocktails from the past. Each decade, from Pre-Prohibition to the 21st century, has an iconic cocktail that reflects the culture and society of the era. Let’s take a look at some of the cocktail trends from the last 100 years.

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?