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.

“Whoa. That’s Instagram-worthy.” In today’s digital age, there’s no higher compliment. That’s especially true in bars or restaurants. When a colossal-sized cheeseburger, an artistically presented slice of cheesecake, or a glowing craft cocktail arrives in front of us, our first instinct might be to reach for our phones and share these creations with the world.

"We've noticed the non-drinker has evolved," said award-winning bartender and founder of London's Dandylyan said in a recent article in Forbes. "It means you have people not drinking for a multitude of reasons, but they still want to socialize." This is a statement on the non-alcoholic or low-alcohol beverage trend that is gaining in popularity both at home and abroad. Consumers who choose not to imbibe have more than just the basic teetotaling options of decades past, and operators who understand this and are willing to step out of their comfort zones stand to attract a new type of customer.

If you stop and think about it, you can probably come up with a few cocktails that incorporate vegetables -- Bloody Mary's, Mojitos made with cucumber, or even a jalapeño-infused Margarita. And while fruits are still far more popular than vegetables when it comes to cocktail flavors, don't count out the veggies just yet.

Summer is here, and one of America's greatest pastimes is traveling the country in search of the Great American Ballpark. Here at Perlick, we're doing the same thing, though we're not just limiting our tour to baseball. From the World's Greatest Arena to the Frozen Tundra here a little closer to home, let's take a quick look at the evolution of stadium beer and beverage service from famous arenas across the country.

If there's one thing we recall from high school science class, it could be that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. What Newton was basically saying was that nature has a way of balancing itself out, but what he might not have realized was the same goes for an effective beer system. Everything you do, every change you make, has an impact to the system as a whole.

For many of us, it feels like the spring weather takes longer to arrive every year. When it does finally arrive, springtime brings with it trees blossoming, birds chirping, and crisp, refreshing beers to pour. Of the four seasons, spring is often overlooked when it comes to associating beer styles, and it can be attributed to a lack of specific seasonal flavors tied to spring.

Despite the adversity the lodging industry faces with home sharing services like Airbnb and VRBO, there's also an enormous opportunity for properties to attract and cash in with food and beverage. In a recent edition of Foodservice Equipment & Supplies, our own VP of commercial sales, Jim Koelbl, sat down to discuss the current beverage trends in the hospitality industry, and the conversation was enlightening.

As we approach the country's unofficial national holiday, all the hype leading up to Super Bowl LII will certainly be around the game, the festivities, and the commercials. Inside U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for those lucky enough to be in attendance, there will likely be another focus, though - enjoying the amazing experience of seeing the Super Bowl in person. And the facility is nothing short of, well, super.

Lucky weekend beachgoers on Waiheke Island, New Zealand have more to look forward to than just the sun and surf. Thanks to Outspoken Coffee, fresh cold brew and nitro cold brew is delivered to sun bathers, swimmers and surfers fresh from the tap on a tricycle powered coffee cart. Let's take a look at how Outspoken Coffee got its start.

Do you ever wonder where your food and beverage equipment is made? Have you ever seen state-of-the-art manufacturing in action? Would you like to see first hand what sets one beer system apart from another? Take a few minutes minutes, and join us on a short but comprehensive guided tour of the Perlick facilities in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

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.

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.