CHICAGO -( ASIA TODAY )- The 7th annual International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (IWSB), recently held at Chicago’s McCormick Place on May 17-20, posted positive growth in both attendee and exhibitor numbers for the third year in a row. Due to the growth in exhibitors, IWSB was bigger and better than ever, being transferred to a larger area of McCormick Place, in Lakeside Ballroom.
IWSB 2014 attendees were able to explore two new pavilions this year – Craftique, featuring limited-production craft and boutique wines, spirits and beers, and Bar Necessities, showcasing products ancillary to, but critical for a successful bar program, including mixers, glassware and ice.
Featured sessions at IWSB 2014 included the highly anticipated “The Great Martini Debate” with The Modern Mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim and “Hot Trends for Increased Beverage Sales” featuring representatives from MarkeTeam, Inc, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, CraftWorks Restaurants & Breweries, Inc., and Royal Caribbean International.
The interactive demo lounges were also a great attraction where attendees trained with experts to gain practical, hands-on experience using the newest products and techniques. Participants interested in learning more about menu pairing could learn and get inspired at the Restaurant Menu Paring Program available where attendees could sampled the perfect marriages of food and drink throughout the floor to learn what's possible when they truly work together.
In terms of alcoholic beverage trends spotted on the show floor, cork-free wine, dark spirits, Asian flavored beer and Mexican imports were just a few.
The biggest trend was certainly the many different ways to store wine. In the show floor wine makers used bags, cans and even kegs to store and serve wine. Bonfire Wines, for example, sells wine in a pouch. The wine stays fresh for a month, take half the time to chill, is quick for servers to open, and won’t go bad due to a dry cork, says Eric Steigelman, Bonfire’s founder. The company was one of the winners of NRA’s FABI award.
In contrast with the consumption demand that started in the 90s, tastes for liquor are moving away from clear spirits. At the show floor the popularity of whiskey was evident. Vermont’s Whistle Pig distillery was present, showcasing their American-made whiskey. Whistle Pig helped start the rye whiskey movement and continues to profit from it.
Asian flavors, including spices and ingredients like ginger were a big trend both in food and beverage. While Kooksoondang Brewery offered samples of its Rice Wine, rimming sugars and salts from Twang Partners included lemon ginger sugar and tamarind margarita salt. But the bigger winner was anything ginger, both in alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Crabbies, for example, claims to be the first alcoholic ginger beer. However, competition will be spicy.
For many beer fans, the bitter, the better. India Pale Ales, which lead the pack in the craft brew segment, experienced a 35 percent growth in 2013. But more beer trends could be seen at IWSB. Several breweries started to use barrels to store their product. At the show floor, New Holland Brewing Company offered tastes of its Dragons Milk Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stout. Hard cider production has more than tripled since 2011 and is expected to become one of the top craft styles soon. At IWSB, suppliers were introducing innovative takes on traditional ciders, such as hopped cider.
As for Mexican imports, Americans are increasingly interested in drinking tequila and mezcal. Since 2002, U.S. imports of Tequila have grown 83 percent. Both high-end and cheaper brands are flooding the market, translating into more options to patrons and even more appealing creative combinations elaborated by Mixologists.
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