A growing number of restaurant and bar operators court the variety-seeking cocktail crowd and reap an upsell in the process. Such operators promote flights of miniature specialty cocktails that have all the creativity and craftsmanship of their full-sized brethren while offering patrons more flavors. In some cases, barkeeps layer on the luxury with fancy barware and luxe presentations, putting everything on the table from cute-as-a-bug miniature martini glasses and julep mugs to sliver platters and unique flower-festooned flight holders.
Arguably, it pays to be small minded. At the Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference in Los Angeles last fall, menu-trends expert Nancy Kruse, president of The Kruse Co. in Atlanta and a Nation's Restaurant News columnist, hailed the "miniaturization" trend in food and beverage, citing the growing evidence of "sliders" and mini-sandwiches on chain menus. Corroborating that is the National Restaurant Association's 2007 "What's Hot, What's Not" survey of more than 1,200 professional chefs, which rated bite-size items, small plates, tapas and mezze high in trendiness.
Sampling is popular at Abode Restaurant & Lounge, a high-end, contemporary American concept in Santa Monica, Calif., where tastings include oysters, foie gras and desserts based on chocolate and apples, not to mention gin and vodka martini flights. "It makes eating and drinking more of an experience," noted owner Anastasia Israel.
Israel estimated that 15 percent of her patrons choose either the gin or vodka martini flight. Each features three 1.5-ounce drinks and is priced at $23. The gin flight studies the nuances of martinis made with Tanqueray No. Ten, Hendrick's and Magellan gins.
"It gives them an idea of what they like in a martini," said Israel. "We also talk to them about the flavor differences in gins, and they love that."
Similarly, Abode's vodka martini flight compares Grey Goose La Poire, Pearl Pomegranate and Pinky vodkas.
The Mojito sampler at the Cuba Libre restaurants in Philadelphia and Atlantic City, N.J., lines up the house's Classic Mojito, which is made with Cuba Libre-brand white rum, hierba buena, a Cuban herb similar to mint, guarapo, pressed sugar cane juice, fresh lime and soda, alongside peach- and melon-flavored variations, priced at $14. "It immediately became popular because of the different tastes," said Stacy Schulist, director of marketing, restaurant and catering divisions, for Philadelphia-based Libre Management. "Anything that seems to give people more variety, they like."
Typifying the stylish presentations of the day is the Mini Bar Flight at Luna Park in Los Angeles. It consists of a Mini Mint Julep in a small metal mug, the Bitty Raspberry Margarita in a mini-highball glass and a Tini Ice Breaker martini in a petite stemmed glass. They arrive at the table on a silver platter, priced at $13.50. "It's definitely a conversation starter," said A.J. Gilbert., owner of the casual eatery.
At Kumo in West Hollywood, Calif., head mixologist James Michael Bobby has a cocktail flight in the works that promises to make an esthetic statement. The flight will be served on a horizontal glass tube with notches to hold four small glasses of specialty cocktails and room inside to display fresh flowers.
The four cocktails will change frequently, like the high-end sushi restaurant's omakase, or chef's sushi tasting menu, which showcases the chef's inspired creations of the day. The flight's anticipated price ranges from $15 to $20.
"I want to create an array of flavors that represent what we do here," said Bobby, who has a list of 13 mainly Japanese-inspired libations, like the Rising Sun, made with Zen Green Tea liqueur, unfiltered sake and mint, with which to work.
Also tinkering with flights is Steven Fitzpatrick Smith, proprietor of The Royale, a neighborhood restaurant and bar in St. Louis. His first attempt at cocktail flights, offered on three consecutive Saturday afternoons in December, was well received, he said. The goal was to encourage customers to try out The Royale's more than 30 creative specialty cocktails, which boast names inspired by local places and personalities.
For instance, a flight called The North Side, priced at $20, had two libations named for St. Louis neighborhoods — The Ville, a vanilla-perfumed Tom Collins, and the Walnut Park, a mix of Pinnacle Vodka and Disaronno Amaretto — along with an eponymous cocktail invented by a local businessman: the Butler Miller, a vodka gimlet spiked with Chambord liqueur. "We're a very neighborhood place," explained Smith. "It's sort of a hangout for city officials, writers and media types."
In the future, Smith said, he may launch his flights on weekdays in the late afternoon and reduce the cocktails from standard size to smaller pours. He is confident that flights are a keeper. "We're still feeling it out," said Smith. "But it was working. People were coming out."
