tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30114073712089842632024-03-12T23:44:27.104-04:00BAT ChatComments on the business of spirits, wine and beer brands from an industry insider.Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.comBlogger130125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-21023600706327607242011-01-24T07:39:00.001-05:002011-01-30T21:55:05.342-05:00We've Moved!OK, I finally got religion and moved to a Wordpress platform. The news site URL is www.BATchat.net.
See you there!
Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-17422296515646031542010-11-26T18:47:00.001-05:002010-11-26T18:48:20.216-05:00Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time...So what did we find out? We did in fact prove that copper makes better egg white foam in a Pisco Sour...when you make it without the lime. We also find out that contrary to what we had read, Lime doesn't help , in fact just the opposite.
Here's the process we used...the recipe was of 2 ounces of Pisco Porton (from my private stash handcrafted by the inimitable Johnny Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-5603032667294193712010-11-26T09:46:00.000-05:002010-11-26T09:46:37.845-05:00Optimizing Egg White Foam in a Pisco SourThe idea occurred to my daughter Lindsay and me when she was making a birthday cake for my wife. Why do cooks whip egg whites in copper pots? My first stop was a query to Darcy O'Neil, of Art of Drink fame, drink chemistry guru and author of the definitive book on soda fountains titled Fix the Pumps. His answers combined with a little digging in the literature surfaced the Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-37112163700729976422010-10-27T06:36:00.003-04:002010-10-27T13:23:12.297-04:00You Want Me to Do WHAT???? David Honig of Palate Press and my fellow bloggers, I feel your pain. As authors of six blogs, some for the company, some for clients and some just for fun, we see our fair share of outrageous PR pitches. So I thought I’d post a few excerpts of some of the more egregious examples and share some yuks. I welcome my fellow bloggers to add their contributions to Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-5690653856779374662010-10-26T07:29:00.027-04:002010-10-26T08:42:36.013-04:00Notes from the EWBC, PR folks, Please Get a Clue! One interesting event occurred was a criticism leveled at “whoever keeps flooding my office with unsolicited samples of wines.” That was a quote from David Honig of Palate Press. It was a comment during a session on “generic promotion” (new title to me for country trade associations) featuring panelists Willi Klinger, MD of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board and Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-49377912292184991932010-10-24T18:28:00.003-04:002010-10-25T07:26:24.868-04:00European Wine Bloggers Conference
I'm in Vienna this week at the European Wine Bloggers Conference hosted by our client the Austrian Wine Marketing Board. Kudos to Robert McIntosh, Gabriella and Ryan Opaz who organized the conference and did a fabulous job.
The venue was pretty outstanding too…the Orangerie at the Shönbrunn Palace, home to the Hapsburg emperors.
17 Students from the Burgundy School of Business Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-50603625058450815372010-10-19T17:31:00.003-04:002010-10-19T17:37:07.661-04:00US Drinks Conference Distributor PanelOne of the highlights of the U.S. Drinks Conference was the distributor panel moderated by Ted Roman, EVP of William Grant, with panelists Kevin Fennessey, CMO of Southern Wine and Spirits; Efren Puente, VP of Marketing at Charmer Sunbelt; Bob Hendrickson, President of RNDC, and Jeffrey Altschuler, President of Allied Beverages.
Here are the key takeaways:
· &Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-67549829371144399942010-10-16T10:04:00.002-04:002010-10-16T10:13:43.385-04:00US Drinks ConferenceI'll be making a series of posts on the USDC, but thought I'd get some of the early pix up in the meantime. A big shout out of thanks to Denise Menefee for being the unrelenting driving force that made the conference a success. She's pictured here with husband Jeff who managed all the graphics for us.
Me and daughter Lindsay Raye
Carter Reum of VeeV Acai Spirit
Colleen Graham of Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-45440689939619420732010-10-12T06:23:00.000-04:002010-10-12T06:23:02.363-04:00USDC on CNBCThe U.S. Drinks Conference 2010 kicks off today. We're at a bigger venue this year but still will pack the room with an SRO crowd of 200+ from 14 countries.
We're especially pleased that CNBC will be covering the conference this year with a film crew working with business reporter Brian Schactman.
I spoke with Gary Vaynerchuk yesterday and he's pumped for his presentation at 9:30. Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-86439869317278162822010-09-26T17:59:00.000-04:002010-09-26T17:59:20.574-04:00A Dutch Point of View<!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-1689463377319041612010-09-21T06:59:00.002-04:002010-09-21T07:03:00.878-04:00Are We Engaged Yet?I had just finished writing my presentation for the U.S. Drinks Conference and was reflecting on a few recent conversations I had on social media marketing and it dawned on me that we’ve turned a corner.
Within the past two days I’ve spoken to self-described Luddites or representatives thereof (guy has his secretary print out emails for him), expert practitioners of the craft, and a bunch of Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-45831730261887151942010-09-13T21:38:00.000-04:002010-09-13T21:38:43.191-04:00Let's meet at the VinItaly USA Tour 2010 in NY 10/25 and PHL 10/27 VinItaly returns to the US in October with two events, one in NY Oct. 25 the second in Philadelphia Oct. 27. The NY event will be held at the fabulous new Eataly venue on 23rd and 5th that's managed by the Bastianich family and Mario Batali. More about Eataly below.
The trade tasting in New York is from 2PM – 6PM at Eataly (200 Fifth Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-38603619908036133102010-09-09T11:53:00.001-04:002010-09-09T11:54:00.616-04:00U.S. Drinks Conference 2010 coming in OctoberAs many of you know we’re one of the organizers of the U.S. Drinks Conference. This will be the fourth year that we’ve held the event and is scheduled for Oct. 12 and 13 in New York. Check out the website (www.USDrinksConference.com) for more details on speakers, agenda, registering, and hotel accommodations. Registrations are running at 3X the pace of last year and we fully expect to max Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-43646093193521422772010-08-10T13:22:00.002-04:002010-08-10T14:05:09.414-04:00Reflections on Tales of the CocktailHaving spent a necessary few days detoxifying from Tales of the Cocktail, I once again raise the rhetorical question of why we so rarely see spit buckets at spirits events, when they’re de rigueur at wine tastings?
I attended this year’s event in the company of Stephanie Jerzy who manages social media marketing for spirits at BAT, along with my daughter Lindsay Raye who is a brand ambassador in Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-32925877174934188512010-07-20T08:17:00.001-04:002010-07-20T16:05:48.218-04:00American Wine Bloggers Conference, Walla Walla, WAWe're back from the American Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla,Washington (our friends in Europe get a kick out of the name) which Constance I attended. This is the third year for the event which attracted 300 attendees from the ranks of bloggers, wineries and PR agencies. We returned with enhanced perspective on the state of social media in the wine industry.
The sense I got from Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-28082492605092796562010-07-02T21:13:00.001-04:002010-07-02T21:16:22.622-04:00Sam's Gone We had a bittersweet goodbye for Sam Harrigan this week that unfortunately Jeff and I couldn't attend in person (but we were there in "spirit"). Sam Harrigan who's been with us for two years and helped create and shape our social media marketing skills officially left BAT for grad school.
Constance Chamberlain, Stephani Jerzy, Sam Harrigan, Anthony King and Kayla Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-32268207957357157372010-06-23T07:44:00.001-04:002010-06-24T05:08:35.060-04:00EWBC: European Wine Bloggers Conf event hosted by Austrian Wine Marketing BoardThanks to Gabriella and Ryan Opaz for organizing a wonderful evening of tasting Austrian wines and promoting the European Wine Blogger's Conference which is being hosted by the Austrian Wine Marketing Board in Vienna Oct. 22-24 this year.
The Opaz's have been a driving force for both the EWBC and the American Wine Blogger's Conference which takes place this week in Walla Walla WA. Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-48377642826505298202010-06-17T18:19:00.002-04:002010-06-20T18:12:42.972-04:00Pisco!We just got back from Peru visiting with Johnny Schuler and Brent Kallop of Pisco Porton. They are on a mission to make Pisco a significant category and Pisco Porton a significant brand in the U.S. spirits market.
For those of you unfamiliar with it Pisco has a long history...it's the oldest spirit in the Americas dating back to the days of the Conquistadors and the missionaries who Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-29714704932698136822010-06-03T15:27:00.001-04:002010-06-03T15:27:36.039-04:00What U.S. importers expect from prospective suppliers...new post on BATblog http://ping.fm/Xkb69Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-40940768329667403462010-06-03T15:24:00.000-04:002010-06-03T15:24:43.200-04:00What U.S. Importers Expect from Prospective Suppliers One of the things we get asked for is help for foreign suppliers to find U.S. importers. More often than not the supplier doesn't have an accurate understanding of the U.S. Drinks market and the radically different situation that exists here vs. many other countries. We may be one of the biggest markets in the world, but we're one of the most complicated to Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-7735420240819396732010-05-21T16:48:00.000-04:002010-05-21T16:48:57.133-04:00Wines of Santorini EventFollowing right on the heels of the New Wines of Greece event, the Wines from Santorini strutted their stuff. Santorini is one of the most interesting wines in the world with a back story dating to 1650BC when the volcanic island exploded leaving only a knife edged caldera rim and caused the tidal wave that destroyed the Minoan civilization on Crete. It is in fact considered the source of Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-53986024173762508292010-05-21T11:26:00.000-04:002010-05-21T11:26:29.709-04:00It's Greek To MeSorry for going dark for a while, we've been incredibly busy, but I'll catch up with a few posts now.
OK, so the headline quote isn't the most original, but it was thematically correct yesterday. New Wines of Greece and the Wines From Santorni under the guidance of George Athanas and All About Greek Wine hosted a super event at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. Food was supplied bySteve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-24535048046880933692010-05-11T17:07:00.000-04:002010-05-11T17:07:59.306-04:00Mastering the Art of the Ah So CorkscrewOne corkscrew design I've never been able to master is the Ah So. Supposedly great for old wines with corks of questionable integrity, more often than not I end up pushing the cork down rather than pulling it out. Greg Del Pias, Community Manager at Snooth, and host of the NY Wine Century Club gathering demonstrates a little trick using the Screwpull worm. Check out the video Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-52257547044321560862010-05-06T17:44:00.001-04:002010-05-06T17:47:27.722-04:00Austrian Wine Rocks NYAustrian Wine has Arrived!
That was the vibe at Tribeca Rooftop as Willi Klinger and his team from the Austrian Wine Marketing board hosted 80 winemakers representing the largest delegation of Austrian wineries ever to hit the shores of the U.S.
Gruner Veltliner stole the show as the lead varietal from Austria, but siblings Riesling and the reds Blaufrankisch, Saint Laurent and Zweigelt Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3011407371208984263.post-18378036129030811052010-04-05T18:28:00.001-04:002010-04-05T18:28:46.110-04:00On my way to WSWA and looking forward to hearing Sarah Palin's presentation.Steve Rayehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10123165055229202039noreply@blogger.com0