Hospitality News - Spain Consumes 4% More Alcohol

Gin Second Favourite in Spain for the First Time 

After nearly a decade of constant decrease, last year spirits achieved a global sales growth of 2%, with consumers preferring distilled WHISKEY and GIN.

“Destilerías Y Crianza del Whisky” is a Spanish company that started to produce the first Spanish whisky in 1963... DYC! Production reached 20 million litres per year in the 80’s. However, nowadays output is only a fraction of distillery capacity.

Locals loved DYC in the 80’s

Good News for Spanish Hospitality

Positive data released from the second half of 2015, now also confirms the recovery of the Spirits industry. This has been confirmed by the “Economic and Social Report” of the sector in 2015, prepared by Spanish Spirits Federation (FEBE) and presented a few days ago by its CEO, Bosco Torremocha, to the Minister of Agriculture, Isabel García Tejerina.

Bosco Torremocha

During 2015, 190 million litres of spirits were sold in Spain, about 2% more than the previous year, with a contribution of €7.6 Billion to the Spanish economy (0.12% of GDP). According to the report, the total domestic production, 60% is for local consumption and they export the remaining 40%.

Isabel García Tejerina

Local consumption is again focused on HORECA*, with 60% of the total in 2015, and recorded increases of 4% in hospitality, compared to 1.7% in supermarkets. 

HORECA is an abbreviation used in Europe for the sector of the food industry that consists of establishments which prepare and serve food and beverages. The term is a syllabic abbreviation of the words Hotel + Restaurant + Café. By establishment sales were distributed as follows:

Drinking Patterns & Trends

Overall, whiskey remains the drink preferred by Spanish consumers, with 26% of the total market, followed by gin 20%, which passed rum 17% for the first time. Then top selling specialties were liquors 12%, brandy 11%, anise 6% and vodka [only?] 5%. The distribution of the percentages of consumption in HORECA maintains the same proportions for drinks.

What's you favourite spirit?

Please leave a comment

SMOKING IN SPAIN

Smoking Ban in Spain*

¿?

4300 Reports and Thousands of Sanctions!

(*) Smoking bans or smoke-free laws are public policies, including criminal laws and occupational safety and health regulations, that prohibit tobacco smoking in workplaces and other public spaces. Legislation may also define smoking as more generally being the carrying or possessing of any lit tobacco product.

It’s been nearly 5 years since this legislation came into force...

But some may be disobeying!!

Police officers watch out for smoking in public

The year preceding the fifth anniversary of the smoking ban, a policy that immensely annoyed owners of bars and restaurants who had already reconditioned their venues to enable areas reserved for smokers. Hospitality entrepreneurs despaired when they realized their investment was in vain and they didn't hide their fear of losing customers. Maybe it was done at the wrong time or maybe the wrong way? Radical prohibitions will inevitably generate undesirable situations...

Caught on camera: waiter smoking!!

But venues soon got used to smoke-free zones. They really did. Experts from the National Committee for Smoking Prevention gave a compliance rate of over 95% (where inspections were conducted regularly).

Spain

In 2015 there were over 120,000 inspections nationwide and...

• 4305 Reports by local authorities (Policia Municipal and Guardia Civil).
• 3485 Were given a warning.
• 1739 Received a fine.

Madrid

Madrid City Council issued 620 warnings after receiving 930 reports,

however, no one was fined!

Some bars and restaurants, in the more exclusive areas of Madrid, may be dodging terrace regulations because they haven’t adapted yet or perhaps have a permissive attitude towards their customers smoking?

According to our Chief Legal Officer: "50% of the area within the perimeter must be open air."

Ayuntamiento de Madrid declined to provide any information regarding how many inspections carried out.

This one went viral last week

England

UK ban in 2007 made it illegal to smoke in all enclosed work places.

Russia

Russia was tobacco industries' paradise for a long time, with almost no regulation. However, the Soviet Union approved countrywide campaigns against smoking. The law "on the protection of the population from the harmful effects of cigarette smoke and the consequences of tobacco consumption" has been effective since 2014. 

Smoking in workplaces, on aircraft, trains and municipal transport as well as in schools, hospitals, cultural institutions and government buildings has been restricted and tobacco advertising and sponsorship forbidden. Graphic warnings have become compulsory. But only since last year has smoking also been prohibited in restaurants and cafes.

Madrid Nightlife Guide

Lozano's Plan to Open Restaurant Goes South

Negotiation Discrepancies Cause Nightlife Entrepreneur to Abandon Project...

FFS! Here we go again

The opening of a restaurant & bar called "ARTYS" in the stables of the "Liria" Palace was scheduled for mid-October. 

The day chosen for the inauguration of this initiative was no coincidence, since it would coincide with the first anniversary of the death of Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart aka "Duquesa de Alba", who died last November. 

Cayetana de Alba (1926-2014)

It was to become a nightlife landmark, a fancy restaurant called "Artys", identified by a 6500 square feet ceiling fraught with paintings and pictures. The venue was divided into two: the restaurant and another room for organized events.

Responsible for everything, so far, was Oscar Lozano, a businessman with extensive experience in the hospitality and leisure industry, and well-known after triumphing with nightclubs like Coyote and Buddha Bar. However, Lozano has pulled out due to personal disagreements with his business partner. 

"A month before the opening, my partner and I sat down to talk about the contract and I saw there were many loose ends and chose to abandon the project. It's a personal problem due to discrepancies in the contract and management of the venue. The Duke of Alba has nothing to do with it, he will go on, but without me. Each has taken different paths, but I wish him well in his new venture."

Duke receives news ARTYS is going elsewhere

The décor of this place would play the main foyer of the "Liria" Palace itself, wrapped in class and distinction, and perhaps somewhat rococo vintage for this moment. The point is Artys as such will continue, but not in the stables of the palace. Oscar Lozano will continue on his own.

"We will open the doors very soon in another emblematic area of Madrid, but for now I prefer to keep it secret. I have brought with me everything I had created so far and I assure it will be successful. We will take most of the decoration and the investment in the stables so far, with not only the brand but my select clientèle after years in this business."

Oscar Lozano said Carlos Fitz-James Stuart, the new Duke of Alba, was "delighted" with the project. The aristocrat also push ahead with the plans to open a restaurant in the stables, and the rent was exciting before the clashes occurred between partners. "We had signed a 25 year contract with them, until now it was a Chinese restaurant, when I was going to start this project and what was clear they wanted to go with him."

With or without Lozano

The Duke needs to monetize and capitalize on the extensive properties inherited after the death of Doña Cayetana and it is getting. It's clearly known the public opening of the "Palacio de las Dueñas" in Seville, although a reserved floor is kept private. Now, the new Duke wants to take advantage of the facilities of the "Liria" Palace in Madrid, with or without Oscar Lozano.

Venue management without the well known entrepreneur will be quite different from what was expected. But the monthly revenue was also expected to allow them to better cope with the Duke heritage conservation. 

Venue management declared to Madrid Nightlife "Oscar was our Marketing Director and failing to reach an agreement our employment contract ended! We will continue with our venue in Liria Palace and I guess he will open a nightclub or something, I have no idea."

Related articles:
Oscar Lozano Back in Madrid

Rent a Nightclub in Madrid

http://www.madridnightlife.com

M.M.D.D.M.M.

It’s Getting Hot in Here, So Take off...

Lunch overlooking the park was this week’s theme as we headed over to “Parque del Oeste” in our never ending search for best luncheonette. This week joined by my comrades in arms, to take up this solemn task, we met at “Metro Arguelles” and headed down to “CYATHUS Gastro Bar” on “Calle Pintor Rosales” number 30.

Now normally, in our experience, anywhere that self-tittles itself as a gastro bar should be taken with caution as normally its more style than substance! However, we couldn´t ignore the hoards flocking to this little local as we´d passed it before so it was time to give them a go on our gastronomic wheel of fortune.

We took our seats indoors and perused our options. The choice was ample and we could choose between 5 starters from the normal “Menu del Día” or you could build your own salad with 8 ingredients and (regardless of your starter choice) you could choose between 4 mains. HAVE IT YOUR WAY! There was an extra €1 fee for the salad but it was all reasonably priced for portion and quality at a respectable €12 or €13 with a drink and coffee or cake included.

Just to recap the Menu - “Entrantes” consisted of “salmorejo con sus taquitos de jamon y huevo”, “quiche de puerros y bacón”, “melón con jamón” or “ensalada templada de queso de cabra y cebolla caramelizada”. For mains; “secreto ibérico con reducción de PX”, “salmón al horno con sus verduritas”, “merluza a la gallega con sus cachelos” or “huevos rotos con ajo arriero”.

Straight to the point - Food quality was awesome as everyone was happy with their starters. As for our mains, anyone who was lucky to try the salmon was in for a treat, cooked to perfection! The “secreto” was a bit tough and difficult to chew but the flavour was nice and the rest were happy enough with their food.

Service was a little shabby and lacking a smile. It´s a simple touch that makes the world around you better, especially your customers! There were times we were left wanting, it was just about sufficient. The interior décor was strange, it felt like we were in an airport cafeteria which is odd considering the level they are looking for here but by the by it didn’t reflect too much in our overall opinion and when “scores on the doors” was called, our panel of experts came away with a 4 out of 5. The food really was very good and I would recommend you give it a try, hopefully you´ll have better luck with staff.

Heading off, we headed over to a tree lined terrace by “Conde Duque” where the “tintos” are cheap and plentiful while we discussed and solved all of the world’s problems in one afternoon.

Next week we´ll be heading back up north of Bilbao to a gem of a terrace that we stumbled across last week. This looks really promising!!! YOU my friends are invited. Invitation will be posted forthwith. Until then however kids its chow for now!

Written by: Marc Kildea