05.14.12
Water, water everywhere, and finally a drop to drink!
Michael Szyliowicz

 

I flew in to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) recently and was very impressed with this water dispenser. 

Designed to fill reusable water bottles, and located directly after security, it makes lots of sense for travelers to easily get their own water bottles filled without having to buy the disposable kind.

Clean drinking water is good, healthy, and, often taken for granted, which is a bit of a problem since we don’t attach enough value to it. 

Even better is the fact that the number of plastic bottles being sent to landfills is being reduced. America currently has an obsession with water, but too much of it is either being wasted or the containers are simply not being recycled. 

This is a great alternative, and I hope we start seeing more in other public spaces.

Have you seen these water dispensers at other airports or other public spaces? Share your experience in our comments field! 

Beverages, Diary of a Chocolatier, Travel
INNOVATION, san francisco, water
05.08.12
A great day for GoodDrinks
Michael Szyliowicz

As The Blend readers well know by now, I am all about innovation. Once we develop products for customers, I’m already looking at the next one. Over the years I’m proud of the fact that as a company we have introduced a number of “firsts.” I created the first co-branded, non-alcoholic chocolate sauce, partnering with Kahlua. We introduced both the first certified fair trade chocolate sauce and the first single-origin chocolate sauce. We’ve hosted industry events dedicated to innovation and creativity. Innovation is at the center of nearly every conversation at our office, from R&D to Sales to Marketing and Operations, and in many ways, it’s the single most important thing we do. 

Today, we’re introducing another industry first: a complete line of sauces, drink mixes and concentrates made completely free of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a sweetener that has been linked to obesity and other health related issues. 

Today, we introduce GoodDrinks. 

GoodDrinks is a bold new choice that aims to lift our entire industry, asking all of us to strive for something better—better for our bodies, better for our customers, better for our children and better for the...

Beverages, Diary of a Chocolatier, Innovation, News
bevolution, clean water, gooddrinks, INNOVATION, population services international
05.07.12
All about the show
Michael Szyliowicz

Nightclubs in Las Vegas are a remarkable experience on many levels, but what stood out for me was an important lesson about making an impact with service and presentation. In one club, customers ordering a bottle of liquor have it brought to their tables (for a 10-15x markup!), and the show begins.

A parade of four women, all holding flaming torches aloft flank the two people carrying the chilled bottle resting inside a cooler shaped like a large diamond. The music continues, the entourage parades around the dance floor, and then the bottle is delivered with great ceremony to the awaiting guests. At this point the show ends, and the customers end up mixing their drinks themselves. However, they are still basking in the attention and firelight of the ceremony.

We recently attended the franchisee meeting for one of our customers. We helped them launch their new specialty flavored iced tea program.

The new beverages use iced tea, syrups, sparkling water, and are hand shaken in specialty shakers for each order. Although the concept itself isn’t new—and far more labor intensive than simply pouring a glass of iced tea from a pitcher—at the conference we heard nothing but rave reviews from all of the franchisees.

...

Beverages, Diary of a Chocolatier
bottle service, coffee shop, experience, las vegas
04.30.12
Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble…
Michael Szyliowicz

 

It certainly bubbled and bubbled, and no doubt that the bartender toiled and went to a lot of trouble to create the signature drink Bubbles and Berries. 

Arriving in a glass with steam coming out of the cocktail and the liquid bubbling in the martini glass, this was a sensational presentation. The simple addition of dry ice both chilled the beverage and gave it unique personality. So much of the appeal of beverages is visual and textural, yet few take the time and effort to elevate their signature drinks appropriately. 

Simply combining unusual ingredients isn’t enough anymore. To stand out on a crowded bar, drinks need to be aesthetically appealing, have well balanced flavor combinations, and an extra fillip to make them memorable. And in a world surrounded by uninspired drinks, this concoction delivered visually, tastefully, and memorably.

What was the last great signature drink you had? Was it visually or texturally appealing? Let us know in the comments field! 

 

Beverages, Diary of a Chocolatier, Innovation
dry ice, signature drink
03.06.12
Commitment to innovation
Michael Szyliowicz

 

Innovation is at the center of everything we do. It has shaped our company’s heritage, laid the groundwork for our bright future and even influences our daily decisions at Mont Blanc Gourmet. 

We’ve proven to the food and beverage industry time and again that we’ll take a chance to bring about positive change for the industry. 

Mont Blanc Gourmet was the first in the industry to introduce fair trade chocolate sauce, a decision we made because it was the right thing to do. We also were the first to bring the industry single-origin chocolate sauce. We dared to develop the industry’s first dairy-free blender mix, and at SCAA 2011 we hosted the “Invitation to Innovation,” a wildly successful breakfast with creativity coach Artie Isaac that helped industry leaders start looking at creativity and innovation as tools to improve business. 

For an industry that traditionally waits for the largest companies to change before following behind, Mont Blanc Gourmet stands out from the pack, constantly driving industry ingenuity and imagination. 

We’re deeply committed to innovation, and in the next year, Mont Blanc Gourmet will again prove that commitment through some very exciting announcements. That’s all we can formally announce so far, but stay tuned for some stirring innovations in 2012. 

 

Beverages, Diary of a Chocolatier, Innovation, News, Sustainability
dairy-free, fair trade, INNOVATION, scaa, single origin