* The following Art of Bar Design Q&A article with Greg Rodd, Sales Engineer Manager with Perlick, first appeared in the February edition of Foodservice Equipment & Supplies magazine.

Just over 100 years ago, Perlick was founded in a small shop on Reed Street here in Milwaukee. Over the course of the last century, we've introduced mechanical refrigeration to the industry, created the first remote beer system that can carry beer 100 feet, and have evolved into an industry leader in commercial bar and beverage equipment. And we have the Best-In-Class Awards to prove it.

See what we've been up to. Check out our new video, and take a short journey through 100 years of innovation in the bar and beverage industry.

Perlick: 100 Years of Innovation

Find out which bar and beverage solutions are right

It's your choice. When designing your bar with maximum throughput in mind, you get to decide the features, the quality, and the configuration. These choices will ultimately determine how efficient your bar will be, how productive your staff will be, and how profitable your operation will be.

MODULAR BARS

If your project is new construction or a complete remodel and there is no existing bar, a modular bar is a great factory assembled solution that can save both time and money. Look for a modular bar that is made with a heavy gauge frame that also provides easy access to service utilities and beverage lines. Good modular bar systems like Perlick's can fit straight, round, or curved applications in a way that every piece of the puzzle will fit.

PREASSEMBLED UNDERBAR

Vermouth. A classic almost mystical spirit that experienced its heyday in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Its versatility is limited only by the bartender's imagination, as it works in cocktails ranging from the Martini to the Manhattan to the Negroni. But to understand why vermouth is making a comeback, you first have to know why it lost favor in the first place.

During the peak of its popularity, vermouth was all of the highest quality, explained Adam Ford in his new book, VERMOUTH: The Revival of the Spirit that Created America's Cocktail Culture. After World War II, though, "almost all producers began taking short cuts that decreased the quality and flavor of vermouths."

Later, as we moved through the remainder of 20th Century, vermouth experienced another set back in terms of how it was actually stored. Vermouth

Perlick's range of forward sealing faucets are the most sanitary beer and wine faucets on the market. They feature a revolutionary ball and floating O-ring design that eliminates the need for a valve shaft. This leads to cleaner dispensing because the beer and wine are not exposed to air.

For customers, this means better tasting beverages without safety concerns. For operators, handle levers don't stick, and there's no build up of mold and bacteria in the body of the faucet. But which model of Perlick's forward sealing beer faucets is right for your bar or foodservice establishment? Let's take a look at the available designs:

630SS FORWARD SEALING BEER FAUCET

Perlick's 630SS Forward Sealing Faucet is made with food grade 304 stainless steel. It was introduced last year with a patented forward-sealing design. With fewer parts than conventional faucets, users see improved reliability and fewer service calls when they make the switch to the 630SS. This easy-to-clean faucet

Mixing ice cream with alcohol can be a tricky endeavor. First of all, you need the right equipment behind the bar to make it happen. Second, you need the right menu strategies and recipes. Finally, you need the type of consumer interested in this unusual style of cocktail. And apparently this is happening because boozy floats and alcoholic ice cream drinks are currently trending.

Summer is often a great time for ice cream cocktails for obvious reasons. In 2017, however, it's even more popular. Mixing ice cream with spirits is making an enormous comeback in both "new American" restaurants and prohibition-style cocktails bars from Washington, D.C. to The Westendorff.

Let's take a look at three of the most

Does your bar lack space and beer selection? In many cases, these commodities go hand-in-hand. Operators want more space, and today's customers are requiring more and more selections.

Thanks to the new Wall Mount Beer Dispenser from Perlick, both are possible. This unit comes in any length up to 96 inches and can hold up to 32 different faucets. By adding additional units, the number of beers an establishment can offer is endless. And it doesn't just have to be beer. Operators can add ciders, carbonated waters, and other beverage options that will satisfy a wider range of customers.

Because the unit is mounted on the wall, it frees up premium, customer-facing bar space. Cleaning is also easy, and the Wall Mount Beer Dispenser comes standard with Perlick's Forward Sealing Stainless Steel Faucets that prevent beer from exposure to outside air.

Whether you're a brand new brewpub in Colorado's Front Range or are looking to replace your beer dispensing towers in one of the West Coast's tried and true microbreweries, Perlick has a new line of beer dispensing draught towers that will make an instant impact in your establishment.

Having the right piece of beer dispensing equipment can add character and ambiance to your bar or restaurant, which will make beer sampling a more memorable experience for the beer lovers who visit your establishment. And when those memories are positive, those visitors will return.

In 2015, there are 52 new tower options from Perlick to help you make memorable experiences for beer lovers in your area. Let's take a look at a few of them:

POLISHED CHROME BREW-PIPE TOWER (4066)

Health code regulations and standards can vary from state to state, but regardless of where your bar or foodservice operation is located, health code violations can be catastrophic to your establishment. Bars and restaurants that continue to violate inspections can lose business, get a bad reputation, or even be shut down for extended periods of time.

There are many checklists that bars, restaurants, and nightclubs can use to help them pass health inspections. The best preparation, though, is to have and maintain the proper equipment in your bar. Let's take a look at two of the most common issues that health inspectors look for when inspecting a bar, as well as how they can be resolved with one section of the Tobin Ellis Signature Cocktail Station.

FRONT BAR GLASS RINSERS

The more bartenders and mixologists incorporate fresh herbs into drinks like mojitos,

The most important result of a beer or wine faucet is getting a perfect pour. This maximizes the return on your beer and wine investment, and it keeps your customers happy. But how does a faucet help deliver these results?

UNIQUE DESIGN

Perlick's 630SS Forward Sealing Faucet utilizes a revolutionary ball and floating front seal design to prevent beer and wine from being exposed to air. The handle lever doesn't stick, and there is no mold or bacteria buildup within the body of the faucet. In addition, a more vertical spout angle allows thorough draining after each pour, meaning there's no horizontal area for beer to collect.

SOLID CONSTRUCTION

The 630SS Forward Sealing Faucet from Perlick is constructed with 304 sanitary stainless steel that won't pit or tarnish. Its polished interior provides smooth flow, less agitation, and less foaming. It works for wine as well as beer and won't taint the flavor of either. As for maintenance,