As I write this I am currently less than 24 hours away from accomplishing certainly a first for Victoria, but possibly even Canada or the globe. I’m referring of course to the 20 Litre keg of Beefeater 24 Gin and New Theatre Tonic that I batched last night and intend to carbonate and hook up to a draught system (thanks to Draught Wise) later this evening at Sauce Restaurant & Lounge. That’s right, read it again. Gin & Tonic on tap. Some questions may come to mind at the thought of such a concept so let me clear up some query’s right off the bat.

1. How does such a concept form? Where did I get the idea?

Answer:

Truthfully, I didn’t get the idea; Sauce’s owner, Steve Hof did. It all started when Shawn Soole over at Clive’s Classic Lounge put Fernet and Coke on tap. It should be mentioned that Shawn didn’t pioneer the cocktail on tap movement either (it is a bit of a trend right now in the cocktail community) but he is however the only person doing it in Victoria. So like any great artist, I stole his concept. Now armed with that idea in my mind, I just had to figure out what sort of cocktail I should batch. If you follow my blog then you will know that I sell Tonic so it shouldn’t have taken me long to determine that Gin and Tonic was the obvious decision. I’m embarrassed to say that it did take me a long time. In fact I didn’t even think of it. Then one night on a walk from Sauce to Darcy’s Pub I mentioned the idea to Sauce’s Owner/Operator Steve Hof who suggested, “Why don’t we do Gin and Tonic on tap?” I couldn’t believe I had missed such a blatantly obvious idea, my brain pretty well exploded. I happened to be a few pints of Hop Circle into my night so I left it at that for the evening, but when I awoke the next morning… Game on.

2. What is Beefeater 24 Gin?

Answer:

Beefeater 24 is a contemporary style of London Gin that focus’ more on citrus notes and a softer smoother mouth feel. This is accomplished by macerating all 12 flavouring ingredients (including seville oranges, grapefruit, chinese and sencha green tea) for 24 hours before the distillation process. Hence the name. It is then distilled for 7 hours and bottled at 45% ABV which is a little higher then your standard gin. I came across a slogan for the macerating process of the gin on their website that I adored. “While London parties into the night, Beefeater 24 rests”.

3. What is New Theatre Tonic?

Answer:

New Theatre is a Victoria based company started by Geoff Malcolm and Kyle Bienvenu that makes Tonic the way it should be made. Using Cinchona bark from Peru as the key ingredient. It is then sweetened with agave nectar, and a ton of citrus is added. Historically tonic was used as a way to administer your daily dose of quinine (a chemical found in Cinchona bark) to sailors of the Royal Navy to stave off malaria. Tonic as we know it today actually contains no Cinchona bark, it is instead a synthesized formula that was created in a lab in Indonesia during WW2 when demand for Quinine was high and the supply was low and very expensive. At one point during the war Cinchona was worth more by weight than gold. Now that the price has gone back down New Theatre is celebrating the old style of Tonic in all its bittersweet glory.

4. What is the benefit of having G&T on tap?

Answer:

There are multiple answers to this question. Of course there is certainly a novelty factor by being the first restaurant (that I know of) to ever batch, keg, and force carbonate Gin and Tonic. It also ensures consistency; no two G&T’s will be different. Also on a busy Saturday night if you want your cocktail in record time, this makes things easier.

5. What should I expect the G&T to taste like?

Answer:

By combining Beefeater 24 and New Theatre Tonic you should expect to get a bittersweet cocktail with a TON of citrus. It will be light and refreshing but also carry enough sweetness that it will linger on your palate a moment longer than you might expect.

I’m very excited to be hooking this up tonight. And if you live in Victoria, BC I would encourage you to come down to Sauce and give it a try. I’d love to hear as much feedback as possible from everyone because honestly… Until the first G&T is poured, I’m just winging it.

Ryan Malcom

Bar Manager

Yesterday was the last shift for one of our longest tenured employees.  Well, at the time of writing this she doesn’t know that but…… See the thing is, Kassia Skolsky is so loved by her friends and co workers that they set up a fake shift for her this evening.  She’ll come into Sauce thinking she’s working for the night, but in reality, her friends will be here to surprise her and take her out for the night.  I can’t wait to watch it all transpire.

Kassia’s leaving us to go travel the world for the better part of a year so she was hoping to have her last shift be this past weekend to allow her time to tie up any lo0se ends before leaving.  Fake shifts are so fun to watch in these situations because the employee is generally quite bothered by the fact that we’ve asked them to work when they’re already in holiday mode………….. Not Kass. “Sure! That’s no problem at all,” she says with her beaming grin.  Arrrgh, she’s not even upset!!!

Anyway, it’s still going to be a blast to watch the surprise on her face.  You see, Kass is as honest and genuine a person as you’ll ever meet.  She wears her heart on her sleeve and has considerable difficulty masking how she feels.  I can nearly guarantee tears this evening.

Why write a post about Kass when she’s simply going on holidays?  In the words of my Operations Manager, Trevor last night, “Wow, we’re really going to miss her.” That’s the understatement of the year.  Not only is Kassia my only employee capable of performing every single front of house position, she’s quite possibly the best or close to the best at every single one.

Kass started as busser / hostess many years ago here at Sauce.  She busted her butt so hard, and worked so intelligently that she literally redefined the position.  Until her, we were unaware that one person could accomplish so much.  What’s even more important, is that she did every second of it with a smile on her face, often bopping her head to the music or high fiving a co-worker.  Kass went from busser to barback, another position she completely redefined.  While we had a fully staffed team of bartenders and certainly didn’t need anymore, Kass, through a sheer willingness to learn and take on new responsibilities, basically gave us no choice but to make her a bartender.  Since that day she has been one of the best we’ve ever had.

Whether serving or bartending, Kassia is the employee I never have to worry about.  Not only will she take care of her own duties, but she’ll ensure everything else is running smoothly as well.  I literally had the general manager of another restaurant tell me, “Could you ask Kassia to stop being so awesome so her customers whom I golf with will talk about something other than her on the links?”  That’s about as great a sentence I could ever hope to hear.

Well Kass, here goes nothing:  It goes without saying that, not only will the restaurant miss you as an employee, but that I will miss you as a friend. Your smile and energy, more than anyone else, can flip my mood on the toughest of nights.  From the head shaking smiles shared during moments of pure chaos, to the night closing duets I’ll cherish my whole life, this difficult goodbye serves only to prove how much you’ve meant to us.  Will Sauce be okay without you? Of course we will, we’ll be better than okay because you’ve shown us what’s possible.  Could I ever find anyone to replace you? Hell NO…………. It’s impossible; you’re one in a million.  On your night out this evening I have but one wish for you: I hope you get the chance to hear even a few of the wonderful things we’ve all been saying about you behind your back for the past two weeks.  In sixteen years there’s not one single person I’m more proud to say I’ve trained than you Ms. Skolsky.

Peace out $K-unit$

“With these HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANDS!  With these HAAAAAAANDS!”

Steve

In August of 2004, as a bartender with six years experience, I showed up for my first training shift at Sauce Restaurant & Lounge.  It was supposed to be a side gig for me, some extra cash in a fun environment while I was still eager enough to work three jobs. That shift changed my life.  I guess that’s kind of obvious due to the fact that I now own the place, but bare with me.  While, after finishing that first training shift, I obviously did not foresee owning Sauce or any other restaurant, I did know for a fact that I had stumbled upon something special.  My trainer, a girl with five years fewer experience than myself, opened my eyes to a level of service I had never before seen.  That girl’s name was Jennifer Werk, and today is her last shift at Sauce Restaurant & Lounge.

In my opinion there are four levels of customer service.  Although the lines are often skewed, I believe all service falls into one of the following categories:

• Bad – You don’t receive what you asked for.  It takes forever if you do, and there’s never even an apology or an attempt to salvage the situation.
• Adequate – You get what you ordered, in a reasonable amount of time.  Your server is pleasant and accommodating.
• Good / Great – You’re greeted cheerfully and honestly.  Your server is a fountain of knowledge and makes you feel right at home.  People are laughing and high fiving; you’re having a phenomenal experience all around.  The meals are timed to perfection, and you leave with a grin from cheek to cheek.

So you may be asking how it gets much better than that.  In all honesty, this is the best that anyone can ask for.  I’d be a rich man if I was able to guarantee this level of service to every single diner, every single time.  Many people rarely receive service that good, let alone better.  Many people have never been served by Jen Werk.

• The next level of service has what I call the Seinfeld effect.  In my opinion, the genius of Seinfeld and other great comedies is the compounding joke.  Something humorous is mentioned, then added to, and then, later on, added to again until you find yourself in hysterics.  This is the style of service Jen is often able to achieve.  While giving you a dining experience so good that you’re chatting about it with your friends, Jen is in the back asking me to grab a dishwasher uniform because there’s a little old lady at her table who she’s having a great time.  The lady is joking around about how she can’t afford to pay so Jen comes up with an elaborate plan to dress her up in the gear and send her to the kitchen to wash dishes for her meal.  That table sent me no less than five emails about how Jen made their special occasion more special than they could have every dreamed of.  My memory is full of moments like that with Jen.  Jen always remembers your name, your drink, and the discussion she had with you the last time you came in.  Her goal was never to make money, it was to blow people’s mind with the experience she could offer.  Shocking how the money usually took care of itself.

On that first training shift I watched Jen get truly giddy over making her tables happy.  I have seen a lounge full of people who don’t know each other, chant her name in unison.  I do not have the brain capacity to count the number of people who came up to my bar in those early years asking if Jen was working, and then walked out when I gave them the bad news.  Jen taught me that servers and bartenders sell an experience, not a meal or a drink.  She showed me that no matter what the task, striving to be the best at it is an honourable and noble endeavour.

Two weeks ago I received a phone call from a large and respected company looking for a reference check for one Jennifer Werk to fill a sales position.  Jen told me I may be receiving this call and I must admit my feelings were split.  I, of course, didn’t want Jen to leave, but I knew that this was a phenomenal opportunity for her.  On top of that, I can promise you that I was and am 100% convinced that there simply could not be a better contender for this position.  That is exactly what I told the person on the other end of the line.  ”Seriously, you won’t find a better salesperson than Jen.  It’s not possible.  If you don’t hire her, you will make me happy by being able to keep her, but you will be doing your company a great disservice.”

Jenny, we’ve been through it all together.  For seven years we’ve rocked that Sauce bar and it’ll never be the same without you.  Thank you for everything you’ve taught me about service and kindness.  I owe you most of everything I have today.  I know I’ll see lots of you.  I’ll probably cry at your wedding.  Sauce will carry on; you’ll excel at your job, and everything will turn out spectacularly I’m sure.  But tonight Jen, I’m so very sad to see you go.

Rob, take good care of her.  You’re one lucky S.O.B.

Wow, it’s been a while since my last blog post.  Five weeks into running the restaurant myself and I have an even grander respect for the job Dan did before me.  Back to back to back to back hundred plus hour work weeks have certainly been an eye opener and, while I’m more than aware that this pace is unsustainable, I don’t know if there’s a happier person in our great city of Victoria than myself.

With such a large gap between posts, I felt the need to ensure that this was a good one. While I can make no guarantees about the quality of my writing, what I can promise is that the following words come straight from my heart.

We have roughly 35 employees at Sauce and I really do value all of them.  The nature of my business, however, dictates that most of my employees are working for me while they work towards attaining a job in another field.  Nearly all of my employees work part time while they attend school or as they start their careers and need a little extra cash in their pockets.  Not being their top priority is simply a way of life in the restaurant industry which is why gaining a few key players who drop everything when you need them is so crucial.

Moving forward, it is my intention to reward one employe a quarter for their overall performance.  Although I’m only five weeks in, with summer winding down, I feel it’s necessary to announce my first Employee of the Quarter.  I know it’s usually Employee of the Month but I’m convinced it’ll work out better if I’m able to increase the reward by decreasing the frequency.  Now let me be very clear, this first give away is extremely special and is no way indicative of the prizes moving forward.  I’m most certainly not made of money, haha.

As I said, I have several incredible employees who do such a phenomenal job for me and deserve recognition but unfortunately I have to draw the line somewhere.  This reward is off limits to managers, for instance, because they are involved in the voting process. Without further delay, here are the first recipients of the Sauce Employee of the Quarter:

Back of House

This one’s actually fairly simple.  It’s nearly impossible to compete with a man by the name of Colin Milton.  Colin has worked for Sauce for longer than I have and is truly the greatest line cook I have ever witnessed.  He’s available whenever I need him and I always feel safe when Colin’s in the kitchen.  Colin, I am truly blessed to have you working for me and I can’t describe how integral you are to the future of Sauce.  Bravo on your fabulous skills and dedication, you really are one of a kind and I hope to have for decades to come.

Front of House

Selfless.  Adorable.  Inspiring.  These are the words that best describe Megan and Maria. I have other great people but what has set these two apart over the past five weeks is their unwavering commitment and support during a time of such significant change.  I’ve asked the world of my staff and couldn’t be more pleased with their efforts to be everything I expect them to be.  These two ladies give their full effort every single day of the week, however, and what sets them apart is that they’ll drop anything to help me. They come in on their days off to attend all of the product knowledge seminars I’ve been offering, they pick up shifts and cancel plans to accommodate my needs, and above all they give some of the kindest and most genuine customer service I have ever witnessed. These girls never ask for anything in return and are truly just a pleasure to be around.

Oh my goodness!!!!  Sorry to interrupt my train of thought but a few seconds ago, while writing this post, I received an email from an unknown customer who wanted to point out the incredible service she was given by Megan during last night’s dinner service.  I swear this is absolutely true.  I can’t believe the timing myself!!!

Anyway, back to business.  Megan and Maria, I want you to know how instrumental you have been in my decision to purchase Sauce.  On those days when I feel completely overwhelmed, your inspirational and infectious kindness have carried me beyond my hopes.  I truly cherish this period while I have you employed at Sauce and, while I know you both have bigger plans than my little restaurant, I’m blessed to have you while I can.

The Reward

Anyone who knows me at all is aware that I’m a fanatical New York Yankees fan.  I adore the sport of baseball and would spend every waking second at Yankee Stadium if I could. One thing the three recipients of this inaugural reward have in common is their undying hatred for the team I hold so dear.  So when brainstorming gifts I thought the best way I could show how much they mean to me is to send them to a ball game at Fenway Park.  I despise no thing on earth more than the Boston Red Sox, so to purchase a trip sending them to see them play will hopefully get the message through on how much they mean to me.

The Specifics

Colin, Megan, and Maria:

I am sending you and one guest each on a trip to Boston.  I will provide the flights, game tickets, and three nights accommodation.  The rest is up to you unfortunately.  As the remainder of the season is sold out, and I doubt the Red Sox will make the playoffs (hehehe), you will unfortunately have to wait until next season.  This will give you plenty of time to plan a date that works for all of you, however, and the offer is valid whether or not you even work at Sauce next summer.  I love you guys.  Keep up the good work.

Onward and Upward my Friends!

ps.  Don’t worry Jon, I gots plans for you too.

Sauce Restaurant Photo Competition

From now until October 16th, we’ll be running the Sauce Restaurant Facebook Photo Competition.  Come into the restaurant, have a meal, and we’ll give you one of our ‘My Sauce’ cards.  Take a picture of yourself and/or friends anywhere in the world with the card, then upload the picture to the Sauce Restaurant & Lounge Facebook Page and you’re done.  If your server was especially helpful, mention her in the comments portion cause I have a few prizes laid out for them as well.

I’ll post the finalists on October 17th, and our Facebook Fans will have two weeks to vote for the winner.  That lucky person will win a dinner for themselves and five friends worth $600 in November!  But that’s not all, the winners will also be amongst the very first people to sample our totally revamped menu.  You may post as many photos as you like so come down often and best of luck to everyone!