Like fashion and entertainment, the food and beverage industry also has a taste for nostalgia. With cocktails like the cosmopolitan making their way back into the mainstream, bars and restaurants in major cities are feeling more like the 1990s these days. While both old-school recipes and creative takes on originals are back in vogue, the espresso martini is emerging as the “it” cocktail. As legend has it, late London bartender Dick Bradsell created this trendy cocktail in 1983 at the request of a model in need of a caffeine boost. Bradsell crafted the drink, originally called the vodka espresso, with espresso, coffee liqueur, and vodka–the same ingredients used today (along with coffee beans for garnish). Bradsell was clearly on to something, as his caffeinated cocktail became extremely popular in the 1990s. Like many trends though, the espresso martini lost its buzz in the 2000s. Instead, people began gravitating to more bitter drinks. Now, however, the espresso martini is back in a big way. The drink is having such a resurgence in popularity that you might be tempted to check the year on your calendar. In the first half of 2021, American food and restaurant reviewers mentioned the espresso martini 300 percent more compared to the first half of 2018. Unsurprisingly,

Last year, the size of the luxury tourism industry exceeded $17 billion in the United States. Despite setbacks from years of the pandemic, the market is still growing and on pace to be worth more than $82 billion by 2030. This huge growth is driven, in part, by big sporting events (think Super Bowl packages), baby boomers spending more money to travel with their loved ones, and millennials with disposable income. However, a large part of the industry’s success also comes from an increased demand for safari and other animal-watching experiences in the Middle East and North Africa (also known as the MENA region). While MENA’s outdoor activities are fueling the boom, the Middle East also has much more to offer both leisure and business travelers. From stunning architecture to world-class meals and five-star hotels, this region is becoming a hotspot in luxury travel–and the hospitality industry is taking notice. This year, several new luxury hotels have opened all across the Gulf countries. Now, travelers with their eyes on the Middle East have their pick of the newest high-end properties. Whether it’s the Ritz Carlton Amman (which happens to be the brand’s first hotel in Jordan), the Nobu Hotel Riyadh in Saudi Arabia,

Wine and cheese lovers worldwide praise the French. And rightfully so–they have been perfecting the art for centuries. But in recent years, these popular French exports have been hit hard by climate change from crop harvesting to supply chain issues. Plagued by intense weather, France saw one of its worst growing seasons in 2021. At the beginning of last year, unseasonably high temperatures caused grapes to bloom early on vineyards. A month later, the country experienced freezing temperatures. The drastic weather affected 80% of vineyards in a majority of the country’s popular wine regions, including Provence, Burgundy, and the Rhône Valley. Although farmers did what they could to preserve crops, like lighting large candles and making fires, the country lost a third of its wine production in 2021–worth almost £1.7 billion. The frost was so significant that French Agriculture Minister Julien Denormandie declared it one of the worst “agricultural disasters” of the century. Just as vineyards were recuperating, France experienced a late frost in 2022. Fortunately, conditions weren’t as bad as the last growing season, but certain regions like Burgundy were hit hard. In Bordeaux, for example, this year’s production is predicted to be lower than the five-year average. Frost isn’t the only extreme

If you’re a bourbon fan, you have undoubtedly heard of Pappy Van Winkle. I previously mentioned it in another blog as an example of the cult-like magnetism of certain high-end spirits. However, the story of this iconic brand deserves its own telling. Beginning in 1893, Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle was a salesman for W. L. Weller, and would eventually become president of the Stitzel-Weller Distillery. At that time, he was best known for being the first person to make and sell a mass-market fine whiskey that utilized wheat as its secondary grain rather than rye–a move that forever changed the face and taste of Kentucky whiskey. One of his labels, that was introduced just before prohibition, was Old Rip Van Winkle. His son, Julian Jr., would eventually take over. But, unfortunately, the American whiskey craze was dying down. And Junior sold off many of Stitzel-Weller’s barrels and brands–though the family retained Old Rip Van Winkle. When Julian III took over, he began by selling bourbons aged by his father and grandfather. Eventually, he began distilling his own–and later teamed up with Buffalo Trace distillery–creating the Pappy Van Winkle we all know today. It was around then that Pappy Van Winkle began to take off. Specifically, in 1996 after the Beverage Testing

While many industries took major hits due to the pandemic, the cruise industry might have been one of the most publicized sectors in crisis. At the start of the pandemic, it wasn’t unusual to find headlines about outbreaks on cruises, passengers being stranded, or companies suspending travel. The industry also suffered a financial blow. In the United States alone, cruise line companies lost $63 billion between 2020 and 2021. Like much of the world, the cruise industry struggled to stay afloat. Not only were cruises affected by many countries’ travels restrictions, the industry also struggled in the stock market. For instance, shares for popular cruise line Carnival sank more than 30% in March 2020. Once vaccines became widely available, cruise companies put protocols in place to help ensure passenger safety. Now, however, as the world attempts to return to some sense of normalcy, the cruise industry is poised to do the same. Recently, major players like Royal Caribbean International and Princess Cruises have updated their pandemic protocols, making specific changes to vaccine and testing requirements. Passengers on Royal Caribbean cruises, for example, can now set sail whether they are vaccinated or not as long as they adhere to certain testing guidelines. Carnival Cruise Line also updated their policies

The real estate sector has given much to talk about in recent years, becoming one of the most striking sectors for investors, thanks to the characteristics that make it a very tempting opportunity. From properties that serve as student accommodation to holiday homes have significantly transformed the real estate sector. Among the key factors that have made this sector increasingly rich are: Investors 2.0 who have decided to diversify their investments, moving away from the traditional sector such as the "build to rent" BTR. The high demand of consumers together with increasingly sophisticated requirements. Hospitality Insights highlights that the population today is growing without "sufficient" housing, a situation that may be influencing the high price of homes in the current market. As philanthropist Andrew Carnegie said, "90% of millionaires made their wealth when they started investing in the real estate world". Although it is true, after the pandemic caused by Covid-19, this sector has grown markedly in developed countries, arousing interest in investors. Finally, if you are interested in starting to invest in the real estate sector, this is your moment. Many properties and buildings were paralyzed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, so the current housing market is still limited, however, consumer demand

The hotel sector has recovered after being interrupted by hotel investments because of the impact of the Covid-19 and its respective restrictions imposed, investors globally have shown a strong precipitated interest in the hotel industry. Investors are reinventing themselves in conjunction with consumer preferences and demands towards responsible consumption, focusing their actions on socially responsible investments. This type of investment is more attractive to investors looking for properties according to the characteristics and requirements of the market. According to the Colliers International report, in the first three months of 2022, hotel investment closed with a total volume of 1,520 million euros, a surprising figure that exceeds that recorded in recent years, a total of 52 operations with the purchase of existing hotels, land for the development of the same and to be converted to hotels. Evidencing the recovery of the hotel sector, the pandemic has generated opportunities in adding value to assets, to give hotels the opportunity to adapt actions to the changes and behaviors of consumers with the challenge of keeping up with new trends and technologies, in my opinion it is ideal to invest in the hotel sector. Certainly, the future of hotel investment lies in socially responsible investments.

Hyde Park, NY – August 9, 2022 – The Diazgranados Family Foundation announced today that it has founded the Diazgranados Family Foundation Scholarship at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). The scholarship will award two students a grant of $5,000 each toward their tuition at the world’s  premier culinary college.  “I have long admired the CIA’s approach to developing not only great chefs, but also well-rounded professionals and people,” said Danilo Diazgranados. “I am humbled by the opportunity to help provide this experience to young people who otherwise may not have the opportunity.”  This is the second scholarship initiative for The Diazgranados Family Foundation, seeking to empower the next generation of culinary and hospitality entrepreneurs.  The Diazgranados family also helped to launch the Diplomado de Cocina Creative in 2019. Hosted by the INFOTEP School of Hospitality, Gastronomy, and Pastry, the Diplomado de Concina Creative is a training program for aspiring chefs in the Dominican Republic. It helps young people across the country sharpen their culinary skills, and rewards one exemplary student with a 5-week training course at the Basque Culinary Center in Spain. The Diazgranados Family Foundation CIA Scholarship seeks to challenge recipients on how they, themselves, will “pay it forward.” All interested applicants

The conversation around the food and beverage industry is constantly growing. In the first quarter of 2022, there has been a 19% increase in online conversations about dining out, restaurants, bars, food and drink compared to the previous period. Foodies are keen to explore new and not-so-new restaurants as the economy recovers. Although innovation represents a key element for the future of the sector and is being so in the present, the restaurant market is experiencing a moment of transformation and digitization, which requires professional investment that allows the creation of solid and high-quality companies. potential. I consider that the NÜA Smart Restaurant is a great example, and it is the first smart restaurant in Europe in Spain, decorated with futuristic lights, LED screens and interactive touch screen tables, applying technology as an ally with a different concept and innovation. Also, the future is coming to the restaurant market, the digital transformation has changed the actions of the restaurant market. The sector has developed the ability to reinvent itself, using technological tools in its digital actions, in offering personalization and differential experience to customers, sales opportunities and streamlining the purchase process, helping businesses to be more efficient, attractive, profitable and sustainable. The path to

When talking about ESG investments, they refer to those that consider environmental, social and governance factors, in conjunction with financial factors, in the decision-making process to invest. Currently, as investors we are faced with new risk factors that lead us to rethink investment approaches. For example, there are the challenges of global sustainability in all its variations, as well as demographic changes and regulatory pressures. In this way, ESG investments arise − and grow annually −, which are based on three lines of action: thematic investments or those that integrate ESG criteria in their portfolios; investments aligned with the values ​​and moral beliefs of an organization or individual; impact investments that seek to combine positive social or environmental benefits with a financial return. Therefore, if you are thinking of making investments with an ESG focus, you must answer questions such as: how much does the company in question contribute to the environmental impact? What actions does it take − or fail to take − to reduce carbon dioxide emissions? How do you improve social impact? And so we could continue with endless questions, all of them linked to the adoption of ESG criteria when investing. Of course, as in everything that is a