April is Alcohol Awareness Month: Spotlight on IMPACT Program
In observance of Alcohol Awareness Month, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) is highlighting a statewide program aimed at helping licensees stay in compliance and reduce alcohol-related crime. IMPACT (Informed Merchants...
All About: Liquor Liability
As a restaurateur, you pour your heart and soul into creating a welcoming atmosphere where patrons can enjoy delicious meals and drinks. While you strive to provide a memorable experience for your customers, it's essential to acknowledge the...
April is Alcohol Awareness Month: Spotlight on Minor Decoy Program
SACRAMENTO – In observance of Alcohol Awareness Month, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) is highlighting its ongoing commitment to combating underage drinking through the Minor Decoy Program. Established in the...
Cyber Insurance: A Must-Have in the Restaurant Industry
In an era where digital innovation shapes every aspect of the restaurant industry, from online ordering platforms to digital payment processing, the significance of cyber insurance cannot be overstated.
Sackrison Insurance Agency delves into the...
April is Alcohol Awareness Month
SACRAMENTO - The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) recognizes the importance of Alcohol Awareness Month every April due to the high number of alcohol-related deaths each year in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control...
New law requiring bars serving spirits to offer drug testing devices to take effect July 1
SACRAMENTO - A new law mandating certain alcoholic beverage license holders to offer drug testing devices for sale or at no cost to patrons will take effect beginning July 1. AB 1013 (Lowenthal) requires establishments with a Type 48 license from...
Navigating Choppy Waters: Common Restaurant Claims and Prevention Strategies
In the bustling world of culinary delights, running a restaurant is akin to orchestrating a symphony, where each note must harmonize perfectly to create a masterpiece. However, amidst this harmony, there lurks a discordant reality — the...
ABC’s Responsible Beverage Service Program Passes 500,000 Certification Milestone
SACRAMENTO — The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) recently certified its 500,000th participant in its Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) Program, which mandates training for California’s alcohol servers. To date, 500,518...
Elevate Your Serving Career: Affordable Alcohol Server Training Now Available
In the world of bartending and alcohol service, responsible practices are not just encouraged – they're mandatory. That's why obtaining your alcohol server training certification is a crucial step towards ensuring safety and...
Simplifying BASSET Renewal: A Guide with EduClasses’ Seller Server Classes
Are you a bartender, server, or involved in the sale and service of alcohol in Illinois? Then you're likely familiar with the Illinois Beverage Alcohol Sellers and Servers Education and Training (BASSET) program. BASSET certification is...
Champurrado de Tito’s
You can find this recipe at El Restaurante. Mexican cuisine, champurrado atole, hot drink Recipe courtesy of Tito’s Handmade Vodka 2 oz. Tito’s Handmade Vodka 3 c. water 2 c. milk 3 oz. piloncillo, chopped 1⁄4 c. masa flour...
el Restaurante Magazine - EduClasses Newest Affiliate Referrer
After meeting at the Texas Restaurant Associate tradeshow, Ed Avis of El Restaurante Magazine and Tony Dean with EduClasses saw an opportunity to collaborate and offer the readers of El Restaurante Magazine EduClasses' food and alcohol safety...
Simplifying Access to Education: Exploring EduClasses' Effortless Bulk Order System
In the era of digital education, platforms like EduClasses® have revolutionized the way people access learning materials and courses. Among the myriad features that enhance user experience, EduClasses' bulk order system stands out as a...
Agave Hot Toddy
You can find this recipe at El Restaurante. Recipe and photo courtesy of Ivan Vasquez, Madre Oaxacan Restaurant & Mezcaleria Makes 1 cocktail 1 oz. mezcal 1 tea bag of your choice (the house favorite at Madre is chamomile peach) 1 bar spoon...
COMAL Espresso Martini
This recipe may be found at El Restaurante. Osvaldo Vasquez, Chileno Bay Resort & Residences, Los Cabos, Mexico 1¾ oz. vodka 1 oz. Nixta Liqueur 2 dashes Aztec Ruda Bitters 1 espresso coffee shot from Chiapas Mexico "CAFEOLOGO"...
UNDERAGE DRINKING AND ITS DANGERS
Resource: https://www.brownandcrouppen.com/underage-drinking-and-its-dangers/ Underage drinking is a serious social issue. Drinking before the legal age has been linked to many short- and long-term negative effects on physical, mental, social and...
Hibiscus Mezcaltini
This recipe may be found at El Restaurante. Recipe and photo courtesy of Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit 1.5 oz. mezcal 4 oz. hibiscus tea (recipe below) Dash lime juice ½ c. ice Guava candy, orange slices, dark chocolate for garnish The...
Café-rinha
This recipe can be found at El Restaurante. Recipe by Danielle Espindola, Berimbau Brazilian Kitchen, New York, New York 1½ oz. aged Cachaça ½ oz. coffee liqueur ½ oz. simple syrup 1 oz. freshly brewed espresso. Build...
Boudro’s Prickly Pear Margarita
This recipe can be found at El Restaurante. Recipe and photo courtesy of Boudro’s Makes: 2 to 3 cocktails ¾ c. tequila ½ c. triple sec ¼ c. simple syrup 1 c. of fresh lime juice ¼ c. prickly pear cactus juice 1...
Mango Tango
This recipe can be found at El Restaurante. Recipe and photo courtesy of Simplot Makes 4 servings 6 oz. mango cubes* Fresh basil, 3 – 4 leaves 3 oz. pineapple juice 1 oz. lime juice 1 oz. simple syrup Lime wedges, for garnish Add all...
Canchánchara with Prickly Pear
This recipe can be found at El Restaurante. Recipe and photo from Spice Kitchen: Healthy Latin and Caribbean Cuisine by Chef Ariel Fox Makes 1 cocktail 2 oz. white rum 1 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice ½ oz. fresh prickly pear, peeled and...
Finished Piloting Our CFPM Exams and Gave Away Our Final 4th $1,000 Gift Card
YAY!! We have finished piloting our 4 CFPM exams! Over 400 volunteer Food Managers, Health Inspectors, and Culinary Professors participated from around the county to pilot our exams. Thanks to everyone's efforts we have finished the piloting...
Hibiscus Margarita
This recipe can be found at El Restaurante. Recipe courtesy of Eric Jefferson, General Manager, La Calenda Makes 1 cocktail 1½ oz. Siete Leguas reposado tequila ½ oz. lime juice 1½ oz. hibiscus tea agua fresca ½ oz...
Mango Tequila Cider Cocktail
This recipe can be found at El Restaurante. Recipe by Jaylynn Little; recipe and photo courtesy of National Mango Board Makes 1 cocktail Tajin, to rim the glass ¼ c. mango puree 2 oz. tequila 1 oz. simple syrup or agave Hard apple cider Ice...
Finishing Up the Pilot Exams and Given Away the 3rd $1,000 Gift Card
EduClasses® is in the process of obtaining ANAB accreditation for our Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) exam and are elated to announce we are in the final stretch! To receive accreditation, we were required to have a multitude of...
The Importance of Food Handler Cards and Handwashing in Texas
In the food service industry, ensuring the safety and well-being of customers is of utmost importance. This is why Texas DSHS requires food handlers to obtain a food handlers card, certifying that they have undergone proper training in food safety...
Seller Server Classes Launches OHIO ABLE Seller Server Alcohol Safety Training
Ohio Online Course: https://ohio.sellerserverclasses.com/ Seller Server Classes, part of the EduClasses® family of online courseware, is pleased to announce the launch of the Ohio Alcohol Training course. Both On-Premise and Off-Premise...
California’s Mandatory Alcohol Server Training Deadline Draws Near
EduClasses Note: The Article below was provided by California's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. After you have signed up for your Server ID through the RBS Portal, please search EduClasses or dba Seller Server Classes. Alcoholic...
California Online Spanish RBS SellerServerClasses Launched!
EduClasses® is proud to announce the launch of the new Spanish version of the California Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) Seller Server Classes training course. EduClasses® is the first online California RBS Training Provider to offer an...
Seller Server Classes Launches California RBS Server Alcohol Safety Training
Seller Server Classes, part of the EduClasses® family of online courseware, is pleased to announce the launch of the State of California Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) Training Program. This online training course have been approved by the...
The Right Glass for the Aperitif
An aperitif is usually served before a meal to stimulate the appetite. This before-dinner drink may be big on flavor but is typically small in volume and is designed to be sipped and savored, or in some cases taken as a shot. In either case, use...
The Campari Cocktail
A classic aperitif is the Campari cocktail. Simple. Elegant. Visually intriguing. And perfectly designed to stimulate your appetite. Officially classified as a “bitters,” Campari was invented in Italy in the middles of the 19th century by Gaspare...
The Aperitif
Texans like pretty much everything bigger, bolder, more… well, More! And that includes the flavor of our food. Whether its BBQ, chicken fried steak (we’ll leave the country fried steak to the rest of the country), or Tex-Mex fajitas, bring on the...
The Iconic Margarita
We would have called it the Perfect Margarita, but with so many recipes declaring themselves the winner, we’d be hard pressed to make a case that this recipe is the ‘Perfect’ one. Who knew that a cocktail with only three basic ingredients (tequila...
Tequila Drinking Songs
While numerous alcoholic beverages have inspired poets to wax lyrical, some of the most popular songs every written about booze involve Tequila. Here are a few of our favorites. We bet you can name a few we missed. Tequila Sunrise – The Eagles;...
Tequila Vs. The Worm
“Did you eat the worm?”It was, and remains, something of a right of passage for young people as they pass the legal drinking age: Take a shot of tequila, lick the salt, bite the lime, eat the worm. Eating the worm is supposed to enhance virility...
Texas Seller Server Classes
Did you know that in the state of Texas the person who actually serves, sells, or delivers an alcoholic beverage to a customer is legally responsible for that sale? While other people, such as the door hostess, bouncer, or bartender, can check IDs...
The Largest Alcoholic Spirit Category in the World
What is the largest category of alcoholic spirits in the world? If you guessed whisky, you would be wrong. Gin? Nope. Rum? Wrong again. Tequila? Not even close. In fact, the largest alcoholic spirit category in the world is not particularly...
For the sake of Sake
Sake (pronounced SAH-kay), also known as Japanese rice wine, is an alcoholic beverage that is kind of like wine, and kind of like beer, but is uniquely different from either.Unlike wine, which is typically produced by fermenting the natural sugar...
Perfect Drink for the Year of the Pig
Beginning on February 5, 2019, and ending on January 24, 2020, is the Year of the Pig in the Chinese tradition. While in the West it’s customary to ring in the New Year with champagne, the Year of the Pig offers the opportunity to check out some...
Seller Server Classes Launches Florida Responsible Vendor Seller Server Alcohol Training
Seller Server Classes, part of the EduClasses® family of online courseware, is pleased to announce the launch of the Florida Responsible Vendor Alcohol Training course. This course is offered in both On-Premise and Off-Premise. The Florida...
Personal Breathalyzers
Seeing flashing blue lights in the rear view mirror is no one’s idea of a good time. But seeing those lights after you’ve had a few drinks can be downright terrifying. Perhaps you’ve considered getting a personal breathalyzer, just to make sure...
How Many Drinks is One Drink Too Many?
You don’t need another article telling you that drinking and driving don’t mix. There are plenty of billboards, TV commercials, radio PSAs, and flashing blue lights on the highway to drive that point home. But it might help to know when enough is...
Blueberry Fizz
Looking for a cool, crisp, refreshing cocktail that includes some celebratory bubbles? Consider a Blueberry Fizz.INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 Oz. Blueberry Vodka; Agave Syrup; 2 1/2 Oz. Hard Seltzer Water; 6-10 Large Whole Blueberries; Mint Leaves; Ice;...
Trending, Hard Sparkling Water
The trend toward lighter, sparklier, lower ABV (alcohol by volume), dare we say healthier, booze is all the rage. Whether your preference ranges from low-proof cocktails to flavored malt beverages (FMB) to hard seltzers, the big beverage companies...
When is Whisky, Whiskey? And other curiosities
The name, whisky, derives from the Gaelic, Uisge beatha or usquebaugh, translated as “water of life.” Depending on who you choose to believe, this spirit was birthed either on the Emerald Isle or in bonnie Scotland. Both lands lay claim to the...
The Classic Whiskey Sour...and a Few Variations
There are few cocktails as classic as the venerable Whiskey Sour. Depending on which legend you prefer to believe, the Whiskey Sour made its debut either in Wisconsin in 1872, or it may have been invented by Elliot Stubb, an English steward on the...
Seller Server Classes Launches Oklahoma ABLE Seller Server Alcohol Safety Training
ABLE Online Course: https://oklahoma.sellerserverclasses.com/ Seller Server Classes, part of the EduClasses® family of online courseware, is pleased to announce the launch of the Oklahoma ABLE Alcohol Training course. Both On-Premise and...
Seller Server Classes Launches New York Alcohol Training
ATAP Online Course: https://newyorkeduclassesalcoholtraining.com/ Seller Server Classes, part of the EduClasses® family of online courseware, is pleased to announce the launch of the New York EduClasses Alcohol Training course. Both On-Premise...
Tips on Tipping
You’re going out for a special night on the town with that special someone in your life. Everything is going to be perfect; from the right table at the right restaurant, to the before-dinner drinks, to appetizers, to the perfectly paired wine, to...
Mocktail Orange Blossom Watermelon Lemonade
Chances are not everyone attending your summertime shindig will imbibe in an alcoholic beverage. While traditional soft drinks and even fancy bottled water is fine, you can put a fun twist on an old fashioned favorite by offering your teatotalling...
The Right Glass for the Right Drink
Choosing the correct stemware for a particular drink isn’t just a snooty affectation for the hoity-toity set. There really good reasons for the serving a particular cocktail, spirit or brew in a particular kind of glass. The vessel’s construction...
How to Drink Bourbon
Whiskey is produced around the world, but bourbon is the quintessential American spirit, and like all spirits, there is a right way and a wrong way to drink it. Yes, we’ve all seen the old westerns where the hero or the bad guy demands “Whiskey!”...
Bourbon Essentials
Bourbon whiskey, sometimes referred to as the poor man’s cognac, is a quintessential American spirit, commonly associated with the American south, and specifically with Kentucky, which folklore assigns as the birthplace of Bourbon. But just what is...
Wine Cooler Vs. Wine Cooler
Ah, the vagaries of the English language. Sometimes the exact same phrase refers to two completely different items. Take the term, Wine Cooler. It is entirely possible that it refers to that light and refreshing summer adult beverage composed of...
Its Wine Cooler Season
The fashion police might sniff if you wear white before Memorial Day, but no one will wrinkle their nose if you serve a wine cooler before Spring gives way to Summer. Light, refreshing, delightfully bubbly and with a lower alcohol content than...
Days of Wine and BBQ
Ah, summertime! Baseball, apple pie and BBQ are in season. Which raises the age-old question; “What wine goes best with brisket? Or links? Or ribs?”A great brisket is dense, thick, heavy beef, and typically requires a wine that can stand up to it...
How Light is Light Beer?
American’s have a taste for beer, to the tune of around 196 million barrels, or 28 gallons per every man, woman and child in the country, every year. At 150 calories for every 12 oz. serving, it’s no wonder health conscious Americans embraced the...
The Champagne Cocktail
Champagne is the traditional bubbly beverage for toasting, well, just about everything from weddings to winning the Indy 500. But that doesn’t mean you can’t spice things up a bit by making champagne the center piece of a cocktail, and there is no...
What Makes Champagne, Champagne?
Ah, champagne! Who can resist that shimmering light gold color, the lively aroma that is a heady mixture of crisp fruit, wet limestone and freshly baked bread, the soft, creamy mellow feel in your mouth… and the bubbles! Oh, yes, the bubbles!But...
Popping the Cork on Champagne
Part of the fun of celebrating the New Year, your team winning the Super Bowl, a wedding, graduation or just about anything else is toasting the event with champagne. That happy little ‘pop’ as the cork flies across the room signals the beginning...
Kentucky Vs. Tennessee, And We Aint Talkin Football
When it comes to whisky (or whiskey, depending on your etymological preference), interstate rivalries don’t get much fiercer than the one between Kentucky bourbon and Tennessee sipping whisky. Bourbon is a distinctly American spirit, and while no...
Keeping Your Holiday Festivities Legal
There’s no time like the bleak mid-winter for celebrating. Wine and spirits sales increase significantly during the months of December and January as friends and family gather to celebrate the holidays. As the old song goes, “There'll be parties...
Baby Its Cold Outside, The Ultimate Hot Toddy
When temperatures start dropping, it’s nice to sip something warm and soothing, particularly just before climbing into bed for a long winter’s nap. This recipe for the ultimate hot toddy, is comforting without becoming cloying. Ingredients 3 oz...
Pumpkin Spice Martini
For the past few years, pumpkin spice has infiltrated every possible scent and taste combination imaginable. It was inevitable that it would at last make a splash in the adult beverage category. So, to liven up your Thanksgiving festivities, how...
Comparing Apples to Apples, Sort Of
When it comes to apples and alcoholic beverages, it’s not always an “apples to apples” comparison. Although the basic ingredient might be the same, the process of turning one of the world’s most popular fruits into one of the world’s most popular...
Orchard Boulevardier
There’s more than one way to get your ‘apple a day,’ including this Fall favorite that is guaranteed to warm you down to your toes. It’s quick and easy to concoct, and makes enough for sharing with that special someone in front of the...
How is a TABC Certificate different from a TABC License/Permit
The successful completion of a SellerServerClasses.com alcoholic beverage server training course will qualify the individual for a Texas TABC seller Training Certification. TABC certified Seller/Servers, bartenders or liquor-serving employees may...
Moscow Mule
The classic Moscow Mule wasn’t invented anywhere near the former Soviet Union. But it was, in fact first concocted in 1941 in the “Little Moscow” district of New York City, at the Chatham Hotel to be precise. The cocktail derived its name in part...
The Ginger Beer Story
As far back as 500 B.C., ginger has been used as both a spice to flavor food, and as a medicinal agent, to calm unruly stomachs. In the midst of the colonial spice trade days, enterprising British inventors brewed up the first batch of what is now...
Favorite Ginger Ale Cocktails
Dry, pale ginger ale makes a great mixer for adult beverages. Here are a few you might want to try at your next soiree.El DiabloIngredients 2 oz. tequila; ¾ oz. crème de cassis; 1 lime wedge; Dry, pale ginger ale; Preparation Add ice to a chilled...
The Ginger Ale Story
The original variety of ginger ale, commonly referred to as Golden ginger ale, was reportedly invented in the 1850s by an American apothecary named Thomas Cantrell, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. A local company, Gratton & Company, and promptly...
Beer vs. Ale
The first thing to settle right at the beginning, is that the title of this little article is completely misleading. The reality is, Ale is a type of Beer. The article should probably be titled Lager vs. Ale, but that doesn’t sound anywhere near as...
Watermelon White Sangria
While Sangria, an alcoholic punch beverage of Spanish origin, is traditionally made with red wine, chopped fruit and citrus juice, nothing says you have to play by the rules. This summer, why not enjoy your watermelon in a slightly different style...
The Mojito
Famed adventurer, world traveler and writer, Earnest Hemmingway, is often credited with introducing the mojito to North American liquor connoisseurs. Hemmingway reportedly scrawled the epigraph, “My mojito in La Bodeguita, My daiquiri in El...
Watching Hockey is Thirsty Work
For the first time in history, the Nashville Predators are in the Stanley Cup finals, battling the Pittsburgh Penguins for the NHL title! Music City, which has assumed the nickname of “Smashville” during hockey season, is celebrating as only...
El Draque
Sir Francis Drake – Sea dog, privateer (some might say ‘pirate’), vice admiral of Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Navy, the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe. Drake had a love-hate relationship with the Spanish – he loved to plunder Spanish...
The Painkiller Cocktail
It’s that time of year, when the thoughts of every rightly constructed young (and not so young) man and woman turn to the beach. And if that beach just happens to be on the island of Jost Van Dyke (the smallest of the four major British Virgin...
Famous Fictional Movie Bars
"Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine," says Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine in the Casablanca. That ‘gin joint’ was Rick’s Café Americain, and who wouldn’t want to belly up to that bar and tell Sam to ‘play...
Historical Libations, The Dark Ages
You’ve probably heard the old adage, ‘For good health, drink at least 8 glasses of water every day!’ Believe it or not, there was a time when water was not held in high esteem as the thirst-quencher of choice. During the Medieval Period, commonly...
A Long and Storied History of Wine Snobbery
We’ve all encountered them. Wine snobs. You know, those insufferable, pretentious, obnoxious boors who pontificate for hours about the correct stemware or whether 1996 was a “good” year. It’s enough to make a fellow turn up his nose at a fine pinot...
Famous Movie/TV Bars that Actually Exist
Television shows and films are designed to transport us to places we’ve never been, where we can vicariously experience things we’ve never known. Seriously, who wouldn’t want to visit that cool little dive in “When Harry Met Sally” and ‘have what...
Five Sloe Gin Favorites
Sloe gin is a liquer that is traditionally sipped neat, but that doesn’t mean you can’t experiment with this sweet, tart fruity concoction. Its combination of acidity, slight nuttiness and berry flavor makes sloe gin the perfect base for a...
Shaken, Not Stirred
When you think of James Bond quotes, the first one that comes to mind is likely, “Bond. James Bond.” But a close second is probably, “Shaken. Not stirred.” Am I right?But just exactly what kind of drink was 007 ordering when he uttered those famous...
Gin vs. Sloe Gin
Gin, like many alcoholic beverages, has a long and storied history, not all of it savory. In fact, ‘gin’ has been used in combination with other words to describe a variety of socially reprehensible concepts. A ‘gin joint’ is a disreputable bar...
Teen Drinking Declines in 2016
A trend worth celebrating at the dawn of 2017 was recently unveiled by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the University of Michigan joint 2016 Monitoring the Future Survey. According to the new report, underage drinking among 8th, 10th and...
Hot Toddy Classic
When it comes to comfort on a cold winter’s night, there’s nothing like your warm robe, fuzzy slippers and a classic hot toddy. Just four simple ingredients, and you’ll be set for a good night’s sleep.:p:p 1 ½ oz brandy (or your favorite variety of...
Hot Toddy for the Common Cold
The common cold. Yuck. It tops the list for doctor visits in the United States, and is blamed for around 22 million missed school and work days every year. There are more than 100 different viruses that can cause the common cold, along with all the...
Rum, A Brief History
Rum, as you might know, is an alcoholic beverage distilled from fermented sugar cane. Popular with the likes of Jack Sparrow and the other pirates of the Caribbean, Rum has a long and storied history, which began shortly after Chris Columbus sailed...
Lime-Pineapple Rum Punch
Today’s relatively bland and insipid party drink known as ‘punch’ was originally devised in the 17th century by sailors working the ships for the British East India Company as a beer alternative, and the homemade concoct packed quite a wallop. The...