everages are the elixir of sharing, celebration, and romance. We commiserate over a couple of drafts, savor flights of wine, or try out a bar chef’s latest concoction. We toast the closing of a deal, a birth, a reunion, an anniversary, a graduation, or a promotion. Yet this liquid gold is too often left unnamed, unnoticed, and poorly offered. A galaxy of beverages lies hidden in our cocktail, beer, wine, and cordial lists, crying out as if to say, “Buy me!” And though millions are spent on advertising, marketing, and training, too often servers fail to take advantage. So how do we close the gap between the aspirations of ownership and management and the missed opportunities in the dining room?

1 BOTTLED WATER [the forgotten one]
Pitfall. Bottled water is pervasive in our everyday lives. We buy it at the local grocery store, gas station, 7-Eleven, Starbucks, and even McDonald’s. Yet when was the last time you were offered bottled water in a restaurant other than at the Per Ses of the world—once in the last year? And, when it is offered, it comes in the form of a poorly worded question: “Will that be bottled or tap?” Or the sneaky, “Will that be still or sparkling?” In most cases, tap reigns. Plus, it doesn’t exactly pump sales when bussers or servers pour tap water as soon as guests are seated.

Best Practice. Be artfully soft: “By the way, we offer Evian still or Perrier sparkling.” Then sit back and let it sink in. Guests won’t be offended. You just offer, inform, and describe. Joe Kurth, GM of the prestigious Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, strategically set up a display in the entrance of his threemeal Café restaurant. “I don’t know if you noticed on the way in, but we do offer Acqua Panna and San Pellegrino bottled waters” is a way to double up with verbal and nonverbal selling.

2 WINE [the land of fear & confusion]
Pitfall. Wine is perplexing to guests and servers alike. When servers lack the basic knowledge along with the key differences between popular wines such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc or Merlot and Pinot Noir, they avoid talking about wine altogether. Or, worse, take the shaky fake it approach. Recently, I heard a waiter describe a Shiraz as “kind of light with a sweet finish.”

Best Practice. Demystify with wine lyrics—a few well-chosen words that are both server- and guest-friendly. Base the lyrics on a simple format of body, texture, sweetness or dryness, and flavor. For instance, lyrics for three of the most popular whites would be: Chardonnay: full-bodied, fresh, and dry with flavors of Granny Smith apples, vanilla, and oak. Sauvignon Blanc: medium-bodied, citrusy, crisp, herbaceous, and dry. Riesling: light, crisp, semi-dry with flavors of apple and honey. Once servers have learned lyrics for the top 10 reds and whites, they’re more comfortable and confident. Now they won’t put the wine list down like a piece of dead wood and pray that no one asks them about Zinfandel.

3 COCKTAILS [the generic ones]
Pitfall. Millions of servers from sea to shining sea are stuck in the “yes/no” habit of “Can I get you a drink?” The guest quickly answers, “I’ll just have water with lemon, and bring me plenty of sugar packets so I can make my own lemonade.” Plus, when a guest orders a vodka tonic, servers often respond with the lazy, “Do you have a preference?”or with the manipulative, “Will that be Grey Goose or Belvedere?” This leaves guests suspicious and annoyed.

Best Practice. Make things a little more interesting: “By the way, Phil from Philadelphia makes a fabulous Grey Goose martini.” Now the guest is no longer deciding if they want a drink, but which kind. Furthermore, if a guest orders a vodka tonic, try the gentle listing approach: “By the way, we offer some great vodkas that include Ketel One, Grey Goose, Belvedere, Absolut Citron, or Skyy.“

4 BEERS [the auctioneer]
Pitfall. It’s common practice to rattle off beer selections like an auctioneer. “We have Bud, Bud Light ... Miller, Miller Lite ... Coors, Coors Light, da, da, do, do—da.” The robotic indifference says, “I hate my job.”

Best Practice. Engage guests with the slow rhythm technique. Recite beers with a calm and commanding cadence and emotive inflection, while sprinkling in a few enticing tidbits: “For beer we offer Heineken … Beck’s … Sam Adams … Corona … Stella Artois … and Peroni from Italy. And for microbrews, we offer New Belgium Fat Tire Amber and Rogue Dead Guy Ale from Oregon.” Now you have a fighting chance of penetrating the wall of guest resistance.

5 NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES [my little red-headed stepchild]
Pitfall. When it comes to booze-less beverages, neglect abounds. How many sales go by the wayside, in spite of an onslaught of unique offerings in this category?

Best Practice. Instead of iced water, Café Atlántico of Washington, D.C., offers a refreshing Dominican Lemonade with cranberry, lime, pineapple, and grapefruit. Or, instead of the usual Shirley Temple, how about a Texas Tornado with pineapple and freshly squeezed orange juice, grenadine, and Sprite, garnished with a cherry? From caffeine-laden Red Bull to South African Rooibos Renewal Tea laced with antioxidants, the options are endless and enticing.

6 CORDIALS & COGNACS [the unnamed ones]
Pitfall. Cordials and cognacs often are not specifically offered or enticingly described. “Would you like coffee or an after-dinner drink?” is the order of the day.

Best Practice. Offer multiple choices of food and drink: “For the grand finale, we offer a great selection of desserts including a white chocolate banana mousse pie, a ginger crème brulée, and a homemade key lime pie. We also offer Sambuca, Frangelico, Amaretto, Grand Marnier, and Baileys. And we offer a special cappuccino with a half shot of Kahlúa, half shot of Frangelico, and our famous chocolate disappearing spoon.” This approach underscores the idea that in every food opportunity there is a beverage opportunity.

7 BONUS POINTS [Champagne & roses]
Pitfall. Since good is the enemy of great, a ho-hum approach will result in missed opportunities to create memorable experiences.

Best Practice. At Gramercy Tavern, service guru Danny Meyer offers a tasty muffin in a lovely blue bag as a parting gift. Azul at JW Ihilani Marriott in Honolulu offers complimentary homemade Lemoncello at the end of the meal. Unexpected, unnecessary, and undeserved gifts instill loyalty.

In the end, questions remain. Do managers have the knowledge and expertise to train and coach, or are they the unknowing victims of the same poor habits of their staff? How effectively do restaurateurs work with purveyors to ensure training that demystifies and delights? Or do supplierbacked wine and spirits seminars leave servers three sheets to the wind and more confused than ever?

One thing remains clear. There is much lowhanging fruit ready for the plucking if everyone from ownership to managers to staff embraces the knowledge and a savvy set of strategies to open the gates to beverage sales success.

Bob Brown, prsident of Bob Brown Service Solutions, www.bobbrownss.com, pioneered Marriott's Service Excellence Program and has worked with clients such as Disney, Hilton, Morton's of Chicago, Olive Garden, and Red Lobster. He has appeared on the Food Network and Hospitality Television and is author of The Little Brown Book of Restaurant Success and The Big Brown Book of Managers' Success.