on premise november/december 2013

November/December 2013 n On Premise n 1www.tlw.org

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TAVERN LEAGUE OF WISCONSIN

NOVEmBER/DECEmBER 2013 TLW.ORG

Handcrafted Small Batch SpiritsThe Rise of Wisconsin’s cRafT DisTilleRs

How to Reduce Loss Behind the Bar

An Overview of Tip Credit Rules

ABL News Round-up

AlSo in tHiS iSSue:


November/December 2013 volume 31, No. 6

The Official Publication of the Tavern League of Wisconsin

DEPARTmENTS President’s Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

corporate Sponsors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Front rail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 corporate Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Featured Affiliates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Accounting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Legislative Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Affiliate members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 New members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Straight Up – Spirit Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Local League Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Advertiser Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

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Socialize with uS:

FEATURESAbL DISPAtcH . . . . . . . . . . . . 10the Latest Industry News From Washington

A tASte oF WIScoNSIN . . . 12tavern League members and State craft Distillers Are a Smooth combination

PoUrINg AWAy ProFIt . . .16Don’t miss out on Profits behind the bar

tLW coNveNtIoN SUmmAry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Helping to Insure our Industry’s Future

mAN tHerAPy: tAkINg oN SUIcIDe mAN to mAN . . . . . . . . . . . . .22A Partnership between Prevent Suicide Wisconsin and the tLW

A tIPPINg revIeW . . . . . . .30knowing the rules Now can Save you In the Future

LEAGUE SPOTLIGHTS LEAGUE PROFILE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 chippewa county

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Loopy’s grill & Saloon

4 n On Premise n November/December 2013 www.tlw.org

PreSident’S PerSPective

If your town, village or city planned to pass an ordinance that would affect your day-to-day business operations, would you be prepared to fight it? Over the years the Tavern League of

Wisconsin has received numerous calls from members asking for assistance because their local leagues have had little or no time to respond to proposed changes to local laws. Issues such as sober server ordinances, noise ordinances and point systems seem to be cropping up in a number of places around the state.

In the case of Appleton’s smoking ban, a few of our Tavern League members learned about the city’s smoke-free workplace ordinance two days before the health committee was to vote on it. If passed by the four-member committee, the full city council was scheduled to vote on it two days later. Most of our members assumed there was really nothing we could do, however, with the help of a few volunteers, we were able to notify all Appleton tavern owners about the proposed ban, and we had a meeting on the following day to discuss our plan of action.

Our league has never had to react to something with such little time, and this nearly impossible task was frustrating to say the least. Our need to keep everyone informed prompted us to create a communications chain among members. We knew if we lost this fight it could have an enormous impact on all of our members and their businesses.

Every league should have some type of communication plan in place should occurrences like this arise. I’m sure many of you call your neighboring tavern owners to update them on upcoming events, or date changes for local meetings, or to alert them of stings to catch underage drinkers, or to notify them of a string of break-ins.

Now apply this on a larger scale. At your next local meeting bring the subject up for discussion. Ask five or six members to be in charge of contacting the entire league when news needs to be disseminated. The work can be divided in many different ways and you can decide what is best suited for your particular league. For example, if there are 100 members in your league and five members each contact 20 others, the task becomes manageable. Another possibility is to divide the list by towns, villages or cities. Now if just league members in one community must be contacted, you have a member assigned and ready to start calling.

An alternate method to contact several members is through email or text messages. On file with your league secretary should be phone numbers or email addresses that can be compiled and given to those on your communication committee. Remember, however, every county has members that don’t have computers or smart phones so you will still have to contact some members by phone. Again, the intent is to get the information out as quickly as possible to as many as possible.

In the event there is an ordinance being introduced in your area that will impact league members, don’t hesitate to contact the TLW office for help. When possible we will try to attend your council meetings to represent the TLW’s position. Understand, though, it is the local league that needs to have a strong presence at these meetings. If a large number of your membership attend and speak to the issue at hand, it is more likely that the council may act in your favor.

Lastly, get to know your city council members and mayor. When you have an established relationship, it is much easier to get their support when issues arise. Also, many times during casual conversation, they will let you know if there is a topic of interest that pertains to your league. It is always easier to be heard by someone with whom you are already acquainted.

As a league you need to brainstorm what will work best for your particular county. It is imperative that you’re not caught off guard and unprepared. With that, I hope to see many of you in the upcoming months!

Terry J. HarvathTLW President

Is Your League ProactIve?


corPorAte SPonSorS

Support Those Who Support Our Association

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Make sure to thank these groups for their support, and encourage others not on the list to participate. Any business interested in joining should call the TLW office (608-270-8591) for our brochure that lists the benefits of the different categories. Remember “Support those who support us.”

SUPPORT THOSE WHO SUPPORT OUR ASSOCIATION

Make sure and thank these groups for their support, and encourage others not on the list to participate. Any business interested in joining should call the TLW office (608-270-8591) for our brochure that lists the benefits of the different categories. Remember “Support those who support us.”

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PLATINUM SPONSORS

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2012 January/February On Premise 5www.tlw.org

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PResiDenT terry Harvath

senioR Vice PResiDenT chris Marsicano

secReTaRy sue Bonte Lee

TReasuReR tom Dahlen

souTheRn Zone Vice PResiDenTs Dan taivalkoski, Jim Pickett

easTeRn Zone Vice PResiDenTs gene Loose, Dale vandenLangenberg

cenTRal Zone Vice PResiDenTs robert “Bubba” sprenger, Lori Frommgen

noRTheRn Zone Vice PResiDenTs rob summerfield, Dan corbin

eDiToR Pete Madland, executive Director,

tavern League of Wisconsin

associaTe eDiToR Barb Howell, Nei-turner Media group, Inc.

aRT DiRecToR Kayla collins, Nei-turner Media group, Inc.

GRaPhic DesiGn Jerriann Mullen, Nei-turner Media group, Inc.

aDVeRTisinG sales Louise andraski, Nei-turner Media group, Inc.

[email protected]

aDVeRTisinG cooRDinaToR Julie schiller, Nei-turner Media group, Inc.

[email protected]

conTRibuTinG WRiTeRs John Bodnovich, Jen Bradley, terry Harvath, Barb Howell, Pete Madland, Mike rosenau,

Kimberly ruef, scott stenger, Debi traeder, amanda Wegner

PRinTeD by rr Donnelley

Long Prairie, Minnesota

on Premise (IssN #1051-4562) is a bi-monthly publication of the tavern League of Wiscon-sin, Inc., 2817 Fish Hatchery road, Fitchburg, WI 53713, phone: 800-445-9221.

on Premise is produced by Nei-turner Media group, Inc., 93. W. geneva st., P.o. Box 1080, Wil-liams Bay, WI 53191. gary Nei, chairman; William turner, President; Barbara Krause, Publisher.

Printing is by rr Donnelley, Long Prairie, MN. For advertising information, contact Louise andraski, 262-245-1000, [email protected]. subscriptions included in tLW membership dues; non-member subscriptions: $15 per year. Postmaster: send address corrections to the tavern League of Wisconsin office, 2817 Fish Hatchery rd., Fitchburg, WI 53713-5005. Peri-odicals postage paid at Madison, WI and other additional offices.

©2013 tavern League of Wisconsin, Inc. Permission to reprint must be secured in advance of publication and credit given to author and on Premise.

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Front rAil

As you all know, last spring, the Na-tional Transportation Safety Board

(NTSB) came out with a recommenda-tion to lower the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC)limit from .08 to .05. While lower limits have been suc-cessfully adopted in other countries, it wasn’t until the NTSB recommended a lower limit that the idea started to re-ceive serious attention in the United States.

The NTSB’s role in traffic safety is to ad-vise the states and Congress on legislative measures to increase public safety. In ad-dition to the NTSB’s endorsement, .05 is supported by the Center for Disease Con-trol and Prevention, the American Medi-cal Association, the World Health Organi-zation and Alcohol Justice.

Despite the growing support for a lower legal limit in the public health communi-ty, the NTSB stands alone among traffic safety organizations in recommending such a drastic policy change. Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Nation-al Highway Transportation Safety Ad-ministration are among the agencies that have declined to endorse .05. Most state lawmakers are reluctant to pass legisla-tion that lowers the legal limit for driv-ing, though a few have stated they would support a .05 policy if introduced.

Even though support for .05 is not yet widespread, it is only a matter of time before the policy begins to earn support

in state legislatures and among traffic safety advocates. The NTSB was one of the first organizations to push for a .08 legal limit and just a few years later states began lowering their legal limits. Support for the policy quickly spread, though it took over two decades and Congress’ decision to withhold highway funding before all 50 states adopted the .08 standards. The U.S. is one of a hand-ful of countries to remain at .08, most have limits of .05 or lower.

In adopting its .05 recommendation, the NTSB claimed that moving the legal lim-it to .05 could save thousands of lives every year. Yet when we examine the ef-fect that moving to .08 has had on drunk driving deaths, the NTSB’s assertion that a .05 limit would dramatically improve traffic safety seems highly unlikely.

For many reasons, including advanc-es in vehicle safety technology, public safety campaigns and changes in vehi-cle miles driven, traffic fatalities have fallen dramatically in the past 20 years. Yet despite the fall in overall deaths, the proportion of deaths attributed to drunk driving has remained the same, rough-ly 33 percent. Adopting a .08 standard in all states by 2000 had no impact on lowering the proportion of traffic deaths attributed to drunk drivers.

This finding has proven true in other countries. A study of South Australia af-ter the state lowered its BAC limit from .08 to .05 found that the lower limit did not significantly affect the number of alcohol-related fatalities. A study of Denmark’s .05 law did not find a de-crease in alcohol-related crashes in the first year, but did find an increase in the number of drivers who said they will not consume any alcohol to avoid violating the law.

The reason lowering the legal limit doesn’t reduce drunk driving fatali-ties is simple: The policy targets social

drinkers instead of the hardcore drunk drivers who cause the vast majority of alcohol-related traffic fatalities. In fact, the average BAC level of a drunk driv-er is .16 percent, double the current .08 standard. Over 70 percent of all drunk driving deaths are caused by someone with a BAC of .16 or higher.

Lowering the limit to .05 would also mean many women would be unable to drive after having just one drink. For most law-abiding citizens, this change would severely change their on-premise drinking habits; most would order fewer drinks or abstain completely if they plan on driving. But for those who already get behind the wheel with BAC levels of .15 or higher, lowering the legal limit is unlikely to have an impact on their deci-sion to drink to excess and drive.

Meanwhile, studies continue to put the impairment level of driving at .05 in per-spective. Recent studies have found that using hands-free devices to talk on cell-phones while driving, or driving while sick or drowsy produce much worse reaction times than drivers that are at a .08 level.

Now we could reduce fatalities if we went to .00 tolerance or if we reduced the max-imum speed limit to 40 mph, but neither is a realistic solution. With police budgets shrinking, it makes little sense to divert valuable resources from catching danger-ous drivers to pulling over someone who may have had a beer or two with dinner. Hardcore drunk drivers continue to kill almost 10,000 people every year. It’s time to place our attention where it belongs, on the hardcore drunk driver, not the so-cial drinker. TLW

.05 Bac … Not tHe aNsWer BY Pete MaDLaND, tLW executIve DIrector


Partners in Progress Major suPPorter of state and LocaL tavern Leagues

Tavern League of Wisconsin• Co-sponsor of TLW Legislative Day

• Underwriter of TLW Video on Jobs and Employment

• Provider of Coin-Operated Games at TLW Conferences & Shows to Benefit TIPAC

• Sponsor of the TLW Trip Give-away at TLW Fall Convention & Show

• Donor of Large Screen TV at TLW Spring Conference & Show

LocaL Tavern League Programs (saferide, goLf, oThers)

• Contributions and support from individual WAMO members

• Matching Funds from WAMO to Tavern League Locals

• Contributions to SafeRide Program, Golf and Others

• Active Participation and Attendance

Wisconsin Amusement & Music Operators

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nTsb chaiR conTinues Push foR loWeR bacIn remarks made to the Governors High-way Safety Association Annual Meeting on August 27, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Deborah Hersman continued to push for states to adopt a threshold of .05 blood alco-hol content (BAC ) or lower for drunk driving. In her remarks, Hersman noted the .05 BAC recommendation “has stim-ulated the most debate and received the most attention in the last year.

“We didn’t issue this recommendation to create controversy. We issued this recommendation because the science supported it,” Hersman said. “First, it is well-understood that alcohol im-pairment begins with the first drink and at .05 drivers experience a decline in both cognitive and visual functions. Second, the data shows that crash risk is significantly elevated at .05. And third, lowering BAC limits have been shown to reduce crashes, injuries and deaths.”

Hersman was recently reappointed as chair of the NTSB by President Obama, and has vowed that the NTSB would continue to support its proposal to low-er the legal BAC threshold to .05 or low-er. Hersman was quoted in The Detroit

News with the following remarks, “You know, they said the same thing about moving from .10 to .08.” She continued, “I’m confident the U.S. will eventually adopt the tougher limits.”

Despite the agency’s hard line, support-ers for the proposal remain difficult to find. Mothers Against Drunk Driving has stated that their focus is interlock devices for impaired driving offenders. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has said that the states should take the lead on these recommendations. The Governors Highway Safety Association and AAA have declined to support the proposal, and an editorial in USA Today criticized it as ineffective.

In the state of Wisconsin, lowering the BAC would have a devastating effect on the hospitality industry. It is pro-jected that changing the legal BAC to .05 would cost Wisconsin at least 900 hospitality jobs. That’s a loss of more than $18 million in wages to Wiscon-sin workers and over $51 million lost in overall output. The state would lose over $15 million dollars in taxes as rev-enue decreases.

American Beverage Licensees remains committed to focusing alcohol-related highway safety policy where it is most effective: high BAC and repeat offenders who account for more than 80 percent of all traffic fatalities involving alcohol. Criminalizing responsible and legal be-havior does nothing to protect us on the highways and would only put an unnecessary burden on law enforcement resources.

For more information on the .05 BAC debate, subscribe to the ABL Weekly or visit www.ABLUSA.org.

iRs Rules on auToMaTic GRaTuiTiesOn June 25, 2012, the IRS issued Rev. Rule 2012-18, classifying automatic gra-tuities as service charges. Service charges are considered to be wages, not tips, and are subject to payroll tax withholding. This includes automatic gratuities lever-aged for parties of a certain size. This rule will take effect January 1, 2014. The IRS differentiates between a tip and a service charge in the following way:

For a payment to be considered a tip:1. The payment must be made free from compulsion.2. The customer must have the unre-stricted right to determine the amount.3. The payment should not be the sub-ject of negotiation or dictated by em-ployer policy and,4. Generally, the customer has the right to determine who receives the payment. Ensure that adequate processes and changes to automated or manual report-ing systems and business practices are in place for properly distinguishing be-tween service charge wage income and tips. • Review records to consider whether

service charges have incorrectly been treated as tipped income and wheth-er any adjustments to Form 941 are necessary.

• Consider whether it is in your best interest to remove automatic gratu-

ABL Dispatch – The Latest Industry News From WashingtonBy John Bodnovich


ities and replace them with a calculation of three suggested tip rates: 15, 18 and 20 percent (Tip rates must be clearly identified for reference purposes only so as not to appear to be mandated).

• Inform employees of final changes to policy before they take effect January 1, 2014.

• Consult with a tax advisor or attorney to ensure policies are in compliance with the IRS guidance and practices.

coMPliance MoniToRinGAs consequence of the rule, there is speculation that the IRS will more closely examine merchant compliance. As a remind-er, service charges are considered wages, and, therefore, not eligible for the FICA Tip Credit. Auto-gratuities paid for ca-tering, banquets, weddings and other amounts mandated by employer policy would also likely be covered by this new rule.

affoRDable caRe acT – uPDaTesOn October 1, 2013, health insurance marketplaces opened in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Coverage is set to begin on January 1, 2014. Some Affordable Care Act updates:

• On August 23, the IRS issued guidance to small businesses interested in the Health Care Tax Credit for Small Employ-ers. Small employers with no more than 25 full-time equiv-alent employees, who pay an average wage of less than $50,000 a year, and pay at least half of employee health insurance premiums may be eligible for a tax credit. To be eligible, a small employer must pay premiums on be-half of employees enrolled in a qualified health plan offered through a Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Marketplace. The credit is limited to two consecutive tax-able years for eligible employers. The IRS is accepting com-ments and requests for a public hearing until November 25. For more information, consult your tax advisor or attorney.

• In addition to delaying the employer mandate, the Obama Administration announced on September 26 that online enrollment for health insurance exchanges for small busi-nesses would be delayed until November 1. Applications, however, for businesses seeking to enroll in the SHOP Mar-ketplaces started October 1.

• As an employer, you should have notified your employees in writing by October 1 of the new health insurance market-places. Coverage is slated to start on January 1, 2014. Visit www.ABLUSA.org for more information. TLW

The American Beverage Licensees is the voice of America’s beer, wine and

spirits retailers in Washington, D.C. The ABL represents the Tavern League

of Wisconsin and its many members as well as thousands of other on- and

off-premise retailers of beverage alcohol across the United States. John Bod-

novich, executive director of ABL, submitted this report. For more infor-

mation about ABL, visit www.ablusa.org

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It wasn’t that long ago, says Paul Werni, owner of New Richmond’s 45th Parallel Spirits, that there were just a handful of businesses similar to his in the country.“You

go back to 2000, and there was just a few small, craft distilleries in the country, and nothing in the Midwest really,” says Werni. “It’s really taken off in the last 10, 15 years or so.”

That’s a change from the eight decades prior. Once a thriving industry in the United States, the National Prohibition Act of 1919 drove legitimate distillers out of business and ground the industry to a halt. Here in Wisconsin, Guy Rehorst’s Great Lakes Distillery in Milwaukee, was the first to open in 2006, 73 years after Prohibition ended. Today, Wisconsin is home to at least 12 to 15 craft distilleries, of which six are members of the Wisconsin Distillers Association.

One reason Wisconsin’s distilleries are thriving is because of residents’ insatiable desire for Wisconsin-made products. An-other reason is that market-savvy Tavern League members are featuring the products these distilleries are offering up.

sPiRiTeD coMPeTiTionNamed for the 45th parallel, the latitudinal line ringing the earth midway between the equator and the North Pole and running just south of his facility, Werni was first inspired to open a distillery in the early 2000s after a small distillery else-where in the country made news for producing one of the top-ranked vodkas in the world. “When I heard that, I knew I wanted to do something like that and make something world-class,” says Werni, who broke ground in 2006 and opened in 2007.

And he has. His 45th Parallel Vodka, his top-selling product, was previously the top product in Spirit Journal’s “115 Top 5 Star Spirits” list in 2009 and consistently earns other honors. Werni calls it “grain to glass,” as he uses grain from a nearby sixth-generation family farm, located just south of his building.

Tavern League Members and State Craft Distillers Are a Smooth Combination

Story by Amanda Wegner | Photography by Shanna Wolf

A Taste of WisconsinNN

yahara bay Distillers’ imposing copper still, was imported from germany and today it is central to the company’s success in making 16 different spirits .


He offers two product lines: The super-premium 45th Parallel line (vodka and bourbon whiskey) and the newer, cost-effective Midwest (vodka and gin) line. Compared to many distilleries that use small barrels to speed up the aging process, Werni only uses big barrels.

A home brewer and winemaker, spirits were the next itera-tion for Great Lakes’ Rehorst, who crafts a portfolio of seven small-batch spirits in copper pot stills and uses local ingredi-ents as much as possible, including local fruits, maple syrup and ginseng from Marathon County. His products are now available in 26 states.

“Copper pots were the way distilling was done for thousands of years; a lot of big brands are now in column stills, but they don’t offer the same control that a small pot does,” says Re-horst. “With this, the process is very interactive with the mas-ter distiller sampling at every step of the process, fine-tuning to get a more consistent product, and allowing us to do some creative things.”

Nick Quint started Madison’s Yahara Bay in 2007 and re-members the early difficulties of Wisconsin’s fledgling distill-ery industry. “Early on, you couldn’t do tastings or sell your own products. But luckily, we got changes that put us on the same level as breweries and wineries.” (Rehorst is credited with working with state legislators to change a state law that

allows craft distillers to offer tasting rooms so customers can sample the product at the distillery and purchase directly from the business.)

Now available in Wisconsin as well as 15 other states, Quint makes a portfolio of 16 spirits. They range from a top-selling vodka to a three-year-aged V Bourbon Whiskey and the latest addition, Seraphine Chai Tea Vodka, in small batches in a copper still imported from Germany. Like many other craft distillers, he uses local ingredients whenever possible.

A newer and smaller operation in Coleman in Northeast Wis-consin, North Woods Distillery is a one-person operation run by Curt Naegeli. His top seller is Heath Rum, which tastes like butterscotch; he also offers Chocolat Mint Rum. In addition to being available in a number of establishments throughout the state, he sells his Heath Rum to Sartori Cheese, which soaks 20-pound wheels of its popular BellaVitano cheese in it.

Naegeli designed and fabricated his own still that uses precise temperature control to burn off different types of alcohols formed by yeast in the liquor. His end goal is to maintain a high level of ethyl alcohol, which according to Naegeli, “makes us happy, while all the others just make us sad in the morning.” He adds, “These off-alcohols are toxins for our bodies to get rid of.”

GeTTinG The WoRD ouTDespite the challenges of building Wisconsin’s craft distilled spirits industry, many on-premise establishments across the state, including many Tavern League members, are happy to support these spirit purveyors.

In 2006, guy rehorst opened the first small batch distillery in Wisconsin . His great Lakes Distillery products are available in 26 states .

Some of great Lakes Distillery’s products include: rehorst Premium milwaukee vodka, a silver medal winner in the 2007 San Francisco World Spirits competition; roaring Dan’s maple Flavored rum, which has a buttery sweetness; and kinnickinnic Whiskey, which is a blend of straight bourbon sourced from one of Americas finest distilleries, and a malt whiskey and a rye whiskey produced at great Lakes Distillery .


Here are some ideas from members and craft distillers alike to move these Wisconsin-made products:

Get bar staff on board: Take a distillery tour to “let staff see where the spirits are made and the people producing them,” says Jill Skowronski, Yahara Bay’s vice president of sales/marketing. “It’s easy to sell local if you’ve been here and see why we’re different and special.”

This can also add to your profit margin, adds Curt Naegeli, owner of North Woods Distillery. “Many patrons have a difficult time deciding what to drink and want to try some-thing different. This is when a bartender can be a hero by up-selling a drink that is truly unique and delicious.”

Do a tasting: “Ask us to come out some night when you have a good crowd and people who might appreciate our goods,” says Guy Rehorst, owner of Great Lakes Distillery. “Your pa-trons will get to meet the people and get to shake our hands. Honestly, that’s something very few brands can offer.”

Craft some cocktails: For instance, The Old Fashioned in Madison concocts an Apple Jack Old Fashioned, featuring Yahara Bay Apple Brandy, and it’s the tavern’s bestseller. Lee Guk, owner of Lucky Joe’s in Milwaukee, says his top sellers are the Singapore Sling and Shark Week (similar to a Moscow Mule) cocktails, which are crafted specifically with Great Lakes’ rum. Or, work directly with the distillers; Naegeli offers numerous suggestions for his spirits, such as his Worther’s cocktail with Heath Rum and Root Beer.

Give it placement: Chris Polfus, owner of Brady’s Brewhouse in New Richmond, prominently features the craft spirits he offers with special placement on the bar. This, says Polfus, not only entices patrons when they can’t decide, but keeps the products top of mind for bartenders. Also, ask if any marketing materials are available; Jason Maye, owner of Jiz’s Fortier’s Bar in Coleman, has posters in his bar featuring North Woods’ Heath Rum.

Just buy a bottle: “Just get a bottle and try it,” says Polfus. “Make some cocktails. If you don’t like it, you’re out the cost of the bottle. But these guys are doing good stuff; it won’t go to waste!”

Begin Pouring Wisconsin’s Finest With These Spirited Ideas

For many members, it’s the local connection. “By supporting Great Lakes, that’s money that stays here, supporting local businesses, which is what America was built on,” says Lee Guk, owner of Milwaukee’s Lucky Joe’s, a tiki bar that offers most of Great Lakes’ portfolio. “These big companies aren’t going to come in and buy a drink in my place. But the odds of Guy Rehorst coming in and buying a drink, that’s pretty good,” he adds. “It’s awesome to support someone who you can meet and talk to and really learn about their product.”

And because it’s local, many patrons are willing to pay the up-charge. “We stock everything 45th Parallel’s got,” says Chris Polfus, owner of Brady’s Brewhouse, New Richmond. “We have his Midwest vodka and gin as rail, and the premium 45th Vodka is featured in our Brady’s Bloody Mary, which people will happily pay more for.”

Jennifer DeBolt, co-owner of Madison’s The Old-Fashioned, specifically focuses on Wisconsin-crafted products and fea-tures Yahara Bay and 45th Parallel Spirits, among others. “I think we need to look at the bigger picture. Yes, it is a little more expensive than traditional spirits, but in the end, people are willing to pay more for a local product that shows support for the state of Wisconsin,” she adds.

yahara bay’s Nick Quint, left, studied the art of distilling spirits and with his two stepsons assembled his still piece by piece . His stepson, Lars Forde, has since joined the operation and the two of them are distilling the company’s wide variety of spirits .


Plus, it just tastes good. “It’s [North Woods Heath Rum] just good booze,” says Jason Maye, owner of Jiz’s Fortier’s Bar, Coleman. “People have it as shots and with mixers; we get or-ders in almost every week for it. It’s well worth the investment, and once people try it, they come back for it.”

heRe To helPWhen Tavern League members partner with craft distillers — and vice versa — it’s a win-win situation. And many of these craftsmen are willing to take the extra steps necessary to help

both succeed. “I think any of the state distilleries would work closely with any Tavern League member if they wanted,” says Quint. “If they open their arms to us, we open arms to them. I understand the challenges bar and restaurant owners are fac-ing, and we do everything we possibly can to help them to not only sell products, but do it profitably.” TLW

the top-selling 45th Parallel vodka has consistently earned top honors in tasting competitions and in media reviews . Paul Werni and his staff at the New richmond distillery are pleased to share some of their knowledge through guided tours, tastings and even through their two-day distilling school .

“I think we need to look at the bigger picture. Yes, it is a little more expensive than traditional spirits, but in the end, people are willing to pay more for a local product that shows support for the state of Wisconsin,”

— Jennifer DeBolt, co-owner, the olD-fashioneD

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Pouring Away Profit

Profit for tavern owners is being poured away every day — literally, says Wayne

Roth, owner of Baraboo-based BevIntel, a Bevinco company. “On average, 20 percent of what is poured never makes it to the register,” he says. “I’ve seen those percentages run into the high 40s.”

While some bartenders are very careful about what they ring up for each cus-tomer, others are not. While some bar-tenders are very precise in what they pour for each customer, others are not.And while some bartenders pour double the amount in an effort to make greater tips, others do not.

Each of these scenarios is a losing situ-ation for the person running the estab-lishment, Roth explains. The profession-al business consultant says that what’s lacking in many places is an effective system of checks and balances. While it doesn’t need to be complicated, three major elements are involved in keeping the cash on the right side of the bar.

Inventory is the first issue to consider. “Many don’t even keep track of what they go through,” he says. A cash reg-ister with the ability to spot check and compare what is poured against dollars paid for those drinks is essential. Along the lines of cash registers, Roth also rec-ommends owners track non-sale trans-actions. Drawers should not be opened to make change, when in reality a sale wasn’t made, though it was counted.

Standardization is the next item to ad-dress. Roth explains bartenders know that owners can count cash and balance register drawers, but it’s much harder to track the liquid cash poured each shift. They must set consistent expectations for everything from glass sizes to pour amounts, as well as the staff’s level of knowledge and execution of these.

It all boils down to a “good tasting drink” says Roth, and how much alco-hol is poured determines that. He says that in order to set these standards, owners must know their customer base as well as competition. “If they are not going to you, who are they going to?” he asks. “What is your competition pour-ing and what are they charging?”

Roth gives this example that shows the value of standardizing. He says if a cus-tomer buys a margarita on a Wednesday night from bartender “Betty,” he may really like it and bring his friends back on Saturday. That night, though, “Joe” is bartending and the margaritas don’t taste the same, nor nearly as good.

Consistency is important, Roth says. When bartenders each think their Bloody Mary or Old Fashioned is the best, confusion only reigns and a mixed

message is sent to customers. “In one bar, there are then many styles of one drink,” Roth explains. “There’s no iden-tity to the bar.”

Education is the third lesson to increas-ing profits. Roth says bartenders need to understand that they and the establish-ment make more by pouring less. Reg-ular training is how this message sticks. Roth recommends owners treat their bartenders as professionals, offering ed-ucational opportunities about products, pouring and drink mixing. “And then test them,” he says, stressing that own-ers must establish a pour size and then make sure their staff knows what it is and is complying with it. The less al-cohol poured away needlessly, the more profit tavern owners will see staying be-hind the bar. TLW

Don’t Miss Out on Profits Behind the BarBy Jennifer Bradley

Inventory control, standardization, consistency and education are the keys to keeping profits behind the bar, says Wayne roth .


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A beautiful stretch of warm autumn weather greeted Tavern League of Wisconsin members

to Green Bay and the 78th Annual Fall Convention and Tradeshow, October 7-10. This fall’s events, hosted by Brown County Tavern League and spon-sored by Society Insurance, were held at the Hyatt on Main and KI Convention Center. Over 600 at-tendees enjoyed a variety of meetings and activities centered on the convention’s theme: “TLW – Help-ing to Insure Our Industry’s Future.”

MonDay’s eVenTsThe TLW board of directors met throughout the day Monday, covering a full agenda of topics. Wrapping up the day’s events was a welcome party at the Stadium View Bar in the shadows of Lambeau Field. In addition to re-connecting with old friends and getting to know new TLW members, everyone enjoyed a buffet, cocktails and the sounds of the Green Bay-based rock band, Shaker and the Egg. To the delight of the crowd, special guests, former Green Bay Packers Fred “Fuzzy” Thurston and William Henderson were on hand to sign autographs.

TuesDay’s eVenTsThe General Session attended by several hundred members, opened with the presentation of colors and a stirring rendition of the na-tional anthem by former TLW member Andy Bain. A formal wel-come to Green Bay was presented by Eastern Zone Vice President Dale VandenLangenberg, Brown County Tavern League President Sue Robinson and Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt.

In his remarks, the mayor commended the TLW and for its many charitable efforts. He singled out Tavern League members as run-ning businesses that are probably the most connected to the com-munity, playing a vital role in giving to worthwhile causes.

TLW 78Th AnnuAL

FAll convention SuMMAry

Helping to insure our industry's Future


2013 Fall convention summary

Executive Director Pete Madland took the stage and announced an incentive program to increase TLW membership. The goal, according to Madland, is to increase membership by at least 10 percent or more by Jan. 1, 2014. He added how Wisconsin is unique in the strength of its tavern league membership, noting how surrounding states either have no organized tavern associ-ations or just local leagues. The hard work, however, of TLW members needs to continue and recruiting new members needs to be a priority.

Following on the heels of Madland’s comments was President Terry Harvath, who had a little fun with the convention’s theme, striding to the podium dressed as if he just stepped off the Starship Enterprise. As the theme from Star Trek played, Harvath stated in his best Captain Kirk imitation, “We will seek new members, and fight laws where no association has dared to go.”

Harvath continued Madland’s praise for the league’s work and spoke about the goal and mission to increase membership.

Next Madland introduced Rick Parks, president of Society Insurance, the fall convention sponsor. Parks commended the TLW’s 78-year history as a trade association and Society’s im-portant partnership with the league for the last 25 years. He recognized Mike Disher of Disher Insurance as a tireless advo-cate of the TLW.

The next person on the podium was TLW Secretary Sue Bonte Lee, who is also serving as acting treasurer, while Tom Dahlen runs for the state Assembly. Bonte Lee shared information about the previ-ous day’s board meeting, reporting that TLW finances were solid.

Keynote Speaker and Vice President of Patrón Spirits, Mark Smith provided an insightful presentation on capturing new customers, especially the Millennials – individuals between the ages of 18 and 30. The use of social media, including Facebook, Twitter and text messaging, according to Smith is essential to reaching this brand and image conscious generation.

Tuesday morning’s session ended with President Harvath pre-senting the Member of the Year Award to Joey Legath from Joey’s on Taylor in Racine.

Tuesday afternoon members attended seminars on the Afford-able Care Act and received advice from the Service Corps of Re-tired Executives. Time was also set aside to attend the tradeshow, where vendors shared samples and information about new prod-ucts. The silent auction was open all afternoon and offered mem-bers a chance to bid on many items donated by leagues, districts and vendors. Many took their turn at Scatter Darts Tournament and played for a chance to win a cruise donated by WAMO. This year’s winners were Greg and Kathy Sondalle, Montello

Tuesday evening, everyone gathered in the KI Center for the cocktail party, costume contest and music by The Cougars. A live auction presided over by Colonel Pete Madland was a huge success raising $15,200 for the Direct Givers Fund.



WeDnesDay’s eVenTs The convention opened on Wednesday with the ABL report presented by former TLW president and ABL representative, Robert “Bubba” Sprenger. Sprenger encouraged members to become active participants in the ABL and to attend its govern-ment day next June in Washington, D.C.

TLW Lobbyist Scott Stenger gave an in-depth overview of some of the pending issues facing the industry, including the 19-year-old drinking age, potential new private well inspections, liquor sampling legislation for Class A license holders (Assembly Bill 344), Growler legislation and DUI checkpoints.

Terry Harvath, running unopposed for TLW president, took the oath of office as the morning session drew to a close.

In the afternoon, Executive Director Pete Madland and Conven-tion Chair Sally Jo Topper visited vendors’ booths and awarded exhibitor prizes to TLW members on the tradeshow floor. Dis-trict caucus meetings were held late Wednesday afternoon, fol-lowed by “Cocktails with the President” sponsored by Precision Pours and Patrón Spirits.

Final tally for the two-day silent auction was $4,255, which ben-efits the Tavern Industry Political Action Committee (TIPAC).


ThuRsDay’s eVenTsThe last day of the convention opened with a pre-sentation by Lauren LaViola, executive director of Children of Restaurant Employees (CORE). LaVi-ola was introduced by Brad Schinke, 6th district director. The TLW has included CORE in its char-ity fundraising program for the last two years and LaViola shared success stories in which CORE has made a difference in the lives of young, critically ill children.

Schinke emphasized the TLW’s commitment to CORE when he presented LaViola with a check for $10,000 to continue the organization’s good work.

Next, the Nomination Committee report was giv-en by Lorie Helm. The morning wrapped up with a lively musical tribute to the 1960s by Let Me Be


Southern Zone vP: 1 year Jim Pickett

Southern Zone vP: 2 year Dan taivalkoski

central Zone vP: 1 year Lori Frommgen

central Zone vP: 2 year robert Sprenger

Northern Zone vP: 1 year Dan corbin, Nancy Lorbetske

First District Director: 2 year Dennis Salverson

First District Director: 1 year Lou Larson

Second District Director: 2 year eric christenson

Second District Director: 1 year tim green, Steve Hepp

third District Director: 2 year Dan Frisch

third District Director: 1 year todd giraud

Fourth District Director: 2 year Jim klabechek

Fifth District Director: 2 year ray bruch

Fifth District Director: 1 year tom Dorsey, Harlon Wright

Sixth District Director: 2 year Judy vandenhouten

Sixth District Director: 1 year brad Schinke

Seventh District Director: 2 year Diane Schwartz

Seventh District Director: 1 year kris Zappa

eighth District Director: 2 year erin Farrar

eighth District Director: 1 year Jim Seliger

Ninth District Director: 2 year robert grosch, Lorie Helm

Nomination committee report:

the following members have been nominated for the office and term noted . they will stand for election at the spring conference in La crosse unless running unopposed .

Frank Productions and members adjourned to the Brown County Presi-dent’s Reception held at noon at Bourbon Street Bar.

A big thank you is extended to the Brown County Tavern League and the city of Green Bay for their hospitality during the TLW’s four-day convention. Also, a special thank you is extended to Society Insurance for their sponsorship of the event. TLW


It’s a fact, each year in Wisconsin over 725 people die due to suicide. Of

these, nearly 80 percent are men. And just like their determination to find their way without asking for directions, men in general, do not like talking about their mental health needs — especially when they may have suicidal thoughts. It’s also a fact that alcohol is involved in over 30 percent of Wisconsin suicide attempts and completions.

suiciDe PReVenTion TailoReD foR MenEnter Man Therapy™. Developed in Col-orado in 2012, Man Therapy is a ground-breaking approach to suicide and other men’s mental health issues, using humor to break through the stigma and fear that surround depression, divorce and suicidal thoughts straight-on — like a “man.”

Man Therapy is presented on an in-teractive website where men and their

loved ones can learn more about their own mental health, in the privacy of their own home. The strategy is to help men and those who care about them to

recognize early warning signs and give them the tools to do something about it before it reaches a crisis mode.

The hero of this web-based program is Dr. Rich Mahogany. He’s a man’s man — kind of a cross between Dr. Phil and Ron Burgundy, of Anchorman movie fame. He is dedicated to eliminating de-nial through his manly charm, no-bull approach, sense of humor and his prac-tical advice to the participant.

Through attention grabbers like “Grill-ing Animal Meat: Aromatherapy the way a man would do it” and “You Can’t Fix Your Mental Health With Duct Tape,” he makes it OK to take charge of one’s own mental health.

helP is as close as youR coMPuTeRBy going to mantherapy.org, men and their loved ones will find that they already

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March/AprilSpring Conference Issue

Generating Outdoor Income

May/JuneMay is Tavern Month

July/AugustPre-Convention Issue

Service with a SmileIdentifying Profit Leaks

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have a standing appointment with Dr. Mahogany. They can visit him any time and have sessions as long as they please.

Upon entering his virtual office, the par-ticipant is met by the good doctor him-self, who immediately puts everyone at ease and provides an overview of what they will find by navigating through his office. There is even a short quiz a man can take to evaluate his own mental health, and depending on the answers given, receive a video response of rec-ommendations and actions to consider.

There is access to resources as well as a wide range of do-it-yourself ideas and tips — and even professional therapist referrals to connect people to local sup-port groups, Wisconsin resources and the national suicide crisis line.

PiloT PRoGRaM ThRouGh The TlWPrevent Suicide Wisconsin (PSW) is a public-private partnership dedicated to reducing the number of suicides that take place in our state each year. Part-

nering with local tavern leagues and with the support of the Tavern League of Wisconsin, PSW is bringing the Man Therapy campaign to Wisconsin via lo-cal taverns and restaurants — meeting men on their own “turf.”

Piloted in the counties of Adams, Keno-sha, Lincoln, Polk and Portage, these venues have been supplied with posters, business cards, drink coasters and public service announcements to use and pro-mote the website. Other counties and establishments will be added as the cam-paign progresses through 2014.

According to information released at the American Association of Suicidolo-gy conference in April, Wisconsin was already ranked third in the nation for visits to the website with very little pub-licity. Given the state’s high suicide rate (13.4 per 100,000 as compared to the national rate of 12.1) and the high ra-tio of men to women who complete sui-cide, PSW sees Man Therapy as a way to reach this population in a non-intrusive and good-natured way.

leaRn MoRe abouT The PRoGRaMPriority is given to Tavern League mem-bers who collaborate with local suicide prevention coalitions. Tavern League members interested in participating in this project should visit the PSW website to find out how to contact the coalition in your area: preventsuicidewi.org.

Participating Tavern League members are also encouraged to have employees educated in recognizing and respond-ing to individuals who may be suicidal through a short training program called QPR: Question, Persuade and Refer. Visit mantherapy.org and try it out for yourself. Also, visit preventsuicidewi.org to learn more about Prevent Suicide Wisconsin and our efforts to reduce sui-cide in our state. TLW

Debi Traeder Coordinator,

Prevent Suicide Wisconsin

mental Health America of Wisconsin

2706 Pleasant view Dr ., Schofield, WI 54476

715-551-0966 • traeders@charter .net


corPorAte SPotligHt

WIscoNsIN aMuseMeNt & MusIc oPerators

We are in this together,” says Al Lucchi, president of the Wiscon-

sin Amusement and Music Operators Association (WAMO). He is describing WAMO’s longtime relationship with the Tavern League of Wisconsin. WAMO con-sists of more than 125 companies which provide game and entertainment machines to many Tavern League members. These include jukeboxes, video games, cranes, darts, pool, and more. In addition to the business aspect, WAMO works to expand and encourage the tavern marketplace.

While Lucchi, with Quarter Time Dis-tributing in Waunakee, says it does not cost an establishment anything to host such products, the owner does do a revenue share with the operator. For-mulas for this are based on volume, he explains. A better commission structure comes with more items and sales.

A large part of WAMO’s mission as a partner with the Tavern League can be found in action at the weekly pool and dart leagues so many TLW members are familiar with, and have in their own es-tablishments. These, he says, help stimu-late business on nights which tradition-ally would have been slower. “The more people we can get in on a Tuesday night, the better the bar does and the better our machines do,” Lucchi adds. Plus, the leagues last 18-20 weeks on average, a nice boost for a TLW member’s business. eVenTs uniTe inDusTRyThe fun continues with what Lucchi says is the largest dart tournament in the world, held each May in Wisconsin. This

year, more than 10,000 WAMO-spon-sored electronic dart league members showed up in Green Bay to compete. They came from all around the state for this fun event, which is also a very social one, Lucchi says jokingly. In all serious-ness, though, he says that the people in-volved truly look forward to seeing each other every year and catching up.

“A team may come from Superior and meet a team from Milwaukee, and they don’t get to see each other but this once,” he says. “When you have that many people it’s just a fun event.”

The statewide pool tournament is also a big event, with more than 4,000 people participating this year alone.

Lucchi adds that WAMO members are encouraged to also support their local Tavern Leagues in counties around the state. Many do this through golf outings

and other fundraisers, which often bene-fit the SafeRide program.

In its role as a bronze corporate sponsor of the TLW, WAMO also helps support the league’s Legislative Day and this year sponsored the TLW trip give-away at the TLW fall convention and donated a large, flat screen television as a prize at the spring conference.

siDe-by-siDe WiTh TlWLucchi says that WAMO and the TLW are battling a war of sorts, together. “Lots of outside forces are trying to

hurt the tavern industry, and if they hurt them, they hurt us,” he adds. “People afraid to drive home after two drinks won’t stay long or will stop going to bars altogether. They also won’t play pool or darts, all the things that benefit both groups,” says Lucchi.

He’s happy to see the economy continu-ing to improve, and says that many blue collar customers were hit hard since 2008. “We need to get them in the mar-ketplace, feeling comfortable, making enough to survive and doing the things they like,” says Lucchi.

The smoking ban also hurt the tav-ern industry, but this long-time TLW supporter says that it’s turning around slowly. In the meantime, the TLW can count on WAMO’s continued support in this mutually beneficial relationship. “We have so many common interests and many good things to do,” says Luc-

chi. “Knowing this helps us get through some of the rough times when they come about.” Wisconsin Amusement &

Music Operators Inc. (WAMO)

1424 N. High Point Rd.

Middleton, WI 53562

608-635-4316 • www.wamo.net

“

“Lots of outside forces are trying to hurt the tavern industry, and if they hurt them, they hurt us,” — al lucchi, PresiDent, wamo


Employee dishonesty can be damaging to both your business’ bottom line and reputation. Losses, otherwise known as occupational fraud, can result from theft of money, securities or other property of the employer. A recent report from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) found that the typical organiza-tion loses an estimated 5 percent of its an-nual revenues to occupational fraud. In that same study, the ACFE found the me-dian loss caused by occupational fraud was $140,000. This is a loss no business or organization can afford.

PRoTecT youR businessUnderstanding some elements of occupa-tional fraud may help business owners re-alize what steps are necessary to mitigate it.

1. Motive: The employee could be un-der a high amount of financial pressure.2. Rationalization: Employees who commit fraud must be able to justify it to themselves. They know it’s wrong but they may rationalize that they’re not being justly compensated for their work, the theft won’t harm anyone or the employer deserves it.3. Opportunity: Individuals who com-mit fraud recognize the chance to get away with it. Scenarios can range from a lack of cameras in sensitive areas, fre-quently absent owners or management, or too much trust or responsibility given to too few people.

iDenTify ReD flaGsIt’s important to understand you can protect your business. For most of the concerns above, red flags may alert you to problems. A red flag is a set of unusu-al circumstances or something that var-ies from normal activity. And it’s a signal something should be investigated.

While of a general nature, here are some red flags that may warrant a closer look:

1. Employee lifestyle changes (expensive cars, jewelry, homes, clothes)2. Significant personal debt and credit problems3. Behavioral changes (an indication of drugs, alcohol, gambling or fear of losing the job)4. Refusal to take vacation or sick leave (many violations are discovered while the perpetrator is on vacation)5. Lower deposit amounts than expect-ed on busy days

PReVenT fRauDOne aspect of fraud prevention includes thorough fraud detection training. Teach employees and managers the im-pact fraud can have on the organization, what constitutes fraud, the warning signs of fraudulent activity and how to report suspicious behavior.

Another fraud prevention measure in-cludes implementing internal controls. Internal controls help ensure efficient operations, compliance with laws and regulations, safeguarding of assets and accurate financial reporting. These poli-cies and procedures should address:

1. Separation of duties: Implement a practice in which two separate employ-ees are responsible for recording and processing a transaction. 2. Access controls: Restrict access to physical and financial assets and information, including online financial information such as bank accounts and credit card transactions, to authorized employees.3. Authorization controls: Develop and implement policies to determine how financial transactions are initiated,

authorized, recorded and reviewed.4. Policies: Establish and communicate strict policies for accessing company assets such as business inventory.5. Exposure to cash: Monitor cash transactions closely and request receipts for all transactions.6. Audits: Institute regularly scheduled and occasional random audits by a quali-fied financial professional such as a CPA.

In the event of fraudulent activities, it’s important that business owners have a fraud reporting system in place. Employ-ee tips are what most often uncover oc-cupational fraud. Institute an anonymous reporting system for employees, vendors and customers to report any violations (suspected or actual) of policies and pro-cedures. Craft and implement anti-retali-ation policies that actively encourage em-ployees to report suspicious activity.

It’s also a best practice for business own-ers to conduct extensive background checks on those who have access to company funds and other resources. For example, Society Insurance has a close relationship with a background screen-ing company. Through this relationship, Society is able to offer its insured busi-ness owners discounted background checks. Society also has its business owners consult with risk control profes-sionals to identify weak security areas and minimize fraud.

Employee fraud and dishonesty take a toll on businesses of all sizes. But by un-derstanding what may be at the root of fraud and being able to identify potential red flags, you will be able to take action to prevent business-damaging events. TLW

Editor’s Note: Mike Rosenau, MBA, CSP, ARM,

is risk control manager at Society Insurance.

Identify and Prevent Employee Dishonesty ThreatsBy Mike Rosenau


leAgue ProFile

While the Chippewa County Tavern League is in transition with the Au-

gust retirement of longtime President Sonny Eckwright, the board of directors is excited about where the league is headed, accord-ing to board member and TLW Northern

Zone Vice President Rob Summerfield.

“It’s been a nice transition,” says Summer-field, owner of Bloomer’s Two Acres Sup-per Club, a family-owned establishment in business for 37 years. “Everyone is still sticking around to help, and every year we’ve got new people who are interested in getting involved and new people on the board. Even through we’re in the midst of switching leadership, we’ve got some new ideas and we’re excited to move ahead with those,” Summerfield says.

One such idea is recommitting to philan-thropy, and the league will be choosing a target charity to support in coming months. “We realize it’s something we haven’t been the best with, but it’s something we’re real-ly committed to rekindling,” he adds.

Thanks to the league’s well-supported annual fundraisers, filling the kitty for the to-be-chosen charity should get off to a quick start. Some of their events in-clude an annual fun run, a spring dinner and a bowling tournament.

In addition to focusing on charity, grow-ing the league’s membership and hitting the “magic” 100-member mark is a pri-ority in the next year. But they’re also ecstatic that their membership has held steady around 90 for that last several years given the state of the economy and industry. For that, they have Eckwright,

owner of Chippewa Falls’ Wander Inn to thank.

While membership is split between ur-ban establishments centered in Chippe-wa Falls and rural destinations, tourism is a huge driver for the Chippewa Coun-ty tavern industry. In the city of Chippe-wa Falls, the Leinenkugel’s facility helps bring in patrons, and outside the city, the lakes, woods and other recreation opportunities bring in business.

Because of the urban-rural makeup, the league only operates a SafeRide program in Chippewa Falls, and that has just been re-started in the last year. “In Chippewa Falls, a few members have really taken charge to get it back; it was inactive for about five years. It’s a work in progress, but it’s work-ing well,” Summerfield says.

In other areas, members rely on the good Samaritan system of getting patrons home.

The Chippewa County Tavern League es-pecially prides itself on the good rapport it has with its state legislators and local officials. “It’s great that our legislators realize how big a value we are to the lo-cal economy,” says Summerfield. “They know our members vote and are very po-litically active and are keeping our eyes and ears to the ground, talking to them and making personal relationships. It’s something we’re proud of.” TLW

cHIPPeWa couNtY taverN League

At the recent tLW fall convention, members gathered to discuss league issues and to socialize . From left: Lori kleich, marty Loew, Wes Partlo, cindy Welk, rick Zwiefelhofer and rob Summerfield .

ChippewaCOUNTY LEAGUE


Loopy’s grill & Saloon has been extensively remodeled over the last 17 years . Six years ago, the “Loopy Dome” was added to enhance business during the slower winter months . they now host everything from year-round volleyball leagues to banquets . Loopy’s also has a full-service tiki bar overlooking the chippewa river .

BuSineSS SPotligHt

Bill “Loopy” Kleich isn’t joking when he says he’s been in the bar business

since he was 14.

“I started tending bar with my father at age 14 when my family moved up from the Chicago area and bought the resort we va-cationed at for years,” says Loopy, owner of Chippewa Falls’ Loopy’s Grill & Saloon. “It was the Tomahawk Lodge in Toma-hawk and it had a full bar and supper club along with several small cottages.”

When he moved to Eau Claire for col-lege, he worked at O’Leary’s Pub and then moved to Chippewa Falls where he worked as a manager at The View on Lake Wissota on and off for almost 10 years. He’s also tended bar in Breckenridge, Colo. and St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.

With plenty of experience in the indus-try, Loopy’s then-girlfriend (now wife), Lori, opened the place on January 3, 1997, and together they transformed the old tavern into Loopy’s. Located on state highway X between state highways 29 and 53, the establishment offers great views of the Chippewa River.

“The tavern was originally built in 1947 on Highway 29 until the highway was moved a few years back. It was Bobbi Jo’s, a small country tavern, and it was added on to over the years. We have spent the last 17 years extensively remodeling and

expanding it and continue to do so to this day,” says Loopy. Six years ago, they add-ed The Loopy Dome and a full-service tiki bar overlooking the river.

The Loopy Dome was built to enhance the establishment’s slower winter months by enclosing and heating three outdoor volleyball courts with an air dome struc-ture similar to the roof of the Metrodome in Minneapolis. In this addition, Loopy’s hosts 150 teams a week, year-round, as well as fundraisers, banquets, tourna-ments, music and comedy shows.

In the summer, along with volleyball leagues and parties, Loopy’s runs a tub-ing, canoe and kayak rental business on the Chippewa River.

When patrons get hungry after a day

on the river or an hour on the court, Loopy’s offers a full menu, featuring homemade pizzas and Leinie’s Honey Weiss fish fries.

“Loopy’s is not only a place for everyone, catering to locals and tourists alike, it’s a place for everything,” says Loopy, who served two consecutive terms as president of the Chippewa County Tavern League.

A longtime Tavern League advocate, Loopy appreciates the importance of the organization. “I would like to thank all the current and past officeholders in the Tavern League for all the work they do.

Loopy’s Grill & Saloon

10691 county Highway X, chippewa Falls

715-723-LooP (5667)

loopy@723Loop .com • www .723loop .com

LooPY’s grILL & saLooN

7Tavern League of Wisconsin 2012 March/April On Premise

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FeAtured AFFiliAteS

blue honey bio-fuels inc.Did you know that the used cooking oil produced in your bar or restaurant can strengthen Wisconsin’s economy by keeping energy dollars here? John Feyen, CEO and co-owner of Blue Honey Bio-Fuels has built his company around this very principle. “My

main goal when we started this business was to keep as much vegetable oil as possible in Wisconsin for use by local bio-fuel companies.”

Blue Honey collects waste vegetable oil from approximately 1,000 accounts in Wisconsin with a fleet of bio-fuel powered trucks. The company works with processors set up in multiple locations throughout the state that convert the oil to useable products, including bio-diesel, ethanol and jet fuel.

“We aren’t in the market to process the oil into bio-fuels due to state environmental specifications,” says Feyen. “We do the hard work by collecting it, hauling it to our facility, then de-watering it and cleaning it up to remove the impurities. What’s left is the base, which we sell to the bio-fuel companies.”

The vegetable oil collection company opened its doors in 2007 and found the market and its customers were ready for a new player in the industry. “It all starts with customer service, which I’ve learned through my waste hauling and septic pumping businesses,” says Feyen. “Our philosophy is to treat our customers as partners, not as a number.”

Blue Honey provides several options for waste containers based on the needs of each business. All containers are weatherproof, have locking lids and are set up free of charge. The company’s goal is to schedule routine pick-ups when containers are three-quarters full to reduce the risk of overflows.

According to Feyen, Blue Honey guarantees a fair and competitive price for used cooking oil that is based on quantity and quality. For example, if a customer dumps too much water in a container or if soup or other liquids are added, Feyen’s drivers evaluate the quality of the oil they’re pumping and the price is set accordingly.

Blue Honey’s commitment to recycling vegetable oils has earned the company recognition from the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council’s Green Masters Program.

Feyen says the environmental benefits of this process are a win-win for everyone. “We joined the Tavern League as an affiliate member because there are opportunities for bars and taverns that aren’t producing a lot of oil to get rid of it in a way that turns it into a clean source of fuel, plus get paid for it. It could be a revenue stream for them and we just want to get the word out.”

Blue HOney BIO-Fuels Inc.John FeyenP.O. Box 194, Ettrick, WI 54627 • [email protected] • www.bluehoneybiofuels.com

QPonDoG TexT MessaGe MaRkeTinG sPecialisTs Growing your business and increasing revenue is the name of the game. Wisconsin-based QponDog believes their

proven system of text message marketing will put you on the road to more customer visits and $6,000 in additional annual sales per year. That’s a lofty promise, but according to QponDog President Jim Sickels, its one his company firmly believes in. In fact, Sickels says if you don’t achieve this increase in additional revenue by using their system, you don’t pay his company a penny.

So how do you achieve success and added revenue using QponDog’s services? “We’ve taken all the speed bumps away from using our program,” says Sickels. “The system we’ve designed means you, as a business owner, don’t have to do any work. We’ll design the whole program each month. Just let us know what specials you want to promote.”

Sickels says the success of QponDog’s program relies on building a database of 500 phone numbers and providing promotions featuring discounts of 25 percent or more. “We know that people are very guarded with their cell phone numbers and signing up for a texting program has to be very worthwhile. If, as a business owner, you’re going to be sending out messages, you need to make sure there is real value for the customer to ensure they’ll keep looking at those texts.”

Staff buy-in is also essential in promoting the program, according to Sickels. “If waitstaff or bartenders explain how your business is offering great deals only through the texting program and they can get someone to sign up on the spot using their cell phone, that’s a huge bonus.”

QponDog also provides printed marketing materials like table tents and posters to place strategically throughout a business. Plus they’ll add a link on the business’ website so customers can sign up online.

Account reps develop monthly calendars for each business, featuring an unlimited number of rotating messages. They target specific dates, plus tailor the message and the time it’s deployed.

QponDog offers TLW members a discounted rate of $99 per month and they give $10 of every TLW account back to the Tavern League. (Their normal price for their services is $129 per month.)

Sickels emphasizes, however, if you sign up for the program, the first 30 days are free. “We’ll train the business owner and get them all their marketing materials, but if they decide after the first 30 days the program isn’t for them, they don’t pay a dime. What’s to lose?”

QpOndOg TexT MessAge MArkeTIng specIAlIsTsPaul L. Hundt5105 Leanne Ln., McFarland, WI 53558 • [email protected] • www.g2tbar.com


VeRn’s cheese inc.Kurt Knoespel knows cheese and he also knows what it takes to be a part of a successful multi-generational family business. As the son of

founders Vern and Edith Knoespel, Kurt has been immersed in all things cheese his whole life, helping deliver customer orders as a kid and watching as his parents displayed gift boxes at Christmastime from the family’s front porch.

Today, Kurt is director of sales for Vern’s Cheese and works side-by-side with his parents, three sisters, two brother-in-laws and his daughter.

The Chilton-based company employs 45-50 people, has 14 trucks, a retail store and online business. Their distribution is far-reaching, covering three-quarters of Wisconsin and parts of surrounding states.

In addition to over 100 varieties of cheese, of which approximately 95 percent are from Wisconsin, the company also sells other dairy products like milk, sour cream and cottage cheese. “For 49 years we’ve delivered quality products,” says Kurt. “We don’t buy on price, we look for quality. Our cheese suppliers are consistently placing in the top spots in cheese competitions.”

In addition, the company also sells summer sausage, hams, bacon, crackers, popcorn, candy, plus a wide assortment of products like pizza toppings, pizza dough balls, snack mixes and a variety of appetizers that are perfectly suited for bars and restaurants.

“We have an excellent tasting pickle for Bloody Mary’s,” says Kurt. “Plus we offer everything else you’d want to use for a garnish from olives to onions and asparagus to mushrooms.”

Kurt feels the variety of products is one key to the success of their business, but more importantly it is the unwavering business philosophy that has stood the test of time. “We’ve always been customer focused and prided ourselves on doing the best for our customers,” says Kurt. “We don’t have a minimum order size, which is a really foreign concept to some of our competition. We try to work with people on this and we’ve found that’s especially helpful for the smaller bars and taverns.”

Kurt says he has been pleasantly surprised with how much business he’s gained by attending the TLW tradeshows and sampling a few products. “It’s always fun to attend these tradeshows because we get to talk with the owners and managers that have buying power. Plus, it’s just great to meet new people; everyone is friendly and fun to talk to.”

Vern’s cHeese Inc.Kurt Knoespel312 W. Main St., Chilton, WI 53014 • [email protected] • www.vernscheese.com

sTaTeMenT of oWneRshiP anD ciRculaTion


Bill Morgan, an attorney with Mur-phy Desmond S.C., says that being a

watchful employer can save money, and his liquor license, when it comes to fol-lowing proper tip credit procedures.

The Wisconsin minimum wage for tipped employees is set at $2.33 per hour. (The federal minimum wage is $2.13 if a business crosses state lines.) For non-tipped employees, it is $7.25 per hour. This gives employers a tip wage credit maximum of $4.92 in Wisconsin, allow-ing them to pay less than the minimum wage out of pocket.

“It presumes that employees are pulling in tips equal to that amount per hour,” says Morgan. “If they don’t, the employ-er must make up the difference.”

While it may seem straightforward, Morgan says that where employers run into problems most often is lack of pa-perwork. Employers need to stress the importance of tracking tips to their staff. It is simply good practice, to have them report daily or as a part of their pay period hours. Declaring a tip cred-it retroactively by employers could lead to a wage claim by an employee. Docu-mentation on file should also include the portion of wages being withheld.

Morgan explains that as long as the dollar amount of tips, divided by hours worked is greater than $4.92, the em-ployer is fine. “If not, you have to pay the difference, but also could be paying a substantial penalty,” he adds.

Another issue tavern owners face is the pooling of tips, he explains. If tips are pooled, each employee must be paid at least the minimum wage after they are dispersed. Employers cannot retain any of the pooled tips, and pooled tips also

must omit those employees that “cus-tomarily and regularly” do not receive tips such as cooks and hostesses. If they are included, the tip credit could be lost completely, he warns.

Morgan also sees questions arise when it comes to paying overtime to tipped employees. It must be paid on the paid amount, not the tip credit, which is at least $7.25 an hour.

To help employees remember to do their paperwork, Morgan suggests making tip declaration a part of closing out each shift worked. If tips are underreported, a tavern owner is essentially hurting him-self. Educating employees is one way to avoid this, but also ensuring new man-agement understands the why’s of this practice.

“If you don’t have the tip declarations on file, you can’t claim the credit,” says Morgan. “And if you’re subjected to an audit, they can go back up to three years.” Employees, he says, have two years from original date of work to make a wage claim to the Department of Workforce Development.

Morgan says that with the tougher eco-nomic climate, he’s been seeing more wage claims in recent years. Cutting

corners, he says, never pays in a positive way, but instead in expensive penalties. “I think employers want to do the right thing but fall short on recordkeeping, which can put a tavern out of business,” Morgan explains.

The large number of employees one tavern can have in a three-year period should be reason enough to keep accu-rate tip declarations. He notes this can be thousands upon thousands of dollars

a small establishment isn’t going to have. “It’s a huge number,” Morgan adds.

In a lot of communities, this type of offense is also a threat to an establish-ment’s liquor license. Many local gov-erning agencies make a license contin-gent upon compliance with all state and federal laws. Morgan questions: “If a council didn’t like a particular owner, would they use that against them? May-be so,” he says.

The rules aren’t being altered any time soon, Morgan adds, noting: “I haven’t seen any changes, which is good.” His mission continues to be helping owners understand how to fully follow the rules that are in place now. TLW

A Tipping ReviewKnowing the Rules Now Can Save You In the FutureBy Jen Bradley

“I think employers want to do the right thing but fall short on recordkeeping, which can put a tavern out of business,” — Bill morgan, attorney, murPhy DesmonD s.c.


tax aND FINaNcIaL recorD reteNtIoN BY KIMBerLY rueF, cPa

There is often confusion about how long financial and tax records should

be kept. There are many taxing authori-ties requiring retention of various records, each with different requirements and dif-ferent time horizons. Financial and tax records may have to be produced if the IRS (or a state or local taxing authority) audits your return or seeks to assess or collect a tax. In addition, lenders, co-op boards, or other private parties may re-quire that you produce copies of your tax returns as a condition to lending money, approving a purchase, or otherwise doing business with you.

Keep returns indefinitely and the sup-porting records usually for six years.In general, except in cases of fraud or sub-stantial understatements of income, the IRS can only assess tax for a year within three years after the return for that year was filed (or, if later, three years after the return was due). For example, if your 2012 individual income tax return is filed by its original due date of April 15, 2013, the IRS will have until April 15, 2016 to assess a tax deficiency against you. If you file your return late, the IRS generally will have three years from the date you filed the return to assess a de-ficiency.

excePTions To The RuleHowever, the three-year rule isn’t iron-clad. The assessment period is extended to six years if more than 25 percent of gross income is omitted from a return. In

addition, where no return was filed for a tax year, the IRS can assess tax at any time (even beyond three or six years). If the IRS claims that you never filed a re-turn for a particular year, keeping a copy of the return will help you to prove that you did. While it’s impossible to be completely sure that the IRS won’t at some point seek to assess tax, retaining tax returns indefinitely and important records for six years after the return is filed should, as a practical matter, be adequate. If you file your returns electronically, be sure to get copies from the company that pre-pared and/or filed your return.

PRoPeRTy RecoRDsRecords relating to property may have to be kept longer. Keep in mind that the tax consequences of a transaction that occurs in one year may depend on things that happened in earlier years, and that the period for which you should retain records must be measured from the year in which the tax consequences actually occur. This may be significant, for ex-ample, where you sell property that you bought years earlier.

For example, suppose you bought your home in 1986 for $100,000 and made $20,000 of capital improvements in 1993. To determine the tax consequenc-es of the sale, it’s necessary to know your basis (i.e., original cost plus later capital improvements). Thus, if you sell your home in 2013, and your return for that year is audited, you may have to produce records relating to the purchase in 1986 and the capital improvement in 1993 to be able to show what your basis is. Therefore, those records should be kept for at least six years after your 2013 re-turn is filed instead of just six years after the transactions they relate to occurred.

Similar considerations apply to other property which is likely to be bought and sold — for example, stock in a busi-

ness corporation or in a mutual fund, bonds (or other debt securities), etc. In particular, remember that if you rein-vest dividends to buy additional shares of stock, each reinvestment is a separate purchase of stock. The records of each reinvestment should be kept for at least six years after the return is filed for the year in which the stock is sold.

loss oR DesTRucTion of RecoRDsTo safeguard your records against loss from theft, fire or other disaster, you should consider keeping your most im-portant records in a safe deposit box or other safe place outside your home. In addition, consider keeping copies of the most important records in a single, easily accessible location so that you can grab them if you have to leave your home in an emergency.

If, in spite of your precautions, records are lost or destroyed, it may be possible to reconstruct some of them. For example, a paid tax return preparer is required by law to retain, for a period of three years, copies of tax returns or a list of taxpayers for whom returns were prepared.

Nonetheless, because you can never be sure whether third parties will actually have the records you need, the safest course of action is to keep them your-self, in as safe a place as possible.

For a complete list of records and their recommended retention schedule, con-tact your accountant. TLW

Kimberly Ruef, CPA is a partner with Wegner

LLP, CPAs & Consultants with offices in Mad-

ison, Baraboo, Janesville and Pewaukee. She

has been providing accounting and tax services

to businesses and business owners for over 20

years. This article is not intended to give you

complete tax advice, but a general review of the

subject matter.

Phone: (608) 274-4020

Email: [email protected]

Accounting HelP


legiSlAtive noteS

It has been a busy year in the state Legislature and the Tavern League of

Wisconsin has had some good successes in Madison.

The “Brown Jug” bill was brought to the TLW Board of Directors by members of the Jefferson County Tavern League. After reviewing the bill passed in Alaska, the board voted to work to pass a sim-ilar law in Wisconsin. Rep. Andre Jac-que, (R-DePere) and Sen. Rick Gudex, (R-Fond du Lac) introduced Wisconsin’s version of the “Brown Jug” bill early in the legislative session.

Assembly Bill 61 was introduced in the state Assembly on March 7. The Assem-bly State Affairs Committee unanimous-ly passed the bill out of committee to the full Assembly where it passed without objection on a voice vote. The bill then went to the state Senate where it passed out of the Senate Tourism Committee, 8-1 and passed the state Senate on a voice vote. As of this writing, the bill is awaiting action by Gov. Walker who is expected to sign it.

WhaT The neW laW MeansThe new law will allow Class A or Class B retailers to bring a private right of action against an underage person who commits an underage violation on the retailer’s licensed premise. If the underage person is less than 18 years of age, the licensee may bring the civil action against the un-derage person’s parent instead of the un-derage person. If the action is successful,

the licensee shall be awarded $1,000 by the court plus court costs.

hoW The bill Will WoRk At or near the time the offense occurs, a licensed retailer is required to report the illegal conduct to law enforcement. The retailer may then proceed, regardless if the underage person is cited by law en-forcement.

The next step is for a licensee to provide a notice to the underage person, or the underage person’s parent if applicable, of their intent to bring the civil action. The notice must be mailed to the under-age person’s last known address at least 15 days prior to the action being filed with the court, and shall include a de-mand for the relief provided by the law.

Once 15 days have elapsed, a licensee may then file the action with the court. The burden of proof is on the retailer, showing by a preponderance of the evi-dence, that the underage person violated the law.

PosTinG siGnsOnce the law takes effect licensed re-tailers will be able to post a sign outside their establishment warning underage persons they could be sued for $1,000 if they attempt to illegally enter a licensed premise. As was the case in Alaska, we are hopeful this bill will serve as a deter-rent to underage persons from attempt-ing to enter a licensed establishment.

The TLW will have signs available on-line and available for local leagues to distribute to their members.

MoRe funDs foR safeRiDe PRoGRaMDuring the 2013-15 biennial budget de-liberations, the Tavern League of Wis-consin lobbied to secure an additional

$192,000 over the biennium for Wis-consin’s successful and award-winning SafeRide Program. With support from Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette and Rep. Rob Swearingen, R-Rhinelander a change to the funding formula was made to provide additional state reve-nue for the SafeRide Program.

Last year, approximately $830,000 was spent to operate and administer the pro-gram, which provided nearly 75,000 free rides home to individuals who had one too many drinks. Over 1,600 TLW members from around the state partici-pate in the program, which was first es-tablished in 1985.

Because funding for the SafeRide pro-gram is tied to the OWI surcharge, fund-ing for the program has been declining in recent years as drunken driving con-victions are down dramatically. This is in contrast to the popularity of the pro-gram, which grew by an estimated 10 percent from the previous year.

The additional funds secured during the biennial budget were necessary, in the short term, to continue the financial vi-ability of the program as well as help it grow in the future. We will continue to work to grow the SafeRide Program and continue to secure additional funding sources to meet its demands.

It has been a busy and productive 2013 for the TLW and we are looking forward to a successful and productive 2014. Thank you for your continued support of and membership in the Tavern League of Wisconsin. TLW

tLW eNJoYs success at state caPItoL BY scott steNger, steNger goverNMeNt reLatIoNs


tLW aFFILIate MeMBers as oF octoBer 15, 2013Ackley Novelty Inc .

Affiliated Investment group

Airgas National carbonation

Alliance Insurance centers LLc

Allied games Inc .

Allied Insurance centers Inc .

American entertainment Services Inc .

American Income Life

American Welding & gas

Amusement Devices Inc .

App mountain LLc

Appleton Night out .com LLc

Audio entertainment

b & k bar & restaurant Supplies

b-m music & games

badger Hood cleaning

baraboo Sysco Food Services

baraboo tent & Awning

barsguru enterprises LLc

bartelt Insurance Services

bay tek games

bay towel/Linen rental

beechwood Distributors Inc .

benedict refrigeration Service Inc .

best bargains

bevinco

bi-State Point of Sale Solutions

big Daddy games LLc

big game Sports cards/ Sterling graphics

bill’s Distributing LtD

blue Honey bio-Fuels Inc .

bmI (broadcast music Inc .)

bob Schuchardt Insurance

boelter companies

bromak Sales Inc .

buy right Purchasing group LLc

capital brewery

cardtronics USA

cash Depot

central ceiling Systems Inc .

century Services

chambers travel

cintas corporation

coffee express Inc .

cornerstone Processing Solutions Inc .

corporate casuals & Promotional Products

county Wide extinguisher Inc .

D & D Amusement games LLc

Dalin Lindseth & co . S . c .

Dean Health Plan

Dean’s Satellite

Delafield brew Haus

Devere company Inc .

Dierks Waukesha

Dining Publications LLc

DIScUS

Disher Insurance Services

DJ D-train

edge one Inc .

el cortez Hotel & casino

electro-kold corporation

emil’s Pizza Inc .

energy Distributing

engels commercial Appliance Inc .

Fabiano brothers

Firehouse Pizza

Flanigan Distributing

Fleming’s Fire I

Flipside coin machines Inc .

Foremost business Systems

Freistadt Alte kameraden band

Friebert, Finerty & St . John S .c .

game management corp .

games Are Us Inc .

general beer - Northeast Inc .

general beverage Sales co .

glavinsured Agency Inc .

great Lakes Amusements

great Lakes beverage

great Northern Amusements

guardian Pest Solutions Inc .

gunderson Linen

Happy tap

Hiawatha chef, bar and Janitorial Supply

Holiday Wholesale Inc .

Hospitality Services corp .

Huebsch Services

Ideal Ad & Sportswear

Independent Insurance Services Inc .

Indianhead Foodservice Dist . Inc .

Insphere Insurance Solutions

J t Advertising

J/r Ice & refrigeration repair LLc

Jbm Amusements

Johnson brothers beverage

Johnson Dist . Inc .

Just in time refrigeration LLc

kavanaughs restaurant Supplies

keg-Stands LLc

kessenich’s Ltd .

kevcorp International

kLb Insurance Services- Illinois casualty

kobussen buses Ltd .

Lamers bus Lines

Lebby’s Frozen Pizza

Lee beverage of Wisconsin LLc

Legacy Advisor Network

LJP Insurance Agency/ rural mutual

Lodgevision (formerly Star connection)

m & r Amusements & vending LLc

magnuson Industries Inc .

mass Appeal Specialties Inc .

mbA corp .

meyer brothers LLc

micro matic

mid-oak Distillery

midstate Amusement games

midwest Amusements

midwest coin concepts of WI

milwaukee brewers

milwaukee bucks

milwaukee Pedal tavern LLc

mississippi river Distilling company

mitchell Novelty co .

modern cash register Systems

murphy Desmond S .c .

National chemicals Inc .

Nei - turner media group Inc .

New glarus brewing co .

Northern Lakes Amusement

Northwest coin machine co

office Supplies 2 U Inc .

omega Processing Solutions

Paradise Printing company

Park ridge Distributing Inc .

Patrón Spirits company

Pehler Distributing Inc .

Per mar Security Services

Pinkerton Solutions LLc

Plunkett’s Pest control

Portesi Italian Foods Inc .

Precision Pours Inc .

QponDog on mobile Advisors

racine Amusement Inc .

red’s Novelty LtD

reindl Printing

reinhart Food Service LLc

riverside Foods Inc .

S & S Distributing Inc .

Saloons N Spoons/ turbo chemical

Sam’s Amusement co .

Sam’s club

Sanimax USA Inc .

Saratoga Liquor co . Inc .

Schmidt Novelty

Serralles USA

Service Specialists

SniffIt LLc

Special olympics Wisconsin Inc .

Stansfield vending Inc .

Stevens Point brewery

Superior beverages LLc

Superior vending

Swanel beverage Inc ./banzai

tamarak Design’s

think Ink & Design

this Drinks on Us LLc

ticket king Inc .

toccata gaming International LLc

tri-mart corporation

tricky Dick & Joyce Specialty

US Foodservice

vern’s cheese Inc .

vital tokens

Wausau coin machines Inc .

West Suburban Insurance Agency

WI Hospitality Insured

Wil-kil Pest control

Wine Institute

Wisconsin Souvenir milkcaps

Wordbyphone .com

AFFiliAte MeMBerS


new MeMBerS

diStrict 1

kenosha city

Breakwater Bar & GrillLisa meyerskenosha

Chaser’s LoungeDan creamerkenosha

Clubhouse Pub & Grillekevin koprovickenosha

Frankie D’s Vino & PizzeriaFrank Debartolokenosha

Franks DinerJulie rittmillerkenosha

Infusino’s Pizzeria South Inc.Jerry Infusinokenosha

Interlude II Bar & GrillJames Pruettkenosha

Los Cantaritos mexican RestaurantNoe Jaimeskenosha

Pub 22 Bar & Grillrob Warmouth & mike volakiskenosha

Rumors Loungecrystal mondaykenosha

Tilted Kiltmike rosciolikenosha

John’s DockJohn Dunkracine

kenosha county

Powers Lake Sportsman’s ClubJ gehrkePowers Lake

Fire Pittbrenda Jonastrevor

Racine city

Clay’s TapShirley Williekenosha

Reefpoint Brew HouseJohn valko, Jr .racine

Rock InnArlene & terry Feestracine

Racine county

South Hills Country ClubNan martinFranksville

Kelly’s Bleachers 2kelly vecitisWaterford

Rock county

Stables Bar & GrillLori Jesterorfordville

south central

The French Quarter Inc.Duane French & Amy gutzmermonroe

Walworth county

Beer HereJohn cordioWhitewater

Split Decisionmichael S . kachelWhitewater

diStrict 2

columbia county

Portage Elks Lodge #675ron ShannonPortage

Dodge county

Heine’s Famous Pizza LLCgeorge HeineHoricon

Hauser’s HideawayPaul r . Hauser, Jr .rubicon

Jefferson county

Baba’s Thirsty RhinoAndrew rosenowWatertown

Madison/Dane county

Jordan’s Big 10 Inc.kelly Jordanmadison

Never mind BarLynn HullStoughton

diStrict 3

crawford county

Horseshoe Taverngreg & grant russellPrairie Du chien

mcCormick’s Bar & GrillDerek mccormickSoldiers grove

Grant/iowa county

Legends Pub & GrillFred F . FinkDarlington

Nick’sNick PeasePlatteville

Juneau county

Squirrel E’s Bar & Grillearl elscamp Douglas

Center Ice Sports Bar & GrillStacie & John billingsHillsboro

Hillsboro Brewing CompanySnapper verbskyHillsboro

Summit Ridge LLCmelissa berberich & matt kratzWonewoc

Wooden ShoeDevin FasselWonewoc

la crosse city/county

Fjord BarDave Larsoncoon valley

La Crosse Fieldhouse LLCclayton oehrleLa crosse

Recovery Room Bar matt ellenzLa crosse

River RatsFrench Slough PropLa crosse

T-Jo’s Pizzabill PedenLa crosse

Monroe county

Peck’s Cornerroger Skredecashton

Wetlands Restaurant, Pub & Cateringt & J HospitalityWarrens

diStrict 4

calumet county

Hickory Hills GolfJoseph Nelesenchilton

High Cliff RestaurantLarry truccoSherwood

Schumacher’s ShantyJodi & Jim SchumacherStockbridge

Manitowoc county

Capitol Civic Centre, Inc.Peggy kreymanitowoc

Gary’s Getaway Bargary Sieboldmanitowoc

Webster’s Inn on Third StreetSteve & kellie Websterreedsville

ozaukee county

Glide Inn LLCmarian clarkWest bend

sheboygan county

Four of a Kindronald ranieriSheboygan

Washington county

Auburn Bluffs Golf CoursePatrick m . Adamscampbellsport

Johnny manhattan’sNancy manhattanHubertus

Fat Charlie’scharlie Jonesrichfield

Amber InnAnna koehnkeSlinger

Pillars PubPatrick kentWest bend

Washington House Pubeddie DanielWest bend

Winnebago county

Trailside TavernJean redlinmenasha

Dockside Tavern Food and SpiritsJason Lindemannoshkosh

diStrict 5

adams county

main Street Stationkaren WitkoloskiAdams

Sidelines Bar & GrillJeff & maria ZeimetNekoosa

Lucky 13 SaloonJim & Jackie gloydWisconsin Dells

langlade county

Riverview Golf Coursekretz riverview IncAntigo

Marathon county

Trailside Sports Bar & Grillmichael erdmannSchofield

Marquette county

KW’s Grill N’ Pubkevin D . kastenendeavor

Portage county

Central Waters Brewing CompanyAnello mollicaAmherst

Bullheads Bar and GrillJerry FahrnerStevens Point

shawano county

The Blind Squirrel trevor milhauptShawano

Waupaca county

John’s Edgewater Bar & GrillJohn WantyIola

Wood county

Brown’s Barmike J . brownmarshfield

Bulldogs Bar LLCmelanie galikWisconsin rapids

Sunrise Barmichael Pataska & James gavin JrWisconsin rapids

diStrict 6

brown county

Nic’s Bar & GrillDave Nicholsgreen bay

Richard CraniumsDon mjeldegreen bay

Swobey’s Baredward tushoskigreen bay

The Hideout Nick titelgreen bay

kewaunee county

Ape’s Bar & Grill LLCApril LohreyAlgoma

tLW NeW memberS AUgUSt 9, 2013 to october 15, 2013


Marinette county

Richard’s Supper Club & motelrick NewinghamDunbar

Wanek’s Paris in Pembinemichele & casey WanekPembine

oconto county

The Bucket Sports Bar Jane van vleet & Steve Pricegillett

The Fifth Wheel marsha Leroygillett

Rustic Ridge Supper ClubJen olsonPulaski

Red maple Country Club LLCJulie SuringSuring

outagamie county

Capitol CentrePhillip J . PlamannAppleton

Still Wally’s Stillchris kogaDale

diStrict 7

barron county

R Barbostad enterprisescameron

Buckhorn Bar & Grillcraig moenPrairie Farm

eau claire city/county

Elbow Roomgarrett Jochimseneau claire

metropolis Resorttom Hahneau claire

Jackson county

Travelers TalesAsh or Sarah Duffblack river Falls

Pepin county

The Pickle Factory LLCmarianne & Steve DovePepin

Polk county

miki Jo’smiki Jo JohnsonAmery

American Legion Post 396commanderFrederic

Wilkins Bone Lake Bar & Resort LLCSteven & Delores bolLuck

Trempealeau/buffalo county

Jen’s Swing Inn BarJennifer Halversonosseo

diStrict 8

ashland/bayfield county

Lakewoods Resort & GolfPhilip rasmussencable

burnett county

The Local michael AnesiSpooner

lakeland area

Preuss’s Pubrattenbach & PreussArbor vitae

oneida county

Backwaters Bar & GrillPatrick Wilsonrhinelander

mulligan’sDavid o’meliarhinelander

Wisconsin River CruisesPatty Zastrowrhinelander

Price county

Sugarbush TavernFrank AnetsbergerPark Falls

sawyer county

Thompson’s Game FarmDale thompsonexeland

Lost Land Lake LodgeDana o’NeillHayward

Nelson Lake Landing Inc.John WelterHayward

R & R Bayview ResortLorena DeJoodeHayward

Reel Livin’ Resortmatt & Jane PflegerHayward

Sandys Wayside Sports Bar & GrillSandra SchorrHayward

mK’s Rustic Innmary kay morkWinter

superior/Douglas county

marty & Gina’smarty mccuskyFoxboro

Buckhorn LLCDave & kathy rosegordon

Charlie Brown’s Barmark FuldaSuperior

Gronk’s Grill & Barmike mohrSuperior

manitou Innchris & Sherri carlsonSuperior

Taylor county

Cindy’s Bar and Grillcindy berndtmedford

Tomahawk/Merrill area

1212 Sports LoungeJared Schmidtmerrill

Tom & Bev’s LLCtom & bev godleskemerrill

Pine Pointe Resortbob & gail giseltomahawk

Wild North Saloonmike Schuerrtomahawk

Vilas county

Eagle River Innelizabeth Schneidereagle river

Stillwaters Food & Spiritschuck AltamoreStar Lake

Washburn county

Snowshoe Saloon & Liquor Storemichael WellsHayward

diStrict 9

Milwaukee county hospitality

Carniceria La FamiliaAlejandro vallejomilwaukee

Pat’s Oak manorPatsy S . JamesSouth milwaukee

Blue-B-Q & Brew @ Tanner PaullLP & rb LLcWest Allis

Credit card may be required (except in MA & PA). To access DIRECTV HD programming, HD equipment required. Number of HD channels based on package selection. Service activation with 24-month commitment requires and for new, first-time DIRECTV commercial customers. All prices, packages and programming subject to change without notice. All DIRECTV programming, and any other services that are provided, are subject to the terms and conditions of the promotional agreement and Commercial Customer Agreement. BUSINESS INFORMATION PROGRAMMING/BILL CREDIT OFFER: Purchase of 24 consecutive months of BUSINESS INFORMATION and Local Channels packages (if available in your market) required. Upon DIRECTV System activation, beginning in the second month, DIRECTV will begin to credit the new BUSINESS INFORMATION customer’s account for 12 consecutive months in the amount of $6.00/mo. for the BUSINESS INFORMATION and Local Channels packages, plus an additional $10.00/mo. when customer activates and maintains BUSINESS INFORMATION and enrolls in Auto Bill Pay for 12 months with credit card at the point of sale. Account must be in “good standing,” as determined by DIRECTV in its sole discretion, to remain eligible. IF BY THE END OF PROMOTIONAL PRICE PERIOD(S) CUSTOMER DOES NOT CONTACT DIRECTV TO CHANGE SERVICE, THEN ALL SERVICES WILL AUTOMATICALLY CONTINUE AT THE THEN-PREVAILING RATES. In certain markets, programming/pricing may vary. IN THE EVENT YOU FAIL TO MAINTAIN YOUR PROGRAMMING AGREEMENT, YOU AGREE THAT DIRECTV MAY CHARGE YOU A PRORATABLE EARLY CANCELLATION FEE OF $480. LIMIT ONE BILL CREDIT OFFER PER ACCOUNT. HARDWARE OFFER: Programming agreement, as defined by customer’s commercial programming rate card required. Up to two free HD (requires HD ACCESS of $25/mo.) or four free SD receivers per commercial location for a total of four free receivers. Offer available to new commercial customers in commercial structures no more than three stories high. No single family residence allowed. Make and model of system at DIRECTV’s sole discretion. Offer void where prohibited or restricted. All DIRECTV Receivers must be continuously connected to the same land-based phone line. DIRECTV programming, pricing, terms and conditions subject to change at any time. Taxes not included. Receipt of DIRECTV programming subject to terms of DIRECTV Commercial Customer Viewing Agreement; copy provided with new customer information packet. ©2013 DIRECTV. DIRECTV, the DIRECTV for Business logo and BUSINESS INFORMATION are trademarks of DIRECTV, LLC. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.

608.665.1909Proudly Servicing Wisconsin Taverns &

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up to 4 TVs"24-month DIRECTV programming agreement required.Offers end 12/31/13; on approved credit. New Commercial customers only. Shipping & Handling fee may be required. Local channels eligibility based on service address. Not all networks available in all markets. Applicable use tax adjustment may apply on the retail value of the installation.

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new MeMBerS


BouRBon WhiSkey

recIPes

In 2014, America will celebrate bourbon’s 50th anniversary as our nation’s “Native Spirit.” On May 4, 1964, during

President Johnson’s administration, the United States Congress recognized bourbon whiskey as a “distinctive product of the United States.” The act acknowledged the family heritage, tradition and deep-rooted legacy that the bourbon industry contributes to the United States. Some say this recognition also had to do with LBJ’s pure enjoyment of the all-American spirit.

Bourbon is made primarily from corn, which according to the Federal Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits, must be made of a grain mixture that is at least 51 percent corn. There are a number of other requirements that the standards set forth such as the product must be distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80 percent alcohol by volume); have neither coloring or flavoring added; no additives, except water to reduce proof; and it must be aged in new, charred oak barrels. The most important requirement, however, is that only whiskey produced in the United States can be called bourbon.

Many associate bourbon with Kentucky, where production has a strong historical significance. An area known as Old Bourbon, around what is now Bourbon County, Kentucky and named after the French Bourbon dynasty is said to have produced the spirit since the 18th century.

As readers of this issue of On Premise may know, there are small craft distilleries in Wisconsin making their own unique blends of bourbon. (See page 12.)

To honor this truly American creation, offer your customers a few special bourbon-based drinks this holiday season. Cheers! TLW

bouleVaRDieR1 oz . bourbon 1 oz . campari1 oz . Sweet vermouth orange twist or cherryPour ingredients into a mixing glass and fill with cracked ice. Stir well for 20 seconds and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry or a twist of orange peel.

MinT JuleP2

1/2 oz . bourbon4-5 mint Sprigs Leaves1/2 oz . Sugar Syrup mint Sprig for garnishPlace the mint and simple syrup or sugar into an old-fashioned glass. Muddle well to dissolve sugar and to release the oil and aroma of the mint. Add the bourbon. Fill with crushed ice and stir well until the glass becomes frosty. Garnish with the mint sprig.

canDle in The WinDoW2 oz . Light rum 2 tsp . bourbon 1 tsp . brown crème de cacao1 tsp . cherry brandy 4 oz . black coffee cocoa PowderPour all ingredients, except the Crème into a coffee glass or cup. Stir well. Carefully float the Crème on top of the drink. Dust with Cocoa Powder.

aPPle Jack1/2 oz . Sour Apple Pucker

Schnapps1/2 oz . bourbon cinnamonMix ingredients over ice and serve in a lowball glass.

shuT The hell uP (shooTeR)1/2 part bacardi 151 1 part bourbon 1 part Jägermeister 1/2 part everclear 2 Splashes grenadinePour Jager at the bottom of the glass. Mix bourbon, everclear and Bacardi 151 to layer on top of the Jager. Splash in the grenadine.

StrAigHt uP


locAl leAgue uPdAteS

Beautification TeamThe Racine County Tavern League’s community involvement includes its efforts to clean up area highways. On May 18, the following league members were involved in cleaning up Highway S between highways K and 20: Junior and Mary Davitz; Connie and Jim Dombrowski; Rick Swift; Jack Boeselager; Devy, Ricky and Crystal Kunhke; Harold Schiller; Doug Lois; Wilbur Hawkins; Ross Behrens; Lonnie Keckhaver; Ed Koldway; Linda Lu Warren; Bob Schoening; Dennis Ratz; and Shelly Gruber.

Members Tee It Up for the TLWOn a hot, 90-degree day in early September, more than 160 golfers took to the links at Deer Valley Golf Course near Barneveld for the 15th annual Tavern League of Wisconsin golf outing. The four-person scramble and the dinner that followed proved to be a great way to socialize and raise money for the Badger Camp and Road Crew. The team from Lucky’s Eastside Pub & Deli, Wausau, won the tournament and the $400 first place prize. Members of the foursome included: Matt Hanke, Colin Wolfe, Rick Kutal and Justin Ninnemann.

tLW state goLF outINg

League LeaDers DaY

racINe couNtY tLW cLeaN-uP DaY

This year’s League Leaders Day was held Monday, August 26 at the Best Western Premier Waterfront Hotel in Oshkosh. The event focused on membership building, political updates and idea sharing among league officers. A number of social activities accompanied the day including, a 9-hole golf outing, Brewery Tour and Tasting at Fratellos, and a guided tour of the Experimental Aircraft Association. The evening activities included a cocktail reception and dinner.

Jake Perry, Brett Rescheske, Jamie Perry and April Chase. Jerry Day, Adam Day, Andy Bradley and Shannon Schultz.

Terry Harvath and Pete Madland share a cart and assess the competition prior to teeing off.


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AdvertiSer index

Benedict Refrigeration Service www.benedictrefrigeration.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Cornerstone Processing Solutions Inc. www.cornerstoneps.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Diageo www.diageo.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Dierks Waukesha www.waukeshafoods.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

DirecTV www.directv.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Disher Insurance Services www.disherinsurance.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Edge One www.edgeone.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Engels Commercial Appliance www.engelsinc.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Great Lakes Amusement www.glastore.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Jim’s Specialties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Magnuson Industries Inc. www.posi-pour.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

MillerCoors www.millercoors.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Precision Pour www.precisionpours.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Sanimax www.sanimax.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Star Connection www.savingwithdirect.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

The Munch Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

WAMO www.wamo.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Wisconsin Souvenir Milk Caps www.wimilkcaps.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Wisconsin Wine & Spirit Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Yahara Bay Distillers www.yaharabay.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

N E I - T U R N E R M E D I A G R O U P

conTacT:

Louise Andraski, Account Executive

Advertise in

On Premise

the official publication

of the Tavern League of

Wisconsin

Direct: 608-873-8734 Fax: 262-245-2000

on premise november/december 2013

Documents

tavern league members

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affiliate members

appleton tavern owners

neighboring tavern owners

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