b'Interestinnon-alcoholicdrinkshasbeengrowing.on the menu. Foegen said guests often ask what beers are FOGHORN FOCUS Though still a small percentage of guests are looking foravailable on the cruise and which one is local. The two alternatives to traditional drinks, restaurants are acknowl- questions go hand in hand, she said. McCormick noted edging the budding trend by adding non-alcoholic optionsthat they sell local beer throughout the entire arena and to their drink menus. At the Ritz-Carlton, Singh said theyhavepartneredwithBonitaBrewingCompany,which have an option at their bar for guests to choose their ownis right in our backyard, to offer out-of-town guests a mocktail ingredients for an interactive experience. Foegenlocal craft option. noted that Naples Princess Cruises has a mocktail on their menus, but that non-alcoholic beers and wines are moreEllis stated that from a food standpoint, I think were popular with their guests. Elliss team uses the non-alco- focusing more and more on not only hyperlocalwhich I holic spirit brand Seedlip in mocktails they create.think has been huge for the last 10, 15 yearsbut also mi-crolocal. His team is exploring options such as distilling Gezella addressed the growing popularity of kava drinksor fermenting on the property and even has honeybees to made from the root of the kava plant (Piper methysticum)produce their own honey. Theyre growing herbs in their which can have psychoactive and relaxing effects. Pre-pack- garden to use in beveragesthey dont have the scale to aged drinks using kava are offered at some locations such asinclude them in food items. Hertz Arena. McCormick noted that kava drinks are cur-rently considered an 18-and-over beverage, not a 21-and- One challenge of serving food on a boat is the limited size over drink. These beverages come with a label warning notof the galley. Gezella asked the panelists for tips to elevate to mix them with alcohol, so her team wont combine theproducts that staffs are creating in these small spaces. Mc-two. Arena staff employ the same rules with kava drinksCormick said presentation is one way to take a dish to the as with alcohol and monitor guests, cutting off service fornext level. Garnishes can add an extra flair, and her team anyone who seems too inebriated. The drinks are sold atoften uses edible orchids to add a pop of color. the same cost as a beer, and its a trend that McCormicks team is keeping an eye on.Ellis recommended sous vide cooking as food can be vac-uum sealed in advance to easily fit into a refrigerator and Whilenon-alcoholicoptionsaregainingtraction,al- the space needed for sous vide can be less. He noted it takes coholic drinks are still more popular and offering locala lot of guess work out of the cooking as well. The Ario wine, beer, and distillery choices is a priority for manySteakhouse at the Marriott uses sous vide to cook all their venues. Singh explained that their brand is required tosteaks. Using this method, he said they may bring up to have at least two locally sourced food and beverage itemstwo hundred steaks to a blue-rare temperature in contain-ers with a sous vide circulator where they can be held and then finished on the grill. If a product was brought He explained that proteins cannot be thawed in the vac-uumbagsperhealthdepartmentregulations.Thetem-in for a private charter perature of the food must be checked before being vacuum sealed, when in the bath, and when taken out of the bag. of 20 people but had to Ellis said they have built a good relationship with their localhealthdepartmentandworkcloselywiththemto be purchased as a case,follow the health code for sous vide cooking.they may add it to theirSingh discussed the role of staff in elevating the dining ex-perience. Training staff to be able to answer diners ques-public cruises as a special.tions and being able to present the food in the best possible way is crucial. What are they eating? What are the sourc-SARAH FOEGEN,es? Those are all the questions that help us with that trust NAPLES PRINCESS CRUISES with the guest which is really important for us, he said.FOGHORN 10'