Move over Jager, Tuaca is younger and hipper

I recently returned from a wonderful music event at my undergraduate college (Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam). Not only did I get a chance to mingle and network with my former professors and students from various past decades, but I also got to mingle with my peers who were in school around the same time as me. One of the "mingle sessions" occured at the only upscale tavern in town.

Jagermeister was not my college drink of choice. First of all, it was brand new in 1990 to the college scene, and IMO, a little expensive for a college student - given the cheapness of beer in that part of the world. But for my peers who were a couple years younger, it was their college fad drink. Today, adding a little "new" with the drink of the early 90's, we found ourselves drinking Jager Bombs - a drink made with Jagermeister and Red Bull. Which is supposed to be a sort of ying and yang shot, giving a lift and a depressant at the same time.

While we felt hip and young to be drinking Jager Bombs, it became apparent that the new generation of college students have a new cordial in their repertoire: Tuaca. And, if it wasn't our balding heads and growing bellies that gave our age away to the undergrads, I think our choice of drinks may have also exposed us as alumni from a previous decade - or more, rather than hip youngsters.

It's funny that after this weekend I run across this washingtonpost.com article, published last Wednesday, just this afternoon, while drinking copious amounts of diet coke to stay awake following this weekend's exploits.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/04/15/ST2008041503919.html

I went to Hampden-Sydney. Our "fad" drink since 1776 is bourbon.

quote:

Originally posted by Robearjr

I went to Hampden-Sydney. Our "fad" drink since 1776 is bourbon.

We had our war-horse drinks as well. But as new liqours are marketed, they tend to get a lot of attention at first, and then the craze wears off. At my wife's college, the girls drank Blue Hawaiians. I detested the drink, but it was all the rage for a short time. Today, you almost never se that ordered anymore. When I first started bartending, Mellon Balls were a big hit.

Of course, people also drank the traditional drinks like bourbon and such as well - but many drinks, especially on a college campus, get hot for a time, then a new craze takes over.

But I've been drinking Tuaca for 20 years or more.

Never cold though. Guess I'll have to push the Jager and Lemoncello over in the freezer to make room.

I like Tuaca mixed in with Alpine Apple Cider for a hot drink.

quote:

Originally posted by mar52

But I've been drinking Tuaca for 20 years or more.

Never cold though. Guess I'll have to push the Jager and Lemoncello over in the freezer to make room.

I like Tuaca mixed in with Alpine Apple Cider for a hot drink.

According to the ever omnipotent, wikipedia, Tuaca has been in the US since the 1950's/ However, I think the grand marketing scheme that is currently underway is relatively new. That's how these fads take shape...some marketing agent "discovers" the drink, then decides to exploit it.

I remeber when Yuengling was found only in PA. It was fairly inexpensive. At Penn State bars, we'd drink $1 pints at happy hour and never more than $2 at regular price. 6 packs were ~$3.99. The company initially tried to expand their market into DC, but it never worked. No one seemed to want inexpensive PA beer. So, Yuengling got smart and marketed the beer to Georgetown bars as a premium draught beer. Once the draught was established, the six pack price was set at $6.99 -then all of the sudden, Yuengling was found on tap in almost every bar and the bottles in every grocery store in the mid-atlantic.

Marketing seems to be the most important element when getting customers to drink their product.

I always thought Tuaca was a drink one found only at those wonderful mom and pop italian restaurants, where mom (or nana) starts the sauce the night before. Like almaretto, sambuco and galliano, I thought it was merely an after dinner drink, served in hot tea, neat, or over ice.

quote:

Originally posted by Scorereader


One of the "mingle sessions" occured at the only upscale tavern in town.

Maxfield's or McDuff's?

quote:

Originally posted by SeamusD

quote:

Originally posted by Scorereader


One of the "mingle sessions" occured at the only upscale tavern in town.

Maxfield's or McDuff's?

Maxfields. McDuff's wasn't even open - and, I'd hardly call it "upscale" -although, compared to Back Streets, I guess it was.

Since i have been selling Wine & Spirits(8 years +), they have been aiming Tuaca at a younger crowd(the new lable and also ads). I don't know that it will ever put a dent in the Jagermeister sales. The biggest thing now is Three Olives Cherry and Three Olives Grape vodka. It is all over Hoboken and is very big in South Jersey. Starting to catch on inthe rest of NJ also. I think it is in the Top 10 in growth across the US also.

quote:

Originally posted by Scorereader

quote:

Originally posted by SeamusD

quote:

Originally posted by Scorereader


One of the "mingle sessions" occured at the only upscale tavern in town.

Maxfield's or McDuff's?

Maxfields. McDuff's wasn't even open - and, I'd hardly call it "upscale" -although, compared to Back Streets, I guess it was.

Hence the "winkie"... I remember going to McDuff's on the nights they'd have 2 32oz cups of Bud for $1.99. I remember going in that is, never walking out. I went to SUNY Canton and was over there a lot. One of my frat brothers' uncle owns/owned Maxfield's if I remember correctly.

I gave up drinkin' to take up eatin' ( and I am much happier now!)

quote:

Originally posted by SeamusD


Hence the "winkie"... I remember going to McDuff's on the nights they'd have 2 32oz cups of Bud for $1.99. I remember going in that is, never walking out. I went to SUNY Canton and was over there a lot. One of my frat brothers' uncle owns/owned Maxfield's if I remember correctly.

Tuesdays was $1 big beer (32oz) at McDuffs when I was a student.

So, SUNY Canton...I want to know, do you prefer Josie's or Sergie's Pizza Roll?

quote:

Originally posted by Scorereader

quote:

Originally posted by SeamusD


Hence the "winkie"... I remember going to McDuff's on the nights they'd have 2 32oz cups of Bud for $1.99. I remember going in that is, never walking out. I went to SUNY Canton and was over there a lot. One of my frat brothers' uncle owns/owned Maxfield's if I remember correctly.

Tuesdays was $1 big beer (32oz) at McDuffs when I was a student.

So, SUNY Canton...I want to know, do you prefer Josie's or Sergie's Pizza Roll?

That might have been around the same time then, I went to Canton from Fall of 89 to Fall of 90, then again one semester in Spring of 93.

I prefer Sergi's, of course... deep fried rules over baked when you're talking pizza rolls! I was up there once this past fall and once over the summer, and stopped by each time for some of that greasy goodness.

Sorry but "Younger and hipper"(note bad grammar)isn't necessarily a good thing or a selling point to many!!!

quote:

Originally posted by leethebard

Sorry but "Younger and hipper"(note bad grammar)isn't necessarily a good thing or a selling point to many!!!

[|)][|)][|)]
Everyone has the right to be dull.

beside, I wasn't endorsing the product.

I bet I can be duller than anyone...but when you get into your 60's, dull is in!!

quote:

Originally posted by leethebard

I bet I can be duller than anyone...but when you get into your 60's, dull is in!!

really?
My parents are 70 and travel the world and are anything but dull. They'll try new apertifs, like they did on their trip to Spain, or when they went to Victoria, BC with us and tried some of the Cinzano products not available in the US.

My good friend is in his 60's, and he and his wife are very active, try new spirits and he even ordered a round of Irish Car Bombs not too long ago, just to be fun.
Sure, We'll also sip on some fine scotches at his home (which incidently, is the best stocked Scotch bar in DC) and have a slow paced more intimate evening filled with conversation, scotch and food.
But, it's the mix of events that make life interesting.

Tuaca, is merely another liqueur - that is getting popular across the US due to a new advertizing campaign. My original post was merely a sort of blog to introduce the Washington Post article.

Maybe you read the article, maybe you didn't, but my thread title was merely created to get people to open the thread. I think if you tried the liqueur, you may like it - regardless of its current rising popularity trend.

Well we travel quite a bit..and I play video games with my teenage kids...and iisten to my son playing with his Rock Band game without getting a headache...so maybe I'm not that dull afterall!!!

My 25th reunion at SUNY Potsdam is this summer. I really hope to go, especially since it's right around my birthday. But, oh, do I dread that long long ride!!! (for the unitiated, Potsdam is about 60 miles past the edge of the earth)

I kind of giggle when I think of Maxfields as upscale. But yeah, I guess it's true. That bar opened in my senior year up there, I think.

And I agree...Sergi's pizza rolls, preferably served by Mama Sergi herself, were the best!

When I lived in Berlin in mid 70's nobody drank Jager. It was sold on the cashier station along with mints and other digestion aids. It wasnt a liquer, but rather a tummy settler.
britt

quote:

Originally posted by leethebard

Well we travel quite a bit..and I play video games with my teenage kids...and iisten to my son playing with his Rock Band game without getting a headache...so maybe I'm not that dull afterall!!!

you're not dull. I don't dare play video games with teens, it makes me look way way too bad.

Oh believe me...I look bad too!!!!

I was drinking Tuaca Sidecars back in the early 90's!

quote:

Originally posted by brittneal

When I lived in Berlin in mid 70's nobody drank Jager. It was sold on the cashier station along with mints and other digestion aids. It wasnt a liquer, but rather a tummy settler.
britt

and that was its purpose at first. i believe just like an amaro. however, Sidney Frank got a hold of it and marketed it in the U.S. college bars with his Jagerette girls and a beast was born!

quote:

Originally posted by joanie41

My 25th reunion at SUNY Potsdam is this summer. I really hope to go, especially since it's right around my birthday. But, oh, do I dread that long long ride!!! (for the unitiated, Potsdam is about 60 miles past the edge of the earth)

I kind of giggle when I think of Maxfields as upscale. But yeah, I guess it's true. That bar opened in my senior year up there, I think.

And I agree...Sergi's pizza rolls, preferably served by Mama Sergi herself, were the best!

Joanie,
I had considered going to this year's summer reunion, because Psi Phi is celebrating 60 years at Potsdam. However, this trip for the PBQ was great, because I was able to see Schaberg and other retired brass professors. Plus, it was like being back at school with all the concerts and master classes I attended. It gave me a nice spark.

I too prefered Sergie's. But, and maybe I have this wrong, I thought Sergie's baked the pizza roll and Josie's deep fried theirs. I didn't have one while there last weekend, so I'm releying purly on my memory.

Oh, there's a new pizza place in Potsdam. Not too shabby either. It's at the coner of Market and Elm. I believe it's where the old Town House Restaurant was.

quote:

Originally posted by Scorereader
Joanie,
I had considered going to this year's summer reunion, because Psi Phi is celebrating 60 years at Potsdam. However, this trip for the PBQ was great, because I was able to see Schaberg and other retired brass professors. Plus, it was like being back at school with all the concerts and master classes I attended. It gave me a nice spark.

I too prefered Sergie's. But, and maybe I have this wrong, I thought Sergie's baked the pizza roll and Josie's deep fried theirs. I didn't have one while there last weekend, so I'm releying purly on my memory.

Oh, there's a new pizza place in Potsdam. Not too shabby either. It's at the coner of Market and Elm. I believe it's where the old Town House Restaurant was.

You're a Psi Phi? We partied at that house quite a bit, as one of my frat brothers at Canton was also a Psi Phi in Potsdam... I can't remember his real name, but we called him Croc (Kevin maybe). I (vaguely) remember one of the beer blasts at the house in 93, lots of fun.

The latest craze in my area is called Agwa.. Bright green.. It comes with a little vial of lime flavored salt, and you shoot it like you would a shot of tequila.. Lick your hand, pour the salt and shoot the Agwa.
Tried it..didnt really care for it... gives you a buzz like an energy drink.
Agwa is made from "coca herbal leaves"....
Read here..
http://www.agwabuzz.com/about.php

i start to sell agwa on May 1st(provided it is in stock!)

quote:

Originally posted by SeamusD

quote:

Originally posted by Scorereader
Joanie,
I had considered going to this year's summer reunion, because Psi Phi is celebrating 60 years at Potsdam. However, this trip for the PBQ was great, because I was able to see Schaberg and other retired brass professors. Plus, it was like being back at school with all the concerts and master classes I attended. It gave me a nice spark.

I too prefered Sergie's. But, and maybe I have this wrong, I thought Sergie's baked the pizza roll and Josie's deep fried theirs. I didn't have one while there last weekend, so I'm releying purly on my memory.

Oh, there's a new pizza place in Potsdam. Not too shabby either. It's at the coner of Market and Elm. I believe it's where the old Town House Restaurant was.

You're a Psi Phi? We partied at that house quite a bit, as one of my frat brothers at Canton was also a Psi Phi in Potsdam... I can't remember his real name, but we called him Croc (Kevin maybe). I (vaguely) remember one of the beer blasts at the house in 93, lots of fun.

Croc will be stayiong at my house tonight. He lived in DC for a few years, but moved back to NY last year. His company is still in DC, so he comes to DC for a few nights per week and stays with me. I'll send you a private email and we'll talk there. I don't want to reveal his identity on this site, especially since he doesn't view these boards.

If Heinz wants to market Fair Lawn-manufactured shots of Lea and Perrins Worcestershire, it somehow makes its way into the U.S. beverage market and becomes wildly popular among the college and post-college crowd, who knock back shot after shot of the stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by Scorereader

quote:

Originally posted by SeamusD

You're a Psi Phi? We partied at that house quite a bit, as one of my frat brothers at Canton was also a Psi Phi in Potsdam... I can't remember his real name, but we called him Croc (Kevin maybe). I (vaguely) remember one of the beer blasts at the house in 93, lots of fun.

Croc will be stayiong at my house tonight. He lived in DC for a few years, but moved back to NY last year. His company is still in DC, so he comes to DC for a few nights per week and stays with me. I'll send you a private email and we'll talk there. I don't want to reveal his identity on this site, especially since he doesn't view these boards.

What a small, small world.