el·e·vate – To raise to a more important or impressive level.
By Tylor Field | June 02, 2025
I’ve spent my career in the wine and spirits world chasing one thing: the edge of what’s possible in hospitality. Whether it was crafting the Guinness-certified World’s Largest Bottle of Wine (2004), “Maximus,” or pulling off 75 simultaneous wine dinners via satellite across three time zones from a single Napa Valley winery, I’ve always been drawn to ideas that break the mold and raise the bar.
At my core, I’m a ridiculous people pleaser—and I own it. That instinct, to anticipate needs, exceed expectations, and surprise with thoughtful touches, is what has shaped my career in hospitality. Guests know the difference between something real and something rehearsed. My roots as a maître d’ taught me to see everything through the lens of the guest, and that mindset still guides how I approach beverage programming today: one visit at a time, one connection at a time, always aiming to elevate.
Understanding the New Guest
The next generation of guests? They’re bold, curious, and fast-moving. They want everything, and they want it now. So, let’s tie our sneakers tight and give it to them.
Our strongest human memories are tied to sound, smell, and taste. Think of the smell of a freshly baked apple pie, it instantly transports you. Thirty years ago, that’s what diners sought when they went to a fancy restaurant: something “just like Mom used to make.” It was comforting, familiar, and it defined quality, especially in a pre-molecular gastronomy, curated culinary storytelling world.
But today’s guests, especially Millennials and Gen Z, are looking to create new experiences, not re-live old ones. These are generations raised by tech, often without the traditional mealtime rituals. They’re seeking something new, something elevated and curated, rooted in sight and feel as much as flavor. Their connection to food and beverage is less about tradition and more about identity, immediacy, and shareability.
They want a vegan, organic, gluten-free, artisanal pie made from locally sourced Garden-of-Eden apples that supports a cause and comes in under 100 calories a slice. Ambitious? Sure. But possible? Absolutely.
You Never Get a Second Chance at a First Impression
This is where the modern hospitality challenge lies: you only get one shot to make a first impression.
The average adult attention span is just 8 seconds—down from 12 in 2000. Everything you deliver must be immediate, attractive, elevated, and emotionally engaging.
Since the dawn of the iPhone and social media, guests have been eating and drinking with their eyes first. And now, what you serve doesn’t just need to taste good, it needs to make your guest look good while engaging with it. Your bar’s cocktail? It’s not just a beverage, it’s an accessory, a vibe, a reflection of personal brand. And make no mistake: for many, it’s the reason they walked into your venue in the first place. Up to 60% of guests research a bar or restaurant online before visiting, and what they see—the cocktails, the dishes, the ambiance—can be the deciding factor.
That’s why I always ask spirit partners to pitch cocktail ideas that are theatrical and photo-worthy—wild vessels, bold colors, sculptural garnishes—before we even fine-tune the flavor. Then we reverse-engineer the recipe to make it delicious, consistent, and easy for staff to execute. It’s working backward—but it works.
You need to know the Pantone color of the year. You need to watch the fashion runways, the TikTok trends, the cultural causes. Build the experience around what feels relevant, visually appealing, and values driven. Yes, you’re in the beverage business—but if you’re not also in the aesthetic experience business, you’re already behind.
Image courtesy of Wendy Dunlap aka Mary Poppins of Beverage / Wolf Spirit
Simplicity is the Ultimate Elevation
Elevation doesn’t have to mean complexity. In fact, some of the best results come from keeping it simple—strategically simple. For example, I already know that my best-selling cocktails for Valentine’s Day or the winter holidays will likely be red and sparkling. Why? Because that’s what sells, I know the mood, and I understand the guest. That data frees me up to focus my creativity on what really matters: the experience around the drink.
Take wine, for example. I believe one of the reasons wine sales have struggled recently is because—let’s be honest—it’s hard to take an exciting picture of a glass of wine. It doesn’t pop. It doesn’t perform on Instagram. There’s no sense of theatricality or surprise. But I remember the first time I truly felt wine being elevated, viscerally. In the early 1990s, I attended a wine glass seminar hosted by Georg Riedel of the Riedel Glass Company in Austria.
At the time, the idea that the shape of a glass could enhance the taste and feel of wine was groundbreaking in the U.S. Most restaurants used the same glass for everything. Fine dining establishments might break out thick, ornate crystal from Tiffany or Gump’s, but even that was more about tradition than function. Riedel changed the conversation. By designing glassware tailored to specific grape varietals, engineered to direct the wine to precise areas of the palate, they elevated not just the glass, but the entire wine experience.
It was simple. It was elegant. It was revolutionary. And it elevated an entire category.
Image courtesy of Wendy Dunlap aka Mary Poppins of Beverage / Wolf Spirit
Always Work with the Best
Another lesson in elevation: work with the best. Period. Partner with people who know what they’re doing—and who do it better than anyone else. Excellence is contagious, and when you surround yourself with it, your entire program rises.
Consider the phrase “Top Shelf”—it’s one of the most ubiquitous in our industry. But its meaning goes far beyond inventory placement. Yes, it’s where the most expensive bottles live, the ones ordered less often and kept literally out of reach. But symbolically, it’s about aspiration. It’s a visual cue of prestige. Guests look up to see it, and in that moment, the positioning alone starts to elevate the perceived value.
The same logic applies to everything you serve. If you want to elevate a Margarita—or any cocktail—you don’t just tweak the garnish. You upgrade the spirit. You refine the supporting ingredients. And just as importantly, you stage it in a way that tells a story. The glass, the garnish, the lighting, the moment, it’s all part of the diorama.
I recently saw a commercial that instantly struck a chord. It was for a rental car company, featuring a young woman who’s so good at traveling that the TSA cheers for her at the checkpoint. She breezes into a secret airport lounge no one else knows about, sipping a cocktail from a vibrating massage chair before her flight. It’s smooth. It’s seamless. It’s aspirational.
And I couldn’t help but think: How are we delivering that same kind of experience within our four walls? Because that’s exactly what this generation is looking for, effortless luxury wrapped in storytelling. They want to feel like insiders, like they’ve unlocked a secret level of the dining or drinking experience. When your guests walk in, does it feel like they’ve just been granted access to something special? Do your drinks feel like a passport stamp? Does your service feel like a personal concierge? That’s the bar now—and the brands that deliver it are the ones that win both hearts and hashtags.
Image courtesy of Wendy Dunlap aka Mary Poppins of Beverage / Wolf Spirit
Innovate to Elevate
In the end, it’s not always about what’s on the plate, it’s about the world you build around it.
When I was a buyer, I went toe-to-toe with other upscale steakhouse chains. And let’s be honest: we all had the same filet mignon. The difference? How we framed that dish. The lighting, the glassware, the cocktails, the pacing, the energy of the staff, it all mattered. My job was to elevate the experience through the beverage program, to create moments that made our concept stand out. The mantra? Let’s Innovate to Elevate. And it still holds up
So, ask yourself:
- Does it make you want to stop to snap a photo?
- Does it invite you into an experience—not just a transaction?
- Does it shift energy, elevate mood, or bring joy?
- Does it lift the overall experience within your 4 walls—visually, emotionally, and sensorially?
- Are you partnering only with smart, creative, elevated people, products, and ideas?
If you answered yes to all of the above—I’m coming to your (very busy) restaurant next.
Tylor Field is an internationally known expert and buyer of Wine and Spirits. He worked in Corporate Beverage Fine Dining for 30 years, leading such brands as Morton’s The Steakhouse, The Palm, Mastro’s, Oceanaire Seafood Room, Del Frisco’s, Strip House and others as VP of Wine and Spirits. He has received the highest honor from the Guild of Sommelier’s Educational Foundation “The Distinguished Service Award” for his work in training and marketing of wine and spirits worldwide. He has been featured in many print and television media outlets as well as co-writing two books for Morton’s The Steakhouse. Tylor is currently providing consultancy services under the personal Tylor’d Beverage Consultancy banner as well as partnering in other worthy wine and spirits businesses that need his expertise to elevate all to the next level.
561-703-7307 | tylor.fieldsomm@gmail.com
