Minimizing Allergy Risks in the Hotel Cocktail Lounge Environment By William E. Adams, Michelman & Robinson, LLP A RiSinG PeRCenTAGe of AMeRiCAnS suffer from food-related allergies, and while efforts to warn of potential food allergies have become commonplace in restaurants, the issue gets surprisingly little attention in bars or lounges. yet, the effect on business could be devastating to a lounge if word got out that a patron suffered a severe allergic reaction to one of its drinks. Even worse, the lounge could be held liable. Fortunately, bar and lounge owners can take steps to protect themselves from just such an outcome. in recent years, the food industry has recognized the need to mitigate allergy risks as the percentage of the population that suffers from food allergies has been on the rise. The FdA estimates that there are as many as 30,000 visits to the emergency room each year due to severe food allergies. The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis network estimates that between 150 and 200 Americans die every year because of allergic reactions to allergens contained in food. in response to this phenomenon, restaurant menus now frequently include warnings regarding foods containing nuts. Additionally, restaurant wait staff often ask, upon greeting a table, whether patrons have any food allergies. This same level of diligence is generally not practiced in the bar and cocktail lounge environment. Many lounge operators, and guests, remain unaware or indifferent to the fact that their libations and/or garnishes often contain some of the most common triggering ingredients. Milk, tree nuts, peanuts, egg and wheat are among the most common allergies in the u.S., and frequently find their way into beer and cocktails. For instance, milk is an ingredient in the popular White Russian cocktail, while 8 California Hotel & Lodging Association SPRinG 2016 almonds are present in amaretto and some brands of gin. Wheat is often found in beer, and hazelnuts are an ingredient in Frangelico. Therefore, one could argue that the risk of experiencing a severe allergic reaction is, in fact, higher at a cocktail lounge than at a restaurant. Consider the following: • While a careful and discerning sufferer of food allergies may inspect a menu for risky foods, that same person’s level of care and judgment in verifying the ingredients of a mixed drink, spirits, wine or beer may be lower after consuming alcohol. • While many restaurants train their kitchen and wait staff to inquire about food allergies, the same is generally not the case with cocktail waitresses and bartenders.
CH_LA Lodging News Spring 2016
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