Shaken and stirred

Drink combos are an essential part of bar knowledge and need full attention to boost profits in pubs and restaurants. John Porter reports.

Customers would be much easier to deal with if they were predictable. Unfortunately, the days when a regular could walk up to the bar and be offered their 'usual' are disappearing fast.

These days it's all about what the marketers like to call 'repertoire drinking', meaning that we all have a range of drinks that we switch between according to the occasion.

In the spirits market, this means customer tastes are broadening. Figures from CGA Strategy, which collates on-trade sales data through its partnership with analyst Nielsen, show that the traditionally popular categories such as vodka, blended whisky, gin and white rum saw a slight decline in sales during 2010.

In contrast, CGA's analysis shows that categories such as imported whiskey, which includes bourbon, and non-cream speciality spirits such as sambuca, are in growth. For operators, this presents two challenges.

Firstly, they need to stock a range of spirits on the back bar that matches the drinks repertoire of their customers. Secondly, bar staff need to be more confident about serving a wider range of mixed drinks.

Getting the serve right is seen as essential to driving sales of spirits and mixers, and so training bar staff is an area that drinks companies invest in extensively. Quoting research by Alcovision, Martijn Van Buuren, on-trade channel director for Diageo GB, says: "Spirits generate roughly 20% more profit than other alcohol categories and therefore represent an excellent opportunity for licensees.

"Attracting spirit drinkers can significantly boost profits as they also spend around 40% more than drinkers of other categories."

Diageo, owner of market leading spirits brands including Smirnoff, Baileys, Gordon's and Bells, has a long standing programme focused on the serve of spirits and mixers, "ensuring consumers get a quality, value for money drink when they are in an outlet", says Van Buuren.

In 2010, the company extended this through a partnership with Coca-Cola Enterprises to co-promote their brands. This means linking classic serves such as Gordon's gin and Schweppes tonic or Bell's and Coca- Cola in advertising, and ensuring that staff in pubs and bars know how to serve these drinks properly.

Referred to as Finished Drinks Marketing, as well as staff awareness the programme includes POS support, which highlights seasonal serves such as Pimm's and Schweppes lemonade as well as the all year round classics.

A software programme, MenuMaker, allows outlets to create menus which include the finished price of drink and mixer, with Diageo's research showing more customers will consider drinking spirit and mixer drinks if drinks menus with prices are displayed on tables.

Also putting a strong focus on practical bar staff training is Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands (BBFB), which distributes brands including Bacardi, Jack Daniel's, Southern Comfort and Bombay Sapphire in the UK.

The BBFB training team is visiting London, Manchester, Bristol, Leeds and Edinburgh at regular intervals throughout 2011 to help bar staff and licensees develop their spirits skills and knowledge.

These sessions also include practical coaching in making mixed drinks and cocktails.

The team is headed by Alex Turner, head of product training and mixology at BBFB, who says: "Designed to help those in the drinks industry to maximise their spirits and cocktail offerings, the training team roadshows offer an interactive and engaging programme for bar professionals to improve their overall skills and expertise, as well as learning more about BBFB and our portfolio.

We hope to see visitors from bars, pubs, hotels and clubs who are dedicated to learning more."

A wider range of spirits on the bar also requires new mixed drink serves to match. At the start of this year, Fireball liqueur with cinnamon and whiskey was launched in the UK after proving a hit in US bars. UK distributor Hi-Spirits challenged a number of respected bartenders to come with new mixed drinks to complement the brand's flavour.

The most successful has proven to be the creation of James Wynn-Williams, who is group head bartender at the All Star Lanes chain in London.

Wynn-Williams has created a dessert cocktail that combines the cinnamon flavour of Fireball with apple juice, lemon juice and egg white. The overall affect is a drink that tastes like an apple pie.

He says: "To me, a good dessert cocktail should be a balance between sweetness and alcoholic strength. The alcohol goes a long way to aid digestion after a big meal.

This cocktail works very well, as it mimics the flavours of a classic apple pie – which is brilliant when you can't eat another mouthful after a big main course."

Other serves being promoted by Hi-Spirits include mint juleps made by infusing Buffalo Trace bourbon with mint leaves and adding soda water, and the Longshots range of mixed drinks designed to be served over ice in pitchers using the Antica sambuca flavoured line up.

Chairman Jeremy Hill says: "Ultimately, whether it's a classic such as a gin and tonic or something more unusual such as the Fireball apple pie, customers ordering a mixed drink are expecting quality, flair and a touch of mixing wizardry from the bartender, and the challenge for every outlet is to make sure staff are confident enough to deliver."

Spirits with a story to tell definitely help to add interest for customers. At the Skylon Bar in the Royal Festival Hall, bar manager Nebojsa Kutlesic is serving Legend of Kremlin vodka, which has a unique provenance.

He says: "People are always very impressed when we tell them that we are giving them the official vodka served in the Kremlin – and when they taste our Gorbachev martini, they like the excellent combination of sweetness and dryness.

The Gorbachev is one of the most popular martinis on our list."