What spirits or cocktail/non-alc ingredients are bars stocking up on? What's popular with customers right now? According to the bar operators and owners that Bar & Restaurant News spoke with, non-alc and lower alcohol-by-volume (ABV) cocktails are still popular, and customers continue to be open to trying drinks they’ve never had before – like higher ester rums and aged brandies. Sour beers, mezcal, and hard seltzers are also in demand.
Binh Douglas, owner of Main Prospect in Southampton, N.Y., said although tequila and whiskey are always popular among bar guests, they are seeing more requests and orders for non-alc cocktails. Main Prospect uses Kentucky 74 Whiskey and Jalisco 55 Tequila from Spiritless to curate their “Free-Spirited Cocktails” list.
“Our bar features fresh purees such as watermelon, mango, blood orange, etc., along with our locally sourced fresh mint, dill, lemons, limes, oranges,” said Douglas. “In New York, with the legalization of recreational marijuana, my venue overall sees guests consuming less alcohol, but are more inclined to experiment outside of what they might traditionally order and try some of our interesting cocktails – like the Lychee Dill Martini or Smoke & Mirrors, featuring mezcal, lime juice, and fresh agave syrup.”
When it comes to stocking their bar, Douglas said supply chain issues still exist to some extent, but it’s not nearly as bad as it was during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sourcing locally, though, has alleviated some of the issues the bar has encountered.
Derek Gibbons, partner of Philly-based Glu Hospitality (including Izakaya Fishtown, Figo, Brewerytown Food Hall, Ledas Cocktail Lounge, 1225 Raw, and Vesper Center City), said over the past year they have seen an even bigger increase in tequila consumption. More and more of their guests are interested in darker spirits, such as añejo and reposado tequilas.
“We've seen a resurgence of a lot of classic cocktails with new and fun aperitifs,” said Gibbons. “A favorite among our Italian restaurant is Italicus Rosolio, a burnt lemon liqueur and chartreuse, which has unfortunately been harder and harder to come by. Amaro has also been making a comeback. Overall, guests have been more and more interested in trying spirits they've never had before.”
This goes for mezcal as well. “Mezcal is great and still popular; a lot of guests have come to love the smoky taste of it. Coffee-inspired liquor and liqueurs are also very popular.”
Tracy Beachman, tasting room manager at Still Austin Whiskey Co., based in Austin, Texas, said guests have been loving their twist on the Espresso Martini called The Cafecito – “It's made with Cask Strength Rye instead of vodka, which brings out notes of spice and richness that balances the bitterness of the espresso,” Beachman said.
Still Austin has been using Pandan extract in the cocktails at their distillery’s tasting room and patio. “It is derived from a plant in South Asian countries and has a grassy vanilla flavor with a hint of coconut that pairs excellently with herbaceous spirits like gin,” said Beachman. “Balsamic vinegar has also been an interesting ingredient that pairs well with all our bourbon, especially our Still Austin Straight Bourbon. Bourbons with notes of fig and molasses, like Still Austin's ‘The Musician’ Straight Bourbon, compliment the same notes present in the balsamic vinegar, so it ends up being a great pairing.”
Sour Beers and Hard Seltzers Are Popular
Michael Siniscalchi, CEO of 810 Billiards & Bowling, with venues in South Carolina, Arizona, Texas, and Arkansas, said that in the draft department, they are seeing more widespread demand for sour beers, as their formerly niche appeal begins to broaden, along with continued strong demand for hard seltzers. In the shaker, they continue to watch the growing demand for non-alc cocktails as more people are eager to socialize without the alcohol, and craft tequila continues to thrive both as a cocktail base and sipped straight.
For bar and restaurant operators to continue to cater to the diversified demands of their customer base, Siniscalchi said it can be strategic to pay close attention to these trends and build a menu that offers a wide range of options for every type of customer. “Look for ways to surprise and delight your customers with fresh, creative drinks that pair well with the seasons.”
Philadelphia-based Grace and Proper Co-Owner Chris Fetfatzes said any craft cocktail with a real 100-percent agave tequila is certain to be their top seller, and that's been increasingly true for the past few years. It wasn't always the case though.“Ten years back, folks seemed hesitant to venture beyond a margarita variation if drinking tequila, and an original drink with an agave spirit was almost certain to be at the bottom of the sales sheet, but then people started to open up,” said Fetfatzes.
Similarly, he’s starting to see that kind of opening (or maybe reopening) to cocktails based on higher ester rums and aged brandies. “Do I think either of them are going to see the boom in demand like bourbon has? No, but used in a well-made cocktail, there's definitely a growing interest that's far from peaked,” said Fetfatzes.
Exotic Craft Spirits Offer Intrigue
Grace and Proper has been tearing through Haitian Clairin, a rustic clear style of rum that's high ester, funky and grassy. “It's made from either fresh pressed wild cane juice or occasionally a syrup made by reducing that juice over an open fire. It's packed with complex, sometimes savory notes that folks go nuts for when a competent bartender works it into a drink,” he said. “Our little bar was burning through a case a week until our distributor ran out and while waiting for another shipment to come in from Haiti, we tore through the supply of two other Clairins.”
Fetfatzes thinks part of that is because these exotic craft spirits are becoming more affordable, but mostly because they supply the kind of intrigue and complexity people have learned to want from craft cocktails.
Jarrod and Taylor Fox, owners of Bk Backyard Bar, located in Brooklyn, N.Y., said Bk Backyard Bar has started to focus on offering more non-alcoholic options. “Everything from fresh juices for our specialty mocktails, non-alcoholic beers like Heineken 0.0, and sparkling waters,” they said. “Alcohol-free options allow our customers to access the perks of nightlife not centered around consuming alcohol. They're inclusive to those practicing sobriety as much as to those who are merely sober curious.”
The couple is seeing cocktail drinkers requesting higher-end alcohol options like Grey Goose, Monkey 47, Patron, etc., as their customers want to appreciate the act of drinking while soaking in their backyard bar ambiance. “With top-shelf liquor containing natural, higher-quality ingredients, the overall experience is better at the bar – and the following day.”
The couple added: “On the other hand, hard seltzer brands continue to become increasingly popular, and we have seen firsthand that hard seltzer drinkers are looking for more options. This enthusiastic crowd has shown they are seeking novel and unique experiences in their beverage options, so Bk Backyard Bar offers three times the options we initially did and only predict it to grow.”
Erin Flynn Jay is a reporter and publicist based in Philadelphia. She’s also an occasional contributor to Questex’s World Tea News, in addition to having written for Bar & Restaurant News. Some of her other writing credits include Next Avenue and Woman’s World, among many others.
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