Being surrounded by the sweet smells of liqueurs is the perfect way for many bar and restaurant customers to spend an hour or two in their favorite establishment. And as more and more customers embrace liqueurs over beer and wine, manufacturers are boasting a wide range of popular liqueurs that appeal to discerning consumers’ palettes.
According to Ben Jones, managing director for Spiribam America, which imports and distributes Joseph Cartron and Marigot Bay rum creams in the U.S, the role of liqueurs in the on-premise space is growing considerably.
“The liqueur trends are tied closely with the rapidly developing cocktail culture. The most popular cocktail has routinely been the margarita, which calls for orange liqueur,” Jones says. “However, as more cocktails become mainstream such as negronis and espresso martinis, the liqueur category is winning.”
Overall, Jones believes this trend will continue to grow because consumers like simple serve cocktails and “pretty colors.”
As Jones explains, the growth of the liqueur category within the on-premise is booming as spirits are more popular than beer and wine, which is a result of the growing interest in cocktails.
“Many of today’s trendier cocktails usually require a good amount of liqueur as the sugar component. And it helps that these liqueurs also make the drink attractive to sip and take a photo of, as well as more palatable for a wider audience,” Jones says.
The low-ABV trend is also a great contributor to the growth of cocktails as one can choose their favorite flavors and mix refreshing beautiful cocktails with soda water or wine and make something appealing to the eye and their palate to enjoy and be part of the party. “Serving a variety of spritz-type cocktails is for sure a trend on the rise,” Jones says.
Josh Morton, founder of Barrow’s Intense Ginger Liqueur, agrees. The trends Morton and his team are seeing with liqueurs are a move to higher quality, natural ingredients, small batches, and bolder flavors.
“Ten years ago, when we started, ginger was still fairly new to the American palette, but now it’s mainstream,” Morton says. “Consumers are also interested in lower-proof spirits, which most liqueurs tend to be.”
Morton also points out that most establishments use liqueurs in cocktails, but some also market them as digestifs on their own. “It’s a trend I hope continues and expands,” Morton says. “I started out serving Barrow’s Intense to my friend as a digestif and I still love it that way, but bartenders love using it in cocktails, so it is most often presented that way.”
So what other types of drinks are liqueurs making an impact on? Buzzy Sklar, CEO of Tropical Distillers and J.F. Haden's Liqueur sees the espresso martini having a long lifeline and continuing on an upward trend, as well as other old-school classic martinis, such as the lychee martini coming on strong.
“There is tremendous growth in the liqueur category, and we do not see it stopping,” Sklar says. “Establishments are investing in high-quality liqueurs, which will help bartenders serve consistent cocktails.”
Marketing Know-How
Jon Augustin, vice president of food and beverage at True Food Kitchen in Chicago, Ill. says the majority of their liquor enjoyment from guests comes in the form of the cocktails they have on the menu.
“We put the spirit bottles in our digital menu that our guests can view via their phone as well as printing the spirit’s name on the physical menu,” Augustin says. “We have just introduced a community diner series where we partner with a spirit company to create a food and beverage menu using their products.”
As the rise in interest in liqueurs continues to take the hold of the hospitality industry, on-premise owners and operators need to examine how they are capturing the attention of consumers. Jones points out that bartenders have always been using liqueurs as their cocktail menu’s secret weapon, but the real growth is coming from retail stores who like to have a diverse offering as customers that are grabbing bottles of rum, tequila, and vodka are also buying liqueurs to mix with their favorite cocktails.
“I don’t see as much growth from the household brand names but from the flavors of what’s hip to mix into cocktails today or to mix with liqueurs to make a healthier cocktail with less alcohol,” Jones says.
Of course, seasonality plays a part in the on-premise consumer's interests in liqueurs. Cream liqueurs seem to sell particularly well around the holidays and when it is cold, as well as when it is warm enough for a blender cocktail. “As do many other establishments we see a large push on cocktail consumption around the holidays,” Augustin says.
What Morton finds most important is to have seasonal menus. Ginger is very versatile and can be used in summery drinks as well as fall and winter/holiday cocktails. “We do a little better in the summer since more people are out at bars and restaurants in the nice weather,” Morton says.
True Food Kitchen also tends to sell more cocktails in the summer as they are able to showcase more fresh and vibrant juices to pair with the spirits. “Our watermelon mojito is, hands down, the big seasonal winner each summer with fresh mint and watermelon juice," says Augustin, "our ginger margarita does incredibly well in the fall and winter.”
A Favorable Forecast
2023 got off to a great start for liqueurs in the on-premise. Morton believes high-quality liqueurs will continue to play an important role as it allows the on-premise to provide the consumer with a wide range of authentic flavors.
“With the rise of craft cocktails and home bartending, it has become more important for on-premise to elevate their cocktail program,” Morton says. “Premium craft liqueurs like Barrow’s Intense can help achieve this, even with the current challenging staffing environment.”
Jones stresses that on-premise will always be a driver for liqueurs. From margaritas to negronis to espresso martinis, these cocktails are flying across the bar because they are consistently good.
“Then, of course, bartenders are always on a quest for their next ingredient to use on the cocktail menu to allow for the cocktail program to stand apart, for the way their drinks taste, but also for the way they look in their guest’s hands,” Jones says. “The forecast is good for a wide variety of liqueurs. We are seeing dynamic growth for the imported liqueur category.”
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