The Cocktail Menu Argument for Avant Garde (Part 1 of 2)
Are you looking to upgrade your restaurant’s cocktail menu? Drinks menus these days must place themselves solidly on one side of today’s controversial quaffing question: Should your cocktails be complex and creative… or should they be tried and true? If you’re planning to join the mixologists by creating a cutting-edge cocktail menu, here are some tips that will help you get started.
Bring out the hybrids
Right now, hybrids are very popular. Inspired by the food mashup sense of adventure, not only are new inventions like beer-wine hybrids an exciting addition to your updated menu, cocktails with unusual hybrids and flavors and ingredients are steadily gaining in popularity as well. Consider adding cocktails blended with tea (known as a tea-tini) or add savory bitters to your sweeter drinks.
Keep it seasonal
Experimentation is all about being cutting-edge. If your ingredients are old and stale, your drinks probably are too. Don’t serve apple cider or pomegranate cocktails in summer (not even if they’re chilled), and don’t serve coconut-based drinks in winter. Stick to seasonal ingredients to keep your costs down and your “buzz-factor” up.
Offer options for the less adventurous
It’s wonderful that you want to add delicious, groundbreaking drinks to your cocktail menu. Understand, however, that not everyone will want to drink them. If you make sure to offer cocktail standards for your taste-timid customers, everyone will always have something they love. Quick tip: Don’t force your shy guests to bravely ask for an off-the-menu drink. Mention somewhere on your complex and creative menu that you also offer “the classics that discerning drinkers love” and then coach your servers to offer standards when necessary.
Conclusion
When you’re revamping your cocktail menu, make sure that your selections are a smashing success. By ensuring that you offer trendy hybrids, seasonal flavors, and options for the not-so-brave, your customers are sure to find something delicious and you’ll always have something for everyone.
Interested in checking out the other side of the contentious cocktail menu debate? Read part two.
- Why Your Wine Menu Is Scaring Your Guests - February 27, 2015
- How to Host a Better Restaurant Week and Get More Customers - February 23, 2015
- Choosing Your Restaurant Wine Glass – 3 Approaches - February 16, 2015
