5 Useful Tips to Elevate your Bar Menu and Drinks Program

In today’s craft cocktail culture, being forward-thinking with your drink program is important. As drinkers’ palates have evolved and become more sophisticated and complex, their desire for a well-constructed bar menu and top-shelf drink program is essential.

Serving fresh and high quality drinks can help you stand out from the crowd and encourage repeat customers. Here are a few simple tips to take your bar menu and drink program to the next level.

Think about your customer base

Your drink menu should be tailored to your type of guests. Are they professionals coming in for premium spirits and cocktails? Are they a middle-aged couple who want a good, reputable wine for dinner? It’s also important to think about the drinking occasion and who is doing the drinking. Do some market research and run a product mix report to determine what products sell and which drink categories require more attention.

Focus on Concept

Menu development and drink programs are a reflection of your establishment’s theme and personality. What kind of drinking establishment are you? Irish pub? Italian restaurant? Speakeasy? The flavors and style of your drinks and product selection should reflect your concept or theme. For example, if you are a tiki bar, then you want your menu to reflect cocktails, liquors, beers, and flavors that match a tropical and Caribbean theme, i.e. rums and frozen drinks.

Create Innovative, Seasonal Cocktails

Add creative, unique drinks to your menu that play with flavors and ingredients. Experiment with different syrups, fruits, herbs, and spices. Put a twist on a classic cocktail. Look to ethnic flavors from around the world and check out your local farmers market for inspiration. Implement a cocktail menu that uses different spirits, such as vodka, gin, rum, tequila, and whiskey and different flavor profiles. Balance out the menu with an equal amount of sweet and spirit-forward cocktails and add a few savory and spicy options for diverse palates. Introduce seasonal cocktail menus and products to give your guests something new and exciting.

Offer Non-Alcoholic/Mocktail Options

Low or no ABV drinks are becoming popular with the increased trend of healthy consciousness. Many patrons expect to have these options on the menu, or at least, expect your favorite watering hole to be able to construct them. Almost every cocktail can be transformed into a mocktail with attention to the flavor profile of the cocktail. Alcohol-free cocktails do not have to be cloyingly sweet or boring. On the contrary, they can show your creative side. The use of homemade syrups, shrubs, infusions, and craft spirit-free spirits gives you a lot of options.

Incorporate local brands

With the rise in local distilleries and breweries, try to choose some local, craft brands, especially brands that are new and hard to find, to include in your drinks program. Many of them are experimenting with different methods and flavors and are more ‘craft’ in their approach. Sourcing fresh, local ingredients, like fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices can elevate your drinks. Placing a small distillery’s name on the menu can spark conversation about it. People like to support local businesses and would be willing to pay for handcrafted products and fresh ingredients.

Hey bartenders … speaking of ELEVATING your drinks program, join The Chilled 100 bartender ambassador program and check out our annual Chilled 100 ELEVATE event, 2024!