The Foot in the Door Approach: 6 Simple Ways to Get on The Cocktail Menu and Drive Sales Velocity in Bars

How to get featured on the cocktail menu and increase the chances yours gets chosen.

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Dear Drinks Builder,

I'm a big fan of the mantra that one case in one bar is better than six bottles in six bars. During my podcast episodes, I always mention it to polarize the conversation and stress the importance of sustaining demand while continuing to capture demand in new venues.

Going from 1 bottle to 6 (1 case) is not an easy task.

The best way to do that is by managing to get on the cocktail menu.

Most people know it, but how do you manage to do that?

I usually suggest to focus on increasing sales in the first 10 bars you sold a bottle and increasing sales there.

When you start seeing traction at a particular bar, it depends on how well the product has performed initially.

If there's rapport and understanding between the brand owners and the bar staff, the brand owners will try to offer them at least one case to drive delivery efficiencies. However, suppose they're skeptical or want to see results before committing further.

The first step is obviously to get in the cocktail menu but they are often blocked by competitors or simply by time as they are not usually changed every single month.

Before we dive in, have a look at these Related Articles:

Nailing your Drink Strategy

Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,

MAFFEO DRINKS Guides & PodcastChris Maffeo

011 | How to get on Cocktail Menus: thinking out of the box to achieve rotation | Part 2/2 of the Interview with Brad Crompton, Director at Spirits of Bermondsey (London, UK)

In this episode, Chris Maffeo spoke to Brad Crompton, Director at Spirits of Bermondsey (Trinity 25) In the farming part of their chat, we dive into practical strategies for increasing sales in bars. We explore the importance of targeting independent outlets and overcoming skepticism from bar managers/owners. To drive awareness and generate interest, offering free samples and designing special promotions/events prove beneficial.

The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast & GuidesChris Maffeo

062 | David Wood | Distribution: The Non-obvious Power of Smaller Categories

In Ep. 062, I dived into the complexities of the drinks distribution industry with David Wood, Founder of Liana Collection, a UK-based Premium Drinks Importer and Distributor (IWSC Spirits Distributor of the Year 2023 in the UK).

MAFFEO DRINKS Guides & PodcastChris Maffeo

1. Track when bars change cocktail menus and create a pipeline

Finally, as for getting onto cocktail menus and demonstrating value, Timing is crucial when approaching bars during their menu launch planning stages.

If you miss that window, it could be a year (or half a year) before another opportunity arises. Establishing a system to track these launches can help build momentum over time in securing spots on upcoming menus.

If you miss out on one year, learn from your mistakes and prepare for the next. You can create a snowball effect and gain more listings by correctly coordinating your efforts.