Nailing your Drink Strategy
3 Reasons Why 99% of Brands Get It Wrong and How to Focus on a Simple Target Cocktail That Bartenders Wanna Use.
IDear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,
In this Guide, I want to discuss building a bottom-up target cocktail. Having a bunch of cocktails to play with in the early stage of brand development is crucial. There's a valuable lesson from the age-old adage: "Why reinvent the wheel when you can evolve it?"
Unfortunately, brand owners and managers get overexcited. They want to do something different from competitors. Instead of creating something that fixes an issue for consumers or bartenders, they create something they think is cool and stands out.
Why? Because they make it top-down in the office.
If they don’t create it themselves, they ask advertising agencies rather than relying on bartenders' expertise (or common sense).
Often, they copy what works on another brand. The issue is that most of the time, the brand trying to copy has no relevance to play in that area.
How often have you seen a random category playing with “spritz” or “and tonic” copying Aperol or the mighty Gin category?
They forget to focus on what makes their brand stand out from a Taste Profile perspective and what is more appropriate to their brand and category.
When creating a drink, most brands forget a simple rule about evolution rather than revolution.
Before we dive in, have a look at these Related Articles:
Chris Maffeo
Chris Maffeo
In their goodwill to create something different, some brands overcomplicate. Instead of making life easier for those on the front lines, some brands inadvertently create confusion, but why doesn’t that work?
1. Bartenders want to create. Not being told to follow a recipe (unless it’s from Jerry Thomas).
Cocktail recipes are okay if they have proven to work, either old or modern classics. Not something told by someone they don't trust.
I’m not advocating showing them your bottle and telling them that it works great for everything or avoiding giving any guidance. But there is a line to draw. It’s good to give some guidance starting from the taste profile but not overdoing it.
Also, when it comes to serves and pours, keep it simple. You don’t want to come up with unique garnishes that are expensive or difficult to find.
Caveat. When you reach a specific scale with your brand and approach more average bars, getting advice on which cocktails to use your brand may be appreciated. But that is only after you have been in the market enough to have seen which cocktails bartenders like to use your product in.
In that case, you will have built your drink strategy in a truly bottom-up way.
2. Consumers are often confused in cocktail bars.
How many times have you gotten lost reading a cocktail menu? People are likelier to choose something they already know with a slight twist.
This changes depending on your market, but I would say that most people are not cocktail connoisseurs on average (you know, I like the Pareto 80-20).
For this reason, the simpler, the better.
No matter how much they want to experiment with new things, people usually try to spot something they’re familiar with when approaching a cocktail menu. They can do that:
- From a (Macro) Category angle (e.g., Whisk(e)y, Rum, etc.)
- From a Taste Profile angle (e.g., Smoky, Bitter, Sour, etc).
- From a Cocktail angle (e.g., Old Fashioned, Negroni, etc.)
If you use a cocktail or name they’re familiar with, they’ll be more likely to choose a drink with your brand.
3. Creating your brand-new drink will cost money and time to establish.
How much money and how many years did establishing cocktails like Margaritas or Negronis cost?
Why not capitalize on someone else's investments? On top of this, if you create something innovative, you don't know if it will work.
Build slow.
So, what's the alternative? It's simple: evolve rather than revolutionize.
Don't burden your brand ambassadors and sales teams with implementing complex cocktails with the risk of getting ridiculed by bartenders who are (most likely) much more skilled than they are in making cocktails.
Instead, encourage them to make subtle changes to familiar classics. This will serve as an ice-breaker with bartenders. It will not dictate; it will give some food for thought.
Imagine saying something like: because of its smoky flavor; we believe it makes a great XYZ drink. Or: because of its XYZ notes, I like to drink it with XYZ, but many customers also say it makes a great XYZ cocktail.
You will put some cards on the table and let bartenders choose. This way, they can test what works best and build from there. Afterward, you will analyze the patterns and decide which one to focus on.
Imagine suggesting to switch to whisky, mezcal, or tequila in their existing cocktail repertoire. This minor tweak can make all the difference in getting your foot in the door at bars. But remember: it has to make sense.
Consider the classic "Old Fashioned." Instead of reinventing the wheel, think about substituting rum for whiskey. A "Boulevardier" can effortlessly replace a "Negroni."
Why does this work? Because you are not asking a bar to drop something they currently do. You are asking for a tiny change, not a big one.
If you’re selling a portfolio and they work with one of the big companies with many brands, there will always be a brand that’s not well looked after and not a priority for that company.
The category it plays in is probably used in a cocktail. Try to attack that cocktail on the menu.
The less invasive you are when entering a cocktail menu, the better.
The same principle applies to beer. When placing your product in a bar, consider the ease of using bottles rather than kegs.
Unlike kegs, bottle placement doesn't need the removal of a competitor's tap.
It makes it much smoother. It respects the existing relationships that bars have with other brands. It avoids any discomfort associated with abrupt switches.
This approach is a testament to the idea that brands are built from the ground up. Instead of reinventing the drinking experience, focus on subtle yet strategic changes.
Focus on what will resonate with bartenders, bar staff, and consumers. It's about making their lives easier while establishing a presence in a crowded market.
In conclusion, the key takeaway here is clear: don't overcomplicate your brand-building strategy.
Embrace the power of evolution, and remember that sometimes, a simple switch can yield profound results.
Brands are built bottom-up.
That's all for this weekend. One simple drinks industry tip.
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I hope this mini-guide will help you develop the small, consistent habits you need to build your brand from the ground up.
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