USING COCKTAILS TO ENSURE EVERY DAY IS A SPECIAL OCCASION
By Diageo’s Chef in Residence, Mark Moriarty
Birthday, anniversaries, reunions, cocktails have the potential to make any special occasion a memorable one! Dining out is seen as a treat – consumers tend to frequent restaurants when something important has happened, and delicious drinks are an excellent way to enhance any occasion opportunity.
Whether it’s birthdays, anniversaries, or reunions – cocktails have a part to play in making the occasion a memorable one!
- Every cocktail should look ‘Instagrammable’ and prompt social sharing on special occasions - free advertising for you.
- Increase incremental sales with staff advising on the best seasonal serves as soon as guests sit down – consumers are more likely to trust and order a recommendation from an expert.
- Add some pizazz to your serves (creative touches like sparklers, sprinkles, etc) to grab the attention of other diners.
- Can you create a cocktail serve with an unusual ingredient, and serve it alongside an equally unusual starter dish? Take advantage of a consumer’s delight in the surprise and unexpected – who doesn’t love trying something unique?
- One third of consumers don’t know what they want before they order. Have staff well-prepped to answer any cocktail queries and offer recommendations.
- And on that note - encourage your staff to actually try the cocktails! People are always more engaged and animated about something they’ve had the chance to try. This doesn’t just go for cocktails, but food too.
- Cocktail descriptions should be simple and to the point. Focus on the spirit and three to five key flavour differentiators.
- Closely align your food and drink menus through corresponding flavours and themes. By uniting them, you are encouraging guests to make a mental connection for themselves between cocktails and the overall dining experience.
- Consider designing your cocktail menu with groups in mind - promotional prices for larger orders.
Enjoy,
Mark
Ensure Everyday is a Special Occasion with Cocktails
DRINKS
Tanqueray & Tonic
Ingredients:
50ml Tanqueray London Dry
150ml Tonic Water
Cubed Ice
Seasonal choice of garnish
Directions:
Fill a Copa glass with ice. Pour Tanqueray London Dry and top the glass with tonic. Garnish with your choice of seasonal produce.
Johnnie Walker Black & Soda
Ingredients:
50ml JW Black Label
150ml Soda water
Lime wedge
Cubed ice
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a Highball glass, stir briefly and serve with garnish.
DISH
To Start
Warm potato croquettes, aioli
Ingredients:
200g Mashed Potato
10g Parmesan
100g Flour
100g Eggwash
100g Breadcrumbs
50g Aioli
Method:
Mix the potato, parmesan together and season with salt.
Roll into balls and freeze.
Roll the frozen balls in the flour, followed by the eggwash, then the breadcrumbs.
Repeat the process.
Store in freezer.
When ordered, drop in a fryer at 200c for 2 minutes.
Serve with aioli.
To finish
Shortbread with hot chocolate and hazelnut dip
Ingredients:
10 Shortbread Biscuits
200g Dark Chocolate
200g Cream
50g Sugar
2g Salt
20g Crushed, Toasted Hazelnuts
Method:
Heat the cream and sugar, pour on top of the chocolate and mix to shiny sauce texture, store in a warm place.
Place the shortbread on a plate, the sauce in a ramekin and cover with toasted hazelnuts.
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ADVICE FROM A FLAVOUR PRO
Maximising the impact of a well-crafted meal with a corresponding drink, or vice versa, is a great way of elevating a guests’ experience, increasing spend per head and helping the venue’s bottom line.
FOOD AND COCKTAIL MOMENTS
Guests are looking for the ultimate food and drink moments and, if you’re not already providing pre and post meal experiences, then it’s worth thinking about how you bring these exciting moments into the mix.
THREE COCKTAILS WITH A STORY TO TELL
The origin of many of our favourite cocktails today are hotly debated, but the multiple stories behind most are probably a reflection on how important the art of storytelling is to barstaff.
A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN
As the world of Scotch whisky continues to grow we caught up with Diageo Global Whisky Master, Ewan Gunn to find out more about how to create a match made in heaven when it comes to whisky and food.
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