The Trend of Lower ABV Cocktails
At the beginning of every year we see food industry and beverage industry magazines and websites touting “this years trends”. Whilst some are just hype and even more are focused in niche markets of venue styles there are some which apply across the board and around the world; one of those is the rise of the lower ABV cocktail.
In our ever more informed world people, especially younger generations, are becoming more health conscious; not just with their food but also with their drinking choices. Nowadays, the customer is looking to lengthen their time out and enjoy it for longer; whilst still enjoying their drinks, sometimes in the same quantity too. The seasons are beginning to shift and you’re probably considering updating your cocktail menu to mirror this shift, therefore, now is an excellent time to consider adding lower ABV creations to it.
Benefits for Your Venue
We do things for the guest, however if it doesn’t benefit us -especially financially- then why would we bother doing it? Here’re a few of the benefits you can get from including lower ABV drinks on your menu.
- Higher Margins – Lower ABV cocktails often use a lower quantity of spirits, and a higher quantity of fresh citrus, fruit juices, and house made syrups; and if these items are in season they can be really cheap. Also, because these are crafted cocktails, you can charge prices that resemble such beverages, not necessarily the ingredients that go into them.
- Increase in Check Average – With a lower ABV in their beverage your guests are likely to drink more, ordering an extra round or two and, therefore, spending more money and bumping up your check average.
- You Appear Trendy – Having your finger on the pulse in the restaurant industry is always a surefire way to attract customers and advertising and marketing this element of your menu can help to attract customers old and new into your location.
Why is This Trending?
There is a global move to a more conscious way of eating and conforming to a healthier lifestyle. As a result, the big drinking old days are going out the window for many people as they’re looking to consume less alcohol. This is done by either paying attention to the ABV in the beverages they’re drinking or just drinking less. This also all goes hand-in-hand with “Session-ability”. People still want to drink as much as they did before they just don’t want to get as drunk. As a result session-ability – which, in reality, just means lower ABV beverages- is also trending.
A Quick How Too?
The process for creating these lower ABV offerings is exactly the same as it would be for any signature cocktail you create, you’ve just shifted focus. Here’re some pointers to creating successful low ABV cocktails.
- Ingredients – The ingredients list is going to be slightly different and slightly longer in order to help you achieve the complexity found in regular cocktails. Think of citrus juices, fruit juice, bitters, and creative house-made syrups, for exciting flavor profiles.
- Base Spirits – Using lower ABV spirits such as: amaros, aperitifs, vermouths, liqueurs and fortified wines; as your base spirit will ensure that the cocktail keeps a low ABV. This will also provide your bartenders a chance to showcase spirits that rarely make it off the backbar and to introduce them to your guests.
- Body – Body is one thing that alcohol provides to a beverage, that can be hard to recreate. This is going to be created through a combination of your choice spirit and non-alcohol ingredients and might take a bit of tinkering to get right.
- Length – Cocktails are often thought of as short or straight up beverages, yet there is no problem with you lengthening these cocktails, in-turn, decreasing their ABV.
With winter waning people are going to be more inclined to drink more and enjoy their time with the changing seasons. If you’re changing up your cocktail list around this time of year to reflect the changing seasons now might be the time to consider substituting in a few lower ABV beverages. They can help keep your guests in your venue longer and, as a result, they’ll order an extra round or two and increase their spend in your location.
Also remember that low ABV doesn’t just apply to cocktails. In the West there is a growing trend of session-able beers with a lower than average ABV as well as hard (alcoholic) sodas which also have a low ABV. If your low ABV cocktails start to pick up steam then getting in some other beverages which suit this trend could be a smart move.
