Compelling Cocktails: Winning new customers

A bar’s menu is undoubtedly among the most important tools when convincing a guest to order a cocktail. There are many approaches to take here, some more effective than others.

“It’s less about just showing what we can do, and more about sharing, and getting guests on board,” says marketing specialist Rebekkah Dooley, formerly marketing manager for Callooh Callay and marketing director for Dead Rabbit NYC, among others. 

Accessibility is key here – from the type of information you’re providing, and the level of detail, all the way to how this is presented. “It’s a balancing act to showcase that you’re really good at what you do, but doing that in an accessible and interesting way - most people don’t know what fat washing is, nor do they care,” says Dooley. “Three Sheets are really good at doing this, and also the Lyan bars - Ryan [Chetiyawardana] can make the weirdest ingredients sound exciting - wording is so important.”

Michal Maziarz, service manager at Harrods, is all too aware of this, taking these considerations into account when creating the recently-launched new list at Baccarat Bar. “Many bartenders, including myself, have made the mistake of trying to show off all the quirky techniques they’re using by overloading menus with fermented, acidified, vacuum distillate ultrasonic extraction, rapid infusion… leaving most guests confused, and taking away from their experience, rather than adding to it,” he says. “I believe the menu should be a guide, and help guests on their journey, rather than a platform to show off. Unless you can do both without compromise – then go for it.”

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution here, of course. “A crucial element is to understand your audience,” adds Maziarz.

The way this information is presented is just as important. “It’s a balancing act of functionality and design,” says Dooley. “How many pages do they need to flick through before they choose a drink - does that mean there’s more time between drinks ordered, and less money spent? If you want a fancy book, ensure the guest has a complimentary arrival drink so they’re happy taking their time. Otherwise, you’re in danger of losing them to a glass of prosecco.”

At Baccarat Bar, this has resulted in a hybrid approach, with an initial section aimed at what Maziarz describes as “loyal Harrods shoppers – often the older generation that know what they like, and want to understand the menu without needing Google or dictionary”. For them, there’s a single spread listing all of the drinks, simple ingredients, a sketch of the crystal glassware for each, and three-word descriptors.

For others, such as “American tourists, the group that wants to know everything, that get very invested in anything created with passion, that want to explore every corner of the menu and are being very vocal about it”, there’s the rest of the list. This dedicates two pages to each cocktail, with detailed descriptions, including techniques, and with an abstract visual to represent each drink.

A few years ago it seemed like we might lose physical cocktail lists entirely, with the introduction of QR codes during the pandemic. “QR codes are great because you can change your menu daily, but we’re removing a huge marketing tool when relying on PDFs - can you give the option of both?” asks Dooley. “The physicality of a menu is so important - how it looks, feels, and embodies your venue."

While QR codes might have seemed like the height of cocktail list-related technological innovation just a few years ago, there’s a growing number of useful tools out there. Describing AI as an evolution to our creative process, hospitality and FMCG consultant James Triffo sees a number of ways that these new tools can be used by bars.