Liqueurs help give customers something special during party season
LIQUEURS – one of the broadest and most versatile drinks categories – has often seen sales rise over the festive season, and that’s expected to be the case again in 2022.
With the wide variety of liqueur products available to licensees suited to everything from after-dinner digestifs to shots and cocktails, brand owners argued that liqueurs are well positioned to tap into the celebratory spirit of the season.
Johna Penman, UK trade consumer marketing director at Ian Macleod Distillers, parent company of Edinburgh Gin, said pub and bar customers “want to try something they like with a festive spin” over the festive season.
In the case of Edinburgh Gin’s liqueurs range, said Penman, this can include something as simple as mixing the brand’s Mulled Gin liqueur with sparkling red wine.
“We are seeing sparkling red wine increase in popularity and adding a Christmas twist will serve as an exciting choice for consumers,” she said.
Speeding up service with liqueurs
Versatility isn’t the only advantage liqueurs can bring to a gantry over the festive season, said Penman; they can also help speed of service in the on-trade.
She said the Edinburgh Gin range “offers a range of festive gins and liqueurs that can be mixed with tonic or added to fizz to create a serve that looks and tastes premium, but takes half the time of a crafted cocktail”.
“In a nutshell, flavoured gins and liqueurs provide the taste of a cocktail, but without the labour and time needed from staff,” said Penman.
Liqueur serves Ian Macleod is promoting this festive season include the aforementioned Mulled Gin Fizz, which mixes Edinburgh Gin’s Mulled Gin Liqueur with sparkling red wine, and the Mulled Gin Warmer, which combines the liqueur with apple juice, orange slices and star anise.
Capitalising on shot sales for the festive season
Mast-Jägermeister UK is another brand owner looking forward to the festive season.
The company said that although the ‘shot season’ lasts all year it does heighten around the festive season when people are getting together to celebrate.
Head of brand and trade marketing, Johnny Dennys, said: “The shot occasion is as popular as ever, with the Christmas season only heightening the celebration occasion, with Jägermeister’s peak sales period being the month of December.”
He added that shots “are an easy and incremental serve, meaning venues can drive profits and save time during a busy service”.
Coffee flavoured cocktails on the rise
Jägermeister stressed that recognising flavour trends is important to make the most of liqueurs, particularly when served in a cocktail.
“With one in four cocktails in the UK on-trade being coffee-flavoured the craft coffee movement is likely to continue to grow,” Dennys said.
“Jägermeister Cold Brew Coffee, although best served as an ice cold shot, can also be used in many traditional cocktails, such as the Jägermeister Espresso Martini.”
To make the Jägermeister Espresso Martini, Dennys said operators only need Jägermeister Cold Brew Coffee, sugar syrup and a shot of espresso.
“Sometimes less is more so offering classic cocktails with a twist is something operators should consider,” he said.
“The Spiced Mojito can be made with Jägermeister and operators can make a Christmas Mojito by just switching rum for Jägermeister, and the soda water for ginger ale.”
