Vodka continues to enjoy success across the on-trade as a versatile liquid that can be enjoyed in a variety of different serves – and flavoured varieties are increasingly to the fore.
Head of category development, on-trade, for Diageo GB, Alex Haslam, noted that vodka had experienced ‘an explosion of innovation’ recently and the wealth of options available within the category had catapulted the spirit to the forefront of consumer trends.
“Over the past few years, the variety of vodka flavours available to consumers has become vast, with many brands now offering several different flavoured vodkas to suit a wide variety of taste preferences. Stocking a selection of flavoured vodkas not only generates excitement about a vodka range, but it also encourages more people to explore the options available and the versatility of the liquid,” said Haslam.
“By serving flavoured vodka and mixers in the right way, operators can offer their consumers high-quality serves that encourage bigger spend per head. However, in order to encourage people to try a flavoured vodka, first and foremost, consumers must trust the non-flavoured options in stock,” he advised. “People that have tried and trust Smirnoff No.21, for example, will arguably be more willing to try Smirnoff’s flavoured vodka as it provides them with taste assurances.”
Alex suggested that offering flavoured vodka is a great option for venues that may not have the expertise or time to create cocktails from scratch – but equally, it can be a useful ingredient for mixologists.
“Currently, three in five consumers will spontaneously choose cocktails when at a bar,” he said. “Vodka taps into this trend perfectly. Vodka-based cocktails are the number one choice amongst consumers and the passionfruit martini cocktail is GB’s favourite cocktail.”
He added that maximising the opportunity that the category presents requires visibility: “Customers won’t choose vodka options if they don’t know they are there.
“Using chalkboards or table tents to promote a vodka offering helps to increase visibility of the range, whilst utilising your back bar is also a fantastic way to display the range on offer, and make the most of impactful bottle designs.”
