Weird drinks and first-class service are the biggest priorities for pub and bar customers in 2025, according to some of Glasgow’s top bartenders.
Speaking at the Bartenders Brunch event at ScotHot, bartenders from around Glasgow spoke out on their experiences serving quality drinks during the cost of living crisis.
Elyse Von Ruinn of The Gate reckoned that customer expectations are now higher than ever, and so bars and bartenders ‘have had to up our game so much, consistently, to be able to provide something special’.
“They (customers) can make a nice Martini at home now, so I need to give them something more,” they said.
“I need to give them an exceptional experience; really make sure that I am authentically connecting with them.”
Elyse was supported by Kim Toft, co-owner of cocktail bar Daddy Marmalades, who said people now want ‘weird drinks, weird cocktails’.
“They can buy certain spirits at home, but they don’t necessarily have access to the ones we have access to,” said Kim.
“They’re obviously not going to be able to experiment with loads of different types of drinks and hone their skills they way we can. I think as long as we’re offering something different to what customers have the ability to do, they’ll keep coming back.”
Weird drinks were also championed by Julia Fletcher Smith, general manager of The Pot Still, who said there is now more pressure than ever to provide customers with something unusual.
She said: “People want cheap and they want weird. Because of lockdown and because of the cost of living crisis people can sit in their house and have a £5 bottle of wine. They don’t want to spend a lot of money anymore. They want cheap and they want weird.
“If you’re going to do weird you can charge more, but if you’re going to do plain, they want it cheap.”
It’s not just the drinks side of the business that’s evolving. Elyse said food and cocktails are becoming intertwined as customers demand the best of both.
“From my point of view, running cocktail bars, something we’ve had to loop back on in various places I’ve worked, is how to keep bums on seats, and that is food.
“You’ve got restaurants that do amazing cocktails to pair with their amazing food, and you’ve got cocktail bars with amazing cocktails that need something to go along with that. Daddy Marmalades does the best pizza in Glasgow.
“I’ve thought of doing pairing programmes before, to try and bring different chefs in to do one-off experiences. It’s definitely a synergy that’s going to be necessary for the future.”
