The owners of SLTN’s reigning Cocktail Bar of the Year are no strangers to a premium spirit – but they reckon some brands have been better than others at staying ‘premium’ as they grow.
Kim Toft and Mari Chierchia, who opened Daddy Marmalades in Glasgow in 2022, told SLTN last month they are always keen to attend tastings and try new products, with anything they are particularly impressed by likely to find its way onto the Daddy’s back-bar.
“Tastings are a big thing for us,” said Kim.
“If we like something we’ll just get it in and leave it. It might sit on the back-bar for ages and then when we’re doing a new menu we’ll find a way to include it.”
A recent example is Scottish barley vodka X Muse, which Kim said will likely feature in a Martini on the bar’s next menu.
While flavour is obviously the top priority, Mari said it’s also important any new addition have the right values.
“I feel like brands’ values are a big thing for us. Obviously it needs to taste good. It needs to be something that we’re looking to work with. People come in with new spirits all the time, and if it doesn’t fit it doesn’t fit. But if we love it we’ll make it fit on the menu.”
Among the bevy of brands on the Daddy’s back-bar are several the two mixologists reckon have done a great job of maintaining quality and reputation alike even as they’ve grown into sizeable brands.
These include Kim’s favourite gin – Brockmans – and Grey Goose vodka.
“I am a sucker for a Brockmans,” said Kim.
“I think Brockmans makes the nicest Negroni. It’s my favourite.”
Grey Goose and Bacardi stablemate Patron, meanwhile, represent two global brands that are both well established and well respected.
“Bacardi are probably the best at that because when I think of being premium but selling a lot, the two brands I think of are Patron and Grey Goose,” said Kim.
“They’re everywhere. Everyone has them. If people are specifically looking for a premium vodka, they’ll ask for a Grey Goose.”
Other brands were complimented for their ability to position themselves as specialist products for particular serves.
“I’d say one of the biggest things we get asked for, that’s not on our menu, is a Sipsmith Dry Martini,” said Kim.
“We get that quite a bit. Sipsmith have done a great job making themselves a premium Martini brand.”
Elsewhere, there are smaller but significant brands on the gantry, such as Ford’s gin, which is the Daddy Marmalades house pour as well as being the base for the bar’s Dirty Martini.
“That’s why I love Ford’s – you can use it as your house, because the price point of it is amazing, and you can use it in a Martini and it’s going to be a really good Martini,” said Mari.
In addition to Brockmans, Kim has a fondness for Tapatio tequila, while Mari favours Ceylon arrack.
“But if I could pick anything to live off for the rest of my life it’s always going to be green Chartreuse and lemonade,” said Mari.
Other recent spirits that have impressed – but aren’t yet on the back-bar – have included Arbikie’s forthcoming single malt, which Mari recently tried straight from the cask at the distillery, and a couple of Teeling whiskies Kim tasted during a trip back to her native Dublin.
One of the latter, a peated expression of the Irish whiskey, is likely to show up in Daddy Marmalades before long.
Trying new products is clearly a favourite personal and professional pastime, but the award-winning business owners did have advice for brands planning on hosting tasting events.
“A lot of the time people have already tried what they’re doing a tasting on, so it needs to be something that’s either new or rare,” said Mari. “If you’re going to do a tasting with something people have already tried, if the brand brings something a bit unique it can help to make people want to come to it.”
