Cocktails Shimmer and Shine

While a majority of bar owners will agree that the cocktail scenario has certainly taken a deep dive into exciting waters where mixologists are having a great time using various new ingredients and equipment to serve an array of astonishing creations, there is also a hint of despair that the good times may not last forever. Taking a close look at what’s happening, Cinalli Luca, Food and Beverage Consultant with Hospitality Gourmet, presents his own interesting take.

Just as technology has permeated every sphere of our life, so has it in the space of alcoholic beverages. Bars are now more than just places where you hang out with friends and down a couple of drinks. Rather, they are ‘experiences’ and they create ‘memories. And that translates into tools and equipment that create cocktails, with a diverse portfolio of flavours and presentation styles. Most would like to term them the ‘Instagram’ moments! Overall, as Cinalli Luca, puts it, the 3D machines are at work to create ideas that make the consumption of alcoholic beverages an “amazing” experience. He gives an example of the large impact centrifuge machine that helps create a new layer of taste and mouthful sensations. Such developments have led to some out-of-the-world cocktails such as a mix of guava, cacao butter and osmanthus.

Whither the Trends?

Meanwhile, even though industry observers believe that the trend of minimalist cocktails is here to stay for a long time, Cinalli is of the opinion that this may be on the wane with the demand for minimalist cocktails decreasing by the day. He also feels that there has never been a shift from classic to curated cocktails and it has just been a figment of the imagination. “It has always been curated cocktails because the co-called classic cocktails were also curated cocktails back in the 1990s. It’s just that we live in different times and so it seems that a new trend has come into place,” he says. One of the examples that Cinalli shares of a ‘curated’ cocktail is Whisky Sour replaced by a Penicillin Cocktail. According to him, the old fashioned style continues and Cinalli feels that the best one is that of using bacon because it helps give the cocktail an absolutely different flavour. Even umami bombs may just be a passing phase – a one-time order to check out what it tastes like with no long-term loyalty. “I don’t see repeat orders for the umami bombs,” he says. The infusions in cocktails that work the best are pickles or vinegar and a bit of sugar, he adds.

The Run of Bar Takeovers

With the costs of managing bars getting into oceanic depths given the fact that patrons need ‘more and new’ all the time, how will the operational and financial curve shape up in the near future? He feels that as of now, concepts like bar takeovers are definitely helping to promote bars and brands through the generation of a loud buzz that reaches out to the consumers and attracts them to try out new cocktails. In terms of branding, this works well but the question is will it sustain over a longer timeframe? For the moment though, and in particular for the consumers, it’s ‘enjoy while it lasts’! “If organised well and professionally, consumers will have a chance to taste / experience a bar been relocated for a night,” asserts the Food and Beverage Consultant.