Soft drinks are having a renaissance according to the Britvic Soft Drinks Review. Sales reached £4.6bn in licensed trade premises in 2022.
Could tequila come to the fore this summer? Certainly Cazcabel Tequila spritz aims to make its mark with a gorgeous pink hue Paloma Spritz, a Mexican take on the Hugo Spritz. Quickly rising up the ranks as the perfect spirit for mixing in long cocktails and spritzes, tequila is now starting to see figures rise in the UK as it has done exponentially in the US and google searches for the instagrammable Paloma cocktail have risen by 157%.
Martyn Nicol – Kelvingrove Café, Glasgow “We have just launched a Whisky cocktail menu for the month of June in collaboration with Johnnie Walker. Highlights include a High Ball made with Johnnie Walker Black Label and citrus flavours. Our classic cocktail menu has also just had a few new additions in time for the Summer.”
Cider – from the ‘over ice’ serve to the introduction of the first ‘Dark Fruit’, cider remains the second highest selling drink (after lager) at the bar.
Lo Alcohol and soft drinks on-trade volumes are expected to grow by 48% to 117 million litres by 2027 and value to £432m.
FACTS ABOUT THE PRODUCTION OF THE THATCHERS NEW X AARDMAN AD: ANIMATORS SHOT AN AVERAGE OF 50 FRAMES PER DAY, OR 2 SECONDS A DAY OR 10 SECONDS A WEEK. IT TOOK 4 WEEKS WITH 3 ANIMATORS TO SHOOT 40 SECONDS. IN-BETWEEN EACH SHOT, THE MODEL OF MYRTLE THE DOG WOULD NEED TO HAVE HER HAIR DONE WITH A TOOTHBRUSH! THE TINY THATCHERS BOTTLES WERE 3CM IN HEIGHT, 1.5 CM IN WIDTH. THEY WERE MADE FROM MOULDING TINY SCULPTED WOODEN BOTTLES AND CASTING IN RESIN. THE PUPPETS ARE ALL BETWEEN 25-30CM IN HEIGHT. A BEARD TRIMMER WAS USED TO CUT THE GRASS.
According to research 35% of consumers are drinking fewer drinks when they go out but 11% say they are choosing higher quality drinks with 32% increasing their spend on cocktails.
Ravensbourne University student, Paulina Grönlund above is dancing for joy as she was revealed as the winner of the 2023 Kopparberg’s annual Limited-Edition design competition, pipping 200 other students to the post. Now her designs will feature on 4.5 million bottles this summer. Look out for Kopparberg’s limited-edition labels for bestselling flavours – Strawberry & Lime, Mixed Fruit, and Pear.
John Walker – The Locale, Glasgow “Classics such as the Aperol Spritz are back with a bang and mojitos are popping this summer. Anything watermelon based is also big at the moment, especially our Watermelon Margarita, which has been flying.”
PIMM’S NO. 1, OFTEN CONSIDERED THE ORIGNAL SUMMER DRINK. PIMM’S WAS ORIGINALLY CREATED IN THE MID-19TH CENTURY BY A LONDON OYSTER BAR OWNER, JAMES PIMM. HE DEVELOPED IT AS A HEALTHFUL DIGESTIVE AID TO SERVE TO HIS CUSTOMERS, WITH THE CONCOCTION INTENDED TO AID DIGESTION AND PROVIDE A REFRESHING ALTERNATIVE TO STRONG ALES. THE ORIGINAL PIMM’S NO. 1 CUP IS A GINBASED SPIRIT MADE WITH QUININE AND A SECRET MIXTURE OF HERBS.
Following the premiere of ‘House of the Dragon’ last year, Emma D’Arcy’ shared that their go-to libation is a twist on the classic negroni, known as the negroni sbagliato – with prosecco. This revelation amassed a staggering 3.9 million views on TikTok. But, as you know, a Negroni Sbagliato is a Negroni (equals parts gin, red vermouth, and Campari) that replaces gin with Prosecco so bartenders were quick to point out the error in D’Arcy’s phrasing.
Jeremy Clarkson caused a stooshie last year by suggesting people cool down during the heatwave by drinking more beer, with many labelling his advice as “ignorant”. But there is a theory that when the body is lacking in hydration it needs more fluid and so it retains more from beer than some other drinks. Dr. Stuart Galloway, of the University of Stirling reported that the drink contains electrolytes, sugar and salt, which helps the body retain fluid, rather than it flushing it out straight away. Galloway, a hydration expert at UK bottled water brand Aqua Pura, said, “Beer has a relatively high water content and contains some electrolytes, so if a small amount is consumed as part of your daily fluid intake alongside non-alcoholic drinks, such as water, beer can be part of a plan to keep you hydrated during the heatwave.” Galloway went in to add: “However, you should be aware that alcoholic drinks will lead to dehydration if you drink more than one or two servings,” explaining that “with beer in particular, if you drink more than two pints, it will most likely have a negative effect on your hydration status”.
THE UK’S NO. 1 COCONUT RUM BRAND MALIBU HAS ADDED MALIBU STRAWBERRY TO ITS RANGE. STRAWBERRY IS THE NO.1 COCKTAIL FLAVOUR PREFERENCE IN THE ON-TRADE ACCORDING TO THE CGA MIXED DRINKS REPORT.
What are bars serving up?
Billy Milligan – Finsbay, Milngavie “We have launched ‘tinto de verano’ which is similar to sangria but made with Fanta Lemon, Vermouth and lime. It has been very popular and sold out yesterday in our West End venue! In Milngavie, the Aperol Spritz remains a firm favourite, as well as our ‘Strawberry Aperol Sour’ cocktail which is perfect for the good weather.”
Anna Bain – Brel, Glasgow “Our new range of ‘Bier Cocktails’ have just launched and are proving a hit. They include a ‘Peach Punch’ (Blanche De Bruxelles, Peach Schnapps, lemonade and lemon) and a ‘Belgian Bramble’ (Timmerman’s Kriek, Tanqueray and lemon). Spritzes are also huge, including Aperol, Campari and Hugo, as they are the perfect summer drink to enjoy in our beer garden.”
Jaimi Mullen – The Bothy, Glasgow “The Bothy has gone boujee with its Summer Lux menu which includes ‘Pure Passion’ made with Belvedere, Watermelon and Passion Fruit Sherbet, as well as the Chandon Garden Spritz. Rose wine is popular as always over the summer months, but we are seeing a trend moving towards paler wines such as Cotes de Provence.”