3 drink trends for when on-trade reopens – Bar & Kitchen

3 drink trends for when on-trade reopens

Why you should stock sparkling water, rosé prosecco and flavoured vodka

Sparkling water

Still or sparkling? It looks like customers are favouring the fizzy stuff , from recent statistics. At the end of 2020, plain sparkling water was growing 10% above the category average and was the only segment driving growth in water.*

Interestingly, in the last recession of 2008-09, plain sparkling water also gained significant market share compared to still and flavoured water.** It’s not just the alcoholic fizz customers turn to in hard times! Water expert Danone predicts that sparkling will outperform still water by 5% in 2021.

With this in mind, as customers return to venues across the country, make sure you’ve got good stocks of the best sparkling water. We love Harrogate Spring. It’s not too fizzy and a perfect partner to food, or to drink on its own.

*IRI Marketplace MAT to 29/11/2020

**Source: Kantar Worldpanel (Peak recession July 2008 to July 2009 vs prior year)

Harrogate Spring Sparkling Water

Rosé prosecco

It’s safe to say we’re big fans of the bubbles in the UK. According to the Consortium for the Protection of Prosecco DOC, we are the largest market for prosecco, accounting for a massive 36% of bottles consumed.

So, why not pair the sparkling wine with rosé, which is also seeing a rise in popularity. A CGA and Liberty Wines Premium On-trade Wine Report found that over the past few years, the rosé wine market has been increasing with a specific boost to the premium market.

A hit with customers

Combining the two wines is proving very popular with many supermarkets posting huge sale increases for pink prosecco over Christmas. As we move into spring/summer, to what we hope will be a more ‘normal’ and open period for on-trade, venues can look to attract these customers with this new on-trend line.

The prosecco grape, glera, is combined with 15% pinot noir to give the attractive pink hue. As many as 40-50 million bottles are being made in the 2020 vintage, making it one of the fastest-growing wines on the market. Look out for the Santa Loretta Prosecco Rosé, which tastes fantastic and provides a strong profit margin.

Flavoured vodka

In a year when venues faced lengthy closures and restricted opening hours, it is no surprise that customers have been turning to retail to buy alcohol. It is also interesting to look at what trends this sector is seeing as it is likely these will come over to on-trade when pubs and bars can re-open fully.

What’s popular?

At several points in the past year, flavoured vodka has seen big sale increases. In October 2020, sales were up by a huge 50%. Customers are getting experimental with different cocktails and flavours.

James Stocker, Marketing Director at Halewood Artisanal Spirits, says: “This trend for experimentation is something we don’t see slowing down any time soon, and if the recent growth rate in flavoured vodka continues, we will see the category double in size over the next year – demonstrating a significant sales opportunity for the trade.”

Several brands have great ranges of flavoured vodka. Try JJ Whitley, which has a quality, artisanal selection that includes Watermelon & Lime, Peach & Apricot, Raspberry and award-winning Rhubarb.

Try this Raspberry and Cranberry Fizz on your menu.

Vodka cocktails
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