In the hospitality industry, every drop counts. Beyond building a solid wine list and stocking the regular ingredients for classic cocktails, business owners are pulling in profits by re-defining their beverage program and prioritizing them in an effort to remain hip to Gen Z.
According to Greg Simons, vice-president of F&B at the Crescent Restaurant Group, a great beverage program requires a mix of common sense and creative zeal. “You’ve got to think about your hotel’s demographic, but also the trends and overall guest experience,” he says, adding that while a well-rounded menu has its place, operators need to consider the venue’s identity.
“If you’re creating a menu for a poolside bar, classic cocktails may not be the best fit,” says Simons, noting that playful, trending drinks or a Tiki bar might be more in vogue. “We’ve also noticed that our guests have become more knowledgeable than ever about spirits – not only the types but also the brands within each category.”
Cari Hallman, senior director of F&B at the Crescent Restaurant Group, says that guests have the liberty to design their own drinks at Urban Cove Society & Kitchen in New York. “We really wanted to cater to those guests who knew their spirits by allowing them to start with their favourite and then build their preferred drink from there.” Hallman says they also introduced tasting flights, enabling guests to discover new spirits.
At the Toronto-based Bisha Hotel, which enjoys a 50-50 profit split between food-and-beverage sales, Charles Khabouth, CEO of Bisha and INK Entertainment, says staying on trend is key. “We try to embrace the seasons with an accompanying menu change,” says Khabouth. “In the spring and summer, it’s refreshing rosewater and bright, vibrant colours whereas in the fall and winter we transition to richer flavours.” He notes that similar to how chefs use seasonal ingredients in cooking, so too should bartenders.
Another trend is the shift to non-alcoholic or low-alcohol drinks. “We try to keep the menu fun and approachable by making our mocktails look as attractive as our alcoholic beverages,” says Khabouth. “You’ve got to consider how the drink looks — the type of glassware and presentation makes a big difference and can determine the price point.” Currently, he says their best-selling drink is an espresso martini.
Pratik Baxi, F&B director at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, says that non-alcoholic drinks and seasonal ingredients are a must. “That said, the term mocktails is a bit outdated – so we don’t use it anymore,” says Baxi. “It just has that ‘80s ring to it. Instead we call our non-alcoholic beverages zero proof – it’s much more modern-sounding.” He says research and experience shows that Gen Z has a bigger investment in health and wellness than other demographics.
“We find that Gen Z is more into novelty drinks, unusual flavour profiles, specific herb and botanical combinations,” says Baxi. “They’re up for trying something new and not necessarily to drink a lot of alcohol. We have one drink, for example, that has duck fat in it – and it’s something everyone wants to try.” The Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel currently makes 25 to 30 per cent more on their beverage menu than their food menu.
Previously, Baxi notes that options for non-alcohol drinkers were limited. “Now we can offer a different service where virtually every drink on the menu can be made with or without alcohol and visually, it doesn’t signal whether or not the alcohol is in the drink or not — no one can tell the difference,” he says.
Additionally, the combination of chili with fresh fruit drinks is noteworthy. “Our combination of watermelon and chili is a big hit,” says Baxi. “But our cucumber-based drink is our most popular at the moment. Low-alcohol beer is also very fast-trending.” The key, he says, is lifestyle.
Creative Beverage director Grant Sceney at Fairmont Pacific Rim’s Botanist Restaurant takes cocktails to the next level. Named one of the top 24 bars in North America, Sceney has invented drink experiences that can cost up to $40 per beverage. A case in point is his Raincouver Cocktail that features an edible rain cloud made with actual helium that floats and “rains” into the drink.
Made with vodka, cherry blossom, yuzu, pine asperitif wine, fennel pollen, and Perrier sparkling water, the Raincouver cocktail is an homage to Vancouver weather. “We like to play with creative couplings,” says Sceney, who says he thought of the drink after always hearing about how rainy Vancouver is. “I thought, why not lean into it? At the Botanist, we highlight local ingredients and celebrate our local culture – so why not the rain?”
Sceney operates a beverage lab where he concocts his latest drinks and also manages the various hotel bars within the Fairmont Pacific Rim. But despite the venue’s identity, Sceney says his top sellers are the espresso martini, aperitif cocktails, spritzers of any kind, and negronis. Among Sceney’s most famous twists on the old classics is the Botanist Marine Martini. “Instead of the pickle juice, we have sea asparagus water, which is absolutely delicious,” he says. Made with dry gin, a house vermouth, kombu, chive oil, and sea asparagus, the drink infuses the beverage with local ingredients and flavour.
Another nod to Vancouver is Sceney’s Beekeeper cocktail made with bourbon, honey, chartreuse and locally foraged candy-cap mushrooms. Since his artistic creations take a significant time investment, Sceney says that prep work can cut the time required to make one of his specialty drinks. “Guests don’t want to wait 10 to 15 minutes for a drink,” he says. “That’s why a bartender’s best trick can be pre-making the martini mix, the margarita mix, and so on. That makes the execution simple though the drink itself is complex.”
When it comes to drink creation, Sceney advises bartenders to stick to a structure that guests can somewhat recognize. “People want to relate it to something they have tasted before – whether that’s a whiskey sour, a martini, or a margarita. It makes the drink more consumer-friendly.”
It also lays the groundwork for a certain type of storytelling. “Customers want to hear the story of the drink. This makes the experience that much more layered for them,” says Sceney. “All flavours and tastes bring with them a certain memory for guests – that’s why making these new beverages is so powerful and satisfying.”
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