The days of the signature bar call are over as people today are drinking across spirits categories and are eager to experiment with new flavours and trending serves.
Who do they go to navigate all the options?
According to Nielsen CGA, 40% of revenue in bars is influenced by bartenders, which is why today, Bacardi employees across the globe head out of their offices to connect with the people behind the bar for a first-hand look at what’s driving cocktail choices.
Bacardi employees are heading to bars in Cape Town and Johannesburg, as part of the third iteration of Back to the Bar this week, the largest privately-held spirits company sheds light on what's creating excitement for bartenders with the release of the Bacardi 2020 Cocktail Insights Report.
The report highlights trends based on insights captured from a survey Bacardi ran with bartenders and bar ambassadors in 2019, as well as third-party research from the world’s leading consumer insights firms.
Among the findings of the Bacardi 2020 Cocktail Insights Report are that:
- Mindful drinking goes mainstream, with 83% of bartenders citing that low-alcohol drinks are hot and an increase of 42% in the online searches with the word 'mocktail' in 2019. (Technomic Behind the Bar Insights, 2019 and Google Trends, 2019)
- Natural products are in the spotlight with 31% of bartenders increasingly interested in local, fresh ingredients. (GBAS5, 2019)
- The culinary cocktail trend borrows methods and techniques from the kitchen and champions fresh, seasonal, savory and herbal ingredients – 91% of bartenders use vegetables in their cocktails, and 68% of American Culinary Federation members rated culinary cocktail as a 'hot trend' last year. (Technomic Behind the Bar Insights, 2019)
- Dark rum is leading the premium game – 43% of bartenders ranked it as the top spirit to premiumize. (GBAS5, 2019)
- Sustainability is at the forefront of every consumer's mind, and it's reflected in the bar – 66% of bartenders mention that sustainable drinks are hot right now. (Technomic Behind the Bar Insights, 2019)
- Ready-To-Drink (RTD) cocktails are here to stay, reflecting the overarching demand for consistent and convenient well-crafted cocktails beyond the bar – there was a 26% increase of vodka soda and flavored RTDs in North America last year. (GBAS, 2019)
- 38% of Americans prefer to make their cocktails at home, and the industry has quickly adapted, offering consumers myriad ways to facilitate at-home imbibing, from home cocktail kits to AI-recommended recipes. (Mintel, 2019)