Alcobev brands raising the bar

Watch your favourite liquor swirl in a glass as it gets drizzled with tropical syrups and laden with tangy juices to be presented as an exotic concoction. A skill that combines fine art and science, mixology or cocktail-making is now perceived as much more than a mere shake or stir and liquor brands are capitalising on it to fight competition.

Popularised by brands like Diageo, Monkey Shoulder, Belvedere, bartending events of today are over-the-top soirees that witness thousands of bartenders from across continents competing over a series of pressing challenges and countless crafted cocktails. 

In 2018, sensing increased competition, 134-year-old heritage Italian liqueur brand Amaro Montenegro held its first-ever global bartending competition, presenting the winner with a one-week residency in Italy. 

The trend has caught on in India and is predicted to surge as both alcohol brands and top mixologists cash in on this craze. 

“Bartending and cocktail-making events are a great platform to showcase our innovative offerings before industry stakeholders, including bar owners, food and beverage managers who get to explore the enormous possibilities of what can be done with our mixer brand. These events aid in brand familiarity and associations to enable the delivery of varied consumer experiences,” says Sahil Jatana, co-founder and CEO, Svami, a natural premium mixers brand.

Jatana says they have a bar advocacy programme that creates unique experiences for consumers. “Bartenders are the ones facing the consumers who are looking for choices. As a mixer brand, we want to enhance a spirit and not let sugar be the dominating factor. Bartending events allow us to introduce consumers to our special flavour profiles and chances are they return to the bar as our brand regulars.”

Experts feel the time is right to go aggressive on bartending events as the country’s alcohol market is maturing. India’s retail liquor market size is estimated at $35 billion per year, growing at a compounded annual rate (CAGR) of 8.8%. Wine, whisky and vodka are the most popular beverages in the market that are growing in strong double digits.

Also, with “au naturel” in vogue, brands are leveraging bartending events as a platform to specifically showcase their organic and preservative-free offerings. Vodka maker Belvedere recently challenged Indian bartenders to come up with concoctions using only natural and organic ingredients. 

Neha Mansukhani, senior marketing manager, Belvedere Vodka (India), says since introducing the platform, they have seen receptiveness and a visible shift from both trade and consumers towards organic and natural. “We also see consumers being keen to learn the art of making delightful cocktails. Such events help immensely in story-telling and to shine the spotlight on the character of our product, besides proving to be a great feedback loop. Consumers of today want to understand the history of a brand and how the product is made.” 

Says Jatana, “We positioned tonic water as a standalone enjoyable drink by fusing it with cucumber and grapefruit.” 

As cocktail and bartending competitions draw in huge crowds who come to see shakers flailing through the air and mixologists creating magic with alcohol, they also immensely benefit the premium hotels that host them.

According to Keshav Singh, restaurant manager, food and beverages, JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru, standalone restaurants and hotels today assist alcobev brands to create such events to be in their promotion calendar. “Beverage vendors continuously propose deals like wine or whisky dinners, cocktail paired menus that help bartenders and chefs to serve new products on the table. This supports alcohol brands to create lasting memories for customers.”

SAY CHEERS

• $35 bn per year – India’s retail liquor market  
   
• 8.8% – CAGR it is growing at