Summer is always a key time for venues, with around 70 per cent of annual revenue coming over the next few months. To help with this Vanguard Luxury Brands has added two new flavours to its Cocktails on Tap offering, giving venues the tools to simplify service with premium, ready-to-pour options.
Two new flavours have hit this summer with a bold Casa Orendain Spicy Pineapple Margarita and refreshing Four Pillars Yuzu & Peach Gin Spritz joining the original line-up of Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Spritz and a Broken Bean Nitro Espresso Martini.
When Vanguard launched its Drinking Summer program recently, which the new Cocktails on Tap flavours are part of, it highlighted trends venues can expect this summer with tropical particularly in the form of coconut, pineapple, passionfruit and yuzu, front and centre.
Spicy margaritas will still top the popularity charts, while nostalgia and escapism will remain key themes in many drinks. Think fresh, think local and think quality.
Nick Tesar, Four Pillars Creative Drinks Director and also a flavour curator of Cocktails on Tap said: “Produce-driven things that are made locally are the best things to champion in terms of being exciting, fresh and accessible. I am a proud Queenslander and pineapple is absolutely a taste for summer, fun tropical flavours are like a holiday at home, it’s the best. Fruit garnishes, fresh drinks and good times.”
Tesar added: “This summer I think we are going to see venues pull back from clarified drinks and see full-flavoured, fruit-driven, fun drinks, where you can actually taste what’s in it… that’s what I want to drink. That’s what we are championing here, drinks that have the best ingredients, to make a drink that tastes like what it is made from.”
Thinking local, fresh and quality is going to be key for many consumers this summer and the new range of Cocktails on Tap from Vanguard absolutely hits the brief. The summer promises to bring a period of fun with cocktails and putting great brands in great drinks enables venues to have fun and do it with credibility.
Venues will also be able to offer great service via the Cocktails on Tap; it takes around 10-20 seconds to pour one of these tap cocktails, allowing the service of over 180 cocktails per hour, 75 per cent more drinks than hand-made cocktails.
The speed and consistent quality of the Cocktails on Tap range allow you and your bartenders more time to talk with customers, give great service and an experience that will get people coming back – something that is critical given the current economic challenges and because we are entering the busiest time of the year.
The Whitehouse Hotel Group has the Cocktails on Tap in its three venues, Beach Road, The Tilbury, The Vicar and Group General Manager, Ben Pearce said the taps have been a great success.
“Working with Vanguard as a premium spirit supplier over the years, we were presented with tap cocktail options to help with our cocktail preparation efficiency,” Pearce said.
“After some initial hesitancy, we are now moving into our third busy summer period utilising the Cocktails on Tap products across each of our three hotels. The tapped cocktail solution is perfect to be nestled amongst our greater cocktail lists across three very different venues. This offers a solution for fast paced businesses, where quality, consistency and speed are a priority.”
The Vanguard Cocktails on Tap range also uses the industry-leading tap technology and understanding from Lion, which Vanguard is part of. All products come in sustainable and premium 20-litre Key Kegs that make approximately 130-150 drinks, on average saving 50 glass bottles to make that many cocktails by hand.
Cocktails on Tap forms part of Vanguard’s Drinking Summer campaign offering venues across Australia curated cocktail menus, expert advice and innovative service solutions to breeze through the busy festive months
Michael Cox, Vanguard’s Head of Sales said: “We’ve taken a fresh approach this summer by combining the flavour and marketing expertise of Four Pillars and Vanguard’s brand portfolio and deep trade relationships, to create a cocktail program that makes serving and selling drinks easier than ever for venues.”
To find out more about the range of Cocktails on Tap that Vanguard is offering and for sales enquiries please contact orders@vanguardluxurybrands.com and get ready to hit the big consumer trends in this critical time for your venue.