Bring in the ‘Designated Drivers’ with our Review on Soft Drinks

A lot of venues are currently experiencing a huge daytime up-trade in soft drink sales, so it is important that you offer a varied selection. On-Trade Progress’ Chief Editor Mike Underwood brought our focus group together, to review 5 different soft drinks that could help you capitalise on the demand:

In all aspects of your business, you should aim to be unique and offer punters something that your competitors aren’t. Standing out from your local competitors has to be a big objective for any establishment looking to improve and you can get a tea, coffee, cola or lemonade anywhere so it is time to expand on your offering of soft drinks. I have reviewed 5 products that could really help you achieve high sales through the summer months:

Teetotal G’N’T from Temperance Spirit

The Temperance Spirit Company have produced an exciting and refreshing drink that is perfect for the summer. G’n’T is made from natural ingredients and a somehow perfect match in taste to a regular gin & tonic, except it’s alcohol free. This would be a great addition to your drinks menu and can be served straight from the bottle or used in mocktails. Here’s what our focus group said:

“I have tried other non-alcoholic takes on spirits and they don’t taste anything like they are meant to. This tastes just like a gin & tonic – genuinely can’t tell the difference.”

“I occasionally have to take the dreaded role of designated driver and I would 100% order this over your usual fizzy drink or cup of coffee.”


Heineken 0.0

Heineken have recently released the 0.0 lager which is totally non-alcoholic. This drink revolutionises non-alcoholic beers and is perfectly balanced by its refreshing fruity notes and soft malty body. Made using natural ingredients and Heineken’s unique A-Yeast, 0.0 is perfect for the customer that is avoiding a beer but still loves the taste. This is what our focus group think:

“I genuinely can’t taste the difference – I wouldn’t know this was non-alcoholic and it tastes just like a nice, cool lager.”

“Definitely something I would order on a day I am not ‘drinking’. I have tried a few non-alcoholic beers and not enjoyed them as they don’t quite taste the same. This, however, is spot on.”


Rosé
without the hangover from Belvoir Fruit Farms

Belvoir Fruit Farms produce a range of exciting, fruity drinks that are perfect for a mixer or served just as they come. We tasted their non-alcoholic Rosé from their “Wine Without the Hangover” range. Now it’s summer, you can expect to see a lot of red wine drinkers make the seasonal switch to Rosé, so this is a product I would expect to see these fly off your shelves over the next few months:

“I love it. It is like a fizzy fruit juice that is more ‘acceptable’ for an adult to drink in a bar!”

“This is really smooth and fruity – just the sort of thing I’d drink during the day in the summer. I love the colour and it would be right at home in a more elegant, stylish establishment.”


A Bit Bubbly – Orange, Passion Fruit & Water from The Feel Good Drinks Co.

The Feel Good Drinks Co. have a large selection of exciting fruit drinks, both fizzy and still. Their Fizzy range, “A Bit Bubbly”, includes mouth-watering flavours such as Cranberry & Lime, Apple & Elderflower and Orange & Passion Fruit which we chose for our focus group. Each product is packaged beautifully in a sophisticated glass bottle and offers your punters the perfect non-alcoholic option this summer. Here’s what our experts said:

“The orange and passion fruit go together so well to create a fruity, tangy flavour. This drink would be perfect for a hot summer’s day and is really refreshing.”

“I really like the packaging and you can tell just by looking at the bottle that this drink is healthy. I think the use of glass, over plastic, gives the product a more elegant look and makes it more ‘acceptable’ to choose a soft drink over an alcoholic drink in a bar.”


Rhubarb Lemonade from Monin

If your menu features fruity cocktails or soft drinks with unique flavouring, then you absolutely must be stocking Monin’s range of syrups. Monin produce syrups for cocktails, soft drinks, tea and coffee and also have a selection of liquers and smoothies. Our focus group tasted Rhubarb Lemonade which is made using 20ml of Monin’s Cloudy Lemonade Syrup, 30ml of their Rhubarb Syrup and 150ml still water:

“Brilliantly sharp, sour and fruity. Tastes like actual fruit juice and would be perfect to refresh you on a hot, sunny day.”

“Rhubarb is a flavour that you rarely see in a drink, so that alone is enough for me to try it. Now I have tried it, I would definitely order it again!”

Keep a look out for upcoming taste tests in future issues of the On-Trade Progress Magazine.