For consumers conscious about image, spirits branding is hugely important. The days of guests simply asking for a Rum and Coke or Vodka Soda are gone, as drinkers instead are being very specific with their spirits requests. This is true in simple mixed drinks but also for specialty menu cocktails, as many guests make choices based solely on the spirits brands listed on the menu. In the hospitality business, this means bartenders are working with increasingly knowledgeable and opinionated customers who know what they want and aren’t afraid to ask for it.
In San Diego, Beau du Bois sees guests being brand specific most often with vodka, whisk(e)y, and Tequila. As the vice president of bar and spirits for the restaurants Marisi and Puesto Mexican Artisan Kitchen & Bar, he says brand recognition is alive and well and notes that Margaritas are a big draw at Puesto and Tequila branding is very important. The menu at Puesto lists nine Margaritas ($16-$20) and each one specifies a Tequila brand.
“It’s important to distinguish which Tequila we prefer for each of them,” du Bois explains, adding that the most called brands at his venues include Patrón Tequila, Grey Goose and Tito’s vodkas, Buffalo Trace Bourbon, and Tanqueray gin. He says that some guests request to modify menu drinks by changing the listed spirit to a different brand they prefer, and that bartenders honor the request when possible. “We want our guests to ask questions and our teams are educated and passionate about what spirits we feature in cocktails,” du Bois says. “Consumers are calling for their preferred brands more than ever.”
Denver restaurateur Nikki Guard agrees. The co-owner and beverage director of Tag Restaurant Group, which operates concepts in Denver and Houston, says people care more than ever about spirits brands. Coincidentally, she also notes that there are more spirits brands to choose from than ever before. “Whatever someone’s chosen spirit is, if they care enough to call it out, they will,” she explains.
Guard says guests at her venues typically specify a spirits brand in basic mixed drinks, Martinis, or when ordering a sipper neat. She adds that for classic cocktails, guests often say just the drink name—a Manhattan or Negroni, for example—and her bartenders usually follow up by asking if the person ordering it has a spirits brand preference. “If a guest is unsure, or we happen not to carry their spirit of choice, we might suggest something we’re really passionate about instead,” Guard adds. “We always want to carry what our guests ask for but also always look for new spirits that we can introduce.”
Mackenzie Stone, the senior bartender and operating partner for Uptown Social in Charleston, South Carolina, says guests at her bar usually specify a spirits brand for standard drinks, and most often for vodka, Tequila, and Bourbon. “A lot of guests are specific to which brand they prefer when there are fewer ingredients in the drink, such as Martinis or anything on the rocks,” Stone says. “Whenever you can really experience the flavors of the spirit without it being masked by other ingredients, that’s when the choice seems to matter most.”
At Uptown Social, guests most often call for Tito’s vodka, Casamigos Tequila, and Woodford Reserve Bourbon. Stone points out that her menu lists spirits brands for every specialty drink and adds that she believes the listed brand is a critical factor for guests when picking which drink to enjoy. “I’m drawn more to brands of spirits that I know over others I’m less familiar with, or those that I don’t particularly care for,” Stone says. “Being brand specific in cocktails will continue to be important. We’re in the business of customer service and it’s our job to ensure guests have the best experience possible.”