Good Morning! I woke up today with a mild panic as I realized this summer has absolutely flown by. Of course, I still consider the beginning of September “summer” for all intents and purposes but regardless, the fact that it is somehow August already made me feel a little like I missed the season. Between the extreme heat and some personal obstacles (my appendix was recently evicted) it seems as though this summer was exceptionally short-lived. It got me thinking about what the summer cocktail trends have been and what might be to come in the fall. Add that to all the other little news, debates, and trends rolling around in my mind lately and I started making some connections I thought might make some interesting reading.

For anyone skimming on through keep your eyes out for a very quick survey at the end of this newsletter!

What the masses are tipping back and what could carry through to Fall

It’s no surprise that a spritz is sitting pretty at the top of the heap for viral cocktail trends but it isn’t the spritz of summers passed, this year patio drinkers opted for the less bitter cousin of the Aperol Spritz, the Hugo Spritz. The Hugo Spritz is made mush the same as its predecessor but swaps out the Aperol for St Germaine making it much less polarizing across the board. This is an easy to customize drink which allows each bar to have its own lightly different iteration of the viral sip.

An unexpected and less glamorous cocktail has also been making waves in the social media drink world, the Spaghett. Though much less elegant, this drink offers a lot of the same appeal as a spritz. It consists of Miller High Life, Aperol, and lemon juice. The drink can be built right in the beer bottle after pouring out (or more likely sipping out) a small portion before adding in the other ingredients. With rising costs on well, everything, this drink may also be born out of necessity. Some sources are claiming that the popularity of the Spaghett is a direct sign of a recession.

These drinks are the stars of this summer’s cocktail scene not only because they refreshing and easy to crush but also because they aren’t as boozy as some of the other summer staples. Lui has written about the changing landscape in the hospitality world: more and more bars and restaurants are leaning into the zero-proof movement. With the populace becoming more health-conscious more and more people are looking for low and no alcohol options when they head out to the bars. Drinks that you can sip all night without getting too tipsy are favored over some other, higher proof summer staples.

For those of us who aren’t out long enough to concern ourselves with low proof options (looking at you fellow parents) there are some more spirit forward drinks that have also been favorites this summer and I personally think they should stick around into the fall. One in particular is the Paper Plane; It’s not overly complicated, not overtly summer-ish, and sits perfectly on the line of refreshing and refined. This is one of those modern classics that even those who typically turn away from bourbon can find themselves enjoying. As I think about the summer sliding into the fall and not being ready to embrace pumpkin spice everything quite yet this is the drink I think can bridge the gap painlessly.

Why bars and restaurants are shoring up their low and no alcohol drink menus

As we said earlier, people are drinking less and less each year. Growing interest in health and wellness has made people a little less inclined to intentionally poison themselves on a regular basis. This paired with the growing popularity of cannabis products as an alternate way to get a little buzz has made stand-out mocktail programs more pertinent for survival.

Gone are the days of soda or juice being the only options for those seeking non-alcoholic drinks when they have a night out. Just because the masses might not want the booze doesn’t mean they don’t want the elegance and intrigue that so many of these well crafted cocktails carry. Some bars and restaurants are experimenting with zero-proof spirit alternatives to continue making cocktail classics for those abstaining.

For some bar programs this means purchasing bottles of zero-proof creations that hope to stand in for common spirits. While is is the easiest way of directly translating drinks from alcoholic to non-alcoholic it also can be costly. Most of these neutral “spirits” can be just as pricey, if not more so, than the products that they emulate. Guests hoping to avoid alcohol will be paying just as much for a mocktail as they would a cocktail, which is bound to bristle some feathers when for so long ditching the alcohol meant saving some cash.

Buying spirit alternatives isn’t the only option of course, some bars craft their own syrups, cordials, or infusions to give their mocktails that extra “something”. This isn’t always a cost-saving measure because creativity can be costly, but it can help offset costs if any ingredients can be cross utilized elsewhere on the menu.

Pros and cons of batching popular cocktails and how to do it best

Strangely enough I had saved this video:

when contemplating topics to write about this week and not two days later I saw the video that Lui put out on the same topic. Batched cocktails can be a polarizing subject but I think that’s because it’s often looked at in a very black and white way.

The argument against batching cocktails is often the inability to change certain elements to cater to individual guests wants and needs. That’s what owner of Satan’s Whiskers (London, UK), Kevin Armstrong, is arguing in the video that caught my attention earlier this week. The comments from viewers on that interview by Tristan Stephenson (The Curious Bartender podcast) looked to be largely arguing against the opinion Armstrong was championing. He himself said he was not vehemently against batching but that it wasn’t something that he saw as a benefit to his bar or the experience for his guests.

What a gift to have Lui make a video highlighting the benefits of batching right when I needed it! The video goes into much more detail about the how-to’s and the why’s of batching but in essence the argument being made is that the benefits of batching outweigh the drawbacks. One of the reasons why Lui and I had such a great time working together behind the bar is not only because shared trauma tends to bond you (mostly joking) but also because we both knew that at the center of the bar experience isn’t actually the drinks, it’s the human connection. We both know how to yap! Connecting with the people sitting at your bar is what keeps people coming back regardless of how incredible the cocktails may be. Saving seconds seems trivial when you look at one drink but when that drink is called for all night long those seconds turn into minutes and those minutes turn into more meaningful engagement with bar guests.

Anyone else that doesn’t bartend anymore that wakes up sweating from dreams like these? Like suddenly I forget everything I’ve ever known.

For those of you still with us, I’d love if you could take one more minute to answer a quick poll for us. In an effort to highlight the unspoken stars of this wonderful and crazy industry we think it would be nice to know more about our audience and what keeps them in good spirits. This segment would help us connect with people in the bar and spirits world: bartenders, distillers, brewers, distributors, etc. and learn more about what connects us all and drives us. Think of it as another way to build community across distances we might not normally be able to cross on our own. A survey would be available for anyone to access and fill out for a chance to be featured in one of our upcoming newsletters. If you would like to read this kind of content or be featured in it please let us know down below!