Why Developing Your Virgin Cocktail Menu is Good for Business

The demand for a well-crafted cocktail has seen a resurgence over the last few years and has restored some of the honor and respect that a good bartender deserves. While having a distinctive cocktail menu can do a lot to set your restaurant apart from the crowd, having a well-developed virgin cocktail menu can do as much or more for your business. Here’s why.

‘Mocktails’ are Sadly Missing from many Restaurant Menus

The biggest reason that it’s smart to develop your virgin cocktail, or ‘mocktail’, menu is quite simply because there aren’t a whole lot of restaurants doing it. When it comes to virgin drink options many customers are stuck with club soda and cranberry juice as the extent of their choices, so it’s no surprise that their eyes light up when they discover that they too can get the same delicious drink options as their alcohol-drinking counterparts. 

Virgin Cocktails Appeal to a more Diverse Crowd, Equaling more Money for You

The second obvious reason it’s a savvy move to vamp up your virgin cocktail drink menu is the fact that you can then appeal to a more diverse crowd of customers – which, in turn, means more money coming into your establishment. It’s a well known fact that people who are ordering drinks end up creating a higher tab.

It’s also not uncommon for tables who are ordering drinks to get better service from the waitstaff than those who are not. Having mocktails on the menu means that customers who are underage or are simply not interested in consuming alcohol are not relegated to having only boring drink options.

Instead, they too can enjoy the treat of having the palette-pleasing variety that cocktails have to offer. This also helps them feel more included if they are among alcohol drinkers and gives them the added benefit of receiving the more attentive customer service that alcohol drinkers tend to get.

Cocktails are an Opportunity to Show off Your Quality Ingredients and Classy Taste

The final reason why it’s smart to develop both your cocktail and mocktail menus alike lies in the opportunity that cocktails are a way to show off a well-developed palette and the use of classy, high-quality ingredients. Instead of relying on your big soda houses for your carbonated options, scout out the beautifully crafted tonics and sodas that are lower in sugar and offer more unique flavor combinations. When developing your cocktail menu, stay in communication with your savory and pastry chefs so that you can utilize the fresh fruit, herbs, and spices stored in their pantries.

Finally, make sure that several of your cocktail options can then be converted into virgin versions that are equally tasty.

Developing a signature cocktail menu is an easy way to set your establishment apart from the crowd and adding virgin cocktail options to the mix distinguishes your business that much more. Doing so is a simple way to extend your hospitality to your non-drinking consumers while significantly increasing the average tab per customer in a way that feels truly special and distinctive.

Satisfy the Pickiest of Pallets with Imaginative Mocktails

D.C. based beverage director Scott Clime recently offered restaurateurs and mixologists some creative mocktail suggestions at PlateOnline.com. Clime’s recommendations range from the simple to the sublime and all are designed to tempt toddlers and satisfy the not-yet-of-age crowd who have long tired of the Shirley Temple and Roy Rogers.

On the Good Ship Lollipop
During the Great Depression Shirley Temple cheered troubled American’s with her delightful song and dance routines and her adorable dimpled smile. The mocktail by the same name was designed to give young diners something to cheer about while eating out with their family.

Although the Shirley Temple and the Roy Rogers have both remained a childhood favorite over the years, only a small number of today’s children are familiar with these drinks’ namesakes. As Clime points out, kids today are more familiar with Miley Cyrus and other contemporary stars.

A Taste of the Tropics
Giving the old favorites an update or adding to the line of available mocktails requires nothing more than a few freshly squeezed juices, a bit of Pellegrino and some imaginative additions.

Clime suggests combining a tropical puree of banana, pineapple and mango to soda water for a taste of the tropics. Decorate the beverage with pineapple and orange slices and perhaps a maraschino cherry or two and you’re sure to delight young adults as well as young children.

All Smiles thanks to a Creative Mixologist
Clime encourages restaurateurs and mixologists to think outside the box: Consider the possibilities with a strawberry and rhubarb puree. At the Acadiana, where Clime is a beverage manager, they serve a mix of mint leaves, blackberries and strawberries “for a taste of southern summer.”

Keeping the kids happy allows the adults to better enjoy their dining experience. Any restaurant that can pull that off is likely to top the must-go-back-to list for mom and dad.