Spirits set to shine in 2021

Becky Davies, head of commercial at Ten Locks, shares insights and predictions on the drinks trends we can expect to see during 2021.

Cocktails at home  

With lockdown measures and regional restrictions set to be in place for much of the early part of 2021 atleast, the popularity of at home mixology and cocktail creation will prevail. Some bars, restaurants and hotels have nailed their offering, and been creative in how they present and deliver at home drinks experiences, which has worked to switch consumers on to the role drinks created by experts can play in their leisure time. We expect this to cement the popularity of cocktails at home in the longer term and beyond the constraints of the pandemic. Luxury, high quality spirits with a story to tell, packaging to entice, and liquids to impress really draw consumers in and add to the reason to buy, whether for a last minute weekend treat at home, or a planned purchase for at home drinking occasions.   

Simple serves that can be easily poured, mixed and presented are becoming a ‘go to’ for bartenders, driven by tricky operating conditions during the on-going pandemic. With this in mind, cocktails that can be pre-batched or bottled will feature prominently on menus both in venue and off premise and are here to stay.  Larger format bottled cocktails made for sharing are likely to play a sustained role in drinks experimentation in the year ahead as they offer the potential to keep consumers engaged and interested, and increase spend per head.   

The challenge to bars and restaurants in the year ahead will be to keep the customer for the duration, and keep them spending, in incredibly tough trading conditions.  

Agave spirits   

Demand over the past four or five years has shown a shift globally towards spirits brands that represent craft and quality, with both tequila and mezcal a perfect fit to meet this appetite due to the history, heritage and craft intrinsic to both segments. This, along with increased consumer education, is positively influencing tequila and mezcal across the board and we expect both these agave spirits to be big business in the year ahead.  

There are clear production, source and taste differences between tequila and mezcal – and there is still work to be done to educate the trade on this. In general, tequila tends to have a smooth, sweet flavour, whereas mezcal is often described as savoury and smoky – meaning they both have their rightful space behind the bar and will appeal to different groups of drinkers.   

El Tequileño tequila and Banhez mezcal are doing a great job in ensuring their story is told, and engaging the trade and consumers in the virtues of mezcal and tequila.     

El Tequileño tequila is certainly a brand to watch, having come into the UK for the first time via Ten Locks late 2020. Our conversations with bartenders reveal this to be one of the spirit brands they have been trying to get their hands on for some time – especially the Blanco. We see real promise for the brand as operators and bartenders can to tap into increasing appetite for tequila and unlock the potential of a sector that’s really showing momentum.   

We’ve welcomed Banhez Ensemble into the Ten Locks portfolio as the perfect introduction into the mezcal category; it’s a brilliant option for cocktails and expertly positioned to be a popular choice in the UK and grow further interest in mezcal. 

Rum  

The growth in rum has been exponential and will continue to grow in 2021 driven by new expressions, flavour profiles and new brands coming to the fore. The category has an incredible pipeline of innovation which means bartenders really do have their pick of the best. In this category, quality and distinction is key as inevitably, consumers will become wise to the noise and embark on a search for quality.   

Premium spirits and high-quality mixers   

The focus on simpler serves will be good news for premium spirits as quality plays a defining role. Spirits will need to work at a higher level because they aren’t sharing a glass with a multitude of different flavour profiles. Meanwhile, more interesting mixers are coming to the fore as the star of the show.  

With the time constraints placed on trading periods operators want to ensure they are increasing the spend per head at every opportunity and those that aim to upsell will benefit. Ensuring customers have the best time including great drinks, will pay itself forwards over the course of the year, and ensure return custom.   

In summary 

Many spirits brands have been hit by pub closures and lockdown restrictions so at home cocktails is certainly an opportunity for premium spirits. Bars play a key role in getting new products out to consumers in their local areas and by offering something out of the ordinary they can bring excitement and enjoyment to evenings indoors.  

Ten Locks launched in 2020 with a range of distinctive global spirits brandsincluding Nusa Caña rum, Applewood Gin, West Cork Irish Whiskey, Salford Rum, Diablesse Rum, Banhez Mezcal and El Tequileño, with new products to be added to the portfolio soon.  

All the spirits in the range are available to the hospitality sector now so contact the Ten Locks team on sales@tenlocks.com to find out more.