Alcohol map - rules for drawing up

Alcohol list, bar menu, cocktail list, bar list - all these are synonyms for a list of the range of products in the bar. Thanks to a well-designed map, guests of the establishment can easily choose their ideal drink, and the bartender will prepare it even with their eyes closed.

What is an alcohol card

Every catering establishment, be it a small intimate bar or a huge restaurant, has a menu and bar map. The menu indicates dishes, and necessarily in a certain order of arrangement, and some drink items, and the bar card includes all alcoholic, non-alcoholic drinks, cocktails and wines.

It is worth noting that if the format of the establishment implies a large number of certain products, for example, it specializes in coffee, or tea, or wine, then the establishment will have a separate coffee, tea or wine list, respectively.

The alcohol map is a navigator for the guest in the world of cocktails and alcohol, where you can easily navigate, get information about the composition, cost, and even the origin of drinks.

Just like the menu, the alcohol card is the business card of the establishment, an excellent sales tool and an assistant to the bartender.

How to make a bar chart correctly

To begin with, it is worth deciding on its direction. The type of bar menu will depend on the concept of the establishment and the drinks it serves.

Each bar has its own values, cuisine direction, ideology, and the bar map should fit into and emphasize them as much as possible.

Visual perception. Guests must understand what will end up in their glass. It is necessary to use accessible and simple wording in the description, focusing specifically on the guests, on the target audience of the bar, and not on the skill of the bartender and his ability to make “dehydrated dragon fang.” The more incomprehensible phrases in the description of a drink, the less in demand it will be.

Seasonal products. The card must necessarily contain drinks with local or seasonal ingredients, because this is not only profitable for Costa, but also gives consumers the opportunity to fully enjoy the heritage of the region, or the taste characteristics of the season.

Trends and creativity. Look for new combinations, experiment, develop. Establishments where bartenders are passionate about their work are always different from others, because there you can find all the most interesting and relevant for their time.

Premixes. The bar menu should be designed in such a way that it is convenient for the bartender to work, among other things. So that the time for preparing and serving the drink is minimal, and the result exceeds expectations.

How to properly place a bar card

Despite the fact that many establishments are switching to QR codes and electronic menus, our sincere advice is not to neglect paper media. A menu made on high-quality paper is an additional trump card in the collection of impressions about the establishment.

Some establishments give each guest a tablet with a menu - this is a great way of visual contact, which also provides comprehensive information about the drinks.

Table tents are a long-known and working tool for advertising in public catering establishments. Small bright reminders of seasonal offers or signature drinks, located on tables and the bar counter, will at least interest visitors.

Bar card design

The main thing is that the design of the bar menu fits perfectly into the concept of the establishment and reflects it as much as possible. Also, the bar menu should go well with the menu that the establishment has and it is advisable to be made in the same style with it.

How to hook a client

The bar map should be unique; do not be afraid to use non-standard solutions, be it a map of aromas accompanying the alcohol map or cocktails developed using a neural network. The point of creativity in creating a cocktail menu is uniqueness and vivid associative memory. Every bartender’s dream is for guests to come only to his establishment, preferably every day.

How the drinks are described

Name, components, output, cost, brief description - the five required lines of the bar map.

Let's start with the name - it should fit into the overall concept of the establishment and give an idea of what the guest will be able to see as a result. In fact, the bartender's name has a kind of carte blanche where you can give free rein to your imagination (without fanaticism, of course).

Ingredients - just like in the menu, the bar card must indicate the ingredients of drinks in order to avoid incidents with allergens and individual food intolerances.

Yield - this is how the quantity of the drink is usually called; it is indicated in milliliters and makes it clear to the guest what volume of cocktail he will receive in the end.

The cost is indicated in the current currency, in our country it is rubles (RUB). The price of the drink may be indicated for each cocktail or may be fixed for a certain category, but in any case this must be stated on the card.

And finally, a description - it will help the guest immerse himself in the idea and will serve as a kind of aperitif before tasting the main drink. The description gently prepares the guest and creates the right expectation.

Basic mistakes

• Lack of visualization. A meager list of drink names and prices can easily turn off a guest. Only the bartender can save the situation, who will give a comprehensive description, but this is only possible in the case of a contact counter and minimal workload;
• lack of individuality. Often bar managers with little experience collect a card based on their preferences or simply copy the card of their favorite establishment. The result is a half-baked drink list that has nothing to do with the establishment's values. We think there is no need to continue that such cards are failures;
• "on the knee." Quality is perhaps the most important thing. If the card has photos, hire a food photographer so that just looking at the cocktails will make you want to drink them. If you are shooting videos for social networks, do it with professional lighting and people who understand the issue of filming. Now the time has passed when “this will do.”

To be competitive you need to be the best in your niche, so quality is the main rule that you should focus on.

Who should do the wine list?

The bar map is developed and compiled by the bar manager. Usually, together with bartenders, he analyzes the needs of guests, industry trends, fits all this into the concept of his establishment and is already working on options.

If the establishment has a large number of wines, then there must be a wine list. Usually, for its preparation there is a separate staffing unit - a sommelier, whose job responsibilities include not only advising guests, but also competently selecting wine in accordance with the concept of the establishment, dishes on the menu and the target audience.

A bar card is an excellent tool for increasing sales in a bar, but, of course, it will work best only in the hands of a competent bartender who can implement everything written in the card.