Perfect cocktail presentation

Basic Submission Rules

70% of the perception of a drink depends on visualization. The goal of any cocktail is for the guest to want it before he even tries it. It should be appetizing, concise, attractive.

The entire concept of presentation should have an inextricable connection with the ideology of the establishment. So, the beer bar will have the best stout, and the cocktail bar will have the original Negroni. Therefore, when thinking about serving drinks, you first need to understand what to focus on, who your target audience is and what solutions they expect from your establishment. If you have some kind of youth party place, then serving shows, dry ice, and Tik-Tok trends will be relevant here, but a decanter and white towels will no longer be suitable. In a gastro bar, experiments with creative servings, unusual technologies, molecular mixology and food/cocktail pairing are acceptable. Therefore, first of all, you should weigh your capabilities, knowledge, availability of cocktail components, nuances of dishes on the menu and always anticipate guests’ expectations.

The main rule for serving a cocktail is relevance! Relevance in everything - place, time, trends and, of course, the concept of the bar.

Ice quantity

The temperature of the drink served is one of the most important aspects in preparation. The higher the strength of the drink, the lower the serving temperature. There is nothing worse than a poorly chilled cocktail that is simply impossible to drink, even with excellent ingredients. Therefore, most bar drinks are served well chilled in a shaker , mixing glass , or with plenty of ice. Moreover, if the cocktail belongs to the Long drink category and the recipe states “a full glass of ice”, it should really be a full glass, and not three pieces of ice floating on top.

Remember: even if a famous bartender was in charge of the recipe and you have the best suppliers, everything can be ruined by not having enough ice!

Common submission errors

Serve the cocktail in a Martini glass with a straw. The fact is that the shape of the glass is created for comfortable perception of the drink. The glass has the shape of an inverted triangle, which allows you to use the guest’s upper lip and nose when sipping, so that the aroma of the drink is fully revealed. When a guest tries a cocktail through a straw, he deprives himself of this pleasure and loses 70% of the aroma. Cocktails in this glass are already perfectly chilled and do not require ice, so the best action is to drink from a Martini cocktail glass over the top.

Incorrect supply temperature. Warm vodka or half-heated mulled wine will repel any visitor. The drink should be at the temperature that is intended specifically for it.

Complex structures when feeding. A bartender is still a creative profession, and it happens when, in a burst of creative thought, a professional gets so carried away that he completely forgets about the functionality of the drink. For example, a few years ago Freak Shake was popular and bartenders piled donuts, muffins, peanut butter, ice cream, syrup and a wagonload of sweets on the glass. As a result, 2 minutes after serving, all this decoration lost its balance and crumbled all over the table in front of the guests. And, unfortunately, there are a lot of such examples.

Creativity is good, it is an original sales tool, but it is always worth remembering to make it as convenient as possible for the guest to drink the drink and enjoy it.