Cool drinks for a hot summer…
The summer feels like it’s well and truly upon us! Whoop! The outdoor areas and pub gardens are looking good and
At JME Drinks Consultancy we’ve been refocusing our drinks creative ideas on summer serves that are delicious, exciting and of course profitable for the bars we work with!
Here are some of our recommendations of cool drinks for a hot summer:
From a flavour and category perspective we all know rum is on the rise, with the category in the UK reaching the *£1 billion mark in 2022. Spiced and flavoured rums have always been popular as an introduction into the category. We love ‘Sly Dog Spiced Rum’ which smells like vanilla & toffee and mixes perfectly with ginger beer for the best Dark n Stormy.
For the ideal summer vibe ‘Spiced Silver Toasted Coconut’ from Lost Years Rum is our favourite summer drink right now blended simply with fresh lime, fresh mint, a dash of lavender syrup and topped with tonic. Delicious and so refreshing!
Another new kid on the rum block is ‘Wild Oxen‘ chocolate rum created by steeping white rum in cacao shells from the Marañón Canyon in Peru. British made in ‘Abingdon Distillery’ in Oxford, this is perfect for a decadent chocolate & espresso martini!
So many bars are telling us people are stepping away from flavoured gins to discover new flavours in rum – which is great news for these emerging new rum brands!
RTD cocktails are another trend perfect for summer. With the RTD cocktail market set to **grow 11% over 2023 it’s a must watch space for any bars or stores.
At JME we work with Vacay RTD Cocktails who create gorgeous classic serve cocktails in 330ml cans ‘For the free spirited’
Perfect for outdoor drinking, speed of serve and premium drinks quality every time. Choose from the JME staff favourite Paloma or pick up a Vodka Mule, Margarita, Vodka Soda, Tom Collins or Mojito. Grab a few flavours and say ‘YES’ to life and good times!
JME also supports ‘Thirsty Gal‘ who have a range of low-calorie cocktails in 250ml skinny cans perfect for hitting the dance floor at a club or music festival since they look and taste great. The range includes Pina Colada – JME top recommendation for summer – plus Lychee Martini and Passion Fruit Martini. All delicious and all under 90 calories! Look out for them this summer.
Our final big recommendation for summer is ‘sharing serves’ for outdoor areas. Simple, quick and profitable. Our client StrawBar Spirit‘s summer focus is the ‘StrawBar Cup’ served in a sharing jug with strawberries, lemon and cucumber to create a serve that looks, smells and tastes like summertime. Best served in wine glasses, it’s sweet, refreshing and very eye-catching.
StrawBar is also perfect for other popular summer serves, such as the Paloma or the Margarita.
Let us know if you try any of our favourite serves or brands!
Happy summer!
Team JME
Sources: online articles:
* The Drinks Business 3rd May 2023
**The Spirits Business 30th Jan 2023
