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Stirring Cocktails
Drink Accessories Do Their Part To Raise The Bar
From the practical to the ornamental, swizzle sticks, coasters
and other drink accessories bring more to the bar and the art of the
cocktail than often meets the eye.
It is true enough that a fancy stirrer or a branded napkin cannot
make a bad drink taste any better, but it’s equally a fact that they
can validate a brand in the eyes of patrons and help put an exemplary
cocktail program over the top with superior presentation that sells
with the eyes even before a customer takes the first sip.
Stick It to ‘Em
Just ask the experts, such as Southern Wine & Spirits of Illinois Mixologist Bridget Albert.
“Being a bartender is being a showman,” Albert says. “And just like
any professional, we need our tools to make our job successful.”
Allen Katz, director of mixology and spirits education for Southern
Wine & Spirits of New York, believes drink accoutrements such as
cocktail coasters and garnish spears are anything but frivolous.
“The idea of an authentic cocktail culture and making a well mixed
drink has come back so strongly in the United States and cities like
London that there is even greater competition for eye and dollar
share,” Katz says, “so all of these items are avenues of opportunity
for branding and getting ahead of the curve.”
On the practical side, some cocktails virtually scream to be stirred.
“With drinks like Mojitos, you absolutely need to use a stir stick,” Albert says.
And while bartenders might be surprised to hear the term
“innovation” associated with a simple stir stick, there are some
functional options out there. Quick Stick, for instance, is an
“anti-foaming” straw that, when placed into the glass, helps reduce the
amount of foam when pouring carbonated mixers and thereby speed the
pour.
At the other end of the use spectrum, bar accessories allow for the
widest possible interpretation of what Katz describes as a highly
eccentric cocktail culture.
“With drinks like the Collins, the stir stick is ideal. In an
affordable and effective way, it enables a bar to give its own unique
twist to a house specialty or signature drink.”
Katz adds that there is the hand-to-mouth fixation in which swizzle
sticks play a part. No matter the accessory that is chosen, Albert says
the item needs to fit the concept from a practical as well as a
thematic standpoint.
“If you are a sports bar, it may be best to use the cardboard
squares as coasters,” she says, and glass or plastic coasters tend to
be a better fit for high-end restaurants or bars. “Whenever you can,
try to put your stamp on it,” Albert says, “whether it is the name of
the establishment or the logo.”
Of course, companies such as BrandedStirs.com can do the same with
stir sticks, creating a great opportunity for brand reinforcement
beyond the coaster.
In New York recently, Albert says she encountered the perfect match
between a bar brand and a cocktail accessory in the metal spoon swizzle
used in cocktails at Milk and Honey.
“They promote classic cocktails and fresh ingredients, and
everything down to the stir sticks and the napkins fit the concept
perfectly.” NCB
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