It's the longest weekend on the calendar. Better known as summertime, it stretches uninterrupted from Memorial Day to Labor Day, with a hundred or so potentially profitable days and nights in between for operators to spike up spirits sales and turn every night’s numbers into a peak Friday or Saturday.Summer is prime time to try out new cocktails on patrons. And this year’s premiere spirits lineup holds out the promise of major rewards , with some new or recent launches from global brands and some promising new imported spirits. So, raise the umbrellas on the roof terrace, rack the billiard tables and stock up on these new beverages for endless summer sales.

Light in August
    Vodka is a patron spirit of summer revenue, and there are some particularly promising premium and super-premium launches to pour on the sales. Diageo North America has taken everyone’s favorite cocktail garnish and squeezed it into a much bigger beverage spirit flavor wave.  Arriving on-premise in January, Diageo’s Smirnoff Lime launch represents the tenth flavor extension to the brand’s line of flavored vodkas. It’s being billed as a smooth, aromatic new addition to the family, and based on Smirnoff’s track record with flavors, there is every reason to bet on it as a summer beverage sales booster. The Smirnoff flavor line is the  No. 1-selling brand by volume. 
    The same legendary brand allegiance is likely to greet the April arrival of Stoli Blueberi from Pernod Ricard and Stolichnaya, the Russian distiller that introduced the whole big idea of flavored vodkas to the United States in the 1980s. This summer, this genuine Russian original and No. 1 family of imported vodka flavors is laying down the gauntlet and challenging bartenders 25 years and older to create refreshing and delicious cocktail recipes for the newest flavor to join the Stoli family.
    The contest officially kicked off on April 1 and runs through July 15. Those who are eligible and are interested in submitting their original Stoli Blueberi cocktail recipe(s) can view contest rules and find the official form for entry online at stoli.com –– just click on the Stoli Blueberi button on the homepage.
    And with the much sought after women’s market in mind, Hood River Distilleries also is bringing its super-premium Yazi Ginger Flavored Vodka to select bars around the country beginning this spring. A new flavor launch that pairs well with Asian foods such as sushi, Yazi’s natural ginger flavor –– a spice known to be an ingredient in love potions –– makes it a perfectly profitable match for a season traditionally associated with romance and matters of the heart.

Rums and Sums
    A number of new rums also have landed on American shores lately. In April, Bacardi USA launched Bacardi Grand Melón, adding to a flavored rum line that includes Bacardi Limón, Bacardi Coconut, Bacardi O, Bacardi Big Apple and Bacardi Razz.
    The Bacardi brand and reputation might alone be sufficient to raise sales among loyal Bacardi cocktail fans, but if the public’s latest zigzag in flavor preference is any indication, what’s inside could prove to be a true sales bonanza. The big taste of Bacardi Grand Melon represents the union of two great summer icons in the watermelon and Bacardi premium rum, the world’s best-selling single spirit.
    “The difference between Bacardi Grand Melón and other flavored clear spirits is that our rum base allows the flavor to hold up over ice,” says Gordon Chisholm, group marketing manager, Bacardi USA.
    Straight off the bat, some creative cocktails include Bacardi Grand Melón and Tonic, garnished with chunks of watermelon; the Bacardi Grand Melón Martini cocktail, rimmed with a generous border of salt; or even Bacardi Grand Melón paired with the tang of fresh cranberry over ice.
    Another spirit of the Caribbean on course to spice up the summer beverage sales is Shango — after the African god of passion and power — a newly launched spiced rum liqueur from WyattZier LLC distinguished from rum, per se, by the fact that it is made with 100 percent cane spirits from Trinidad. Infused with South American herbs damiana and guarana, as well as vanilla and coconut that adds a full-flavored but not cloyingly sweet element, Shango is recommended neat or paired with mixers such as Coca-Cola or pineapple juice.

SoCo and More
    Though Southern Comfort is not a new spirit by a long shot, the barnstorming buzz created by the folks at  Brown Forman has been establishing the brand with younger legal-age consumers like wildfire. The brand’s $4 million advertising and marketing push is all about SoCo and Lime, the bar call being heard far and wide since its creation by a New York City bartender.
    Not only is SoCo and Lime a novel way to enjoy an old spirit that dates back to 1874, but its simple, crowd-pleasing recipe ––  chilled Southern Comfort, a splash of sweetened limejuice served straight up or mixed with cola or soda –– make it a natural for the long, hot summer.
    Just in time for a summer romance with patrons, Aperol, Italy’s most popular light spirit, has arrived in select U.S. markets, including New York, Boston, Miami, Chicago and San Francisco. This zesty orange liqueur, enjoyed daily in an array of cocktails by 3.5 million Italians, brings a more diversified flavor choice to Americans at an unusually low alcohol content of 11 percent.
    Aperol’s launch in America, almost 100 years after it was created in Italy in 1919, owes much to the word of mouth of American tourists who enjoyed Aperol cocktails such as Aperol & Soda, Aperol On The Rocks, Aperol Citrus Drop or an Aperol Spritz in Italy, says Lynn Lackey, Aperol brand manager for American importer Skyy Spirits. NCB