Is cocktail culture moving from the on-trade to the off-trade?

If buying a perfectly mixed bottled cocktail to drink at home wasn’t an option before, it certainly is now.

Despite bland attempts over previous years, there has been a breakthrough.
Mr Lyan’s premium pre-mixes, for example, are both appealing and appreciated – excelling in the premium off-trade.

Last year, 7 out of every 10 bottles of liqueurs sold were in the off-trade, which posted 9% volume gains.

The market for drinking at home is growing and brands are fighting to cater for those less likely to go out at the weekend but still craving the perfect Friday night serve.

For many, Friday night drinking in bars has been a ritual and those now homebound have been calling out for a bottled alternative. The on-trade is the recruitment tool for selling cocktails in volume in the off-trade.

As mentioned in our previous article “What experiences will you be serving in 2017”, people are seeking better drinking experiences – quality over quantity.

There are commercial opportunities for alcohol brands to challenge the likes of Mr Lyan and produce a range of pre-mixed bottled cocktails as a premium offering.

Bringing cocktail culture to the off-trade is the answer for brands eager to retain their traditional on-trade audience as they swap the bar crawl for the school run.

The space is there to be owned – beer and wine have led the way in the off-trade for years, but now is the time for brands to take action on the changing cocktail culture and growing popularity of premium pre-mixes.

There are two things brands need to consider:

1. Challenge the status quo of brands that say you have to go out to a bar to drink a quality cocktail. Explore delivering a premium pre-mix for home consumption.
2. Communicate to your consumers that you can bottle a quality drink from the on-trade and experience it at home.

Further reading:

Last year, 7 out of every 10 bottles of liqueurs sold were in the off-trade, which posted 9% volume gains.

Mr Lyan