Tip for December 2009
Champagne cocktails capture the essence of Christmas. Try serving the classic Champagne Cocktail, and the Buck's Fizz which will awaken everyone's palate whatever the time of day. Make sure the champagne glasses are chilled, as well as the bubbly itself.
Tip for November 2009
Work out which spirits, beers, and nonalcoholic beverages are selling, or not, and make a plan to achieve a good level of sales across all areas. Involve the staff so they feel part of the action.
Tip for October 2009
Training, training, training. No matter how brilliant a staff member is, there is always something he or she can learn from the UKBG courses. Note there is a new one-day course starting soon. Take a close look at the strengths and weaknesses of each of your staff, and even your own, and see if this course, or another level, is suitable.
Tip for September 2009
When it's that end-of-summer weather, it is time to bring out the darker spirits and think about the warmer drinks that might tempt your customer's palates. Classics such as The Manhattan, the Sidecar and Whisky Sour can be revisited. Search the UKBG's archives for recipes that suit the style of your bar, and will make the customers happy.
Tip for August 2009
When the Brand Ambassadors come to call ask them for a rundown (and a sample) of their latest products with a view to a making new cocktail to surprise your customers. Look for something that creates layers of flavours and will surprise the palate. Perhaps even make you immortal in the annals of cocktail history!
Tip for July 2009
Summer can bring out the drinkers who can't decide when they have had enough. You all have customers who think they can hold their liquour, but sometimes you have to step in and say "Enough is Enough." This can help you save a customer -- who wants to walk into a bar the next day feeling embarrassed, not remembering what they did the night before? Keep an eye on your customers, help them home when the time is right.
Tip for June 2009
Here's more on the words Customer Service. There can be no doubt that it is the people behind the bar that make or break a bar. Tips include: remember a customer's name as well as his or her drink. Suggest a new cocktail to favourite customers to entice them to return to try out whatever inspires you. Clean tables regularly. Talk to your customers as friends.
These are normal work practices but sometimes we forget to carry them out.
Tip for April 2009
When setting out glasses for use in the bar, make sure they are clean and polished. that makes the drink look more enticing. Use the correct glass cloth to dry any glass.
Tip for March 2009
Mixing too many ingredients delivers a lot of competing flavors and textures — sweet and velvety, sharp, fruity, citrusy, bitter — and as a result a single sip can be overwhelming. But pared-down efforts are as refreshing as any drink. Think aperitifs such as fortified wines, sparkling wines and liqueurs. Mixed with sparkling water, light-tasting cocktails can give a relaxing feeling as much as a measure of a strong spirit.
Tip for February 2009
Time to spark up the romance stakes with cocktails with seduction in the flavour. On the day, create an ambience in the bar through the attitude of staff and also with the decor. Be especially sensual. Introduce new champagne cocktails of your own making especially for the evening's festivities.
Tip for January 2009
It's a New Year and despite the gloomy weather and economic figues, it is appropriate to look forward to making your customers enjoy themselves on a night out. Some regulars you see more than others so perhaps find out when their birthday / wedding anniversary is and surprise them with a celebratory greeting. Work out a way of gathering business cards to build up a mailing list so you can email any special events.
Tip for December 2008
Time to say goodbye to 2008 and welcome in 2009, whatever it might bring to the hospitality industry. Tough times means you might have to work harder for the customer to return for the taste of the cocktails, and the experience. After all, going out is an event made memorable by the service and the ambience you create around you.
Tip for November 2008
For the festive season, do some research on smooth-tasting cocktails with a hint of the Christmas spirit in them. Traditional eggnogs, and mixtures of cream and cognac, are always popular. Baileys, the Irish cream liqueur, is a pleasant festive cocktail and there are many recipes around with variations on that theme.
Tip for October 2008
October heralds the start of autumn and the path to the busy festive season. This is a great opportunity to get your house in order. Check stock levels, have a spring clean of the bar area, throwing out anything that does not strictly belong on the bar area. Once you have done this you will be prepared for the coming three-month pre-christmas period.
Tip for August 2008
The recent Sputnik/ UKBG National Cocktail Competition highlighted the need for good presentation of drinks. Not just the cut and placement of the garnish, but also the way you hold the glass when showing it to the judges, or for a photograph. It is important for judges to see the colour and the texture. If you hold the drink close to your body, then the colour of the clothes you are wearing will alter its appearance, so hold the drink away from your body, to the side, to give the colour and texture a chance to shine on its own. Experiment a few times to get the action right.
Tip for July 2008
Oh, to be in England when the local strawberries are ripe and sweet. Just right for a champagne cocktail. Use fresh fruit, wash individal berries, take out the green leaves at the top, and leave to drain on paper towels to soak up any water.
Slice with a sharp knife. A reminder to keep all knives sharp, ready to use.