From bar to basket, Jo Gilbert looks at how retailers can translate on-trade trends into off-trade opportunities
With the average price of a serve sitting at £13 in London (and more than doubling to £26-plus in top bars), it’s no surprise cocktail-making at home is an increasingly tempting alternative for consumers looking for a sense of occasion without the expense of going out. The data backs this up. According to You Gov, 47% of consumers are currently recreating ‘nights out’ at home – and brands are following the research in a major way.
August’s Bank Holiday weekend, for example, saw Aperol and Uber Eats partner to launch a Golden Hour Spritz Service, which promised a bar-quality DIY Aperol Spritz kit in three UK cities. Meanwhile, indie merchants such as Patrick Sewell of Bakers & Larners of Holt in Norfolk report: “Huge interest in pre-made cocktails has led to these having their own dedicated display.”
Plenty of trends are leading the way. Spritzes, slushies, premium RTDs and low-abv liqueurs are all proving that cocktails can create a powerful driver of basket spend across categories and encourage multiple purchases.
But one clear message comes through. As consumers increasingly recreate favourite serves at home, convenience and offering easy-to action inspiration are key for retailers looking to turn on-trade buzz into cross-category sales.
Brands echo this sentiment: leaving vital ingredients off shelves and overwhelming consumers with too much choice risks missing the mark completely. Accessibility is paramount, starting with grouping flavoured syrups and liqueurs, sodas, Prosecco and garnish packs together. Then recipe cards and shelf talkers prompt bigger baskets (and higher spend). “For the home mixologist,” says Phil Neil, marketing director at XIX Vodka, “we like to say ‘it tastes like you know what you’re doing’. The format is simple, with flex built into it for people to get creative.”
As we have seen from Aperol’s delivery partnership, the spritz remains one of the most bankable cocktail styles, combining liqueurs, sparkling wine and flavoured sodas.
Quoting CGA’s Mixed Drinks Report 2024, Aiste Valiukaite, trade marketing manager at Disaronno, similarly notes: “Spritz-style cocktails are thriving in the UK’s pubs and bars and make up one in 10 cocktails served out of home.” In response, Disaronno has created a three-step recipe that combines a liqueur, sparkling wine and a splash of soda for retailers to spotlight in store.
Tony Kousoulou, beverage expert for the UK & Ireland at Monin, highlights that there has been a “dramatic increase year on year for frozen and slushy-based serves within venues”, particularly when it comes to tropical flavours. He also notes a “massive increase in flavoured twists on spritzes”.
Inviting exploration
Premiumisation also remains a strong sales driver, particularly around gifting and special occasions. Angus Lugsdin, co-founder of Salcombe Distilling Co, points to the distillery’s development of “smaller-format bottles, gifting packs and limited-edition expressions that invite exploration without committing to a full-size bottle.
These formats not only fit neatly into gifting occasions, but also appeal to the growing number of consumers experimenting with multiple cocktail recipes at home”. Monin’s research from 200 UK venues puts extra emphasis on nostalgic flavours, coffee-cocktail hybrids, functional health-driven twists and adventurous combinations as up-and-coming trends that can inspire seasonal merchandising.
Elsewhere, tequila and low-abv serves are emerging as two of the biggest growth areas. Valiukaite cites KAM 2025 data which shows that “34% of Brits now alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks when socialising, up from 28% last year”.
The cocktail boom is clearly proving fertile ground for retailers looking to boost sales across categories. Whether it’s a chilled RTD for immediate consumption, a premium gift pack, or a recipe-driven spritz display, the key is making cocktail culture easy, inspiring and shoppable.
Execution in store remains critical too. Rhona McKeran, UK head of marketing at Moth, points to branded fridges, sampling and cross-brand displays as ways to make cocktails pop. Funkin Cocktails echoes the importance of visual impact, “particularly with Gen Z”, says brand marketing director Ashley Birch-Ruffell. Lugsdin adds: “In the off-trade, the emphasis shifts to accessible, simple, achievable serves that still feel special. We highlight quick wins, minimal ingredients, easy steps and a sense of occasion that can be created at home without professional equipment.”
With belts being tightened everywhere, cocktails at home offer a double-win: offering affordable luxuries for cash-strapped but experience-hungry consumers, while boosting margin for retailers, often in ways which extend existing ranges already in store. Particularly when it comes to bringing in younger generations, focusing on convenience, shop-ability and discovery is a way to drive footfall and sales and, most importantly, keep consumers coming back for more.
