Raising Spirits

The Publican is embarking on a crusade to raise the profile and profits of spirits in UK pubs and bars. So get ready.

"Raising Spirits" is not designed to be an exercise of the grandmother and sucking eggs variety nor is it an attempt to ditch pint pulling skills in favour of muddling, blending, mixing and cocktail shaking.

Instead, it is designed to be an entertaining and informative saunter through the eclectic world of spirits incorporating a wide spectrum of categories ranging from tequila to Irish whiskey.

Less anorak, more smoking jacket, the Raising Spirits initiative will incorporate history, production techniques, myths and legends, pub case studies, long drinks suggestions and, most importantly, ways in which licensees can improve the look of their profit and loss sheet by raising education and quality of serve.

The 2002 Publican Spirits Report revealed that spirits sales in pubs were stagnant which, when one considers what the sector has to offer financially, seems a bit of a head scratcher. ​

The cocktail revival that has taken place in recent years has heralded a renewed interest in spirits among drinkers and it would be an imprudent licensee who didn't want to take advantage.

In the style bars, people are drinking less but drinking better and are willing to pay vertigo-style prices for a carefully concocted cocktail or the latest premium brand served to them by, more often than not, achingly cool and trendy mixologists - the upmarket term for cocktail bartenders.

But there is no reason why those with designer jeans, wacky haircuts and good looks should have all the fun, or the money for that matter.

There are signs that pubs on the high street are fighting back and the lines between the traditional boozer and the swanky bar are becoming increasingly blurred.

The runaway success of the specialist vodka bar chain Revolution and the decision by JD Wetherspoon to stock new upmarket spirit brands suggests something in the spirits world is afoot.

This shouldn't be a surprise as the people who sip a Mojito in the Met Bar on a Saturday night and order a Bloody Mary in the local the morning after are, believe it or not, one and the same.

However, all too often the high expectations created the night before are not met by licensees who - with beer and wine at the forefront of their mind - have put their back-bar concerns on the back-burner.

Few eyebrows were raised when last year Bacardi-Martini announced that only 20 per cent of outlets visited as part of a "mystery shopper" programme served long and short drinks in the correct way.

Diageo, Bacardi-Martini and Maxxium UK have all embarked on a drive to promote a consistent quality of serve, but the level of inconsistency as far as the presentation and taste of spirit-based drinks are concerned still remains too high.

The same accusation could be made when discussing the level of knowledge behind the bar. Spirits are for the most part bought on image while wine and beer is bought on taste and knowledge.

There are few pubs where the difference between Jack Daniels and a bourbon could be explained, where a customer can be told about the distinct way in which Bombay Sapphire gin is distilled or where the barstaff could give hedonistic drinkers three good reasons why there's more to tequila than just slamming it with a slice of lemon and a sprinkle of salt.

The dearth of trade knowledge is a shame as the spirits sector is a fascinating one with history, heritage, variety and some really great stories to tell.

Raising Spirits will enable readers to make a well-presented, nice-tasting and profit-making drink.

At the same time it will arm them with some fascinating anecdotes that will not only impress customers and increase profits but also improve their standing at dinner parties and pub quizzes.

Raising Spirits schedule:​

• July​
  Pleisure Pub Company: A Brighton-based pub company specialising in spirits is turning up the heat on the style-bar sector.

August​
The Perfect Serve: We look at ice, slice and the need to upsize as well as glassware, tasting tips and more.

September​
Vodka:​ Neutral and odourless spirit or a versatile drink with plenty of variety, flavour and character?
Gin:​ Is it the new vodka? Does it make you depressed? And do you need to be wearing a Twinset and pearls to enjoy it? Raising Spirits jumps in its Jag to
investigate.
Tequila:​ The most misunderstood spirit on the market is something to be sipped and savoured rather than slammed.

October​
Rum:​ There's more to this exotic tipple than sailors and Malibu and Coke.
Scotch whisky:​ The local hero has kicked off its slippers and ditched its heather and weather image. Raising Spirits explains why licensees could do more with this dram good tipple.
American and Irish whiskeys:​ From Black Bush to Knob Creek, we explore the eclectic world of bourbon and Irish whiskeys.

November​
Brandy/cognac:​ How many drinks can combine after dinner speaking with hardcore rap?
Shots and shooters:​ The fastest growing spirits sector in the UK is big bucks for publicans.

December​
Liqueurs and speciality spirits:​ What's inside the bottles on the back-bar?