I have celebrated with quite a few since winning the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs Chef of the Year. I’m still reeling yet incredibly grateful. But an Old Fashioned or two has certainly helped with the shock.
There is something about having a cocktail: the delicate glassware, thoughtful garnishes, ice cubes in all shapes and sizes, sweet, savoury, spicy – I love it all. A perfect Negroni is a thing of pure and unadulterated beauty that I could write a treatise on. Hence, my beloved cocktail list.
Most gastropubs have some form of cocktail list, and wisely so, because cocktails were still the fourth most popular drink choice of 2025. The taste for them shows no sign of slowing down, despite complex economic challenges from rising costs and willingness of consumers to spend. Cocktails are an ever-present staple with 35% of Gen Z preferring them to beer and the growth of the non-alcoholic cocktail market is impossible to ignore.
Aware of trends
This naturally poses a challenge to publicans but also an opportunity to be seized. Should one pay heed to trends or forge one’s own path with a singular vision? I believe it is important to be aware of consumer trends but not at the risk of diminishing one’s own identity.
What is the mood for 2026? Publications such as the Bacardi Cocktail Trend Report seek to advise us on what consumers are likely to shift towards and are excellent for gleaning insight into overall movements. It would be foolhardy to ignore the importance of statistics, especially in such turbulent and economically fraught times. Yet countless websites cite a multitude of trends that are frankly a minefield of contradictory ideas. Apparently, we are all going to be drinking earlier in the day but also drinking later into the night, and drinking more cocktails, but also drinking less and more intentionally, stronger drinks but lower ABVs. Dizzying, I know.
How much notice should one pay to this?
As a publican, I read the reports because insightful information can be garnered from them. They are incredibly informative and accurate yet they are no replacement for listening to the guests. I have made a concerted effort to include more low & no offerings on my drink list and I know that my Persian lime mezcal margarita will always sell well. Everybody loves a marg.
Single-minded approach
This coincides exactly with industry predictions. However, are my drink choices intentionally based on what I’ve read? No. I still believe strongly in my identity so I do not alter my course because of facts and figures. My plans and menus are based entirely around my customers. I’ve never been one to adhere to trends or take note of what is fashionable. This isn’t an attempt at being rebellious, nor am I intentionally trying to buck trends. It is my single-minded approach to my business.
I do not claim to know the favourites of others, but I know my own. My list is entirely based on what I like, what I think would pair well with my food and what helps to create a cohesive experience for guests. It just so happens that my customers like it too. Thankfully!
I have also designed the drinks to be manageable for the team. I could have all the creative intention in the world but it also has to be something that is not only affordable for the customers yet considerate of GP and labour costs.
This means I wash my gin with labneh, my cask ale is local, my wines are Jordanian and Palestinian, and my customers like it that way. Apparently, the Porn Star Martini is making a comeback but not on my list. Unless my customers suddenly start asking in droves for an Arab inspired version; then perhaps I’ll consider it.
