As the festive season approaches, pubs and bars across the country will be preparing for one of the busiest times of the year, and one of the biggest opportunities for the alcohol category. With consumers planning trips to their favourite pubs and bars for various Christmas celebrations, it’s often a time when they explore new flavours and indulge in something a little more special to add to the festivities, frequently choosing more premium options like cocktails. With the average spend on a cocktail typically higher than beer or wine, every serve represents added value for the venue, as well as being a special treat for consumers. So at this time of year, a well-stocked bar ready has never been more essential.
For over 25 years, FUNKIN has been making it easier for busy bartenders to serve up great tasting cocktails every time, with quality products we know consumers will love. As footfall increases and festive celebrations take centre stage, venues are often under pressure to deliver quality cocktails quickly and consistently – so simplicity is key.
That’s why having the right products on the bar makes all the difference. FUNKIN makes it easy for venues to create serves that shine every time, with quality, flavour and consistency in every sip.
BIG ON FLAVOUR, LOW ON FUSS, AND COMPLETELY CONSISTENT
FUNKIN’s range of Cocktail Mixers are the ideal option for even the busiest venue to start its cocktail journey, all bartenders need to do is add Spirit for the perfect serve. Big on flavour, low on fuss and ensuring consistency, they allow pubs to keep a fully stocked bar with ease. Each one-litre pack of Mixer crafts 10 cocktails, ensuring portion control, reducing waste, and keeping service smooth – a recipe for success during the festive rush. Each Mixer based cocktail costs venues as little as £1.50 to make and they can be effortlessly crafted into cocktails that can sell for £10 on the menu[1] – not only saving time but driving exceptional value for venues too.
The range is really easy and versatile to use, delivering a high-quality cocktail whether shaken or stirred. While we’d recommend shaking with spirit and ice to activate the foam in the mixer liquid for a silky smooth finish, the Mixers can also be straight poured and served.
This means staff can get up to speed quickly with minimal training – a huge win for venues bringing in extra hands for their busiest season. Designed to create serves that look as good as they taste, these impressive yet easy to make drinks will have customers coming back for more.
CREATE COCKTAILS FOR EVERY TASTE AND EVERY OCCASION
All FUNKIN Mixers are made using real fruit, providing fantastic taste without any compromise. And we’re always looking for the next hottest trend for those who want to add flare to their usual cocktail choice. This year, we introduced two new flavours: Watermelon and Blue Raspberry. The Watermelon Mixer is a bright, refreshing flavour predicted to be one of the top four this year[2] – with over a third of drinkers already choosing it in the on trade[3]. And with tequila serves still on the rise and Margaritas continuing to be a top cocktail choice[4], our Watermelon Mixer is the perfect partner to be blended with tequila and ice for a vibrant twist on the classic.
Following the success of FUNKIN’s Blue Raspberry Nitro Can in supermarkets, we wanted to introduce a Mixer for the on-premise to capitalise on the surge in appeal for ‘90s and ‘00s sweet, electric nostalgia. Whether mixed with vodka and ice for a mouthwatering Martini or blended with rum and coconut for a winter-themed twist on a Pina Colada, the new editions bring excitement to the bar, joining a portfolio of 15 flavours.
One of the best sellers in the range, perfect for creating the nation’s favourite cocktail is our Passion Fruit Mixer which can be transformed into a Pornstar Martini in under 60 seconds by adding vodka or a Passion Fruit Daiquiri by adding rum. With single flavours such as Strawberry to simply twist the classics or cocktail pre-mixes like the Espresso Martini for indulgence during the cooler months, the range truly caters for all tastes.
ELEVATE YOUR SERVES, AT CHRISTMAS TIME AND BEYOND
While flavour dominates cocktail choices, bold, ‘instagrammable’ cocktails are also growing in demand[5], so whether it’s the garnish, glassware or overall aesthetic, presentation is a huge part of the cocktail experience. We know that if a cocktail looks high-quality, it will sell! The FUNKIN Mixer easily ensures a great look, without compromising on quality, flavour and consistency.
Christmas is really a time to show off and make customers feel extra special – enticing them to come back during the festive period and beyond. With drinkers becoming more familiar with cocktails and nearly half of consumers drinking them in the Winter months[6],there’s a growing expectation to make them more accessible and in a wider range of venues. FUNKIN does just that, providing big-on-flavour, easy to use Mixers that help deliver consistent, high-quality serves – at Christmas time and all-year round.
[1] Based on the average price of a 50ml shot of spirit in the on-trade, and 1/10 the average RSP of FUNKIN COCKTAILS Mixer range
[2] Kingsland Drinks Trend Report 2025
[3] 35%, Paragon Brands 2024, GB Flavour Survey, June 2024; **CGA Mixed Drinks Report H2 2024
[4] CGA Mixed Drinks Q1 2024-2025 – Volumetric sales data
[5] BarSights Global Bartender Report GB 2024, Sample Size: 1503
[6] 42%, CGA Mixed Drinks H1 2025: Sample size 580, H1 2024: 669