This summer has been a hot one, with heat waves keeping parts of the country in record-breaking high temperatures. That means consumers have spent the season sipping on refreshing, frozen cocktails, as a way to escape the heat. Demand for frozen and refrigerated drinks has never been higher, and it’s not just a seasonal indulgence anymore. Guests are seeking out creative, cooling drinks throughout the year, and the global frozen drinks market is expected to boom as a result.
With so much potential revenue waiting for operators in the growing market, Bar & Restaurant spoke with Jocelyn Da Silva, Product Manager for Frozen Treat Equipment at Vollrath and Stoelting. They make world-class kitchen equipment that chefs love. Our Food & Beverage Innovation Center chefs fed over 8,700 attendees at this year’s Bar & Restaurant Expo (formerly Nightclub & Bar Show), with the help of Vollrath and Stoelting products.
Within their expansive portfolio of commercial foodservice equipment and supplies, Vollrath and Stoelting make Refrigerated Beverage Dispensers and Frozen Beverage Granita Machines, that help operators keep up with the latest beverage trends.
Read on to find out more about the frozen drink trends taking over the country, and how you can incorporate them into your beverage program and increase revenue throughout the year.
What kind of beverage trends are you seeing across the country right now?
Over the last two years, we’ve seen a lot of growth in the frozen and iced alcoholic beverages. Everything from a standard frozen lemonade to super complex variations made with infused spirits like dragon berry rum and apple vodka. Another thing we’re seeing is the wine slushy. That’s been huge all around the country, from smaller markets in upstate New York to larger markets like Napa. And of course, the same level of attention is given to non-alcoholic offerings as well, made with coffee, tea, fermented tea, yogurts – anything with probiotics is super popular as people are more health conscious.
It sounds like operators can have a lot of fun with their refrigerated and frozen cocktail programs. What are some of the most creative flavors you’ve seen?
I’ve heard amazing things about a drink called ‘Watermelon, Limoncello, Prosecco’ that one of our clients has. It’s just watermelon juice, sugar, limoncello and prosecco garnished with a lemon slice and some mint. The recipe is so simple, but the presentation is amazing, and so is the return. There’s also a ‘Fall Harvest Margarita’, which is great in the cooler months. It’s made with pumpkin pie spice-infused tequila, apple cider and lime juice. Anything colada-related does really well, too. There’s a bar making a ‘Pineapple Upside Down Cake’ cocktail, with pineapple juice, cake-flavored vodka and grenadine, that’s a total hit. A customer in Chicago has six of our large commercial machines, and they do these incredible frozen cocktails. You just want to drink them all day long.
Frozen and refrigerated drinks are just pre-batched cocktails served differently. When you speak with operators, how do they feel about pre-batched cocktails?
Pre-batching is becoming part of venues’ standard operating procedures, as they’re just as easy to serve as an RTD, but the quality is higher. With the labor shortage, wait times are longer and bars are busier. Operators need faster service and accruement measurements. Pre-batching allows you to have accurate measurements, no overpours or spillage, and consistent temperatures.
Are pre-batched cocktails the ‘antidote’ to RTDs?
RTDs in the on-premise are added almost out of obligation. Operators feel like they have to them because they’re an easy to-go option, but they’re never a major source of revenue. Pre-batched cocktails are something entirely different, and they’re becoming a necessity for bars and restaurants.
Consumer taste became sophisticated over the pandemic, and now they’re expecting even higher-quality than before. Pre-batching lets bartenders deliver that quality in a fraction of the time. Mixologists can offer a wide variety of options and expand their menus – plus you get a great return. You’re using a full bottle of spirits, reducing spillage and essentially utilizing products at cost.
How can cold and frozen cocktails enhance the customer experience?
You can have fun talking with your customers about the options, and getting creative with how you serve them. There are some places that layer different flavors of frozen cocktails in one glass to create these beautiful, tiered drinks. From a visual merchandising standpoint, the bowls are exciting, too. Not only do they light up and attract customer attention, but operators can add their logos to the machines.
Being able to see what’s inside the bowl is super appealing. It’s hard to say no to something that just looks so good. What are some of the other benefits of having a beverage dispenser?
We have a full line of sizes to fit application needs, from eight liters to 20 liters, with different bowl options. That means you can find a size that fits your venue’s needs, and they’re simple to use and easy to clean. Anyone at any level can operate them, it’s not like you need to always have a trained manager there to do it. It’s a relatively small investment, and operators quickly recuperate the cost.
What about frozen beverage machines?
The frozen beverage machines, we call them Granita Machines, add so much excitement and interest to a beverage program. We have different options available from Vollrath and Stoelting. Vollrath’s machines are more affordable, but it can take some time to get the recipe development and brix levels just right. The Stoelting models are digitally operated, and a little easier to operate. Plus, you can set them up for the next day. We also have higher capacity, stainless steel machines that are appropriate for high-volume operators.
You mentioned brix levels, what is that?
A brix level is the amount of sugar content you have in your mix. Getting it just right is crucial for frozen cocktails. When you have too much, your mix won’t freeze. If you have too little, your mix can freeze up completely which will damage the unit. To help operators, we have these fancy refractometers to check the brix levels. We’re happy to walk customers through that process to make sure they’re setting the levels appropriately.
For venues that want to add frozen or refrigerated drinks to their menus, what are some things they should be aware of when looking for machines?
There are three things to be aware of: what is your capacity, what flavors do you plan to offer and where will the machine live? This will help you determine if you need an entry level machine, or something heavy duty. Knowing which flavors you want to offer will help determine how many bowls you’ll need. Both of our lines, Vollrath and Stoelting, are available in one, two and three-bowl models. Finally, knowing where the machine will be in the venue is important. Large, commercial-size machines require operators to be trained, and look best behind the counter or in the kitchen. Smaller machines have great aesthetic for front of house placement, they’re easy to operate and have merchandising appeal. They can even be self-service.
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