Inventory 7th Jan 2018

Happy new year pals, and welcome back to 2018’s first inventory. The Mixology HQ has moved office so things are still in slight array but worry not, we should be back and running at 110% capacity this week.

In news: the spirits business took a look at how much gin was sold in the UK the week before Christmas, Imbibe finds the hospitality sector to be the most sleep-deprived in all of the UK (no surprise here), The Drinks Business lists a host of London’s best bars to get your “Dryuary” on, and SevenFiftyDaily takes a look at brands that are promoting bartenders’ wellness. Cheers and let’s hope everyone’s 2018 is off to a bangin’ start
Okay fine, not everybody might be into “Dryuary” and honestly, it’s not the best for the industry. Bars that are stood empty for all of January? Nobody wants that. (On the other hand it offers an easy opportunity to give workers time off, but that’s a story for another time.) If, however, you are interested in being just a little “healthier” this January, look no further than to Liquor.com, who’ve come up with a slideshow of “healthy cocktails to order in bars now”. Of course it includes some green juices that are simply doctored with a little bit of booze but you’ll also find a riff on a whisky sour that’s made with both lemon and pineapple juice, as well as turmeric juice. So there you go, balance is key – go forth and drink friends.

British Consumers spend £36 Million on Gin the Week before Christmas

Alcohol sales predictably go up the weeks before Christmas (because everyone hates their family and to get through the holidays one must obviously consume massive amounts of alcohol amirite?). This week The Spirits Business tallied up what British consumers spent on gin in UK supermarkets the week before Christmas, a solid £36 million, which is a 45% increase to 2016. “According to IRI’s Retail Advantage data for the week ending 23 December, the amount equates to 2.2 million bottles, 636,000 more than the previous year. The increase also helped to boost the sale of mixers by 30% in the same period. Soft drinks were 5.9% off the back of the tonic sales.”
Hospitality Sector Found to be Most Sleep Deprived in the UK
No surprising nevertheless not pleasant news from jolly old England, Imbibe reports that the hospitality sector is found to be the most sleep-deprived in the UK. The survey was run by bed manufacturer Sealy and found out that 86% of hospitality workers believe they’re sleep deprived and that they’d function better with more shut eye.”Of the 830 hospitality staff questioned, many said that a few more hours in the land of nod would make them less irritable, less likely to be late and less accident-prone. And 30% of those workers said they would be more productive with a bit of extra kip – a timely reminder of UK workers’ dismal productivity, which made headlines again and again this year.” Imbibe goes on to list a host of tips for on-trade workers to get better sleep. Those include “avoid alcohol and caffeine” (haha – sure) and “don’t eat too late (fair enough). 

London’s Best Bars to Drink in during Dry January

You might want to order a non-alcoholic cocktail every now and then, even if you’re not a observer of Dry January. If you live in London and want to hop on the non-booze train, you’re in luck. The drinks business compiled a list of London’s best bars that are currently serving mocktails. Their list obviously includes Dandelyan, Redemption, and Nightjar. See the complete guide her.

How Spirits Companies Are Using Wellness to Build Brand Loyalty

The past year has seen an increase in “wellbeing” being discussed within the confines of our industry: from sleeping better, eating better, drinking less or drinking better, and general self care – it’s obvious a nerve has been hit. SevenFiftyDaily decided to start off the year with a look at this exactly, but not just as wellness as a whole but specifically how a group of spirits companies are promoting their brands by focusing on bartenders’ health and well-being, without needing to pour a single drink. Absolute’s brand ambassador Cory James for example began organizing self-defense workshops, which were followed by light lunches. The meals turned into “more of a roundtable”. James says “Usually what would happen is I would just sit back and everyone would talk about their experiences—often connecting over personal stories of assault—and discuss how impactful this event was, without me even interjecting.” His events were a success and began happening in London as well. What’s apparent is that bartenders are eager to connect, over more than “just” drinks. He’s not the only one: “El Silencio, a producer of artisanal mezcal based in Santa Monica, California, offers a program called Physiology of the Modern Bartender, which focuses on injury prevention behind the bar. The concept started as a seminar topic featured by the brand at Tales of the Cocktail and other conventions, and it eventually evolved into hands-on, trainer-led workshops for select bar groups. Demand became widespread. “This trend“, if one can even call human people caring for one another, is one worth checking in with every couple of months. It’s a more holistic approach to an industry that’s in dire need of it.