For those of you new to the subject of novelty bar drinks, they are the equivalent of a cat chasing after and swatting at a piece of yarn you dangle in front of it.
Stupid cat. I own one myself (not by choice) She sits there with that superior-to-the-rest-of-us attitude, yet the moment there's movement, she just can't help herself. She tries to pretend she doesn't care, but like an addict with a line of cocaine sitting on the table, she eventually can't stand it anymore and pounces on it.
It's quite entertaining to watch, and in the same way my cat is attracted to it's precious yarn, people are enthralled and fascinated by novelty drinks.
First off, let's define what "Novelty" actually means. Novelty is defined as:
- The quality of being new, unique or unusual
- A small or original toy or ornament
Novelty drinks fit both of these definitions. They are both unique and a sort of toy for your guests to drink from.
If you have never considered adding a novelty drink to your cocktail menu, I'm here to give you 5 reasons why you should.
7 Reasons You Should Create a Novelty Drink For Your Bar1. They are flat out fun. It's true. Like the cat with her yarn, it seems like a pointless endeavor, yet when people are drinking out of a novelty drink, everyone around them seems to be laughing and enjoying themselves. Why is that? It's because of reason number 2.
2. They are unique and unusual. Something that all of us have in common is the need to break away from the monotony of life. This is why we go on vacations or try new restaurants. Or have a baby. We want excitement and something that breaks us out of our normal routine.
3. They give us identity. What does that even mean? It means people love to stand up and announce to the world who they are. It's why they put idiotic bumper stickers on their cars that will never come off ("Don't blame me, I voted for Bush", "Teachers do it with class", etc.).
It's why they where the clothes they do and drive the cars they drive. And it's why they choose to drink something that they can post on Facebook that says, "Look at me, I'm outrageous and fun." (See number 5)
4. They give your bar identity. It's true. For instance, at my bar, we are Home of the Big Ass Mule. When people talk, they say, "Where were you drinking that Big Ass Mule last week?"
"Oh, that was McGah's Pub & Pianos. Awesome drink, great times. We should go there tonight."
5. They will be shared on social media. Think about it: people LOVE to tell everyone what they're doing every single minute of the day on social media sites: "Picking up some heart-worm medicine for Buster at Walmart." These same people won't be able to wait to show everyone the cool and unique drink they're sipping at your cool and unique bar. This is free advertising. Which leads us into number 6.
6. They will create word-of-mouth marketing. Not only will people share their experience on FB, they will talk about it the next day or even week to people they know: "OH MY GOD! I was at The Rusty Nail on Friday and they had this giant hurricane that four of us were drinking out of. It was SOOOOO awesome!"
7. They are profitable. That's right, even though it would still be worth it based on all the attention your bar will get for serving something so cool, you don't need to spend a bunch of money to make it happen. Giant drinks (or even regular drinks) can have controllable portions that will make you as much or more profit as your regular cocktails. This reason alone should get you excited to bring on novelty drink. Profits are the main reason we're in business in the first place.
If you're foaming at the mouth now to find a great novelty drink you can use to create an identity at your bar and you need some ideas, check out 10 AWESOME NOVELTY DRINK IDEAS FOR YOUR BAR.
Cheers, until next time,
Dave, The RB