While the festive season can be full of rowdy celebrations, it’s also the perfect time for a relaxed family lunch or a cosy catch-up with friends.
Draw in the more low-key crowds with a range that is perfect to enjoy during the quieter moments of the season.
Invite them in to stay a while
Invite the crowds in for a break from the Christmas madness with drinks to refresh and delight your customers.
A gem of the West Country, Orchard Pig ciders are expertly crafted with bittersweet apples; gently sparkling and bursting with flavour. Whether your customers prefer Reveller, with a tangy citrus note on the finish, or Truffler, with a dry character that delivers a long, rounded finish, there’s an Orchard Pig for everyone.
After battling the elements outside, your customers might be in the mood for something warming. Innis and Gunn The Original is a hearty beer that is full of caramel and wood notes from aging in used whisky barrels. Incredibly smooth with hints of vanilla, toffee and oak, the depth of flavour makes this the ideal beer for sipping by the fire or alongside a hearty Christmas dinner.
For a refreshing sparkling sip, pop the cork on Santa Margherita’s Prosecco Superiore Di Valdobbiadene DOCG. This delicious fizz is joyous and playful on the palate with savoury freshness that carries the finish full of florals and juicy pear character.
Top Tip: People buy with their eyes. Setting up a display with sparkling wine in an ice bucket on the bar will help indecisive customers make up their minds to splash out.
Pre-Dinner Drinks
A delicious pre-dinner drink is the perfect way to kick off a festive feast. Offer customers something a little different this Christmas with an Italicus Spritz. Italicus is an aromatic, herbal liqueur made with Italian bergamot and other botanicals such as chamomile and lemon balm.
To make an Italicus Spritz: combine one part Italicus with two parts Prosecco or Champagne over ice. Stir and garnish with 3 olives to balance the floral aromas with a touch of saltiness.
1 in 3 pub or restaurant visits are alcohol free. Perfect for those enjoying an alcohol-free festive season, Seedlip Spice 94 is a non alcoholic spirit with a spicy aromatic flavour profile. It has warm spice-led flavours from Jamaican Allspice berries, citrus top notes from lemon and grapefruit peels, and a long bitter finish from high-quality barks.
Best served with tonic over ice with some festive garnishes such as dried orange slices and rosemary.
Classic British gin, Chase GB is an extra dry, extra smooth full-bodied gin, that is perfectly balanced with juniper, spice and citrus. For a delicious serve to kick off a festive feast, mix with tonic and a slice of festive fresh ginger.
For a delicious Italian lager with all the flavour and none of the alcohol, offer your customers Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%. Made from a blend of the finest hops, two-row spring planted barley and Italian maize results in a beer with a uniquely crisp and refreshing taste.
Japanese pioneers in brewing, Asahi 0.0% has all the crisp and refreshing taste of Asahi Super Dry, just without the alcohol.
Top Tip: Feature some pre-dinner serves on your food menu. That way you encourage customers to enjoy their first drink whilst they peruse the menu, and that helps you increase your margin per customer.
Cosy, toasty, catch ups
Make your venue the perfect place for cosy catch ups with warming serves, soft lighting, and low, ambient music.
Red wine is a winter classic and is even better when shared with friends. Alma Mora Malbec, from Argentina, is full-bodied with ripe red berry and plum flavours.
Top Tip: Ensure your by-the-glass range includes some of your more premium wines. That way, you can encourage customers to trade up to a really great glass of wine.
For customers looking to enjoy a white wine, Viña Real’s Barrel Fermented Rioja Blanco is a deliciously hearty wine. With subtle toasty and biscuit flavours from fermentation in new American oak, it’s balanced by clean grapefruit acidity.
Encourage your customers to linger over their meal with a range of slow-sipping favourites. Glenfiddich 12-year-old Single Malt Scotch Whisky has characteristic sweet, fruity notes that develop into butterscotch, cream, malt and subtle oak flavours. With a long, smooth and mellow finish, it’s best enjoyed catching up with friends by the glow of a pub fire.
63% of UK drinkers say they enjoy drinks that make them feel nostalgic. Baileys Original Irish Cream is a timeless Christmas classic. It’s the sweetest meeting of fine Irish Whiskey, Irish dairy cream, rich chocolate and vanilla flavours. Perfect over ice or alone, you could try it in festive cocktails, like a Bailey's Festive Chocolate Cocktail!
For all those festive occasions that are best enjoyed in your venue, get your bar stocked with Matthew Clark. Browse our full range and exclusive promotions online at Matthew Clark Live.
About the author
Mary McCarron
Mary looks after the majority of Matthew Clark's digital marketing comms. After a couple of years working in tech, she found her way back to the hospitality industry and can now be found talking all things cocktails, spirits, beer, softs and more across our website, social media, and other digital channels.
