Increasingly, restaurateurs are turning to leading brands in their search for quality. Brand-name juices, tonic waters, soft drinks and club sodas are being listed alongside appropriate spirits on beverage menus, communicating the quality message to guests. Blending fresh fruit at the bar for use as mixers is another way to market drinks. And you can't get the aroma factor by using processed fruit. Then there's the taste element, which is incredible.
Many casual restaurants mix cocktails with all-natural nectars.
Unlike Darden's Red Lobster and Olive Garden chains, Bahama Breeze units in Orlando and Altamonte Springs, Fla., highlight their beverage program. All juices are freshly blended, imparting a bit of showmanship and a refreshing aroma. The quality of prepared mixers also is improving, a trend that is driving frozen drink sales, according to Werner. One drink that owes part of its great popularity to an improvement in mixers is the margarita. The frozen margarita now has a closer taste profile to the rocks version.