Dive into a world of sophistication with Jo Lo, Bartender and Supervisor at The Envoy, Hong Kong, as she reveals the secrets behind crafting premium festive cocktails. In this article, she explains why they're a must for your cocktail menu, providing a guide to creating them in six simple steps, along with three tantalizing festive cocktail recipes to try yourself.

A premium cocktail is a drink that uses unique flavors and high-quality ingredients, such as premium spirits, and is presented in an aesthetically pleasing yet simple way. It’ll often come with a higher price tag than other cocktails on the menu and is usually considered a specialty drink.

• CGA’s Mixed Drinks Report found that guests are continuing to prioritize quality and are willing to spend extra to get it, with 56% of consumers saying they are ‘very likely’ to pay more for a better-quality spirit and mixer when out. 
• You can offer specialty drinks at a higher price point which will increase your profit margin.
• The festive season offers a great opportunity to showcase premium cocktails as guests are more likely to treat themselves during this time of year.

Ingredients and flavors like ginger, cinnamon, cloves, orange, and chocolate, all inspire that fuzzy festive feeling. For example, you might create a spiced rum cocktail with cinnamon and nutmeg, or a cranberry and orange gin cocktail.

At Envoy we have a Barrel aged Mai Tai cocktail, with delicious festive flavors such as slow-cooked ginger and dry orange curacao. When guests hear Mai Tai, they might think of the beach, but with this flavor profile we’ve conserved the essence of a summer getaway in a barrel for year-round enjoyment.  

Quality cordials and mixers that complement your chosen spirits and festive flavor profile are a must. For example, if you're making a whisky-based cocktail, fruity and spice-based cordials including apple and/or cinnamon, and a mixer like soda water or ginger beer are great for giving depth of flavor and getting guests into the holiday spirit.

Using classy glassware is an excellent way to heighten the overall cocktail experience. Elegant glassware can enhance the perceived quality of a cocktail by making it look more appealing, enhancing the aroma, maintaining the temperature, and improving the taste.

Whilst aesthetics are key, of course, practicality is just as important. For example, if you’re using a fizzy mixer and your drink needs lots of ice, you want to opt for a tall, narrow glass like a highball, to retain the carbonation and slow down the dilution of the ice. 

Top tip: Make sure your glassware complements the occasion to successfully enhance the overall drinking experience.

Garnishes can make all of the difference to how premium your cocktail looks. Whether it’s a dehydrated orange wheel, or a sprinkling of icing sugar, garnishes can elevate a cocktail’s aesthetic and add to the theater of your serve. Remember, the more impressed your guests are by the cocktail’s appearance, the more likely they’ll post it on social media – that’s free marketing for your venue!

Ensure that you have enough ice on hand to chill and dilute your cocktail. Depending on the cocktail, you might want to use different types of ice, such as crushed ice or large-format ice cubes. For example, using large-format ice cubes can elevate a cocktail’s aesthetic by following a minimalist and modern look, while also creating less dilution.

With these six simple steps, you can create delicious and premium festive cocktails that are sure to impress your guests. Ready to experiment? Here are three quality yet simple festive cocktail recipes to get you started:

Ready to experiment? Here are three high-quality yet simple festive cocktail recipes to get you started.

• Offering premium cocktails can give your bar an edge of quality and attract customers who are willing to pay more for a memorable experience.
• A premium cocktail is a cocktail that uses high-quality ingredients, unique flavor combinations, and is presented in an aesthetically pleasing yet simple way. Minimalist presentation can give cocktails a modern, elegant and high-end look.
• When creating premium cocktails, choose high-quality spirits and ingredients.
• Use flavors and ingredients that are associated with the holiday season such as ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, orange, cranberry and chocolate.
• The right glassware can enhance the perceived quality of a cocktail by making it look more appealing, enhancing the aroma, maintaining the temperature, and improving the taste. It can also add to the theater of the serve.