Cocktail Trends For 2017
We’re pretty sure Shanghai will get a few more Speakeasy-style bars this year, it’s also a safe bet we’ll see some new secret-entrance bars with candlestick door levers and the like. But cocktail experts are predicting some truly interesting trends for this year, and since Shanghai has such a growing bar scene it’s very likely we’ll see some of these as well.
1. NEXT GENERATION MENUS
Photo source: Talesofthecocktail.com. Paris bar Baton Rouge’s tarot card cocktail menu
Places like Tour have already gotten in on the act with this trend via their edible menus. Expect cocktail bars in 2017 to spend a little more effort on intriguing menu presentations that engage customers and create a buzz.
2. CAREERISTS
Photo source: asia-bars.com
Long gone are the days where being a bartender was a slouchy summer job. The occupation is taken more seriously than ever, with technical know-how and ingredient knowledge approaching the level that most professional chefs have of food. This level of bartending expertise has become as important as the venues themselves. 2017 may finally burst the lid off of how we collectively think of bartenders.
3. PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES
Photo source: citoyenne.co.uk
With increased expertise comes increased competition and, as any business expert will tell you, this is the birth place of innovation. As mixologists and trendy cocktail lounges look for ways to stand out among so many excellent options, they will undoubtedly begin pushing the boundaries of how drinks are made and presented.
4. THE CUSTOMER ISN'T ALWAYS RIGHT
Photo source: asia-bars.com
The era of the customer always being right has been waning for quite some time now. 2017 may finally bury it once and for all. With specialized ingredients, menus, techniques and craftsmanship comes a new level of cocktail knowledge by barmen. If a customer thinks a drink is ‘too sweet’ or anything along those lines, don’t expect sympathy from an expert who spent years training, years constructing a menu, and 20 minutes making your drink.
5. FLUID IDENTITY
Shanghai’s Cobra Lily has a perfect mix of masculine and feminine elements that make it visually appealing and comfortable to a wide range of customers
The world is more diverse than ever and Shanghai is absolutely no exception. With so many different ethnicities, interests, gender and sexual identities, the concept of a bar being ‘manly’ or ‘girly’ seems to be a thing of the past. From the menu, to presentation to design, cocktails and venues in 2017 will be more fluid in their identities than ever.
6. MICRO-FRIENDS
Photo source: Dailyspoonfeed.com. Ted Danson’s character Sam Malone was a fan favorite on the TV show Cheers.
As bars looks for ways to differentiate themselves, there’s nothing better than the good old-fashioned chat with the bar tender. The last several years, bars have focused so much on drinks that the experience often resembled watching a moody, leather apron surgeon operate on a dead body. Many bars are guilty of forgetting a wonderful aspect of the bar experience: the connection you make with a friendly bar tender over a drink or two. In 2017, this tried and tested trend may finally return.
7. BIG BRANDS PLAYING CRAFT CATCH-UP
Photo source: boatinternational.com. A ‘Spicy Americano’ made with Campari, prosecco and Jägermeister
The popularity of craft/specialty cocktails over the past few years has sent big alcohol brands spinning as they try to get in on the act. Brands like Jägermeister have spent tons of resources trying to develop cocktail ideas that will offer their product to this new craft-crazy clientele.
8. TEQUILA AND RUM ON THE RISE
Photo source: foodnetwork.com. A ‘Dark and Stormy’ made with seltzer, lime and dark rum
Rum has spent the past few years in a rutt. Everyone knows the best cocktails have whiskey, vodka, or gin. Many alcohol industry insiders think 2017 will be the year where rum explodes back onto the scene. There’s a similar sentiment for tequila, although it has steadily gained popularity over the last decade, there’s a sense this might be the year it finally breaks out from being a beach party choice to get a permanent seat at the bar.