December 2007

Hi Spirits Brands

DEcember 2007

Hi-Spirits: SAMBUCA GETS NEW LEASE OF LIFE IN HI-SPIRITS’ COCKTAIL CONCEPT

UPFRONT, One to Watch, Decemeber 2007, COMMENTS

The prospect of broadening your drinks offer with a cocktail menu can be rather daunting. Many bar and club operators will toy with the idea, perhaps try a few out, but ultimately struggle with implementation and training. In the end, reverting to the classic spirit/mixer formula is a secure way of being able to sit back and watch the profits accumulate. But what if it was possible to marry these two ideas together; to combine the simple serve with a cocktail taste for greater profit?

That is exactly what Sambuca supplier Hi-Spirits is claiming to do with its new Antica Longshot range of cocktails. Sambuca is traditionally consumed as a shot, for that short-lived alcohol boost, but Sambuca is set to enter new realms of possibility. Hi-Spirits has been experimenting with Sambuca as a long shot. And MD Jeremy Hill says their new Antica range is set to bridge the gap between cocktail and spirit/mixer, potentially having great effect upon the way operators approach Sambuca and cocktails.

Jeremy got involved with the Sebor Absinth brand in 1999 and by 2002 he had acquired a major equity stake in the brand. It was at that point that they decided to diversify through building a spirits portfolio, in the name of Hi-Spirits. When NIGHT asked him how the late night industry’s attitude towards cocktails had changed over the years he replied: “I think that it is only just changing. The nature of the business and the operational environment means operators have been reluctant to complicate the bar offering.

“However, driven by consumer demand for broader choice and the operator’s desire for increased margins, the drinks offer is only going to get more sophisticated. So I predict that we will see an emphasis on cocktails and long drinks, after all the cash margin and gross profit opportunities are huge and it’s responsible retailing to boot.”

Inspired by a licensee who combined Raspberry Sambuca and lemonade, and the desire to retail Sambuca responsibly, Hi-Spirits were one of the first companies to link the spirit with the idea of cocktails. Jeremy explained: “We don’t want people drinking more Sambuca; we want more Sambuca-drinking people.” To this end Hi-Spirits created a range of long drinks called Antica Longshots, which are simply a shot of Antica combined with a mixer. So for example if you take a shot of Antica Orange & Mango Sambuca and add pineapple juice, you get ‘Tropical Cooler’.

Like the flavoured vodka cocktails served throughout the Revolution chain of bars, these Sambuca cocktails have the potential to become widespread across the UK, in fact Jeremy hopes for “world domination”. He says: “The drinks business is as much about people as it is about product, and customer satisfaction is absolutely paramount for a successful venue whether it be a pub, bar or nightclub.” With this in mind, Hi-Spirits has formed another venture. The company has partnered with Jamie Stephenson, one of the most acclaimed bartenders in the UK, in a bar training school The Bar Academy. Jeremy explained: “One of our key aims is to bring operationally viable cocktail solutions to venues that have traditionally steered away through complexity issues. We do this through consultation, training and implementation until the operator is absolutely comfortable with his drinks offering.” This training has already been trialled throughout the Oceana nightclub brand of Luminar Leisure to great success.

It seems to be an all round winning formula. Typically cocktails and long drinks offer you the best bar margin and gross profit. The more ingredients you put in, the more you charge, and the more margin you make. Ultimately you can produce what is essentially a spirit and mixer, and advertise it as a cocktail at cocktail prices. But probably the most exciting aspect of Antica Longshots is the potential it has to transform the way consumers view Sambuca. If the cocktail idea were to take off, sales of Sambuca could be set to soar.

From: December 2007 Issue

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