Key takeaways
- A batch cocktail dispenser is ideal for drinks that benefit from consistency in temperature and portion control, such as Negronis, Old Fashioneds, and espresso martinis.
- Systems with portion control help you to minimise overpouring and product waste, while ensuring each serving is the same as the last.
- A batch cocktail dispenser can significantly increase your hourly serving capacity, which can boost your profit when serving high-margin cocktails.
For bars, restaurants, and other hospitality businesses, a batch cocktail dispenser can open up significant opportunities. While the primary benefit is the ability to serve high-margin drinks quickly and efficiently, the versatility of drinks you can serve with a batch cocktail dispenser is just as important.
But which drinks are most suitable for a batch cocktail dispenser? Determining your drinks menu before servicing events or launching a new location can be vital for maximising your efficiency.
To learn more about batch cocktail dispensers and the best drinks to use them for, I spoke to Jennifer Yim. She is a cocktail consultant and the co-founder of Spirit & Seoul, a cocktail pop-up. Read on for her insight.
Which drinks are best to serve with a batch cocktail dispenser?
A key benefit of a batch cocktail dispenser is that you can serve a vast range of cocktails from the same system. In particular, cocktails that need to be consistent across servings are most suited to this equipment.
“For me, I’d use it for anything where consistency in temperature really elevates the drink,” she tells me. “In particular, cocktails that benefit from being cold shine on tap.”
In this regard, your batch cocktail dispenser is suitable for anything from fruity cocktails to liqueurs as a cocktail base. “I think Moscow Mules, espresso martinis, and other texture-driven drinks are especially good,” Jennifer recommends.
Ultimately, the choice of drinks to serve depends on your menu. With systems like Flo-Smart, you can serve a range of chilled, non-carbonated drinks, including a wide range of cocktails. It’s especially suitable for cocktails like Negronis, Old Fashioneds, and daiquiris.
Above all, the cocktails you choose to dispense should be pre-prepared and ready to pour. “The goal is preserving flavour, texture, and temperature without sacrificing quality,” she adds. Therefore, systems with in-line chilling are especially ideal, meaning you can prepare cocktails in advance and quickly serve them chilled throughout the day.
How important is a batch cocktail dispenser for bars and restaurants?
Investing in a batch cocktail dispenser does more than just expand your drinks menu. It also helps you optimise your service time, preserve profit margins, and cut down on manual labour.
“A batch cocktail dispenser absolutely saves time when used correctly,” Jennifer tells me. “Batching significantly reduces the work per cocktail. During service, it’s faster, more consistent, and frees the bartender up to actually engage with guests. You’re not cutting corners, you’re tightening execution.”
Flo-Smart is able to dispense a pre-prepared cocktail in six seconds, which represents a significant time saving. On average, an individual cocktail can take anywhere from 15 seconds to five minutes to prepare. This represents a potential bottleneck – if you can only serve a maximum of 100 cocktails an hour, for instance, with an average serving time of 36 seconds, your potential profit margin can be capped.
With Flo-Smart, though, you can serve up to 600 cocktails an hour with much less labour required, which vastly opens up your potential profits.
Jennifer believes that the consistency offered by a batch cocktail dispenser is just as important. Because these systems dispense based on pre-programmed serving sizes, each pour is identical to the last. In the hospitality industry, where repeatability and consistency are so important, it takes human error out of the equation.
“Consistency is king,” she tells me. “I want precise portioning, temperature stability, and a system that’s easy to clean and maintain. Automation and speed matter, but only if they don’t sacrifice quality.”
Systems like the Flo-Smart address these factors with programmable serving profiles built into the equipment. That way, you can quickly adjust between the cocktails you’re serving and the volumes for each drink. With Flo-Smart’s one-touch dispensing, it also removes the risk of human error or overpouring. In turn, you save money on wasted product while also increasing the amount of high-margin cocktails you can sell in a day.
Ultimately, a batch cocktail dispenser can be an investment that optimises your efficiency while also significantly increasing your potential profits. Importantly, it does so without losing the human element of cocktail service, since they still need to be skillfully prepared in batches before they can be served.
This is something that Jennifer believes is very important. “The best dispenser should feel like an extension of a well-trained bartender, not a shortcut trying to replace one,” she concludes.
If you’re interested in using a Flo-Smart system as a batch cocktail dispenser, visit our website or get in touch with us directly.
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