Cordials created the colorful cocktail craze
long before flavored vodkas and rums came along.
hen you think cordials and liqueurs, you’re likely think of winter warmers sipped slowly from snifters and pony glasses around the holidays. Cordials don’t seem to get much respect at other times of the year, if they’re considered at all.
But any season can be a cordial opportunity. The flavored cocktail craze that is now fueling sales of flavored vodkas and rums was created by cordials. Innovative bartenders have used the extensive variety of flavors cordials offer to come up with clever and very palatable cocktail combinations. For a generation raised on flavored beverages of all sorts, cordial-based cocktails offer ever-changing taste experiences, and they’re easy to drink.
Customers may come in for the latest coconut rum or raspberry vodka, but what they’re really looking for are products and ideas for creating interesting, tasty drinks. The key to selling cordials is educating customers on what they taste like and how they’re used.
Fortunately, most suppliers have focused on the mixability of their brands in recent years. They have lots of recipes and materials to help show consumers what to do with their products. Still, it’s sometimes up to retailers to let customers know about the various cordial possibilities.
Even the return of classic cocktails has sparked interest in cordials that have been taken for granted. Kahl
