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BEHIND THE BAR: COFFEE
Coffee and cocktails create a perfect pair. BY ASHLEY BRAY
10
Bar Business Magazine
April/May 2020
C
offee is having a moment. According to the 2020 National Coffee Data Trends report from the National Coffee Association, 62% of Americans drink coffee daily. It’s no surprise that it’s made the jump into cocktail culture. “Bartenders love to take what’s popular and put their own twist on the beverages they create,” said Brian Loukmas, VP of Innovation for Monin. “As a result, it is only natural for different coffee products (syrups, coffee ice cubes, espresso-infused vermouths) to pop up in cocktails.” Also driving the fusion of cocktails and
coffee is the ready-to-drink (RTD) market. “RTD coffee has experienced double-digit growth over the past five years, and the variety of RTD coffees have grown by 37% since January 2019,” said Mary Chapman, marketing director for Geloso Beverage Group, which produces popular canned cocktail line Clubtails and Mad Bean Hard Iced Coffee. Ami-Lynn Bakshi, Co-Founder & COO Cafe Agave, agrees, “Nonalcoholic coffee RTD sales alone are over $3.1B in sales. Coffee is the largest beverage category next to water. It was only a matter of time before it had it’s debut in the bar industry.” Another factor in the growth of barbizmag.com
Photo: Cafe Agave Spiked Cold Brew.
COFFEE
