How restaurants can win with cocktails

Matching cocktails to dishes follows a similar approach to that used to match other drinks and food, says Shogun Sakes co-founder Pete Troiano.

“Our process always starts with a bit of menu exploration. We begin by breaking the dishes down into their core personalities, whether they are fiery and spicy, light and herbaceous, or rich and comforting.

“From there, we create a cocktail that offers both complementary and contrasting flavours. We love playing with the drink’s structure and length to perfectly balance the intensity of the food.”

Pete says spicy dishes need a drink that can stand up to the heat and flavour. For example, the Penicillin Highball, which includes Japanese whisky, ginger, citrus and orange blossom, as well as sake, is suggested as a match to XI Home’s Dandan noodles or spicy pork wontons.

“For lighter, more delicate dishes, we lean toward taller, spritz-based serves like our Cucumber Sake Spritz,” he adds.

“Seafood or delicate fish dishes thrive alongside a longer drink that has enough backbone and subtle sweetness to lift the food's natural flavours. If you were to serve a short, concentrated drink here, it would completely overwhelm the palate.”

Wenjun says there’s been a ‘fantastic response’ from diners at XI Home, with cocktail orders significantly increasing since the new serves were introduced on May 1.

However, while these lower ABV cocktails are great matches to XI Home’s dishes, traditional cocktails containing more potent spirits and stronger flavours may not work so well.

Pairing can also be problematic from a service perspective, says Anthony at etch.

“Communication between bar, server and kitchen is extremely important, otherwise it can extend the period between courses should they not receive the drink in time. For this reason I think a cocktail pairing list should be separate from the main drinks list and be completely batched.”

Keeping the cocktail list short and focused

Cocktail pairings aren’t offered at etch. Instead, Anthony prefers to keep a short cocktail menu that he updates every two months to keep things fresh. Most ingredients are made in-house, including syrups, acid juices, foams and even a coffee liqueur, allowing him to tweak flavours to suit.   

“The experimental phase of developing a menu is easily my favourite as you get to find out what works with what. Trying new things for every menu keeps things interesting and allows for constant improvement,” he says.

Dessert cocktails and the end-of-meal opportunity

As far as trends are concerned, Anthony is seeing more diners choosing cocktails with, or as desserts. Nostalgic, familiar flavours with a creative twist are also popular with diners.

“Currently on our dessert cocktail list we have a Pornstar/Solero ice cream hybrid which uses Passoã, Chamarel vanilla rum, acid camomile, green strawberry bitters and milk punch, which is topped with a mango vanilla cream. I find that when we do a twist on an existing product it gives our guests a sense of familiarity, making them more likely to try it.”

If you’re looking for an easy win with cocktails, developing a few that would work well at the end of a meal – those that are sweet and decadent – would be a savvy move.

According to Bacardi's 2026 Cocktail Trends Report for 2026, a growing number – 48 per cent – of Gen Z diners prefer an Espresso Martini over an espresso at the end of a meal.

Making cocktails easier to sell

But if you don’t have time or resources to experiment, how do you maximise opportunities with cocktails in your restaurant?

“From a commercial perspective, making cocktails stand out is often less about gimmicks and more about visibility, confidence and simplicity,” says Raissa de Haas, co-founder of premium mixer and tonic brand Double Dutch.

Raissa, whose drinks are listed with restaurants such as Soho House, Hakkasan, Chotto Matte, Cecconis, Dishoom and Gaucho, recommends investing in quality ingredients and training waiting staff to talk genuinely and confidently about what’s in the cocktail, why its flavour profile is interesting and what it may pair with on the menu.

Focusing on presentation is also key.  

“Glassware, garnish and overall serve style act as silent marketing because every cocktail that leaves the bar is seen by the rest of the room. There’s a real ‘I want what she’s having’ effect when drinks look distinctive and premium,” she says.

Changing menus frequently – as Anthony does at etch – is another way to retain interest.

But if resources are low or you’re in any doubt, just keep it simple.

“A concise, well-executed cocktail list tends to outperform an overly long menu. Guests are more likely to order confidently when choices feel curated rather than overwhelming.”

(Written by Emma Eversham)