Given that many restaurants made it into the latter rounds of VinePair’s Martini Madness tournament, we’re left wondering if restaurant bar programs can indeed stick to the same standards as those of bonafide cocktail bars. Price-wise, they stand neck and neck, but restaurant cocktail menus have a tendency to skew toward simple classics.
Could it be a matter of making sure customers feel comfortable in their dining-out drink choices, while the bread and butter of cocktail bars lies in experimentation? On the other hand, perhaps a menu built around classics is a way to ensure speedy service in the midst of an onslaught of food orders.
On this episode of the “VinePair Podcast,” Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss VinePair’s recent Martini Madness tournament, the methodology behind it, and how it all came to fruition. Then, they explore why it feels like cocktail bars and restaurants are focusing on different kinds of cocktails: What’s driving that divide, and should restaurants be trying to keep up? Tune in for more.
Joanna is reading: What We Miss When We Write Off Warm Sake
Adam is reading: No Sparklers, Please: Has Bottle Service Fizzled Out?
Zach is reading: VinePair’s Martini Madness