’Sho(r)t nights’

We discussed the role of spirits in catering and the Hungarian culture of cocktail consumption with Zsolt Tokaji, on-trade manager of Bacardi-Martini Hungary Kft.

• We see few alcoholic beverage advertisements these days – what is the reason for this? – Advertising budgets were cut in this sector as well. We still consider bar and restaurant owners to be our shop windows, but now we contact them directly. We educate bartenders and organise competitions for them. We are also present on Facebook and created the kuldjegykoktelt.hu website.

• Why are end-users in HoReCa so important? – Brand building is most effective in catering because young consumers, who are open to new things and can still be made loyal to brands, can be reached there.

• Which trends have been the most influential on the domestic market recently? – Economic recession brought a setback in all categories, even local brands suffered. Pálinka is an exception, which managed to grow in this difficult period. It has become fashionable among young people to drink premium pálinka in trendy bars.

• Why do not young people drink shot cocktails? – They are not really known – it is rather characteristic of the situation that demand grew for Cosmopolitan cocktail when the series Sex and the City was aired on Hungarian television. Bacardi-Martini Kft. stresses the importance of cooperation with bartenders, but we focus on classic Bacardi-based cocktails such as Mojito, Daiquiri or Pina Colada.

• What do you expect from the near future? – Certain cocktail trends will probably never reach the mainstream in Hungary. The world of cocktails cannot easily be made more colourful because very few bar owners are willing to pay for the services of a professional barman. I think the spirits market is an innovative one and catering is a good place for experimenting.