The Paramour Restaurant features a make-your-own Bloody Mary Bar.
DIY Bartending
Build-your-own-cocktail promotions bring the back bar to guests.
By Kelly A. Magyarics
by giving guests the chance to dabble in bartending through promotions including build-your-own Bloody Mary bars and create-your-own-cocktail stations. Operators who feature DIY mixology were more than happy to speculate on its appeal for their patrons, describe how guests use the available ingredients to craft drinks diff erently, explain how alcohol regulations factor into this type of promotion and off er logistical tips for setting up a successful build-your-own beverage bar. "Bringing cocktails to the people," is how Erik Holzherr
H
ome bars are all the rage, as cocktail lovers attempt to recreate at home the well-crafted drinks they sip at bars and restaurants. Venues are capitalizing on this trend
describes his "Choose Your Own Adventure" drinks program at FruitBat. Th e owner of the 40-seat cozy bar with a South American coff ee shop vibe in Washington, D.C. (who also operates nearby Wisdom and Church & State) especially encourages experimentation during slower times early in the week.
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importance of fresh ingredients." Bartenders fi ll a glass with a preferred base spirit—gin, vodka, rum or whiskey—as well as an herbal, bitter or fruity modifi er, like Aperol, Crème de Cassis or St. Germaine. Guests then have their pick of mixers, spices, garnishes and sweeteners at a station similar to that found at a coff ee shop. Each customized creation costs $8; drinks upgraded to a premium base spirit cost $10. "Th e concept empowers the customer and gives them real options and a real knowledge of drinks, rather than just following the proven formula of what sells well in every other bar," explains Holzherr. Holzherr notes that logistics and legal considerations are also
"We keep the formula simple, and show the power and
present with rolling out this type of drinks concept. Depending on the jurisdiction, the guest may not be permitted to physically add any ingredient containing alcohol, so a well-trained staff that can pour accurately and consistently is a must. "A simple cocktail formula can yield hundreds of variations, but correct
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