10 Ways to Impress Your Clients with Innovative Drinks
For years, cocktails have been a great way to make a favorable impression. These delicious drinks come available in a rainbow of colors and flavors, each as unique and refreshing as the last. As a private chef, you should have a couple of cocktail recipes in your repertoire, ready to whip up at a moment’s notice to impress your clients with innovative drinks.
But as you probably already know, making cocktails isn’t as simple as muddling some limes and adding a shot of vodka. There are professionals who spend years focusing purely on perfecting the practice of this drinks-based art form.
However, anyone can learn, and if you have experience in the culinary arts, you’ll pick it up like a pro. If you’re looking for some simple but highly effective ways to impress your next clients with a round of cocktails that really stand out, here are ten innovative tips.
Use Premium Alcohol
As always, you want your clients to feel like royalty. And when it comes to impressive drinks and cocktails, premium liquor is a great place to start.
Chances are, there will be some experienced drinkers amongst them. This means they might be looking out for certain brands or practices that they prefer. Using premium alcohol will show that you care about the quality of their experience, and set a positive tone for the duration of the meal.
Use Quality Ice
If the drinks you are mixing involve ice, don’t go for the regular stuff. Use purified and distilled water to create smooth, completely translucent cubes, and get creative with the shapes you freeze it into. These days, you can find ice cube trays for anything, including spheres, diamonds, and more.
Research Drink Histories Beforehand
Many people like to ask questions about the food and drink they consume to better appreciate their dining experience. You should be ready to answer those questions with charm and grace. If you know what you’re going to be serving, find out some background info that you can share.
Even if your clients are a quiet bunch themselves, it’s still a good idea to do research beforehand so you can provide context for the drinks you serve as you serve them. You could provide interesting facts about the ingredients, the distillation process, or even an amusing anecdote about its history.
Use Liquid Nitrogen
When you mix liquid nitrogen into a drink, it immediately freezes and then bubbles away to create an irresistible frozen treat. And the romantic, smoke-like vapors it produces are bound to excite your clients beyond belief. If it’s within the budget to add liquid nitrogen to your drinks, you should go for it. Just be sure to warn your guests that the special effects need to die down before they take a sip.
Chill Your Glasses Beforehand
It’s a small detail like this that can turn a drink from average to extraordinary. Perfectly frosty, chilled glasses will not only keep your clients’ drinks nice and cool, but they will also add an extra appearance of freshness that adds to the visual appeal of the drink.
Incorporate Fresh, Seasonal Fruit Infusions
Fresh, beautiful, and seasonal ingredients never fail to impress. Not only does it often mean that the quality of the ingredients themselves will be higher, but they will also likely be more sustainable.
To most people, these are extremely favorable aspects of food and drink that they will naturally be impressed by. Take care to insert true, interesting information about the quality and freshness of ingredients, and, of course, let them shine by preparing them in beautiful and alluring ways.
Incorporate Hints Of Science
Combining science with food can create truly magical and memorable experiences—both visually and in terms of flavor and aroma. Gastronomy may be a complex art form but there are ways to emulate it that don’t require a master’s degree in chemistry or years of experience behind an avant-garde bar. Such as:
- Using butterfly pea tea and lemon to turn a drink from blue to purple
- Experimenting with animated shooters
- Trying out liquid nitrogen
These are just a few of the dozens of ways you can play around with drink gastronomy. Plus, create an experience that clients won’t be able to help but fall in love with.
Spend A Bit Of Extra Time On Your Garnishes
You already know the phrase, “you eat with your eyes”, but this famous line applies to drinks too. A great garnish will make your clients feel as though they are sipping on something truly unique and special. This adds to the quality of their experience with you as their chef.
Sample Your Drink Ideas In Advance
Getting the flavor balance of your drinks is extremely important. As a chef, you may be more inclined to focus on the complexities of the food, but don’t forget that drinks need just as much attention.
Practice making your drinks beforehand to double-check that they will come out exactly as you intend for them to. This will also ensure you allocate enough time to produce the drinks within the realistic time frame you have set for once food prep is complete.
Invest In High Quality Mixology Tools
People love a good show. Investing in quality mixology tools such as a muddler or shaker tins will not only create some additional drama to your drink-making process, but it will also make the drinks prep easier to execute. You could even incorporate your own soda maker to create bespoke mixers that you blend with ice and alcohol. You can create a truly artisanal drink.
Let clients in on the experience by allowing them to watch the process unfold.
Create A Lasting Impression With Cocktails
Cocktails make a delicious addition to any meal. A glass of wine is appropriate for most occasions, but cocktails bring a certain extravagance and sparkle to the dining experience. Mixologists and chefs already have loads of overlapping skills. Which should make the process of learning how to craft unforgettable cocktails a breeze and impress your clients with innovative drinks.
With these ten tips, you can whip up a range of exciting, captivating cocktails for your clients. These will delight and impress them at the same time.
