With London Cocktail Week in full swing, research from CGA Strategy has revealed the huge importance of the capital to the wider cocktail market, with nearly 1 in 4 cocktails sold in Britain now being purchased in London.
The week-long event, which attracts over 20,000 people, is a celebration of the cocktail culture for which London is internationally renowned. A heartland for innovation and a platform for new trends, 24% of all cocktail volume sold is in London, with the Midlands the next most important region at 18%.
CGA’s research has highlighted the growing stature of vermouth in cocktails in the top bars within the city. The ‘London Influencers’ report from CGA Strategy and BarChick, which aims to uncover the key trends coming out of London’s most influential outlets, has profiled the most popular cocktails, with Martini ranking as the most widespread cocktail type. Vermouth, a key ingredient in the classic cocktail, features in 15% of all cocktails listed in these high-profile outlets, a figure equal with vodka as the joint 3rd most featured spirit in cocktails, after liqueurs and gin.
Further findings from the report reveal:
· The top 10 most popular cocktail types make up just 16% of all cocktails in the top 100 influential outlets in London
· Liqueurs feature in 42% of cocktails in top London outlets, with Maraschino, St. Germain, Cointreau and Campari the most widely represented
· After the Martini, the most popular cocktail types listed are Sours, Spritz, Negronis and Old Fashioned.
Commenting on the findings, Rachel Perryman, Client Services Director at CGA Strategy, said “vermouth is experiencing a boom in popularity in high end London outlets right now, partly thanks to a revival of classic, simple cocktails such as Martinis. We’ve seen in the past that what happens in these outlets is likely to proliferate, not just to the rest of the country, but also across the globe.”
The full ‘London Influencers’ report is available now. For more information, please call CGA Strategy on 0161 476 8330 or visit www.cgastrategy.co.uk.
