Hamish Smith comes with the data that provides the narrative behind the bestselling mixers at the UK's Best Bars.
When Fever-Tree launched, it created a market that didn’t previously exist. Premium tonic suddenly meant natural ingredients and provenance, not just classic branding. At a time when gin was rousing from its own slumber, Fever-Tree made people think not only of the G but the T. It quickly became the tonic and fanned out into a range of mixers.
Fever-Tree still enjoys a strong position in the top bars in the UK, but it has transitioned from the hunter to the hunted. 25% of our sample of the UK’s best bars said their first choice was Fever-Tree, while 54% said the brand range was among their three top mixer choices. The competition – the new and the old – has, of course, nibbled back market share in recent years. But before we get into that battle, we have something of a special case in second place. Coca-Cola was found to be the most-used mixer in 14% of cases, but plays a big role in most bars. Two-thirds said it was among their top-three mixers and it’s fair to say that if you don’t stock it, that’s likely on you, not the customer.
Its stablemate Schweppes is the real story of this year’s Class Report. In a little more than a year, it has established an enviable advocacy team of ex-bartenders and – according to our data – has more than doubled its footprint among our polled bars. Through support on training and drinks development, allied to financial incentives, Schweppes is very much back in business. The brand accounts for 22% of house pours in our sample, while it’s a top-three mixer in 41%, mainly thanks to its tonic and soda.
Some of those gains are at the expense of Fever-Tree. And, while the redirected resource from Schweppes has had a large say in ground won, it turns out that the brand’s high carbonation is a big part of the selling point, with bartenders attesting to the appeal in long drinks. With new editions Pink Grapefruit and Tropical Soda, Schweppes is plugging gaps, particularly around rum and tequila.
Driving most of Franklin & Sons’ house pour accounts (16% of our sample) is its tonic water, but the brand has had great success with its line of flavours. Pink Grapefruit – often the choice with a Paloma – and other fashionable flavours such as Guava & Lime and Pineapple & Almond have all contributed to almost a third of our sample saying Franklin & Sons is on their podium of mixers.
London Essence is another craft mixer fighting hard for listings across premium on-trade accounts. The Britvic-owned brand was found to be the house mixer in 12% of the UK’s best bars, while it featured as a top-three choice in just over a quarter. With premium packaging, the 2016-launched brand has fast become a serious player, initially providing a more premium point of difference to Fever-Tree, but now facing added competition with the rejuvenated Schweppes and trade-invested Franklin & Sons also competing for supremacy.
Three Cents, seventh in our list, is often the bartender favourite, having not compromised its production methods – or sugar content. It struggles to compete for the house pour, but it was found to be on the roster in a quarter of bars we spoke to. It was no surprise to see it named Bartenders’ Favourite once again.
From here the data thins, but we estimate that Double Dutch, Fentimans, San Pellegrino and Two Keys each have 1-2% of this end of the market.