Halloween isn’t just for trick and treating, it’s also a good excuse for the adults to get dressed up and enjoy a fun night out in their favourite venues.
It's a particularly great opportunity for bars and clubs to boost their profits in the period between the end of summer and Christmas, attracting a fun loving crowd who are drawn to themed décor and drinks.
In this article, we look at a few ways that operators can maximise on the Halloween opportunity and wring the value out of this increasingly popular night out.
The Big Night Out
Now that lockdown restrictions have been lifted, we’re seeing the return of large gatherings. But whether it’s a party of 2 or 10, Halloween is likely to be a big night out for customers, excited to be back out in trade.
A great way to keep the drinks flowing all night is with quick and easy Halloween serves, such as shots, cocktails pitchers or ready-to-drink cocktails. Funkin’s range of pre-mixed cocktail mixers are great for cutting down making times and their Zombie Cocktail Mixer is perfectly suited for a busy Halloween night. Just add rum and shake with ice – sorted!
Lockdown Liquor & Co have a range of tasty ready-to-drink cocktails, such as the Torino, a twist on the classic Negroni cocktail. Add a Halloween twist with some spooky garnishes – great for Instagram snaps! By cutting down the make time, you can make sure the drinks keep flowing all night.
Social Media
72% of Halloween customers increase their awareness of on-trade brands through social media. With 18 – 34-year-olds being the age group most likely to be out and spend the most on Halloween, social media is where they see much of their information, so it makes sense for venues to activate their social accounts and target their audience in this way.
Venues can reach a wider audience by using relevant popular hashtags and tagging drinks brands, and engage with customers by encouraging them to share their night out snaps at your venue and tag you in posts, which could be as part of a competition, or just for fun.
Cocktails, Spirits and Liqueurs
Halloween is the third most popular time of year for cocktails which gives bartenders the chance to get creative with unique serves and twists on popular classics. Rum, vodka, and tequila seem to be the most popular around this time and sales of these serves can almost double on Halloween night!
Flavoured spirits are growing rapidly and accounted for 95% of new product volume in the on-trade in 2020! Malibu’s Watermelon was designed to meet the needs of a fun-loving and adventurous target market who are keen to try new products. 89% of Gen-Z respondents interviewed by Malibu said they really like the concept. The flavour selection was supported by the fact that the hashtag #watermelon is currently one of the top trending hashtags on Instagram.
You could take the flavoured spirits trend up a notch by adding in some limited-edition bottles from well-known drinks brands, like Dead Man’s Fingers whose Spiced Rum has a terrifyingly good design for their 2021 Halloween bottle!
Bacardi have also released limited edition glow in the dark bottles of their Blanca and Spiced rum, which are certain to be eye-catching on any bar!
Looking for some inspiration? Check out our series of #SpooktacularServes on our socials for some scarily good Halloween-themed cocktails!
Featured Products:
Funkin Zombie
Lockdown Liquor & Co Torino
Malibu Watermelon
Dead Man's Fingers Spiced Rum
Bacardi Spiced
About the author
Mary McCarron
Mary looks after the majority of Matthew Clark's digital marketing comms. After a couple of years working in tech, she found her way back to the hospitality industry and can now be found talking all things cocktails, spirits, beer, softs and more across our website, social media, and other digital channels.
