Thu 14th Jul 2016 - CGA – global cocktail consumption highlights opportunity for British bars and suppliers CGA – global cocktail consumption highlights opportunity for British bars and suppliers: The US has a higher cocktail consumption rate and more ingrained cocktail culture than Britain or France, presenting a great opportunity for British bars and suppliers to learn from their cross-Atlantic counterparts, according to new research from CGA Strategy, which has retailer specialist CGA Peach as a division. The International Cocktail Report revealed cocktails in Britain have moved beyond small demographics and high-end venues, with nearly four in five (78%) British bars now selling them. But the American market remains more developed, with US drinkers choosing from an average repertoire of 6.7 regular “go to” cocktails, compared with 5.3 in Britain and 5.6 in France. However, British cocktail drinkers buy an average of 3.1 cocktails per visit, nearly as many as their US counterparts (3.2), and substantially more than French drinkers (1.9). The report also identified trends in mixed drinks that operators could learn from – such as the surging popularity of spirits such as tequila, mescal and pisco. There are huge opportunities in the British mixed drinks market, the report concluded, especially if bars and suppliers can persuade people to enjoy cocktails across the day, as they do in the US and France. Currently, only 5% of British cocktail drinkers consume them before 2pm, while almost half (44%) of US drinkers who eat out at brunch do so with a cocktail. CGA client services director Rachel Perryman said: “In Britain the cocktail heartland is still a high-tempo, drink-focused night, but in the US there are far fewer pre-conceived barriers around ‘the right occasion’ for cocktails. An opportunity exists to make like our American and French counterparts and broaden our cocktail consumption across the occasions and dayparts.” The International Cocktail Report is based on interviews with 5,300 out-of-home cocktail drinkers in Britain, France and the US.