Curating a sophisticated and well-rounded whisky selection is a big part of cultivating an enriching experience for your guests. There’s nothing worse than going to a great place, but being let down by what’s on the back bar. Or to just see the same old brands. Again.
From the passionate whisky enthusiast to the casual drinker, a bar’s whisky collection should be inclusive and versatile, offering options for all.
In this mini-guide come inspiration spark to trigger your own journey – we begin with the impossible (that neither money nor space is a constraint). Join us and suspend your disbelief for a quick minute.
The reason is simple. From there, we can explore what an idealised whisky collection might look like and then work back to pragmatic solutions for real world scenarios.
The aim? To help build better selections in bars that appeal to more people, sells better and showcases more diversity through ranging ideas and ways of grouping selections.
Building on the simple trio true to all whisky selections – region, age and price.
If you’re stuck as to where to start, or you are trying to see where your whisky selection might be lacking options, plot what you have against three easy to measure metrics – age, price point and where they are made (region).
If you want an inclusive range, look to have all areas covered first. Then add depth in each section if space and budget allows…
Regional representations
Scotch. While you may find it more successful to present them by their flavour than the distillery’s location, Scotch whisky has distinct regions Highlands, Lowlands, Speyside, Islay, and Campbeltown, encompassing a range from smoky to floral notes. Does your range reflect this and have you got both Single Malts and Blends?
Bourbon & Rye. From classic Kentucky Bourbon to Tennessee whiskies, incorporate the richness and diversity of American whiskies.
International (new world). Include new world whiskies from regions like Japan, Ireland, Canada, and emerging markets like England, India, Australia or Taiwan. The diversity of flavours and processes they cover is vast. By including some of these, your selection will quickly reflect a vivid display of the full spectrum of what whisky can be.
Age variations
Young Whiskies. Age doesn’t mean quality, and younger whiskies can be ideal to showcase the category’s vibrancy and bright notes. Many are well suited to cocktails too.
Aged Whiskies. Incorporating older whiskies can bring depth and complexity to a selection. This is especially true for those wrapped in narrative and bring a sense of heritage, allowing you to offer a different type of proposition to guests.
Price escalators
Entry-Level. Whisky should be for everyone and many of these affordable bottlings cater to a broader audience and encourage exploration. If you want to build rate of sale, get some quality bottles at accessible prices.
Mid-Range. Offering a perfect balance of price and quality, enticing enthusiasts to explore further. Good for venues with the ability to up-sell.
Premium. Catering to connoisseurs, having a couple premium offerings can pay dividends. They deliver on a discerning drinker’s expectations, and they bring in good GP per dram.
Through this structured approach you can create a hard working whisky selection.
Picking regional representations gets you to around a dozen bottlings. Diversifying them by age variations will mean they are versatile and well chosen. It might also add a couple more to the shelf. The price escalator will naturally have happened by this point. However, going over it again will force you to add a commercial edge to the offering.
These are all objective metrics and it’s easy to be rational about what you have. Now’s the tricky part – have you got a full flavour spectrum contained? Go over the selection and make each bottle work harder for you.
The result typically yields 15-16 bottles on shelf. If you have more space, add more. If not, even in that curated selection – you have a fantastic offering that is easy to present, inclusive and appealing to all.
Because they all have a reason for bing there – from style to flavour to price – you’ll find they turn over frequently too.
Alternative approach – curated minimalist assortments
If a selection of over ten isn’t possible, even with limited resources a carefully curated whisky selection can dazzle your guests.
Maintain half a dozen “regulars” that span your cocktail needs and cater to the type of guests your venue attracts.
From a turnover perspective – it’s far better as you are only carrying what you are pushing on the cocktail menu. Meanwhile, for those who want to offer and / or get drams ordered neat, short and considered is not a bad thing either .
Just like short but concise wine menus – a laser focus on why something has been included often leads to far better guest experiences. Lest not forget your staff’s ability to convey the information either.
If you are going to stick to a handful of hard working offerings, consider this. Why not look at it with the same lens as you might a beer selection? Tap beer line ups have also long been limited in nature for many venues. Most don’t offer more than a handful.
So why not take the parallel approach one step further and replicate how many add interest to their beer sections? This brings us onto our next suggestion for those who don’t want to list more than half a dozen whiskies at any given point…
Rotating “guest” spaces for whiskies
The allure of limited-time offerings has been a cornerstone of the beer industry, where taps often rotate seasonal or special brews.
The same can be translated to the world of whisky. Rotating guest whiskies can transform a small static bar menu into a dynamic, ever-evolving experience, maintaining intrigue and encouraging exploration. 5 core, 1 guest.
Guest whiskies could be a special bottle that might only be available for a limited period. These could be rare releases, seasonal releases, international gems in small allocations, experimental batches from craft distillers. It can be as limited as a case. Alternatively, it can be as focussed and unique as a single cask collaborations directly between venue and distillery.
It is important to get staff involved in the selection process, with tasting sessions and cocktail specials. Getting their buy-in! Not only will they learn more about whisky as a category and be better at selling whatever you have, they’ll be invested in communication about the guest bottling.
The approach is labour intensive, sure, but there are many advantages to it.
The advantages of implementing a rotating guest whisky system are:
Variety & exploration. Regular patrons get to experience something new. This can be a refreshing change from the usual offering and a good way to keep them engaged. (Or get them engaged!)
Marketing opportunities. The arrival of a new guest whisky can serve as an event in itself, drawing crowds and creating buzz on social media. Host a tasting night if you can, add a signature cocktail to the menu…
Feedback. Bars can test new whiskies to gauge patron interest before deciding to add them to the permanent collection. If a cocktail goes crazy, there might be a way of revisiting the idea on the next menu changeover. Meanwhile, if the reaction was to the producer / or flavour profile, that will help inform the next limited edition etc.
Seasonal selections. Just as beers have seasonal brews, whiskies too can be chosen based on the season. A peaty, smoky whisky might be perfect for the chilly winter months. Meanwhile, a while a light, floral one suits the summer.
Festival & special editions. Around significant events or holidays, special edition whiskies can be introduced, playing into the festivity’s theme.
Local craft distilleries. A rotating guest spot supports local businesses while de-risking the listing. It’s only a case / limited amount, similar to a trial quantity. It helps introduce patrons to emerging makers, more niche flavour profiles and allows you to highlight them while gauging the reaction.
Two ideas to inspire your whisky selection’s development
And there you have it, two easy ways of building dynamic and inclusive whisky selections in a venue.
The first approach structures the on-shelf offering by quantifiable metrics as a way of visualising what you have, what’s missing and which bottles are fulfilling several roles and therefore strategically important to train staff on. Regions, Ages and price points (and through doing that, a wide flavour assortment).
The second strips it all back, focusses on what you use regularly for cocktails as your core offering and brings in a way of rotating what’s being featured in an intentional way that unlocks secondary benefits.
Take a look at the bottles on a shelf and ask what the rational is. If you want a whisky selection that’s fit for purpose, you need to move past the question of what you have and onto why you have it.
Once everyone knows the why – you’ll see a dramatic uplift in sales as the entire team will be far better at recommending the right bottle to guests.
