Pleisure Pub Company believes the pub is as good a place as any to sell spirits. By Ben McFarland.
Nick Griffin is a man on a mission. The managing director of Brighton-based operation Pleisure Pub Company, with 16 pubs on the South Coast, London and Kent, has embarked on a crusade to convince drinkers that quality spirits do not belong exclusively in the nation's style bars.
Pleisure's pubs are, first and foremost, pubs. They may look modern, there may be a leather sofa or a fancy picture in one or two of them, but they're more "bangers and mash" than "wild boar and tarragon sausage nestled within a mound of cream potato fondant".
Walking into a Pleisure pub, the only noticeable difference from a similar venue is the extended range of spirits.
Unlike other pubs, where the back-bar range rarely stretches beyond the mainstream brands, Pleisure prides itself on its purveyance of a miscellaneous assortment of quality, premium and lesser-known brands from around the world.
To ensure these spirits make the all-important trip from shelf to drinker's hand, Nick has produced a pocket-sized Pleisure Spirit Bible that sits on every table in every pub in the company's estate.
Designed not as an exhaustive guide to the entire spirits world, the 40-page booklet is instead designed to demystify the dazzling array of bottles on the back shelf.
"The first and most important idea was to get people to improve their knowledge of spirits," said Nick. "There's a huge lack of understanding with regard to spirits and when faced with a back-bar of obscure and lesser-known brands it can be very intimidating. By producing the Spirit Bible, we've tried to make people feel a lot more comfortable about spirits.
"People don't necessarily know anything about spirits beyond the mainstream brands so the Spirit Bible gives them some basic information such as where the drinks come from, how they're made and how to drink them. It's not written as lengthy tasting notes, it's meant to be interesting and informative."
The Spirit Bible is divided into three sections with pouring brands followed by premium pouring brands and a last selection of recommended tipples. To cover the cost of producing more than 20,000 copies, Nick negotiated funding from drinks companies for each section - £300, £200 and £100 respectively.
Sales of these spirits have all increased and the response from customers, according to Nick, has been really positive.
"Spirits can return some of the highest margins but the vast majority of licensees don't make use of this opportunity. For pubs, especially those in a tied estate where spirits are one of the few things free of tie, they represent a great opportunity to boost profits," said Nick. He ensures the staff know their stuff when it comes to what's behind the bar and how to serve it through tutored tastings for both staff and customers.
"There's no point trying to make the customer understand spirits if your staff don't have a clue," he added. "We don't ask them to throw bottles about, we just make sure they can serve great drinks."
Malcolm Gilbert, who runs Dr Brighton's, a Pleisure pub set back from the seafront, talks passionately and knowledgeably about spirits and, at an age nearer 40 years old than 25, is living proof that you don't need an absurd haircut or a pair of designer jeans to make a fantastic tasting cocktail.
"The only difference between us and a style bar is that we don't steal your wallet," he said.
For publicans and staff that are apprehensive about dipping their toe into the intimidating world of cocktails, this may seem an unrealistic approach but the transition from a gin and tonic or a Bloody Mary to more complex concoctions is an easy one.
"Licensees are already making cocktails but they don't really know it - it's only a matter of ingredients. The number of drinks you have to make really isn't that long," added Nick.
"Get your staff to take a Boston shaker, some fruit juices and a couple of bottles of spirits home to practice."
Pictured: The back-bar at Dr Brighton's, one of Pleisure's pubs, typifies the company's enthusiastic approach to spirits.
Nick's five recommended spirits
- Zubrowka vodka
"Check out the grass in the bottle as you enjoy a Tatanka, a cocktail of Zubrowka and apple juice, the national drink of Poland. A Polish vodka flavoured with bison grass picked by hand in the Bison Forest."
Luksusowa vodka
"We are huge fans of Polish vodka, well, they did invent it. This premium vodka, literally translated as extra luxury, is made from potatoes. Not any ordinary spuds, but a particular variety only grown in the Baltic Coast in special microclimates. Drink it neat or with apple juice."
Havana Club seven-year-old rum
"One of the ultimate rums in terms of quality and taste with a softness and elegance all of its own and great flavours."
Maker's Mark bourbon
"It's a great bourbon and most pubs don't have a bourbon, but rather a Tennessee whiskey in the shape of Jack Daniel's.
"Maker's Mark is produced in small batches (maximum 19 barrels), aged for a six-year minimum and is the only hand-crafted bourbon with hand-dipped bottles."
Plymouth gin
"No more expensive but it's a better quality alternative to mainstream gins and at 41.2 per cent is an excellent premium brand."