Summer special: How to sell drinks this summer

One idea that works well in the summer would be to run a drinks festival. With the category booming, what better time to celebrate all things cider?

Mitchells & Butlers' Scream pubs recently launched Ciderfest, which is running nationwide until May 17.

Twenty varieties of cider are available in the outlets, including draught, bottled and boxed, plus a loyalty card scheme and tasting notes to complement the range.

One of the participating pubs is the Adelphi in Preston, Lancashire. To launch Ciderfest, manager Sharon Young briefed her team on the overall mechanics of the festival while giving them the opportunity to use their own creative talents to bring it to life.

She says: "The pub has been decorated with a festival theme, with bunting throughout and bales of hay in the beer garden. We even have a life-size scarecrow standing at the bar. Our fridges are packed with apples alongside the bottled cider range and

we have a wheelbarrow full of apples for customers to help themselves to. Our tasting notes really help to enhance the overall

Other activities include local giveaways and sampling opportunities, and to bring the curtain down on the festival, Sharon has tasked her team with organising a party, which "will have a village fête feel, with activities including apple bobbing, a tombola and a cider-themed quiz".

Fuller's

Like many breweries, Fuller's has been working hard to create a portfolio of beers that will appeal at different times of the year. The company's licensees have come up with innovative ways to drive sales of products such as chilled blonde ale Discovery and honey beer Honey Dew in summer.

Brian and Carole McNish, who run the Head of the River, on the banks of the Thames in Oxford, are one example.

They raise awareness of particular beers through special displays behind the bar, posters and promotions. Barstaff are also trained to be forthcoming with recommendations.

"Last summer, we ran a very successful promotion with Discovery which involved a giant jigsaw of the logo and saw customers competing to win a t-shirt, half a pint or a pint of Discovery depending on the time it took them to complete the challenge," explains Carole. This allowed the Head of the River to introduce a new audience to the beer who may not have opted for it otherwise.

Brian and Carole are planning to expand on this type of promotion this year, and to introduce a temporary bar outside to capitalise on the 300-cover al fresco seating area.

Marston's

Marston's licensee Richard Macey of the Fountain Inn, Clent in the West Midlands, has already planned how to entice customers down to his pub through innovative summer drinks offers.

One is "bringing the continent to our customers", with the Fountain recreating European-style table service, including in the outdoor seating area.

"Holidays are all about trying something different," says Macey. "To that end, we are offering beer fans the chance to test out a few of our ever-changing guests. They can order three one-third pints for £3, allowing them to try our range without the worry of ordering a pint of something they don't like."

And for those who like to stick to just one drink, the staff at the Fountain are trained to advise customers on the perfect pint to go with their meal, whether it's a light chicken dish with a golden IPA or a dark ale to compliment a rich chocolate pudding.

And to quench the thirst of parched summer palates, Macey is introducing a range of cocktail jugs. "We're planning on mixing all the summer classics - Mojitos, Pimm's and many more," he says.

Having invested in some juicers, the Fountain will also be creating its own freshly prepared seasonal smoothies and juices on a daily basis. By bottling them in the morning, the pub will avoid delays through the time-consuming process of making them, and it becomes as simple as shake and serve.

Everards

With a beer garden the size of a football pitch and its location just a short walk from Leicester University and the city centre, Everards tenancy the Old Horse is well set for the summer.

Licensee Kevin Shepherdson has prepared his drinks offer to squeeze every last drop of potential from the pub in the coming months. Developing a broad and outdoor-friendly range of drinks is a key part of his strategy.

Shepherdson says: "As soon as the weather improves, we start actively promoting summer drinks. We offer pitchers on our best-selling beers along with jugs of Pimm's, which always sell really well. This summer, we are also going to add cocktail jugs, starting with margaritas. We make sure bottles of white and rosé wine are sold with individual bottle coolers for people to use outside, plus there is a good selection of soft drinks and fruit juices behind the bar for children and drivers."

St Austell

St Austell licensees will have a range of tools at their disposal to get customers sipping and slurping.

In June, the South West brewer and pubco will be launching seasonal summer ale Liquid Sunshine. A light, golden four per cent ABV cask ale, it is intended to be served cool.

St Austell is also introducing branded pitchers to help drive sales of ales, lagers and cocktails, especially during summer sports events.

Meanwhile, a deal will allow its licensees to offer four rosé wines at prices between £10.50 and £12.75 per bottle, and St Austell's biggest turnover pub, the Central Inn in Newquay, is trialling Funkin Cocktail Mixers. These purée mixers enable barstaff to create authentic cocktails in 10 seconds by just adding ice and spirits.

And, following a successful pilot at the Central last year, St Austell is rolling out table service for drinks across all its pubs with large outside areas. The brewer has invested in new hand-held EPoS devices to enable customers to order and pay for drinks at their table.