After beginning initially as a cocktail bar back in 2018, it was the pandemic which accelerated the cocktail launch from Heads + Tails. In an exclusive interview with Will Partridge, Owner of the brand, we look at the versatility of the range.
Please introduce us to Heads + Tails and what the brand strives to achieve.
Well, Heads + Tails started life as a cocktail bar – and still is – that opened in North West London back in 2018. We opened to great acclaim – going straight into both the UK’s top-50 bars and the World’s top-500 bars lists in our first year of operation. RTD-cocktails was something we’d thought about doing for a while, and when COVID struck it simply accelerated this process. We already had quite a few drinks created so it didn’t take too long to get up and running, although looking back the brand has come a long way since those early days. Our manifesto from the start has always been to produce a range of drink-at-home cocktails that taste just as good as if you were enjoying them in our NW6 bar, that require no extra ingredients or specialist bartender skills.
How can the range from Heads + Tails fit in to the setup of a hotel?
We have a hugely versatile product range, both in terms of the styles and flavour profiles of the cocktails, and the fact that they all come in two sizes – 10cl and 50cl. The 10cl (a large single-serve) ones are perfect for mini-bars and the large bottles (Serves 6-7) are great for the main hotel bar. We initially thought that the mini-bar route would be the most popular in hoteliers, however we’ve found that buyers have really been drawn to the huge advantages of stocking the larger bottles in their main bars. Using our cocktails means that they don’t have to buy lots of obscure cocktail ingredients, don’t have to buy cocktail equipment or train staff, and are guaranteed exceptional quality every time. Not to mention the consistency, simplicity and increased speed of service the drinks provide.
Tell us about Heads + Tails’ product range and the benefits hoteliers can gain from this.
The team behind our ‘Signature Drinks’ range has over 50-years combined bartending experience, which is also a key reason for the success and accolades of Heads + Tails the bar, where all the recipes were created and perfected. It is vital in the creation of a ready-to-drink cocktail that you achieve a shelf-life that allows it to be commercially viable. This means that certain drinks lend themselves better to being adapted to others. When creating the range, first and foremost we ensured that there was no compromise on quality, and that the drinks taste equally as good at home or in the bar. We also wanted a varied range, offering something for all tastes and styles. After a great deal of R&D, we eventually settled on a range of 9 core drinks, represented in three broad categories – ‘Fun & Fruity’, ‘Serious & Stirred’ and ‘Contemporary Classics’.
How can the products from Heads + Tails work in line with boosting revenue at an overnight stay venue?
We’ve found that a large number of our stockists simply couldn’t offer cocktails the traditional way – maybe because they found it hard to get all the necessary ingredients from their suppliers, or didn’t want to invest in the staff training, or felt like offering cocktails would complicate things and slow down service. Having a lot of ingredients also takes up a huge amount of space and can be quite inefficient in a smaller bar environment. So for many, we’ve opened up and entirely new revenue stream for them. In other cases, having our range on the back bar and cocktail menus on the tables has garnered additional attention and created sales. The 10cls also provide something different for mini-bars. Many hotel bars will serve cocktails, however it is much rarer to see them in a mini-bar, especially creative ones that you simply need to pop open and pour over ice.
How can hotels become a stockist of Heads + Tails products?
It’s very easy – just email us at info@headsandtails.shop and we’ll send you out an account form.
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