The way people drink is changing, giving hospitality businesses new reasons to think about what they offer and how beverages contribute to the guest experience.

Choosing not to drink alcohol no longer means sitting out of the occasion. A guest might enjoy a beer with dinner, choose an alcohol-free option later in the evening or opt for a premium soft drink at lunch. What matters is having a choice that feels right for the moment.

So, does your drinks menu reflect what your guests are looking for today?

Working with leading drinks supplier Carlsberg Britvic, Entegra is helping hospitality businesses consider the bigger role beverages can play, from offering greater choice to supporting commercial performance.

Choice without compromise

Expectations have moved on, and drinks menus are moving with them. Alcohol-free options are becoming an established part of the mix, while soft drinks can offer much more than an alternative to alcohol. Quality, variety and choice all matter, whatever the occasion.

That does not mean filling the menu with more products. A well-considered range should give guests enough choice while keeping purchasing, stock management and service straightforward. The challenge is finding the balance between variety and a range that works commercially.

“Drinking occasions are becoming more varied, with consumers choosing between beer, alcohol-free options and premium soft drinks depending on the moment. Six in 10 adults now limit or avoid alcohol, while 41% of beer drinkers choose low- or no-alcohol beer. Yet consumers still expect great taste, quality and a sense of occasion. This creates opportunities for premium propositions beyond everyday refreshment, such as J2O Sparkling, designed for more grown-up occasions, and Poretti Alcohol Free, which brings the brand’s Italian credentials and signature taste to the alcohol-free category. Both help operators offer greater choice and encourage trade-up through premium serves.”

Think about the occasion

Lunch with colleagues, an afternoon meeting, watching sport or an evening with friends can all call for something different. Looking at these moments, rather than simply separating a menu into beer, soft drinks and alcohol-free options, can offer a different perspective on what customers might want.

It may also highlight gaps in the current range or opportunities to introduce a serve that feels more relevant to a particular occasion.

Carlsberg Britvic brings expertise across beer, alcohol-free and soft drinks, alongside an understanding of the moments that influence what people choose. Combined with knowledge of an individual hospitality business, this can support more informed decisions about what earns its place on the menu.

Making the menu work harder

There is a commercial side to this conversation too. Looking more closely at purchasing and sales can reveal what is performing well, where products may be overlapping and where there is room to do something differently.

The answer is not to respond to every new trend. What matters is understanding which changes are relevant to your customers, your operation and your commercial goals.

This is where Entegra can help. Our strong supplier relationships, purchasing expertise, data and digital solutions and understanding of the hospitality sector give clients greater visibility of their purchasing and performance. Together with suppliers such as Carlsberg Britvic, we can help businesses understand how their drinks range is performing and identify where changes could deliver greater value.

A different way to look at drinks

The modern drinks occasion is more varied than it once was. As customer habits continue to evolve, there is value in looking beyond individual products and considering how the whole drinks offer fits into the experience.

Instead of simply asking, “What do our guests want to drink?”, perhaps the more useful question is:

“What do they want from the occasion, and how can our drinks offer make it better?”

At Entegra, we work with leading suppliers such as Carlsberg Britvic to help hospitality businesses get more from their purchasing and find practical ways to strengthen performance.

Could your drinks menu be working harder for your business? Speak to Entegra to discover where greater value could be found.