This spring is seeing a resurgence of retro-prohibition style drinks mixed with modern technology. So what is available to satisfy the hunger for this new trend?

Homemade infusions are a great place to start and readily available equipment has made this easier than ever. Gone are the days of leaving jars on windowsills for weeks or using heat to extract flavours at the risk of releasing bitter notes. A vacuum pack machine will reduce infusion times down to a couple of hours, but to really speed things up, you can drop the liquid you want to flavour into a cream whipper and reduce the time to seconds.





Flavoured smoke offers great versatility and can add depth and character to classic drinks. Smoked ice adds just the right amount of flavour to a peaty whiskey, complementing the character without overpowering the drink. A cold smoker such as the smoking gun from Polyscience can do this with ease; just pop some hickory smoke into a container with ice and within a few seconds you will have delicately smoked ice.


The apparent ever-growing demand for prohibition drinks has transformed speakeasy style glasses from a niche market product into an essential for any bar serving cocktails. Take the “French 75”; although this is a champagne cocktail, it is much better suited to a coupe glass rather than a champagne flute as a flute restricts the bouquet of the gin and lemon. This can be said for a lot of older cocktails, and serving in the right glass will increase the chances of a customer enjoying and reordering a cocktail.


Bottling in old fashioned bottles is also a good way to add to the theatre of making drinks. House infusions served from a plain swing top bottle with a spirit pourer fitted in the top raises curiosity. An Ideal opportunity to interact with your customers and explain the history behind their chosen tipple.


Maintain a fresh take on old classics with Nisbets Next Day Catering Supplies.

By Matt England