Strategies for Creating a Plant Based Cocktail Menu

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Article by Ben Davis, Plant Based World

According to a recent study by the National Restaurant Association, 1 in 6 restaurants have closed their doors permanently or long-term due to the pandemic. Needless to say, restaurants need to do all they can to create a spark with signature offerings and remain relevant to customers to keep them coming back for more.

We’ve covered strategies for introducing plant-based food items to restaurant menus in my last article, but what about plant-based beverages? Cocktails aren’t often thought of as plant-based, keep in mind that many of them do follow vegan guidelines. However, there can be small details that can make wines, liqueurs, and other cocktail ingredients the centerpiece of the introduction of a successful plant-based beverage menu to your establishment.

As a former bartender and now advocate and follower, I want to share strategies and tips of potential plant-based cocktail menu. The concept of a plant-based cocktail menu is a relatively untapped market. Most cocktails are already plant-based, consisting of a fruit or vegetable juice mixed with alcohol and a fruit or vegetable garnish. You need to keep in mind that egg whites, honey, and dairy products are common cocktail additives that will deem your beverage not vegan and I’m here to help.

Adding a plant-based cocktail menu to your offerings doesn’t have to be a big investment or daunting task. The first step is to identify who you are as an establishment. Are you a casual sports bar that serves beer and Bloody Marys? Or are you a more upscale cocktail lounge? Either way, there are ways to incorporate plant items into your offerings.

Many people equate plant-based to the idea of wellness in general. It’s important to use higher end, unique ingredients to amp up the health and wellness factor of the beverage because customers are looking for ways to indulge in a healthier way. Think fresh squeezed juices, botanicals, essential oils, and popular dairy-free milks like Oatly.

  • Simplot Frozen Avocado
  • Imperial Dade
  • Texas Pete
  • Atosa USA
  • BelGioioso Burrata
  • RATIONAL USA
  • Inline Plastics Safe-T-Chef
  • Red Gold Sacramento
  • AyrKing Mixstir
  • T&S Brass Eversteel Pre-Rinse Units
  • Day & Nite
  • McKee Foodservice
  • RAK Porcelain
  • DAVO Sales Tax

Here are some ways to make a few beloved cocktails plant-based or give already plant-based cocktails a healthy boost: for a Bloody Mary, take out the Worcestershire because it contains anchovies. You can use plant-based milk instead of dairy milk in a Caucasian and swap the Kahlua for Trader Vic’s. Look for ways to add seasonal and local fruit and veggies to drinks and try fresh squeezed juices and essential oils in mimosas. It’s all about highlighting the plant qualities in your product so the customer is more focused on that rather than the type of alcohol or the traditional name of the drink.

When creating a new beverage menu, restaurant operators should collaborate with bartenders because they’re the ones interacting with the customers. Your bar team not only makes drinks, but they also have the best sense of which menu items are selling and which aren’t. Along with bartenders, customers are a great source of feedback. Don’t be afraid to engage with your community and ask them, “Would you drink something like this if we put it on the menu?” Customers want to see new menu items and will tell you how they feel about them, you just have to ask!

Many operators enjoy significant beer and ale sales. Did you know that there are a number of plant-based stouts? These offerings are produced from Coast to Coast from Maryland’s Heavy Seas’ Peg Leg Imperial Stout to California’s Lagunitas Imperial Stout.

In terms of cost for a restaurant, the investment is rather low. Bartenders can use many items they already have on-hand. It’s all about shifting customer’s perspectives and using different, more approachable language. Additional costs will likely come from purchasing higher quality ingredients, but it’s important to remember that customers are willing to pay a premium on these items.

There are certainly precautions to take when introducing products like this because many customers who are seeking out these items are consciously following a vegan diet. If you’re creating a plant-based cocktail menu or using the word on your menu at all, make sure there are absolutely no animal products. This may seem obvious, but as I mentioned before, there are ingredients that may be overlooked. Make sure to read the labels of all the products you’re using, do some research, and double check with the manufacturer of the product to make sure it’s 100% plant-based. Failure to identify an animal product could cause customer backlash and loss of trust.

With nature’s wide variety of plants at your disposal, the sky’s the limit for infinite creative cocktail creations to keep your customers coming back for more.


Ben Davis Plant Based WorldBen Davis programs the world’s first and only fully plant-based trade expo and accompanying news site and newsletter. He developed the original concept of Plant Based World Conference and Expo for trade show management company JD Events, inspired by his own personal plant-based journey. The event launched successfully in 2019 in the U.S. at the Javits Convention Center in New York City and is currently in the launch phase of a European show to debut in London in 2021. Ben’s mission is to make delicious, natural foods accessible to everyone. He believes that diet and lifestyle are the keys to a balanced and prosperous future for all beings on Earth. Outside of his work in food, Ben is a music producer and performer under the stage name Vibe Street. His greatest joy is making people smile, dance and come alive to the magic of the present moment. Ben is determined to spend his life building community and celebrating this mysterious human experience to the fullest.

  • Simplot Frozen Avocado
  • BelGioioso Burrata
  • Atosa USA
  • Imperial Dade
  • RATIONAL USA
  • Texas Pete
  • Red Gold Sacramento
  • DAVO Sales Tax
  • RAK Porcelain
  • McKee Foodservice
  • T&S Brass Eversteel Pre-Rinse Units
  • AyrKing Mixstir
  • Inline Plastics Safe-T-Chef
  • Day & Nite