Summer is about light drinks, fun drinks, tropical flavors and spending time away from home. For bars, cafes and restaurants, that means lots of foot traffic — if you know what to offer. If you don’t already have a seasonal drink line to promote your summer cocktails, now is the time to upgrade. Here are some of the best marketing tips and summer cups to make your drink line the hottest swag of the season.
Why there are seasonal drinking lines
When the heat is down and customers are sweating with their sandals, they are not looking for big mugs of hot chocolate. Cups and drinks that sell well in one season may be obsolete in another season and you want to maximize your sales throughout the year.
That being said, your bar or cafe probably has seasonal drinks for years. But if you don’t offer your own drinking line to go with it, you’re missing out. Custom drink lines not only offer trendy cups and glasses to enjoy your drinks, they are a powerful tool for both sales and marketing. Customers like to buy quality beverages from their favorite places and when they use your beverage in public, they become powerful promoters of your business.
How to market your seasonal summer drink line
If you have a drink line that doesn’t sell well, or you just need tips to start your drink line, you’ve come to the right place. Use these tips to introduce your custom summer cups to your customers:
- Offer custom cups with free refills: Everyone loves to earn free stuff, and when that free refill comes with a trendy cup, customers will definitely line up!
- Sell them with a unique summer drink: Got a unique, home-discovered drink to spice up their summer? Offer it with your own commemorative cup so everyone knows who got the summer special
- Sell them at local summer events: Everyone loves party swags, and summer fairs and events are the perfect place for vendors to spread their promotional cups and delicious drinks.
- Make them a to-go special: If you have quality reusable cups, customers will buy your to-go cups and bottles as they eat or go out!
- Line up their registers: Keep your drink line visible when customers come to order so everyone has the opportunity to ask and buy their own summer cup.
- Offer them as part of the catering package: An event catering? Make sure every guest goes home with your logo in hand!
Top tips for delicious summer drinks
Want something fresh for your summer selection? These drink ideas can be a hit on hot days or sweet summer evenings:
- Put a spin on a classic: Throw some raspberries in a mojito or make your own pineapple-mango shake. With just a small change you can create a whole new refreshing drink that customers want throughout the summer.
- Starting from zero: Nothing draws crowds like home-made fresh drinks. Create your own lebured and fruit juices from scratch to meet whole-food enthusiasts in search of authentic flavors.
- Be Seasonal Exclusive: Some drinks, like Doll Whip Floats or a classic Pina Colada, don’t hit as well in other seasons as summer, so why not make it exclusive to summer? Making special drinks for a limited time will give your customers a sense of urgency to return often before the end of the summer and their favorite drinks before the end of the season.
- Find inspiration from other countries: Want to do something that no one in your area has done before? Look for foreign recipes that carry their own unique flavor blend to stay ahead of your local competitors. For example, try this Bahamas Sky Juice recipe or this popular Japanese Sake cocktail!
Fun drinks on your summer line
Although the most important part of any drink is the actual drink, what you put in it can make a big difference in the customer’s appeal. Whether you’re offering these with your own unique drink mix or offering them as your own welcome, here are some trendy summer cup options to get your customers excited about your brand.
22 oz Rainbow Confetti Mood Cup
The ultimate party cup that comes with its own confetti effect, this trendy cup shows its original color when filled with a fresh cold drink. Perfect for all kinds of summer drinks and great for catering party, tops off the store, or just to sell separately at the register.
Sun Fun Stadium Cup – 17 oz
This cup is made to shine in summer due to its unique color-changing properties. Enjoy a fresh drink indoors then take it out in the sun for a whole new color to appear! Customers will love the fun of the sun ingredients almost as much as you fill it with delicious cocktails.
Mood Stadium Cup – 22 oz
Nothing brings summer party vibes like a custom mood cup! A simple and fun indicator when it’s time to close your cup with such a large capacity that you won’t need to refill. Serve for a delicious meal with a bucket whip and orange soda float that customers will remember whenever they use this cup at home.
Full color 22 oz. Pitcher Stadium Cup
Like the simple convenience of a large capacity stadium cup but want something that can go in the dishwasher? These reusable and reusable full color stadium cups display your custom logo in full color glory, creating your own marketing wherever it goes. Perfect for any cafe or bar, everyone will love the bright colors of this cup and the huge refill possibilities.
Grande Britebrand ™ 16 oz eco-friendly reusable coffee cup
I mean, people will still want their coffee no matter how hot it is (this is for iced coffee) so you can put your summer branding on display! These trendy reusable coffee cups are made from biodegradable wheat straw, perfect for those who want to be aware of the planet while getting morning coffee from their favorite bar or cafe.
Engraved 16 oz stainless steel ri tumbler
Take the party to the streets with this custom stainless-steel tumblr! Featuring your logo engraved on the side laser, you can bet your logo will last every season. Stack them up in the register for the perfect drink accessory that will allow customers to pick their favorite cocktail or homemade drink.
11 oz. Gia stainless steel wine glass with lid
Do you have a really great cocktail or fine wine that doesn’t do justice to the stadium cup, but customers still want to take it home? These portable wine glasses are made of double-walled stainless steel to keep your drinks cool throughout the evening. Eliminate bugs and taste buds for summer sunset observers, or offer it as a regular part of your summer drink line that customers can take home.
Note: For more options, consider offering one of these stainless-steel water bottles in your summer drink line.
Whether you have a nice dining restaurant or a sports bar, customers love to take their favorite places home with them. That opportunity is not wasted! Fill their summer memories with your logo and flavored drink by creating your own drinkwear line of summer cups that they can use and reuse year after year.