In this blog, we'll guide you through the process of making your own simple Signature Cocktails, whether you need them for a special occasion that's coming up or simply creating them for fun.

Many people think creating your signature cocktail is a complicated process when, in reality, it's really simple. The quickest way is to look at some of the classic cocktails or families of cocktails and swap out an ingredient. Of course, many experienced bartenders try to create their own classics, but this can require expert knowledge of balancing flavours and ratios.

Why do you need to create signature cocktails?

Signature cocktails are more common than you may think. Visit your favourite Cocktail Bar and peruse the menu to see a whole list of cocktail names you've never heard of before. well the chances are, they're just simple variations on classic cocktails. But why do venues do this, and why should you do this for yourself?

Fun.

First off, Cocktails are fun. Whether it's a hobby or you're showing off to your friends and family at the weekend. Nothing beats that feeling of creating something different and getting a great reaction when they taste it. Never lose sight of that. Cocktails will always be fun and evoke great memories.

Special Occasions.

Creating new Cocktails for Events such as Wedding receptions or big Birthdays is also a common practice. In the events industry, you get asked for this all the time. We'll get asked to tie drinks into themes or seasons. "The Bride really likes Mango". "The Birthday Boy really loves Whiskey and Cherries". No request is off limits. And believe me, I've heard them all!

Cocktail Competitions.

In the industry, there are many Cocktail Competitions. Many are put on by Brands themselves. Then you have In-House Group Competitions put on for fun and Team Bonding or Motivation.

Bars & Venues.

Probably the biggest implementation of Signature Cocktails is on Venue Cocktail Menus. But why do they do it? The simple reason is to stand out against their competition. If every venue had the same Cocktails on a Menu, it'd all be a little dull and boring. Venues realised in the early to mid 2000s that they could attract new and different customers by doing different drinks. And it's no coincidence it's at the same time when the Spirit World in the UK really kicked off...

How do you Create Signature Cocktails?

By 2005, Cocktails had exploded here in the UK. I remember back in 1998-1999, as a Bar, we couldn't buy Cranberry Juice. Let alone Passion Fruit Syrup. But by 2005, this had all changed. And by 2010, this was no longer exclusive to the UK ON Trade. A lot of these products were available to the home consumer. The first big trend to kick off was flavoured Vodkas. Vanilla, Raspberry, and Citrus were all huge hits. All of a sudden Bars could create Vanilla Espresso Martinis, or a Cosmopolitan with Citron Vodka. This then spread to Syrups, with Monin leading the way, followed by Funkin Purees. All of a sudden, whether you were a Bar or a Home Consumer, you had access to multiple flavour variants across multiple categories. Roll forward to 2024, and this is magnified by at least x10. Monin, for example, has over 150 different flavoured syrups. 90+ of which could work in an Espresso Martini or Daiquiri!

When it comes to creating your own Signatures, there is no right or wrong.

But what we'll outline below is methods using some of our favourite Syrups brands in the most famous of Classic Cocktails. And the simple process of swapping out "Plain" Sugar Syrup or Gomme for a Flavour instead. The only note we'd add is that not all Syrups are created equally. Some will be sweeter than others. So sometimes you may need 25ml of a Syrup where you only used 15ml of Plain Sugar. It's just about playing with ratios and finding your perfect balance.

Mojitos & Daiquiris

It's essentially the same cocktail. Both Rum, Lime and Sugar. The Mojito is then lengthened out with Mint and Soda and generally has a touch more sugar than a Daiquiri... for SOME people.

With these types of Cocktails, we'd recommend more Tropical Fruit flavours; Mango, Passion Fruit, Strawberry, Pineapple, Hibiscus, Guava for example.

Imagine a Cocktail menu that read "Mojito of the Week". It gives you a license to swap the flavours you sell from bottle to bottle to keep things interesting for your Customers.

Espresso Martini

This Cocktail will need adapting slightly as your sweetener, in most cases, will be the Coffee Liqueur. So if your Recipe calls for 30ml of Coffee Liqueur (Kahlua or Tia Maria) then bring this down to 15ml and add in 15ml of a flavour of your choice.

The big Espresso Martini Flavours are Vanilla and Salted Caramel. But these are the obvious picks. Why not branch out to something like Honeycomb, Toffee Nut, or Creme Brulee? But in reality, all our "Coffee Syrups" will work a treat.

Old Fashioned

Another simple Cocktail of just Whiskey (or Rum), Sugar and Bitters. But although you can, be mindful to pick the right flavour. Some will hit, some won't. And it's not as simple as picking Coffee Syrups over Fruit Syrups. For example, Old Fashioneds with a Blackberry is wonderful. But not so much Strawberry. However, although the likes of Maple Spice and Caramel are big picks, the fun choices could be Popcorn, Tiramisu and Gingerbread!

Margarita

Now, this is where it gets fun, as Tequila's profile really lends itself to some quirky riffs. A very popular combo is Mango and Chilli, we suspect my Monin has created a Spicy Mango Syrup. It's just perfect for Margarita's. But while these flavours will also work with Rum, your Daiquiri and Mojitos, they seem more fun with Tequila. Big Tequila Flavours include Watermelon, Blood Orange and Grapefruit.

Gin Collins

And finally we come to the Collins. The Gin Cocktail for Tonic haters. Gin, Lemon, Sugar and soda which creates a "Traditional Lemonade" vibe. Because of Gins' heavy Juniper Profile, some "Coffee Flavours" can work. But actually, these are where your Fruity and Floral flavours really come out to play. Think Lavender, Rose, Bergamot, Lychee, Peach, Apple, Rhubarb. Like the Daiquiri, the list goes on.

So, as you can see, it's never been easier to put Signature Cocktails on your menu or create something simple for a Special Occasion. However, there are times when you might want to get more creative. So, in the next Blog, we'll talk you through pairing flavours together, which will take your Signature Cocktails to new heights.