The ABM Cocktail Roadshow

Last Thursday night, I was invited to the REÀL and Finest Call (ABM - American Beverage Marketers) Cocktail Roadshow, at Savage Garden Rooftop Bar in London. It was a great chance to learn all about the 2 brands, sample different products and network with other wholesalers, bartenders and event companies. I absolutely LOVE attending events like this!

For those that don't know, REÀL (we sell here at Drinkstuff) and Finest Call are long life and shelf stable Puree Syrups. A fantastic option for Pubs and Bars. And also suitable for you guys who love to make cocktails at home!

Now back to the event...

After a simple yet tasty welcome Peach Bellini made with Finest Call Peach and Cordoniu Prosecco, the Evenings entertainment was kicked off by legendary showman, flair Bartender and ABM front man of 20 years, Dean Serneels. Dean has a couple of years on me behind the stick, but still has that infectious and charismatic way of engaging the room with is magic tricks and stories.

After a few tricks to warm the crowd, Dean spent about an hour guiding us through the history and some of the processes of how the Purees came to be. He walked us through creating an Old Fashioned - don't forget, not all of the guests were Bartenders! Before showcasing 5-6 cocktail ideas featuring Guava, Pineapple, Blackberry amongst others.

After 30 years in the game myself - a lot of those spent with a special affection for Syrups, Purees and Liqueurs...I LOVE flavours and easy cocktails - I thought I had a good handle on the REÀL and Finest Call brand. But it turns out, a few of my perceptions were completely wrong. 

Here's 3 things I learned...

Mixed in with some other facts I already knew.

WHERE IT STARTED

REÀL's first product was the Coco REÀL back in 2006. It wasn't until a few years later after massive growth did ABM then come to market with other flavours in 2014. Now in 2025, they have 27 flavours, 23 of which available in the UK.

THE FRUIT CONTENT

ABM are very open about where the fruit is sourced from and the amount of fruit in their products.

For example, looking at the Passion Fruit, the bottle of REÀL is 39.5% Passion Fruit from Vietnam. It's not a Juice, or a Concentrate like some other syrup Brands...or a competitor that claims 50%, which is actually made up of a blend of Juice, Concentrate and Puree. REÀL is 39.5% actual Passion fruit puree. And the Mango is 40% Alphonso Mango puree from India.

And if you were to compare REÀL Passion Fruit to other syrup brands, 2 leading brands merely claim 15% juice and 10% juice. Not a Puree, just juice!

The rest of the bottle of REÀL contains no nasties. The sugar is Cane Sugar, not high fructose Corn Syrup. And the stabilisers in the product are the very same that's used in most wine bottles you'll find all over the world. So they can't be bad!

It is due to this, that REÀL actually market themselves as a Premium Syrup brand. Because the facts don't lie. They are a premium upgrade from your typical Syrups and Fruity mixes.

(and I'm not just saying this, all the info is on the back of all bottles of every brand. It's only when you read the labels, you learn this!)

SOURCING THE FRUIT

ABM actively work with and invest in their fruit producers from all over the world. They don't simply bulk buy random fruit, or a pre-mix juice blend from manufacturers like some other brands. They know exactly who their farmers are and what varieties of Fruit they are using. They've built relationships over decades and take care of their producers and work with them to help them continually grow and produce the best possible fruit.

STOCK LEVELS

Finally, ABM as a company should never run out of stock! Wholesalers might, but ABM won't. 

The fruit is frozen straight after being processed in the country of origin to maintain freshness. It's then shipped to ABM HQ near Louisville, US. And then it is only defrosted the day before its turned into Puree in ABMs manufacturing plant. But the crucial thing, ABM have been at this a while and know what they need on an annual basis to supply the demand. So they always keep a years supply of all the fruits, frozen on site.

SUMMING UP

To me all this screams of a proper professional business, who actually care about quality and using nothing but the best ingredients. A company who won't compromise. Afterall they could cut fruit content in favour of adding more sugar, which would undoubtedly save them money. Lets face it, its a trend many Food & Drinks brands have done recently. Even Spirit brands. But ABM won't. Because they always want to live up to their "Premium Syrup" tag.