I confess that when I was younger I didn't quite get it. I mean why would a restaurant develop a beverage campaign directed exclusively to kids? Now that I've joined the ranks of Baby Boomers with kids, however, I get it. Any restaurant that makes the dining experience special for my kids has got a loyal friend in me. Special to my daughters means being served a great looking, great tasting drink in a sensational looking glass that mom and dad wouldn't make for them at home.

If generating good will isn't motivation enough, there's also the little matter of generating more profits. While most of these small fry specialties will retail for less than their adult counterparts, they deliver relatively the same amount of gross profit. All things considered, marketing signature drinks to the minor leagues makes good sense. The realm of possibilities has expanded greatly since the days of the kiddie cocktails and Shirley Temples. The philosophical orientation is to create a specialty drink that knocks their socks off.

Take the Chocolate/PB/Nana Shake, for example. Start with a tall specialty glass, between 16 and 20 ounces in capacity. Paint the inside of the glass with ribbons of chocolate and caramel syrups. Into your bar's blender place two #10 scoops of vanilla ice cream, 4 oz. whole milk, a half of a ripe, large banana, 1 oz. chocolate syrup and 2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter. Blend the ingredients and pour into the painted specialty glass and garnish with whipped cream. There isn't a person under the legal voting age who can resist it. (Psst...perhaps this isn't the time or place to mention it, but the above drink can be modified for those of legal drinking age by adding Kahlúa and Myers's Jamaican rum.)

So where to start? Here are some pointers that should help you create an Olympic class beverage program for our country's youth.

• LEMONADE — This great American beverage is a good starting point. Using Monin or Torani syrups you can feature such flavorful combinations as raspberry or kiwi lemonades. Another option is to take lemonade and blend it with ice cream and fresh fruit into a slushy specialty.
  
  
• SMOOTHIES — Kids generally love smoothies as long as they don't know that they're drinking something borderline healthy. Smoothies need not be more complicated than blending juice, fruit, honey and yogurt together. For fun, blend in a few Oreo cookies as well. The creative possibilities are boundless.
  
  
• THE SPIN DOCTOR OF DRINKS — The blender is a money-making machine. For example, take an alcohol-free strawberry daiquiri or piña colada, add a banana, some vanilla ice cream, a few sweet strawberries and a healthy dash of chocolate syrup to create something they'll talk about in school. Nearly anything kids like can be blended into a specialty drink.
  
  
• THE POWER OF PRESENTATION — Sure these drinks need to taste great, but they also have to look spectacular. Always market your drinks in tall, yet durable specialty glasses. Paint the inside of the glasses with chocolate and caramel syrup. Frozen blueberries (slightly thawed) or grenadine are great sources for color, and a few dashes of vanilla extract creates an irresistible aroma. The coup de grace is using red vine licorice instead of straws. Have fun, think like a kid and you'll succeed with the kids, and their parents.

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The Original Guide to Alcohol-Free Beverages and Drinks

Don't miss out on this hot new category! Serve delicious taste-tested alcohol free specialties to your customers and friends and enjoy low cost and great taste. The recipes span the breadth of alcohol-free mixology, including blended drinks, coffee, tea and cocoa specialties, ice cream drinks, and specialties made with lemonade, juices and sparkling cider. Plus reviews of the best products to use when making your creations!

~ by Robert Plotkin ~ 108 pages ~ 6" x 9" Item# ALF54 ~ $15.95 ~

Shipped in the US only

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