{"id":15358,"date":"2024-02-21T14:50:10","date_gmt":"2024-02-21T12:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/?p=15358"},"modified":"2024-02-21T14:50:10","modified_gmt":"2024-02-21T12:50:10","slug":"smashing-your-socials-bartending-in-the-digital-age-with-angostura","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/smashing-your-socials-bartending-in-the-digital-age-with-angostura\/","title":{"rendered":"Smashing your Socials: Bartending in the Digital Age with Angostura"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>As World Bartender Day approaches, ANGOSTURA\u00ae asks four top SA bar professionals what social media means to them and how best to use it to hone their craft.<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Bartending today is faster-paced and more complex than ever.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong> No longer is it enough to mix a Manhattan to perfection (with its dash of ANGOSTURA\u00ae aromatic bitters) and serve it with a smile.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The last two decades have seen a whirlwind of trends coming and going, the bar itself has become a theatre, the craft of mixology a spectacle. And social media drives an accelerating pace of change. As World Bartender\u2019s Day celebrates the stars of our cocktail culture, ANGOSTURA\u00ae asks Nicholas Crouse, Cassandra Eichoff, Joshua Hendricks and Philip Burrows about the role socials such as Instagram and TikTok now play in their profession.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Keeping up with trends<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Every bar and bartender needs to have a social media presence in today\u2019s industry if you want to stay current. \u201cSocial media has helped to connect the cocktail world on a global level,\u201d says Nicholas Crouse of Talking to Strangers.\u00a0 \u201cIt has created a platform for us to keep abreast of the latest global trends, as well as showcase what our local markets have to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In this digital age trends change very quickly as do customer preferences, says Philip Burrows of Tjing Tjing House. \u201cFor example, the Negroni Sbagliato was created in 1972 and fifty years later a single TikTok video made it one of the most popular cocktails overnight. People have access to content from all over the world. The bartending scene has to adapt to these trends as this is what the customers are demanding.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Driving creativity<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>One positive side of this constant stream of information is that you never get in a rut. \u201cExposure to engaging cocktail content educates me on new techniques and inspires the creation of new and innovative drinks,\u201d says Joshua Hendricks of Fable. \u201cAnd sharing my own content on these platforms enables me to network with fellow bartenders and brands, so I\u2019m continuously working on my craft.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Burrows agrees, \u201cBecause social media has made content and information so accessible, recipes and how to create things are instantly available. This has pushed me to want to create more, it sparks ideas every day.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Seeing is believing<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>One challenge that bartenders deal with regularly is social media raising the bar on customer expectations. \u201cThe visual nature of these platforms has made presentation and aesthetics more important than ever,\u201d says Cassandra Eichhoff, director of the European Bartender School. \u201c\u2019Have you seen this on Insta or TikTok\u2019 is not only something bartenders talk about, but also consumers, which increases the expectation of the drinking experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And what you see on social media through a curated lens (after hours of styling and prep) may need to be taken with a pinch of margarita salt. \u201cSome of the ideals we see online are not always applicable to real-life service,\u201d she adds. \u201cSo bartenders need to communicate with their customers and educate them on their style of bar or menu offering.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Creating community<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>But the positives outweigh the potential smoke and mirrors of social media, especially when it comes to networking, promoting events, and building community, \u201cOne of the most relevant impacts of SM for me is using it as an easy platform to keep in touch with a network of industry professionals that I have met over the years,\u201d says Crouse.<\/p>\n<p>And it brings together a diverse crowd, says Eichoff, \u201cSocial media gives cocktail and spirits enthusiasts a place to feel like they can be a part of the industry without necessarily working behind a bar.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Building a social presence<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>For aspiring bartenders starting out on their career, they share some advice: \u201cStart early to establish a social media presence,\u201d says Hendricks. \u201cIt will bring numerous opportunities for your bartending career. While fancy equipment is beneficial, it&#8217;s not essential; a simple cellphone camera suffices.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But you need more than just good content creation skills, says Crouse, \u201cHaving a strong social media presence is essential but by no means the starting point. It needs to be backed up with hard work and time invested in the craft. Use the platform for inspiration and most importantly education, then showcase your work later.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Avoid falling into the various social media pitfalls, warns Eichoff, \u201cDon&#8217;t believe everything the algorithm throws your way &#8211; read books, visit credible sites and practice the practical skill of bartending every chance you get. Be yourself when creating content &#8211; people want to know who you are just as much as to celebrate your innovation, creation and skills.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And use social media actively, says Burrows. \u201cI would encourage bartenders use content seen on social media as inspiration to come up with something new. Try things that have never been done before, look at trends as a stepping stone to create newer trends and push boundaries in our industry. Instead of trying to replicate, create.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And lastly don\u2019t get hung up on social media stats, says Eichoff, \u201cthe amount of followers you have does not determine your excellence or worth in the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>ANGOSTURA\u00ae<\/strong><strong> orange and cocoa bitters<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Social media swiftly brings new flavours into the bartenders\u2019 repertoire, as was seen with the launch of ANGOSTURA\u00ae orange and cocoa bitters onto the South African market last year, which have quickly been adopted behind the bar. \u201cANGOSTURA\u00ae Cocoa Bitters works particularly well with aged spirits, especially in stirred, spirit-forward cocktails,\u201d says Hendricks. \u201cI love a Boulevardier with a dash or two of ANGOSTURA\u00ae Cocoa Bitters. It transforms the cocktail, creating the perfect nightcap.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And the two bitters work well together too. \u201cWe make a really fantastic twist on a cobbler in our mixology courses, using Malbec wine, cocoa liqueur and fresh fruits,\u201d says Eichoff. \u201cA few dashes of both ANGOSTURA\u00ae cocoa and orange bitters add that extra oomph of bitter yet chocolate, citrus yet fresh to the mix.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And like ANGOSTURA\u00ae bitters, a judicious dash of social media presence is the finishing touch to the cocktail that is the bartender\u2019s journey in today\u2019s industry.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For more information on the Angostura range and delicious food and cocktail recipes, please visit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.angosturabitters.com\/\">www.angosturabitters.com<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Follow Angostura South Africa on Facebook <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AngosturaZA\/\">\/Angostura South Africa<\/a> and Instagram <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/angosturaza\/\">@AngosturaZA<\/a> for fun facts, recipes and brand updates.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-112690\" src=\"http:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Bartender.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1150\" height=\"1725\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As World Bartender Day approaches, ANGOSTURA\u00ae asks four top SA bar professionals what social media means to them and how best to use it to hone their craft. Bartending today is faster-paced and more complex than ever. No longer is it enough to mix a Manhattan to perfection (with its dash of ANGOSTURA\u00ae aromatic bitters)&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15359,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15358","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"wps_subtitle":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15358","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15358"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15358\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15360,"href":"https:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15358\/revisions\/15360"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15359"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15358"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15358"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.food-blog.co.za\/joburg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15358"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}