Cocktail & Mocktail Menu Engineering: A Complete Bar Menu System, Not Just Recipes
- thedoublestrainer
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
A drinks program does not win because a drink tastes great once. It wins when your team can reproduce the same result fast, consistently, and profitably, every shift.
Menu Design & Engineering is The Double Strainer’s online service for venues and brands that want more than “nice recipes”. This is a complete execution system: recipes, prep logic, shelf-life standards, QC checks, and (where included) costing and pricing structure, so the menu performs under real service pressure.
Start here: Cocktail & Mocktail Menu Engineering
What you get in practice
Most “menu design” services deliver ideas. This service delivers a system your team can run.
Depending on the package, you receive:
Spec sheets (ml/oz, method, glassware, ice, garnish, service notes)
Prep and batching guidance (ratios, workflows, labeling, storage, shelf-life)
Consistency and QC checks (simple controls to keep output stable across shifts)
Menu-ready copy (short descriptions that help guests order faster)
Costing and pricing support (included where stated, or available as add-on)
Training notes (so junior staff can execute without guesswork)
Result: faster service, fewer mistakes, lower waste, cleaner workflows, and a menu that protects margins instead of leaking profit.
Why this matters (where venues lose money)
Most bars don’t have a creativity problem. They have an execution problem.
Common operational pain points:
Inconsistency: the same drink changes depending on who is on shift
Slow service: builds are not engineered for peak volume
Prep chaos: unclear batching, weak labeling, no shelf-life logic
Waste and shrinkage: over-prep, spoilage, messy workflows quietly drain profit
Margin leaks: pricing is not structured around real cost and targets
Training gaps: standards live in someone’s head, not in a repeatable system
A well-engineered menu reduces waste by design through smarter ingredient selection, cross-utilisation, stable preps, and portion-controlled builds. That means fewer emergency re-orders, less product thrown away, and more predictable performance.
Choose the track that matches your goal
On the Menu Design page you can choose between three tracks:
1) Custom Drinks Menus
Best for: venues, events, guest shifts, bars, hotels
Outcome: a complete cocktail menu engineered for speed and consistency in service
2) Build a Brand Menu
Best for: brands, suppliers, wholesalers, activations
Outcome: a menu built around your brand(s) and key SKUs, ready to deploy in partner venues
3) Mocktail (No-Alcohol) Menus
Best for: venues building a serious zero-proof offer
Outcome: adult, balanced zero-proof drinks designed for repeatable service, not “juice blends”
Pick your track and start the process here:
Cocktail & Mocktail Menu Engineering
What I need from you (so we move fast and keep it realistic)
After purchase, you receive a short intake form. Typically I ask for:
Venue/brand concept, target guest, service style
Menu goal (signature menu, classics with twists, SKU-led activation, zero-proof program)
Operational constraints (prep capacity, equipment, staffing level, peak volume)
Ingredient reality (preferred suppliers, restricted items, local availability)
No long calls required. In most cases, the intake form is enough to start immediately.
Costing note: accurate costing requires your ingredient price list. If you don’t have it ready, we can start with benchmarks and update once pricing is provided.
Availability note: if an ingredient is hard to source consistently, alternatives can be built into the logic so the menu stays executable long-term.
How it works (simple workflow)
1) Consult & Define
You complete the intake form so the work aligns with concept, targets, and constraints.
2) Design & Refine
You receive a structured first draft, then a revision round within scope to align taste, speed, feasibility, and operational flow.
3) Deliver & Handover
Final files arrive organized, labeled, and ready to implement in service, including prep and execution guidance.
Risk reversal (reducing purchase anxiety)
This is an execution-first service. If the first draft direction is not aligned with your concept or operational constraints, we recalibrate the direction within the included revision scope to reach a workable, service-ready solution.
Packages and pricing (starting from)
To keep pricing always accurate, current prices and delivery windows are shown on the order page. This article lists what is included and how the packages are structured.
Custom Drinks Menus (starting from the entry package shown online)
Starter (1 cocktail)
Menu Core (6 cocktails)
Full System (12 cocktails)
Build a Brand Menu (starting from the entry package shown online)
Brand Menu Hero Serve (1 drink)
Brand Activation Set (3 drinks)
Brand Campaign Menu (6 drinks)
Mocktail (No-Alcohol) Menus (starting from the entry package shown online)
Hero Mocktail (1 drink)
Zero Proof Set (3 drinks)
Full Zero Proof Program (6 drinks)
See current pricing and start your order:
Cocktail & Mocktail Menu Engineering
Rush, revisions, and confidentiality
Rush delivery available for select packages (subject to calendar availability)
Revisions included (scope depends on package)
Worldwide delivery, fully online
Confidentiality and NDA available on request
Who this is for
Cocktail bars, hotel bars, restaurant bars
Openings and relaunches that need a structured, executable system
Brand teams and distributors running SKU-led activations
Venues that want a premium zero-proof program that sells
Want examples before buying?
Explore the track details and samples on this page:
Written by: Riccardo Grechi | Head Mixologist, Bar Consultant, Bar Trainer
