Craft Your Perfect Brand Recipe
Using classic cocktails as a guide
If you follow me on Instagram, then you know that I've been working my way through the 90 official cocktails as designated by the International Bartenders Association.
It's been a fun journey. I'm not only trying new-to-me cocktails, but I'm learning more about my palate, what drinks I enjoy making, and using my creative side to attempt some decent-looking photos!
I am going alphabetically in each of the three categories and making 2-3 cocktails a week. Whatever day it is that I'm going to make one of the cocktails, I have to make the one next on the list. No switching around.
Because of that, in the past few weeks, I've made cocktails that are all so similar in style whether it's the ingredients, directions, or in the fact that there are so many different variations.
After making the fourth of these cocktails, the similarities between them and creating a brand recipe kept mounting.
You see, I help new and young brands craft their brand recipe. But what does that actually mean and why do you need a brand recipe?
Let's use these cocktails to show you.
The four cocktails I'm talking about are the Martini, Manhattan, Martinez, and the Hanky Panky. They all are variations of the same cocktail, they all focused on two main ingredients (gin/bourbon and sweet/dry vermouth) and while there are only 2 ways to make it (shaken or stirred), the variations are endless, as are the garnishes.
For simplicity's sake, let's stick with the most well-known, the Martini and the Manhattan.
The Martini
A "traditional" Martini is made with gin, dry vermouth, stirred until chilled and garnished with a lemon peel or olive.
That's the way as defined in Wikipedia. Seems simple but there are so many ways to make it:
A "dry martini" (which seems to be the default) is heavy on the gin. It's a 6:1 ratio of gin to dry vermouth. When the martini was first made, the ratio was 2:1, then in the 1930s it was 3:1 and the vermouth continued to decline and now bartenders will only put in a splash of vermouth typically unless instructed otherwise.
James Bond orders a vodka martini shaken, not stirred. My personal opinion you are missing out on good flavor if you go with vodka instead of gin, and some would say by shaking it, Bond is ordering a weak drink. I agree though shaking does result in a very cold cocktail which I do love.
A "wet martini" has more vermouth. A "50-50 martini" (my personal favorite) is equal parts gin and vermouth. A reverse martini has more vermouth than gin.
A "dirty martini" adds a splash of olive juice to make it "dirty".
And a "perfect martini" brings in sweet vermouth with equal parts dry and sweet vermouth.
Don't forget about the bitters, garnishes and choice of glassware and ice. A lemon twist or basic green olive are the norms, but you can also go with a stuffed olive, onion or orange twist. Some like their martini in a martini glass, others want it on the rocks in a rocks glass. I like a Nick and Nora glass because I'm less likely to spill it!
The Manhattan
In a Manhattan, swap the gin for whiskey and the dry vermouth for sweet vermouth.
And while you can play around with the ratios (the most common being 2:1), the garnishes (typically a brandied cherry or orange twist), and the addition of dry vermouth in a "perfect manhattan", the variations here mostly come in the ingredients.
The variations of whiskeys are endless from rye (my favorite), bourbon, Canadian, Tenessee and even Scotch, and within those types, the flavor profile can change drastically.
You can even switch up the sweet vermouth with an amaro like Averna to get a "black manhattan".
Finding your Perfect Cocktail Recipe
Yes, there technically is a perfect martini and a perfect manhattan in name. But to me, the fun of these drinks is finding what is perfect for you. It's the A/B testing of cocktails! Below is how to conduct your own experiment. And please don't do this in one sitting! This may take weeks or even months to figure out!
Choose your test recipe. Use the same ingredients and the same ratio for each.
Using your test, make one shaken and one stirred. Which do you like better?
Next, take the chosen winner (shaken or stirred) and try it on the rocks or straight up.
Now it's time for garnishes and bitters. Using the winning one, try using bitters and different garnishes. Add a little olive juice to your martini and see if you like a dirty one.
Now that you have the make, serving style, and garnish down, it's time to use that and play with the ratio. Assume a 3 oz drink and adjust your ounces accordingly.
Once you have the ratio down, the final step is to play with the ingredients themselves. Vodka or gin? Floral or dry? Rye or whiskey? Smokey or smooth?
Order your perfect martini or manhattan with confidence and enjoy.
Ok now that we've found your perfect cocktail, it's time to do the same for your brand. Will it be as fun or delicious? Possibly not, but it will be so much more worthwhile in the end!
Finding Your Perfect Brand Recipe
When I talk about your brand recipe, I factor in three critical elements that go into how a brand is conveyed and perceived by a potential customer. I'm not just talking about your logo or messaging, it's the branding, brand strategy, and marketing all rolled into one.
My three-part brand recipe includes your brand story, the content you share, and the way you interact with your audience and customers.
Part 1: The main ingredient is your branding assets and content pillars, while the flavor profile of that ingredient shows off your brand's personality.
Part 2: The secondary ingredients, bitters and garnishes is the compelling content that makes the brand come alive and bring out the flavors.
Part 3: The tools you use to create the recipe represent the marketing channels you are on to reach your audience, while the glassware and presentation represent the care you put into engaging with your customers.
As you saw with the Manhattan or Martini, every part is critical for finding the perfect recipe for you. You want to craft a recipe that works for your brand and that is designed to target your ideal audience.
Yes, crafting the perfect brand recipe is about matching it to your audience's perfect one.
You see, everyone is serving up a different style of Martini for the audience to drink. Think about Instagram. There are probably lots of brands that are similar to yours. But everyone's feed and content are so different - and because of that, everyone is attracting a different audience. One may be serving a dirty vodka martini on the rocks with extra olives, so those that like those martinis are going to head to their account. While your content is screaming 50/50 gin martini with a twist, straight up so someone like me who loves that variation is going to find your content really compelling and engaging.
Another reason to craft your brand recipe? Once you have the recipe nailed down and it's working for you and your audience, it's so easy to replicate. In other words: when you have a strong brand story and a good understanding of your ideal audience, creating compelling content and connecting with your potential customers is effortless. Just like making the same martini over and over.
But there are even more brand recipe lessons we can extract from the Martini or Manhattan:
Simple with Depth
KISS. Keep it Simple Stupid. These cocktails are stupid easy to make. It's basically two ingredients, combine with ice and pour into a glass.
Your brand shouldn't be complicated, it doesn't need all the bells and whistles to make an impact. Your recipe should be easy to make and replicate. Your marketing and online presence should be limited so that you have the time to focus your energy on them.
But while these cocktails are simple, they also are flavorful and have a lot of depth. Inject your personality into your brand and spend time engaging with your customers so they feel a deeper connection to your brand than others.
Efficiency at its Best
Repeating myself here, but these are easy to make. And guess what, your brand and marketing should be easy. Effortless in fact!
Yes, it takes work, and yes there may be aspects of it that you don't enjoy.
But with the right formula that is tailored to your brand, it should not be hard. You should know exactly what you should be doing to have the most impact on your ideal audience.
Defying Imposter Syndrome
It's so common for entrepreneurs to have a bit of imposter syndrome. Feeling like you are just copying what others are doing and not really making something your own.
Yes, a manhattan is a manhattan. Just like me being a branding coach is the same in name as other branding coaches. But if you did the experiment to find your perfect cocktail, then you know that subtle changes make a big difference.
What I love about the work that goes into crafting your perfect brand recipe is that it's authentic. It's impossible to copy someone else's when it's true to who you are, what your brand is about, and your ideal audience. Yes, their manhattan may look like yours but it's not the same. Yours is authentic.
Finding a Balance That Works
Cocktails are all about balance. Finding a harmonious balance between the ingredients to create a delicious tasting cocktail. It's all about choosing the best ingredients and finding a ratio that works well with them. Once you have it, the cocktail just works.
It's the same with your marketing efforts. You need to define the right marketing channels for each part of your customer journey (your ingredients) and then find a balance of how much you are each of them, sharing content and engaging with your audience.
For example, you don't want to spend all your efforts on SEO for your website or on Instagram, where you might introduce your audience to your brand, and then no time on your email marketing, where you'd cultivate your email list into customers. It's about finding a balance so your efforts are shared across all areas of a customer touchpoint with you. The ratio of course may change based on where you are in your business. Early on you may focus more on brand awareness, where veteran brands may get more business from referrals so they focus more on converting their audience into customers.
Now that you've found your perfect cocktail, are you ready to craft your perfect brand recipe? I can coach you through it! Let's chat!
