Bacardi has released its Mix Lab cocktail app, which aims to “reimagine the bar setting” and help bartenders “develop their reputation.” Launching initially in the United Kingdom and United States, the Grey Goose owner’s new platform provides more than 300 cocktail recipes to consumers making drinks at home.
Bacardi Mix Lab looks to provide bartenders with a place where they can showcase their craft and build their reputation. Users can “follow” various bartenders and receive notifications when new recipes are uploaded.
The goal of the cocktail making app is to boost the confidence of at home cocktail makers. The company worked with 30 bartenders on the app, along with a group of consumers. As reported by Bacardi’s 2021 cocktail trends report, one in four Americans are making cocktails at home, while one in five UK drinkers are hosting virtual gatherings.
Each recipe on the Mix Lab app comes with a video of the bartender demonstrating how to create the cocktail. Recipes can be saved, and users can leave reviews of each serve after making them.
The My Bar function, meanwhile, will provide users with cocktail recommendations based on what the user has at home. The app uses an AI-driven recommendations engine that suggests cocktail recipes based on the user preferences selected when creating their profile, curating personalised options based on what they like. Dinkers can browse recipes based on color, difficulty, flavour, national holidays, spirits and occasions.
US consumers who download Mix Lab can make in-app purchases through e-commerce platform Thirstie, while UK drinkers can shop for Bacardi spirits and gift sets through the platform’s gifting site.
Bacardi said the app also allows consumers to support bartenders during the pandemic by trying their recipes, and ‘liking’ and ‘sharing’ their favorite bartenders.
“The web experience is like Pinterest, you can save things or add to it, and it drives you to download the app,” explained Katie Kirkpatrick, global senior director at Bacardi-owned platforms. “We want the browser to be a place, without the hurdle of downloading the app, to be inspired and make sure the app gives consumers the extra personalised experience, based on preferences and flavour profiles.”
Bacardi is looking to launch Mix Lab across Europe in the near future. Mix Lab is now available to download for free on iOS and Android.