SHG began providing food and beverage service for Jujamcyn Theaters in the fall of 2010. Taking on five high-volume venues practically overnight was a pivotal moment for us. It was our biggest challenge and one of our greatest successes.
More theaters meant more Featured Show Cocktails to mix up. Bigger theaters meant a lot more people to enjoy them. How exciting is that?
SHG began an initiative to elevate our beverage program shortly after this expansion. Just as our original Broadway cocktails were inspired by the colorful martinis of their day, the next generation was inspired by the growing craft cocktail movement. Why shouldn’t drinks at the theater parallel those found in fine restaurants and cocktail lounges? No reason at all!
But how do we expand and elevate the cocktail offerings at our busiest bars while still maintaining our signature speed and efficiency of service? The solution that emerged was a little innovation we like to call “batched mixology.”
Essentially, we took the high-end ingredients and flavors of craft cocktails and multiplied them to create batched mixers. All the complicated mixing and measuring happens behind the scenes before service. At the bar, the mixers are combined with a base liquor as quickly as juice or soda. Thus, craft cocktails became as easy to make as a highball!
Batched mixers became the standard SHG cocktail format by 2013. Audiences at prominent productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway and beyond have enjoyed their elevated ease ever since!
Pro Tip: You can create batched cocktails at home (especially for upcoming holiday parties) using any of our cocktail recipes. Simply swap out ounces for cups (i.e.: one ounce of simple syrup becomes one cup) and you’ve got an eight-serving batch.