Marmite and Mixology: What Cocktail Menus Can Teach Us About Brand Storytelling
The last time I was genuinely moved by a piece of marketing, it wasn’t on a screen or an app. It was in a dimly lit bar off Cuba Street, scribbled inside a leather-bound menu between a Negroni riff and a surprisingly philosophical description of a sherry-based nightcap. Now, hear me out. Cocktail menus are one of the most overlooked masterclasses in brand storytelling.
Let’s take the menu at Mr. Go’s or Parrotdog Bar. These teams don’t just list ingredients, they curate narratives. A drink becomes a character. The coconut-washed rum didn’t just end up in the glass by accident, it took a metaphorical journey that involved a blustery Pacific island, a family recipe, and someone’s deeply specific fear of marzipan. Each line is written with economy and wit. No jargon. No performance metrics. And it sticks.
Now, apply that to your next product description or social post. Most brands talk like they’re trying to win a grant application. What if, instead, they took a leaf from the mixologist’s notebook? The idea isn’t complexity. It’s flavour. Specificity. Humanity. One of the most successful bar launches in Tāmaki Makaurau used a single word to describe their entire concept: salty. That’s it. You knew exactly what you were getting. It’s Miles Davis-level restraint.
So before you spiral into another hyper-real brand manifesto, go have a drink. Not because you need it, but because the menu might solve a creative problem you’ve been stuck on for a month. Just skip the lavender foam. No story on earth can redeem that.
Let’s take the menu at Mr. Go’s or Parrotdog Bar. These teams don’t just list ingredients, they curate narratives. A drink becomes a character. The coconut-washed rum didn’t just end up in the glass by accident, it took a metaphorical journey that involved a blustery Pacific island, a family recipe, and someone’s deeply specific fear of marzipan. Each line is written with economy and wit. No jargon. No performance metrics. And it sticks.
Now, apply that to your next product description or social post. Most brands talk like they’re trying to win a grant application. What if, instead, they took a leaf from the mixologist’s notebook? The idea isn’t complexity. It’s flavour. Specificity. Humanity. One of the most successful bar launches in Tāmaki Makaurau used a single word to describe their entire concept: salty. That’s it. You knew exactly what you were getting. It’s Miles Davis-level restraint.
So before you spiral into another hyper-real brand manifesto, go have a drink. Not because you need it, but because the menu might solve a creative problem you’ve been stuck on for a month. Just skip the lavender foam. No story on earth can redeem that.