With the loss of social intimacy, people’s mental health suffered. Bars have long served a place in society as hubs of interaction and have been sorely missed through lockdowns.
“There’s a lot of pressure on society because of the global situation. There’s a change in mood,” says Mudaliar. “People are a little bit more stressed out. When they go to the bar, they’re not looking for the really experimental drinks that they were before lockdown. Now people are looking for good, fun, light, fresh drinks and they want to have two or three with friends while catching up. People want to take themselves a little less seriously. People are looking for comfort drinks.”
As the trade re-opens, comfort drinks could be on the agenda for patrons and proprietors alike. The pandemic put previously unimaginable stresses on cocktail bars. It forced businesses to pivot and changed how the world operates, in some cases permanently. And in that hardship, innovation was necessary for survival.
“It’s put a lot of things into perspective,” says Goodfellow. “Every decision and every move is going to be about emotional, psychological and financial sustainability with environmental fourth on the list.
“Going through hell really helps you understand what is worth going through hell for.”
