As the temperature drops and leaves start to change color, diners’ focuses shift from summer barbecues to fall-themed food and beverages. You can make the most of this festive feeling by incorporating seasonal drinks into your delivery menu. Fall drinks are a fun way to attract customers and good for your bottom line. In fact, adding alcohol delivery to your Grubhub menu can increase the average order value by $14 to $15. 

Here are eight drinks you can add to your restaurant’s alcohol delivery strategy to give diners the fall flavors they crave this season.

Why you should add to-go alcohol to your delivery strategy

If your restaurant serves alcohol in-house, it makes sense to add it to your delivery menu; it’s an easy way to delight customers, increase ticket size, and boost revenue. Restaurant owners are taking note of the profit potential — 63% of restaurant operators are offering alcohol beverages, up from 15% in 2019. This trend isn’t going anywhere, and alcohol delivery is expected to grow by 66% between 2020 and 2025.

As you develop an alcohol delivery menu, packaging is key. Consider which drinks on your menu can be packaged easily, and make sure your delivery method preserves the quality of the cocktail. If your state requires you to keep to-go alcohol in its original container, consider creating cocktail kits with an instruction sheet and all the necessary ingredients. Diners can then become their own bartenders, mixing the drinks at home without compromising quality.

Cocktail kits are fun and aesthetically pleasing, which makes them a natural fit for your marketing strategy. Showcase the kits in your autumn promotions by updating your photos on your Grubhub Marketplace listing and posting fun pics of your creations on social media. You can use ingredients in cocktail kits to get customers excited about your seasonal drink menu by celebrating fall social media holidays like National Pumpkin Day (October 26).

Before you add festive alcoholic drinks to your to-go menu, make sure alcohol delivery is available in your market. Liquor laws regarding to-go alcohol sales are still changing post-pandemic, but it’s legal in the vast majority of states. Just three states (Utah, North Carolina, and North Dakota) prohibit both to-go and delivery alcohol.

8 alcoholic drinks for your fall delivery menu

Fall drinks are all about rich, comforting flavors that evoke the feelings of sitting by a roaring fire and breathing in crisp air. Tap into the sensory experience of autumn with these seasonal cocktails and brews.

1. Mulled Wine

A staple of European Christmas markets, mulled wine is the perfect drink for cool fall days. It’s traditionally made with red wine, fragrant spices, and a hint of sugar, but you can add brandy, oranges, or maple syrup for a personal twist. Serve it warm for a cozy meal or a big Thanksgiving dinner. The best part? It’s easy to prepare in large batches, making it the perfect option for restaurants. For your delivery menu, consider creating a drink kit with a bottle of red wine and a spice sachet.

2. Espresso Martini

The espresso martini has seen a surge in popularity since 2021, and it’s easy to see why — these elegant cocktails pack a punch. They feature cold brew or espresso, vodka, coffee liqueur, and simple syrup. You can add your own fall twist by swapping in a pumpkin spice or maple syrup. The aromatic spices complement the coffee, creating a full-bodied flavor.

3. Hard Cider

Hard cider captures the thrill of apple picking on a brisk autumn afternoon. You can find cider in a range of fall blends, and there are plenty of gluten-free options to satisfy your customers. Since most hard ciders are pre-canned or pre-bottled, it reduces the workload on your bar staff, and it’s a breeze to deliver.

4. Apple Cider Sangria

Cocktails with fresh fruit are a big trend for 2022. If you’re looking to get in on the fun this fall, sangria is an ideal option. Supplement the traditional red-wine base with tart and tasty apple cider, and toss in your favorite fall fruits. For a fresh fall flavor, replace the wine with a fruity brandy. Sangria is easy to prepare in large batches with the fruit you have on hand, making it a great drink to serve groups of customers.

5. Classic White Russian

Hop on the throwback-cocktail trend with the classic white Russian. With just three ingredients — coffee liqueur, vodka, and heavy cream — it’s the perfect candidate for a fall cocktail kit. A white Russian can be shaken or stirred, so your customers don’t need special mixing equipment to make a delicious, creamy concoction.

6. Cinnamon and Hibiscus Margarita

At first glance, a margarita might not seem like a fall cocktail — until you add hibiscus syrup and a generous dash of cinnamon, that is. This unexpectedly nuanced combination bridges the gap between summer and fall, making it a great choice if your city has warm weather that lasts well into October. It’s also great for business; margaritas and tequila drinks are among the most popular to-go cocktails.

7. Autumn Apple Bourbon Fizz

The charmingly vintage bourbon fizz is the ideal candidate for an autumn upgrade. The original drink is made with bourbon and a fizzy drink of your choice. Feel free to jazz it up with ginger ale and a hint of apple butter for a flavor that’s light and fruity, with a barely-there touch of cinnamon.

8. Pumpkin Ale

For your beer-loving customers, nothing says fall like a pumpkin ale. Jump on the local-spirits trend by sourcing seasonal batches from nearby breweries, and keep a stock of national favorites on hand for good measure. Pre-canned ales are an easy packaged drink to add into your delivery strategy.

Boost your revenue with alcohol delivery on Grubhub

Fall drinks can take your seasonal specials to the next level. Adding alcohol to your Grubhub menu can even encourage customers to place larger delivery orders, meaning more dough for your business. If you’re not sure about the laws in your market, reach out to your Grubhub account advisor to see what your restaurant can offer.

To get the most from your fall promotions, make sure your restaurant is prepared for to-go alcohol delivery with these quick tips:

• Create packaging guidelines. Decide how you’ll package each drink to maintain its temperature, prevent spills, and adhere to local laws. It’s a good idea to pack drinks separately for easy return if needed.
• Follow labeling requirements. It’s important to label the alcoholic beverages in each order to ensure the right drink gets into the right hands. Labeling also helps delivery drivers know which drinks will require ID checks upon delivery.
• Check IDs during delivery. Drivers can only deliver to diners who are 21-years-old and older, so it’s important to remind customers to have their government-issued ID on hand.
• Be clear on alcohol return guidelines. Let your customers and staff know that Grubhub drivers won’t deliver alcohol to people who are visibly intoxicated or don’t have an ID. That means that drinks that cannot be delivered will be returned to your restaurant.
• Ensure your liquor license is up to date. Make sure that your license is current and meets your state and local regulations for alcohol delivery.

If you need more ideas for packaging and profiting from drink sales, learn how to optimize your restaurants for beverage delivery. Ready to tap into alcohol delivery for your restaurant? Sign up with Grubhub today.