Launch events
Product Launch Bar Support for Alcohol & Drinks Brands
Hire bartenders and a staffed bar to serve your drinks brand's approved launch drinks, with the equipment and supplies agreed in the quote.
Commercial drinks operation
Drinks Brand Activation Bar Hire
Hire Cocktailhire bartenders and staffed mobile bars for drinks-brand launches, sampling events, trade tastings and venue activations. Filming and anonymous service reporting can be added by agreement.
A drinks-brand activation lets guests taste or learn about a brand's product at a launch, sampling event, trade tasting or venue takeover. Cocktailhire supplies the agreed bartenders, working bar equipment and drinks service. Your brand provides the product and approved serving instructions; the quote allocates the remaining supplies.
We deliver and assemble the ordered bar, prepare and serve the agreed drinks during booked hours, then dismantle our equipment. Optional filming, editing and anonymous service reporting are separate agreed work.
Activation prices are quoted from the brief: staff, service hours, bar size, equipment, supplies, branding, travel and any additional filming or reporting. Start with your date, location, guest numbers and service requirements; the whole campaign plan does not have to be finished before you enquire.
Choose the bar service for your event
Branded bar infrastructure
Branded Mobile Bar Support for Brand Activations
Hire a staffed mobile bar with an agreed branded front for a launch, exhibition stand, sampling event or trade reception.
Sampling activations
Drinks Sampling Activation Bar Support
Book bartenders and an agreed bar setup to prepare and serve samples of your drinks brand's products at a tasting, launch or promotional event.
Trade and buyer rooms
Trade, Distributor & Buyer Event Bar Support
Hire bartenders and staffed bars for drinks portfolio showcases, distributor events and buyer tastings.
Press, media and creator rooms
PR & Media Event Bar Support for Drinks Brands
Book staffed bar service for a drinks-brand press preview, media reception or creator event, with filming available by separate agreement.
On-trade activation support
On-Trade Brand Activation Bar Support
Arrange Cocktailhire bar staff and agreed equipment for a drinks-brand takeover or tasting in an existing pub, bar, restaurant or other hospitality venue.
Serve intelligence
Drink-Level Event Data & Serve Reporting
Add agreed anonymous drink-service reporting to a brand activation to see which drinks were recorded and when they were served.
Activation content
Event Film & Content Capture for Drinks Brands
Arrange filming and editing for a selected Cocktailhire drinks-brand event, covering agreed product shots, bar service and event footage.
What you supply and what Cocktailhire supplies
Your brand and event team
Provide the product stock, approved serving instructions, campaign artwork and a named approval contact. Confirm the venue, guest count, timetable, loading arrangements and permitted drinks service. The serving instructions should specify product, measure, preparation, glass and garnish.
Cocktailhire's agreed bar operation
The quote identifies the bartenders, ordered bar, equipment and supplies. Our mobile bars require Cocktailhire staff; glassware hire is available only alongside that staffed bar. Agree ingredients, ice, garnish, storage and waste responsibilities explicitly.
Branded fronts require suitable print-ready artwork and an agreed production schedule. Filming and reporting are optional, with their own deliverables. Approving a bar booking does not automatically commission the rest of a campaign.
Plan the service around the room and running order
Share a measured floor plan, guest arrival pattern and any presentation or tasting sequence. Set the first-drink time, service finish, build window and removal access. Include doors, lifts, loading restrictions and the place available for product storage.
Straight bars need their ordered width by 1.5m floor depth; horseshoes need their width by 2.5m; an island needs 5.5m by 3.5m. Guest circulation is additional. LED Gatsby requires at least two bar units.
Commercial proof
Documented Cocktailhire event bar case studies
These case studies describe particular bars, staff and services supplied at past events. Review the documented setup, photographs and relationship context when comparing them with the requirements of your own activation.
Office team event
Amazon Manchester
Three-metre wooden bar frontage in a working office setting, with drinks served around stock supplied through the client’s own internal ordering system.
Retail launch
Represent Manchester
Two-floor bar planning, glassware support and separate service points for store launches and brand-led retail rooms.
Recognised rooms
Nobu, Claridge’s and The Savoy
Read the individual hotel and event pages for their documented bar service and the requirements for a new booking. They do not establish blanket venue approval.
Venues, brands and events
Cocktailhire brand, venue and event work
The reel brings together venues we have worked within, brands that have booked Cocktailhire, and events supplied directly or through independent event teams. It records the rooms and briefs our bar teams have handled; it does not claim that every organisation shown booked us directly, endorses Cocktailhire or lists us as an approved supplier.
Bar and event setups
Staffed bars in event settings
Use the images to consider bar presentation and working space. The linked case studies describe the particular services supplied; images alone do not establish a reporting or filming result.
Serve-level reporting
What an agreed event report could show
If serve-level reporting is part of the brief, we agree the capture method and useful anonymous measures in advance. The example below shows the intended format, not live results from a client event. What can be reported depends on the data actually captured during service.
Serve performance
Top drinks, total serves, category split, SKU split and hero serve uptake.
Demand movement
Peak windows, early-event versus late-event movement and service pressure by time period.
Round behaviour
Single orders, round size, drinks ordered together and serves most likely to travel in groups.
Next-event decisions
Batch potential, garnish pressure, menu order, prep notes and campaign-level comparisons.
Illustrative report layout
What a measured activation report could show
These figures are illustrative, not results from a Cocktailhire event. The measures available for a real brief depend on the serve data agreed and captured during service.
484Total servessample activation
19:30-20:15Peak demandarrival surge
Launch SpritzTop serve38% share
41%Round ratetop serve
| Serve | Total | Share | Peak time | Round rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch Spritz | 184 | 38% | 19:30-20:15 | 41% |
| Highball | 126 | 26% | 20:00-21:00 | 33% |
| Sour | 88 | 18% | 21:00-22:00 | 22% |
| No/Low Serve | 52 | 11% | 18:30-19:30 | 18% |
| Neat / Tasting Serve | 34 | 7% | 18:00-18:45 | 9% |
Optional content capture
Filming and editing for selected activations
Agree the product shots, preparation footage, branded-bar scenes and event moments you need. Specify the finished edits, formats, intended use, approval contact and delivery arrangements before filming.
Filming and anonymous reporting answer different questions. Footage documents visible activity; recorded drink selections describe the service covered by the data. Neither by itself proves sales, audience preference or return on investment.
Scope one event or a series of activations
Confirm each date and venue. A repeated campaign can use a shared product and service brief, while recording each venue's access, equipment, hours and stock arrangements separately. Any comparison must disclose differences in service coverage and event conditions.
Staffed activation bar
The quoted staff, bar, equipment, service hours and agreed supplies. Confirm brand stock and campaign responsibilities separately.
Add anonymous service reporting
An agreed recording plan and report based on captured drink-service data, with coverage and unavailable measures disclosed.
Add filming and editing
A separate shot list and defined finished deliverables, with intended use, approval and delivery arrangements agreed.
Plan multiple events
Confirm dates, venues and scope for each event. A shared operating brief can support the series; comparisons require suitable data.
Practical answers before you book
Use the guides for briefing, sampling, serving specifications, supplier responsibilities, content and reporting. You can request an initial quote while identifying details still to be confirmed.
FAQ
Drinks-brand activation booking questions
What does a drinks-brand activation booking include?
The quote defines the bartenders, ordered bar, equipment, service hours and agreed supplies. Branding, filming and anonymous service reporting are additional scope items, included only where agreed.
How is activation bar hire priced?
Commercial activations are quoted from the brief. Staff, service hours, bar size, equipment, supplies, branding, travel and any filming or reporting affect the price. Send the event basics and identify requirements still to be confirmed.
Can the brand supply its own stock?
Yes. Confirm the product, quantity, delivery, storage and replenishment arrangements. Provide approved serving instructions and allocate mixers, ice, garnish, glasses and other consumables in the quote.
Can we hire the mobile bar without Cocktailhire staff?
No. Our mobile bars are supplied only with Cocktailhire staff. Glassware hire is available only alongside that staffed bar.
How many bartenders should we plan for?
One bartender per 50 guests is a starting point for planning. The approved serving method, arrival pattern and available service time can require a different arrangement; confirm the staffing in the quote.
Can you support no/low and ready-to-drink products?
Yes, subject to the agreed event setup. Provide the products and serving instructions, including measures, temperature and any storage needs. Confirm supplies and equipment in the quote.
Do you handle licensing or venue permissions?
For commercial alcohol activations, the venue licence position, TEN requirement where relevant, guestlist, age policy and house rules should be confirmed in the brief. Cocktailhire can plan service around those requirements, but does not replace the venue, organiser or brand legal approval process.
Request a quote for the bar and services you need
Send the date, location, guest count, service hours and event type. Add the approved drinks, stock arrangements, bar requirements and any filming or reporting needed. The quote will identify scope and supply responsibilities.
date and cityvenue or event spaceguest numbers and audience typeservice windowbrand-side or agency leadliquid positionserve list and specPOS and brand assetsactivation objective or KPIscontent capture needsreporting needslicence or venue conditionsload-in restrictions