138: What Actually Sells Drinks in Restaurants With Brian Evans

In 2025, Sunday Hospitality Group served 1.2 million alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages across eight venues, including the Lobby Bar at Hotel Chelsea, Sunday in Brooklyn, Rule of Thirds, and Dynamo Room. Add coffee, tea, and soft drinks, and that number rises to 1.5 million. Brian Evans, the group’s director of bars, joins Business of Drinks to unpack the decisions behind those numbers -- from designing cocktails that sell to building systems that keep service moving and understanding what guests actually want. At Hotel Chelsea, a signature cocktail called Mercury Pool barely sold. Renamed the 1884 Martini, it became the Lobby Bar’s most popular cocktail. Brian explains why familiar names and concise menu descriptions can make adventurous drinks easier to order -- and why even a drink guests love can prove too costly or cumbersome to keep serving. Speed shapes the entire program. Most menu cocktails require just one to four touches, and Dynamo Room has five freezers behind the bar stocked with batched martinis for the pre–Madison Square Garden rush. Brian breaks down how preparation affects the guest experience, profitability, and the chance to sell another round. For suppliers and distributors, he offers a candid look at what earns his attention: Let him taste before launching into the brand story, understand how the product fits his venues, and bring support that benefits the team. He shares how High Road Spirits has built a strong relationship through education, access to producers, and thoughtful hospitality. We also explore what’s changing on the restaurant floor: Fewer rounds at the Brooklyn venues, familiar classics gaining ground, and a nuanced picture of non-alcoholic demand, with steady NA cocktail sales alongside a surge in coffee and tea at Rule of Thirds. For anyone selling into restaurants or running a beverage program, this conversation connects product appeal, buyer priorities, and the operational details that determine whether a drink earns its place. For the latest updates, follow us: Business of Drinks website (sign up for our newsletter!) Business of Drinks YouTube Business of Drinks LinkedIn Instagram @bizofdrinks Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. Erica Duecy LinkedIn Instagram @ericaduecy Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor. Scott Rosenbaum LinkedIn Subscribe to the Business of Drinks channel for more insights on how brands, retailers, and operators are unlocking growth across beverages. And please rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners. Thank you!