At Netflix Bites in Las Vegas, the cocktails are more than just cocktails.
This themed restaurant within the MGM Grand has been curated to immerse guests into the world of their favorite Netflix Shows, and the cocktails are part of that story, designed to tap into the drama and the narrative of the shows that inspired them.
And while your craft cocktail bar may not have Netflix-sized budgets or Las Vegas-level spectacle, you can take inspiration from alcoholic beverage trends on display in the Netflix Bites cocktail menu and bring the power of interactive, experiential storytelling to your drinks.
Especially in times of consumer uncertainty, it’s almost necessary to give your guests a special reason to join you at the bar.
These five standout Netflix Bites cocktail creations can help you deliver more than a buzz and serve up a scalable experience that sells.
The House of Usher Cocktail – The Power of Chemistry
This drink features a DIY kit with a syringe of butterfly pea-infused vodka and beakers of
different ingredients for the guests to carefully assemble. When they add the contents of the syringe, the drink changes color, evoking the power of chemistry to not only wow guests tableside but to call back to one character’s untimely demise on the show.
This cocktail works because it’s interactive and transformative, drawing guests in from well before their first (obviously delicious) sip.
Bring this same magic to your own bar and let your guests play scientist with chemistry-inspired cocktails that transform right before their eyes.
Translate the Netflix Bites House of Usher cocktail experience for your bar:
- Design a cocktail with a butterfly pea flower tea or infusion and provide a dropper of citrus or tonic water to shift the drink’s color from deep blue to vibrant pink.
- Use a dramatic garnish like swirling edible glitter or pH-sensitive ice cubes that can slowly transform a cocktail as it melts. Try purple cabbage ice cubes in a citrus cocktail for gorgeous streaks of fuschia that won’t affect your drink’s color.
- The quinine in tonic water glows under a black light. Invoke these ultraviolet lights (either in your bar’s decor or by providing glowsticks alongside your drinks) to showcase a gin and tonic’s otherworldly glow.
Wow your guests with this alcoholic beverage trend and make each drink a mini experiment.
The Mindflayer Cocktail – Make it a Showstopper
This cocktail taps into the Stranger Things’ supernatural drama with a stormy bourbon base dotted with blackberries barely visible through the glass. Topped with a cotton candy lightning cloud it gives you the “Upside Down in a glass.”
This drink works because it’s a showstopper grabbing guests attention the second it leaves the bar.
Bring this drama to your own menu by serving up signature cocktails with Instagram-worthy elements that will wow every guest.
How to Make Your Own Mindflayer-sized impact
- Serve your drink in a smoky bell jar or cloche for maximum drama and reveal your cocktail tableside with a burst of fog.
- Top your drink with a whimsical flourish like cotton candy, sparklers, or Flavour Blaster fog bubble.
Make this alcoholic beverage trend your own by making every cocktail a conversation piece and letting your drinks steal the show.
The Love Is Blind Cocktail – Crafted Just For You
This cocktail takes a cue from the hit dating show by keeping things playful, mysterious, and just a little bit chaotic. Guests choose a base spirit, and then select two flavor profiles like fruity, herbaceous, or boozy. The bartender builds a custom drink on the spot, crafted especially for them. The drink is then served in a special opaque “chalice” so that you’re blind to your drink’s appearance until you take your first sip.
Just like Love Is Blind, the drink plays on surprise, chemistry, and personalization. It feels like it was made just for you, because it was
Bring the Love is Blind Experience to Your Own Bar
- Let your bartender act as a mixologist-matchmaker, creating custom cocktails based on your guest’s spirit of choice and two flavor cues, like Fruity + Herbaceous or Boozy + Savory.
- Or, make it a Love is Blind style surprise! Give guests a quiz or design a few playful prompts. Bring their mystery cocktail to the table for a personalized surprise they’ll want to post about instantly.
Customized cocktails on the spot will make every order a one-of-a-kind memory.
La Casa del Sangria – Crack the Code
Inspired by Money Heist, this Spanish-style sangria arrives locked in a puzzle box, daring guests to break it open before they can even take a sip. Featuring a blend of Tempranillo red wine, rhubarb syrup, soju, and brandy, it’s garnished with gold-dusted mint leaves for a luxe finishing touch.
This cocktail works because it makes your guest the protagonist and turns the cocktail into a rewarding puzzle.
Translate this cocktail into an experience for your bar:
- Keep the cocktail “locked away” and serve your guests a QR code that triggers a puzzle, riddle, or AR message they have to solve in order to unlock their drink.
- Hand out half of a “vault code” to your guest and the other half to a friend, fellow guest, or even the bartender. They can only get their drink when they find and team up with their counterpart.
Give your cocktail service a clever twist and invite your customers to play along.
The Pink Soldier Cocktail – The Bartender Decides Your Fate
Inspired by Squid Game, this cocktail doesn’t just reference the show, it puts you in it. Guests are assigned the role of a Pink Guard, with their rank printed on their drink with the Ripple Maker drink printer. Your fate? Decided by your server. A triangle? You’re a soldier. A square? You’re the manager.
This cocktail works because it’s gamified and personal. Every order becomes an interaction, a surprise, and a shareable moment.
Gamify your menu
- Use the Ripple Maker’s Automatic Mode to randomly assign different printed roles or messages so the variations are a surprise to guests and bartenders alike.
- Create a prize-based drink menu where printed symbols determine bonus drinks, discounts, or a special prize or upgrade.
The game never stops. Invite your guests to play before they sip.
Bring It All Together with Ripples
Want to make your own drinks stand out like these, but the ‘simplified’ ideas are still… kind of a lot?
The Ripple Maker drink printer makes it easy to create unforgettable drinks. No production budget required.
The Ripple Maker drink printer is the easiest way The Ripple Maker cocktail printer uses plant-based extracts to print high-res images, messages, and logos directly onto foam-topped drinks and desserts in just 10 seconds. It’s the easiest way to take part in this alcoholic beverage trend and turn your menu into an interactive, experiential moment.
- Create custom QR codes to unlock puzzles or secret menus.
- Print hidden messages with GLOW ink, only visible under blacklight, to serve up secret messages or the answer to a riddle.
- Use Automatic Mode to assign secret roles, create drink “destinies,” or to build anticipation that gets customers talking.
- Top drinks and desserts with themed or branded art to bring your concept to life and boost social shares.
Because when drinks are memorable, guests share them. And when they share, you and your bar wins.
