5 Ways to Boost Drink Sales Over the Summer Bank Holidays

Summer bank holidays bring big crowds, warmer weather, and plenty of opportunities for hospitality venues to drive drink sales. Whether you're running a pub garden, a local café, or gearing up for an event weekend, it’s crucial to keep your drinks offering fast, fresh, and profitable.

At Absolute Drinks, we supply commercial coffee machines and slush machines that help you serve high-demand drinks quickly, without compromising on quality.

Here are 5 smart ways to make the most of the summer rush:

1. Serve Ice-Cold Slush for Grown-Ups & Kids Alike

Nothing screams summer like a frozen drink. Slush machines are a crowd favourite, especially when you offer both classic options for kids and boozy cocktail slushies for adults.

Think frozen strawberry daiquiris, mojitos, or piña coladas. All easily made in batches with our commercial slush machines.

Already have a machine? Now’s the time to stock up on flavours and plan your menu.

2. Switch to Iced Coffees to Keep Sales Hot

Iced lattes and cold brews are flying off menus during the warmer months. Use your commercial coffee machine to create chilled coffee drinks with ease. Add syrups or flavoured milk to boost drink sales and offer variety.

These drinks have high margins and appeal to both casual passers-by and caffeine lovers looking for something cool.

3. Maximise Margins with High-Profit Summer Drinks

Summer drinks like iced coffees and slush cocktails are not only crowd-pleasers, they’re also some of the highest-margin items you can sell. With the right commercial machine, you can serve premium-looking drinks at a low cost per portion.

Our slush and frozen cocktail machines and commercial coffee machines allow you to serve large volumes quickly, using affordable ingredients, so you’re increasing your profits with every sale.

Add flavoured syrups, toppings, or alcohol to boost the price point with minimal extra cost.

4. Offer a Weekend-Only Drinks Deal to Boost Drink Sales

Create excitement with a limited-time offer:

1. Frozen Happy Hour. 2 Cocktails for £10

Drives post-work and early-evening traffic; works great with slush cocktails.

2. Iced Coffee Loyalty Card. Buy 4, Get Your 5th Free

Encourages repeat visits over the long weekend.

3. Kids Slush Free With Any Adult Drink

Perfect for family-friendly venues, drives cross-selling.

4. Frozen Flight. 3 Mini Slush Cocktails for £7

Let customers try multiple flavours, great for social sharing too.

5. Mystery Flavour Weekend, Guess the Slush Flavour to Win a Free Drink

Fun and interactive, adds a game element to keep customers engaged.

These small promotions drive more foot traffic and encourage impulse buys, ideal for long weekend trade.

5. Make It Visual, Make It Shareable

Slush machines and colourful summer drinks are naturally eye-catching. Use that to your advantage by:

• Setting up a visible serving station, explore a wide selection of cocktail glasses to find the perfect match for your summer beverages.

• Decorating with summery signage

• Encouraging customers to snap and tag you on socials

Bonus: Our slush machines look the part. Sleek, clean, and professional behind the bar. Drinks that look great in photos are more likely to be shared — especially on visual platforms like Instagram.

Bank holidays are prime time for hospitality venues, and with the right equipment, you can increase sales, impress your customers, and keep queues moving. Whether it’s iced coffee or summer slushies, Absolute Drinks is here to help you get ready.

Need advice on the right machine? Contact us today, or browse our full range online.