Did you know we are the 'go to' agency for all things alcoholic?
It's not just because we like a drink ourselves, we're also experts in researching alcohol. Over the years we've not only researched new concepts, packaging design and pub branding, but have also handled taste testing for a range of beverages including ciders, beers, lagers and even champagne.
This may sound like a dream job, but in reality there are a few serious considerations around research of this nature, including:
- Recruitment - whilst there's usually no shortage of volunteers for alcohol tests, there are additional complications of not only ensuring participants drink the correct type of beverage, but also checking ID to ensure they're of the legal drinking age
- Travel arrangements - even though taste tests usually only involve a relatively small amount, we must ensure participants can travel home safely
- Serving - to ensure accurate feedback participants need to taste the drink in a similar way to how they would consume it in a pub or restaurant. This involves serving at the correct temperature, providing appropriate glassware and even allowing them to drink from the bottle if that is their norm (for beers and lagers that is - we don't encourage it for wine or champagne!)
Most studies involve tasting a small serving of alcohol, but one particular test allowed participants to drink as much as they wanted to test the effects of the gassiness and strength to see if this prevented them from re-ordering!
So over the festive period when you are enjoying your favourite tipple, just spare a thought for the hours of research which may have gone into its development. It's a tough job but somebody has to do it...
Cheers!
Interested in participating in our future taste tests? Join www.swift-insight.com today
