When Michiel, the organiser of the Copacobana Festival, first came across DORST, he was not really looking for an alternative to making cocktails manually. DORST piqued his interest by explaining the original concept of cocktails on tap and he soon wanted to find out more.
Michiel ultimately decided they wanted to try something new: “The main reason for me to collaborate with DORST is the speed of the cocktails. We also cooperate with the founders of Copacobana in doing all we can to keep improving our festival and are always asking for feedback. We knew that serving cocktails did not always go very smoothly in previous years, so we were intrigued with DORST’s idea of cocktails on tap.”
“In terms of labour intensity, DORST has an edge, especially for events or festivals,” Michiel says. Especially at a festival like Copacobana that uses only volunteers – and no experienced bar staff – making a fresh cocktail is not easy
“It is very difficult and almost impossible to teach everyone how to make a good cocktail by hand. That's why we try to make everything as simple as possible behind the scenes. By serving cocktails on tap, we ensure no mistakes are made and everyone can serve a perfect cocktail very fast.”
According to Michiel, this is a great added value for the festival. People pay more money for a cocktail than for a beer, so the proportions of the drink must be right and of course, the taste has to be right as well.
Although the authenticity of a cocktail is very important to Copacobana, they still opted for our cocktails on tap: "When you serve a DORST cocktail on tap, it goes without saying that it is ready faster than a cocktail that is made manually. What is very important to me personally with cocktails is the charm and authenticity. Of course, you only have that one hundred percent when a cocktail that is freshly made and shaken by a bartender. So, what DORST tries to emulate is very difficult, but they come very close," Michiel explains.
At DORST we try to preserve the authenticity somewhat by working with fresh juices and we provide a how-to-serve manual with varied garnishes for each cocktail. Michiel sees it this way: “Complete authenticity with a bartender, the atmosphere, the show… or serving consistent cocktails fast. You choose.”
At the Copacobana Festival, the advantages of DORST are its speed, efficiency and great ease of logistical preparation. DORST and Copacobana have been working together for four years now and that creates mutual trust. "We have been working together for a long time now and we believe in them. The people at DORST have a very bright future and we want to support them in that,” Michiel says.
Some people have to get used to the idea of cocktails on tap, of course, but according to Michiel there are more and more fans: "I would certainly not recommend DORST cocktails if I didn't think it was a good product myself. The satisfaction of our festivalgoers is our main priority and for that the cocktails have to be good and they are. It's as simple as that."
At DORST, smooth communication and pleasant cooperation are also very important to us. That is why we always try to be flexible and we are always ready to answer any questions or problems. "Promises are kept at DORST; they are close to the people and are very customer-friendly," says Michiel. "Finally, I also like the fact that it is a local company with founders from Ghent.”
- Fast service, fewer queues
- Fast logistics preparation
- Less labour-intensive
