What Brands Are Planning For Summer 2026
- Sipverse
- Jun 16
- 4 min read
Every summer seems to have a drink.
One year it's an Aperol Spritz. Another year it's an Espresso Martini. Suddenly everyone's ordering the same thing and before you know it, it's become part of the season.
This summer, you might find yourself sipping a free St-Germain Spritz or Patrón Paloma without realising the journey that drink has taken to reach your hand.
We were lucky enough to go behind the scenes and find out!
What's Bacardi up to this summer?
Well… Bacardi are planning something pretty big this summer.
And chances are, you'll bump into it sooner than you think.
From festivals and city pop-ups to bars and outdoor events, Bacardi are taking two of their most iconic brands, St-Germain and Patrón, on tour, giving people the chance to experience their signature serves exactly as they were intended to be enjoyed.
And the best part?
You'll even be able to grab a complimentary free Sip. A cocktail at selected activations.
We'll be sharing where to find them throughout the summer, so keep an eye on our socials.
Behind the Bar at Bacardi HQ..
Over the years, Wilde Toast has given us the opportunity to work alongside some incredible brands, events, and people across the industry. This time, that opportunity led us behind the scenes at Bacardi HQ in London to learn more about the campaigns before they launch.
What we expected was a training session.
What we got was a completely different perspective on two bottles we've seen behind bars for years.
What we got was a glimpse into everything that happens before a drink ever reaches the glass.
The day started with St-Germain.
I'll be honest, before walking into Bacardi HQ, we knew it made a great spritz.
What we didn't know was the story behind the bottle.
Every spring, the elderflowers used to make St-Germain bloom for just a few short weeks in the French countryside. That's it. Miss the window and you wait another year.
Even more surprising?
It can take up to 1,000 hand-picked elderflowers to create a single bottle.
No machines.
No shortcuts.
Just people carefully harvesting flowers at exactly the right moment before they lose their delicate aroma.
It's the kind of detail you never think about when you're handed a spritz on a sunny afternoon.
Before we even picked up a their signature cocktail The St-Germain Spritz, we were encouraged to taste the spirit on its own.
Sweet and floral on the nose, with hints of citrus and a soft honeyed character, all wrapped up in a beautiful golden colour that actually deepens over time as the bottle ages.
One little fact we loved.
The colour of St-Germain naturally becomes richer over the years, meaning no two older bottles look exactly the same.
Before moving on to the cocktail itself, we heard the word maceration more than once.
And if you're sitting there wondering what that means, don't worry, so were we.
Simply put, maceration is the process of soaking ingredients in alcohol to gently extract their flavour and aroma. In St-Germain's case, it's a crucial part of preserving the fresh elderflower character that makes the liqueur so distinctive.
Then came the serve.
The St-Germain Spritz.
40ml St-Germain.
60ml sparkling wine.
60ml soda water.
Finished with a lemon twist and edible flower.
It was one of those moments that made us stop and appreciate the drink a little more.
Next came Patrón. Let's be honest. Most of us have at least one tequila story.
Some we'd happily tell.
Some we'd rather forget.
So sitting down to properly taste Patrón felt like meeting the culprit behind a few questionable life decisions. With this session hosted by @Calum Morgan.
What surprised us most wasn't the tequila itself.
It was the story behind how it's made. We learned about the agave fields, the patience required to let the plants fully mature, and why quality can never be rushed.
One conversation that really caught our attention was around Café Patrón.
Like many people, we'd wondered where it had gone.
The answer was surprisingly simple.
With agave prices rising globally, the decision was made to protect the fields needed for Patrón's core range rather than harvest plants too early and compromise quality.
Sometimes the best decision isn't the easiest one. As the day came to an end, we realised something. Neither St-Germain nor Patrón were simply promoting cocktails. They were creating moments.
A spritz on a sunny afternoon.
A Paloma shared with friends at a festival.
A conversation started over a free sample at a pop-up bar.
That's what this summer is really about.
Not just the drink.
The people around it.
Through their "Les Amis" campaign, Bacardi are taking St-Germain to bars, festivals and venues across the country, inviting people to discover elderflower through what they're calling the serve of the moment.
We'll be joining the activations ourselves over the coming months, starting at Taste of London, sharing the stories, the cocktails, and hopefully meeting a few of you along the way.
If you spot us, come and say hello.
After all, that's what Sipverse has always been about.
Sipping, conversing, and discovering what happens beyond the glass.
We'll be sharing more from the activations throughout the summer.
For now, we'll leave you with this.The next time you order a spritz, a Paloma, or your favourite cocktail, take a moment to wonder how it got there.
The story is probably bigger than you think.
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