Bar Blenders

Commercial Drink Blenders: What You Need to Know

Drink trends come and go, but the refreshing simplicity of frozen cocktails is always popular – and bar blenders are an essential part of any frozen drink menu. Whether your bar has signature margaritas, a seasonal frosé, or blended "mocktails" for customers to enjoy, you can set your bartenders up for success by investing in the right commercial drink blenders. From simple, switch-operated models with affordable entry prices to programmable units designed to meet demand in high-volume businesses, we offer a variety of options from Vitamix, BlendTec, Hamilton Beach, and other trusted names in the industry.

Common Questions About Bar Blenders

What is a bar blender?

These commercial blenders are designed to excel at one task – breaking down ice to mix it with liquor, fruit, juice, and other liquids or solid ingredients. They're also called cocktail blenders because of their popular association with making classic frozen cocktails such as margaritas and daiquiris. If you need a commercial drink blender but still want the unit to handle food ingredients from time to time, consider purchasing an "all-purpose" blender. These may not be as specialized for making drinks but they still get the job done in low- and medium-volume businesses while providing some flexibility for preparing condiments and salsas.

What is the best blender for making frozen drinks?

The best bar blender for someone else's operation might not be the right choice for yours. Several factors can help you decide which one you need, including initial cost, container capacity, production estimate, and additional features.

• Initial cost. The price of a commercial cocktail blender can range from a few hundred dollars to more than a couple thousand, depending on the complexity of the model you're considering.
• Container capacity. Blender containers can range in capacity size from 32 to 128 ounces, though 64- and 48-ounce models are the most common. Most commercial bar blenders include a container, though additional or replacement containers can be purchased separately.
• Production estimate. Many manufacturers recommend a daily number of blends or drinks-per-day rating to help operators determine if the bar blender in question can meet the needs of their establishment.
• Additional features. Commercial drink blenders are available with features designed to improve various aspects of your bar's drink production, such as guaranteeing consistency, increasing output, and enhancing drink quality.

What special features and accessories do I need?

A professional bar blender with more features and a higher production capacity will carry a higher price tag, so you'll need to determine if the benefits provided by those features are valuable to your business. You can learn more about some of the available features below and decide how they might improve the operational capabilities of your bar.

• Bar blenders with manual controls are generally operated with on-off switches or dials that can't be customized, while digital controls may include electronic displays, a series of buttons for operation, and customizable settings.
• Programmable blenders enable operators to set a few or dozens of custom blending settings. Bar blenders with customizable settings are a worthwhile investment for operations creating many different drinks in one or multiple locations but may not be as valuable for operations with fewer drink options and lower production demands.
• Sound enclosures ensure bartenders can blend drinks quietly without disturbing nearby patrons. A cocktail blender with a sound enclosure may be great for a location that makes drinks within eyesight and earshot of guests, but that could be unnecessary for blenders used in the back of house where noise is less of a concern.