Marketing

White Castle as 'white knight' to bummed-out cocktail lovers

White Castle asks customers, "Might we recommend the Midnight Merlot to accompany that cheese slider?" (Image provided)

August 11, 2020

White Castle is painting itself as a bit of a "white knight" to bar and restaurant customers who are bummed out about their favorite drinking spots closing earlier due to COVID-19 restrictions in many parts of the nation. The brand is touting a solution in its Cocktails and Craves promotion, giving those forlorn from the early shutterings of their watering holes access to White Castle's fare with drink suggestions to enjoy at home, a news release said.

The most recent food-and-drink pairing from the Columbus, Ohio-based burger chain is its Midnight Merlot punch, which pairs well with cheese sliders. The punch blends Merlot with Sprite Raspberry, garnished with mint and fruit. Earlier this summer, the brand divulged its Orange Afterglow cocktail as the perfect pairing with its original slider, as well as a Castillo Rosado Margarita, as an ideal complement to its jalapeno cheese slider.

"We're making it easy for people to mix it up at home with our Cocktails and Craves pairings," Jamie Richardson, vice president of White Castle, said in the release. "We created these to help people enjoy the short nights and long days of summer, but now these pairings will be even more appreciated as people spend more late nights at home."

The cocktails are a way to promote the brand's Coke Freestyle machines, while the food pairings push late-night food sales. To push the promotion even further, White Castle social media posts now feature coupons for free medium drinks from the Freestyle machines through Aug. 31.

White Castle has more than 360 restaurants nationwide.