Using Asian Flavors to Tell a Story: How Bun House Disco’s Pandan Negroni Became Content

Hook: Stop guessing — turn a single ingredient into a steady stream of high-value content

If you run a bar, restaurant, or food brand you already know the pain: creating consistent content that actually drives reservations, press coverage and search visibility is hard. You need stories that travel — across Instagram and TikTok, into Google Local, and into the inboxes of local journalists. The good news: a single niche ingredient can become a content engine. Bun House Disco’s pandan negroni is a recent, concrete example of how a carefully chosen ingredient becomes social gold, local press bait and a menu marketing win.

Why the pandan negroni is a perfect case study

In late 2023 Bun House Disco — a Shoreditch bar that celebrates late‑night Hong Kong vibes — put pandan at the center of a cocktail that blends rice gin, white vermouth and green chartreuse. The drink isn’t just a recipe: it’s an intersection of provenance, technique, visual appeal and cultural context. That combination checks the boxes editors, algorithmic feeds and curious customers respond to.

What happened after they launched it

• Publication pickup: food writers and local press featured the pandan negroni as a distinct story angle.
• Social performance: the drink’s vivid green color and short, repeatable recipe made it ideal for Reels and TikTok steps.
• Menu marketing: the cocktail gave staff a micro‑narrative to use in recommendations and reservation confirmations.

“Pandan leaf brings fragrant southern Asian sweetness” — the short sensory line editors and social copywriters love.

How restaurants and bars turn niche ingredients into content that performs (framework)

Use this five‑step framework to convert a single ingredient into repeatable content assets and PR coverage. I’ll use pandan as the running example so you can map each step directly to Bun House Disco’s approach.

1. Anchor: choose an ingredient with sensory and narrative depth

Not every ingredient will travel. The best choices have at least two of these attributes:

• Strong sensory identity — color, aroma, texture (pandan’s green hue and floral aroma).
• Cultural provenance — a place, ritual, or story (Southeast Asian cuisines, home baking traditions).
• Versatility — can live in drinks, desserts, condiments (pandan works in gin infusions, syrups, and cakes).
• Visual distinctiveness — something that stands out in a feed (vivid green negroni).

2. Build the narrative pillars

Break the ingredient into repeatable story pillars you can reuse across formats:

• Provenance — where the ingredient comes from, who supplies it.
• Technique — how you use it (infusion method, proportions).
• Sensory guide — tasting notes and pairings.
• People — the bartender, supplier, or customer stories connected to it.
• Occasion — when to order it (Lunar New Year, summer nights, dessert pairing).

3. Create a suite of assets (hero → derivatives)

Produce one or two high‑quality hero assets, then create derivatives for each channel. Hero assets are the ones you spend time and budget on; derivatives are quick and cheap to reproduce.

1. Hero photo/video — a styled shot and a 30–60s vertical video that shows the infusion and pour.
2. Recipe card — clear ingredients, measures, brief method (perfect for Pinterest and Instagram saves).
3. Behind‑the‑scenes clips — staff making the pandan infusion, color change, tasting reaction.
4. Short forms — 15s Reels/TikToks: the “1‑step” trick (blend pandan with rice gin) that’s easily replicated by viewers.
5. Press assets — press release, high‑res images, and a one‑page fact sheet for local journalists.

4. Distribute with intent (owned → earned → paid)

Don’t spray and pray. Use a logical funnel:

• Owned: Website article with recipe schema and menu page update; email newsletter; Google Business Profile post.
• Social: Short vertical on TikTok/Reels, carousel on Instagram, clip on YouTube Shorts, static recipe card on Pinterest.
• Earned: Local press pitches, food writers, industry newsletters, regional magazines.
• Paid: Small sponsored boosts to top performing organic posts; hyper‑local geo‑targeted social ads for immediate reservation lift.

5. Amplify with partnerships and UGC

Scale reach with micro‑influencers, supplier stories, and a UGC challenge. Encourage customers to remix the drink at home with an easy #hashtag challenge and an in‑bar photo frame to make UGC scalable.

Practical, channel‑specific tactics (2026‑ready)

Platforms and user behavior have shifted since 2024–25. Use these 2026‑current tactics to make your pandan story perform.

Website & SEO: become discoverable for local intent

• Publish a long‑form recipe/feature page that includes: Recipe (use HowTo/Recipe schema), LocalBusiness and Menu structured data for the cocktail as a MenuItem. Structured data increases chances of rich results and maps listings surfacing the cocktail.
• Create a dedicated “ingredient story” page linking to supplier profiles and behind‑the‑scenes content — this builds topical relevance for food storytelling and ingredient narratives.
• Optimize metadata: include target keywords — pandan negroni, menu marketing, restaurant content — and a concise descriptive intro focused on the experience of drinking it.

Social & Visual Storytelling: play the algorithm, respect the craft

• Lead with vertical video: 30–45s explainer + 15s cutdowns. In 2026, short vertical still drives discovery across platforms.
• Use close‑ups and ASMR‑style audio for sensory cues — the sound of the blender, the pour, the stirring. These perform well in feeds and increase watch time.
• Post a step‑by‑step carousel or multi‑clip Reel that doubles as a saveable recipe card. Include the exact infusion ratio and a one‑line tasting note.
• Use platform tools: Instagram Notes for quick teases, TikTok Stitch/Reply to amplify UGC, and Pinterest Idea Pins for recipe traffic.

Local Press & PR: give editors a clear, narrow hook

Local outlets and food sections are saturated. Your pitch must be crisp:

• Hook: “East London bar reinvents the Negroni with pandan-infused rice gin — a Hong Kong late‑night homage.”
• Angle suggestions: culture (Hong Kong nightlife nostalgia), craft (infusion technique), seasonal tie‑ins (Lunar New Year), or trend (pan-Asian cocktails).
• Send a one‑page press kit with high‑res images, a short video (30s), the recipe and a suggested byline for the bartender.
• Offer exclusives: a limited tasting session for a critic or an early tasting event for local media.

Influencers & UGC: micro first, macro second

• Brief micro‑creators (5–25k) with a simple ask: show the infusion and first sip, tag the venue, use a hashtag, and add a short tasting note. Micro creators have higher local trust and better engagement in 2026.
• Run an in‑bar contest: best UGC post of the week wins a complimentary flight of pandan cocktails. This creates steady UGC supply.

Tools, templates and technical checklist (actionable)

Here’s a hands‑on checklist and copy templates you can use to launch an ingredient story this week.

Production checklist

• Hero vertical video: 30–60s with captions and raw footage clips.
• Thumbnail stills: 3 different crops for IG, TikTok and Pinterest.
• Recipe card PNG and text block for a website post.
• Press one‑pager PDF: headline, 50‑word summary, recipe, high‑res images, contact.
• Google Business Profile update with new menu item and photo.
• Event page or booking CTA updated to include the pandan cocktail as a highlight.

SEO & schema quick wins

• Implement Recipe or HowTo schema for the cocktail recipe and MenuItem under your LocalBusiness markup.
• Use descriptive alt text: “pandan negroni poured over ice — green pandan‑infused rice gin.”
• Canonical a single URL for the pandan story and interlink from your menu and blog.

Sample social captions and press pitch lines

These templates are ready to paste and adapt.

• Instagram/TikTok caption (short): “Meet our pandan negroni — rice gin infused with fresh pandan for a floral, green twist. Available now. 🟢 #PandanNegroni #BunHouseDisco”
• Instagram caption (long): “We blitz fresh pandan with rice gin to make a bright green infusion, then stir with white vermouth and green chartreuse. Think floral, sweet, and herbaceous — a late‑night Hong Kong tribute. Recipe on the site. Link in bio.”
• Email subject line for PR pitch: “Press tasting: Pandan Negroni — a Hong Kong‑inspired twist on a classic”
• PR intro paragraph: “We’d love to invite you to taste Bun House Disco’s pandan negroni — a rice‑gin infusion that reimagines the Negroni with Southeast Asian aromatics. Chef/bartender Linus Leung is available for comment and a demo.”

Measurement: what to track and targets

Track outcomes, not vanity metrics. Here are the KPIs that link content to business results.

• Awareness: impressions, reach and video views (target: 50–100k impressions within 30 days for a local campaign).
• Engagement: saves, comments, shares, watch time (benchmark: 5–15% engagement rate on short video for strong local content).
• Discovery: new search impressions for “pandan negroni” or “pandan cocktail + [city]” in Search Console and Maps (goal: top 3 in local searches for cocktail name).
• Action: reservation clicks, menu clicks, and booking completions from posts and GBP (measure lift in reservations week‑over‑week, target 10–25% lift while the cocktail is featured).
• Earned media: press pickups and backlinks. One high‑quality feature in a major local outlet can multiply traffic and credibility.

2026 trends and predictions you should use in your plan

Plan for these platform and consumer trends dominating 2026 so your pandan story keeps working.

• Hyperlocal discovery wins — Google and social platforms are prioritizing neighborhood intent and MenuItem displays in Maps. Optimizing local metadata is more valuable than ever.
• First‑party UGC economies — venues that systematically capture guest content (in‑bar frames, simple instructions) convert UGC into booking signals and press momentum.
• AI-assisted production — AI tools for caption drafting, cutdowns and even sound design speed production. Use them to iterate faster, but preserve authentic voices for culture stories.
• Short tutorials matter — audiences want replicable, bite‑sized how‑tos. A 15s infusion clip can be the most shareable asset.
• Authenticity audits — journalists and consumers in 2026 vet claims. Document sourcing and technique to make press outreach frictionless.

30/60/90‑day rollout plan (executable)

Concrete schedule: how to launch and sustain momentum for an ingredient campaign like the pandan negroni.

Day 0–30: Launch and owned distribution

• Produce hero assets (video + photo) and the recipe page (with schema).
• Post hero short on TikTok/Reels and pin it to the top of your profile.
• Update menu and Google Business Profile with cocktail photo and description.
• Send a tailored media invite to 10 local writers with a press kit and tasting offer.

Day 30–60: Amplify & collect UGC

• Run a micro‑influencer tasting program and in‑bar UGC contest.
• Repurpose hero video into tutorial cutdowns and carousel recipe cards.
• Boost the top performing social post to a local audience for reservation lift.

Day 60–90: Earned media push & measurement

• Follow up with press leads, offering an exclusive tasting slot or seasonal hook.
• Publish a roundup post collecting reviews, UGC highlights and the final recipe — then syndicate to newsletter partners and local food blogs.
• Review KPIs and convert learnings into next ingredient story.

Quick wins: three things you can do today

1. Write a 300–500 word recipe post for your site with HowTo schema and one high‑quality photo.
2. Record a 30s vertical showing the key sensory moment (the infusion color or the final pour) and post with a short caption and clear CTA to book.
3. Draft a one‑page press kit and email three local food writers offering a tasting slot next week.

Final notes on authenticity and ethics

As you scale ingredient stories, document sourcing and avoid tokenism. When you borrow cultural ingredients like pandan, credit traditions, partners and suppliers. This builds trust with journalists and communities — and reduces the risk of negative coverage in 2026’s more ethically conscious media landscape.

Call to action

Ready to turn one menu item into a month of press, reservations and content? Start by publishing a single, optimized recipe page today — then use the 30/60/90 plan above to scale. If you want a done‑for‑you playbook that includes templates, schema snippets and a press pitch tailored to your city, request our restaurant content kit and we’ll send a customized rollout for your menu.

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