This week in London Pepsi MAX launched their new bottle design and signature serves as they look to target the UK bar industry.
Over the years BarLifeUK has been to numerous drinks launches and events, but never have we been to anything like the Pepsi MAX launch. On the surface it all looked reasonably standard, dark venue in the form of Village Underground? Check. Bar covered in glasses? Check. Various canapes? Check. Lots of people chatting away politely whilst secretly keeping an eye out for the trays of drinks? Check
The first hint that all was not going to be quite the same was a basketball hoop in the middle of the room. However when a man picked up the microphone and started shouting at the gathered group of people things started to change.
The man in question was from Rebel Bingo, if you are unfamiliar with Rebel Bingo it is to Bingo what Rematch Beeyatch is to World Class. It is loud, rude, sexy and intense. We were all going to play Bingo, with the numbers being chosen by guys slam dunking basketballs, as you do…
In-between the rounds, featuring prizes of rollerskates, a mirror ball and a stuffed panda, Jake Burger appeared on stage to introduce us to the new Pepsi MAX signature serves. That was after all the main point of the night, although for a while Sarah Mitchell was so obsessed with winning the mirror ball not even alcohol could distract her.
Pepsi MAX have released a newly designed 200ml bottle to help get them into bar fridges across the land, the glass bottle is inspired by bottles of old. Alongside this are some suggested signature serves. 
The serves are not exactly groundbreaking but that is actually a positive in our eyes. They know how Pepsi MAX is going to be drunk in bars on the whole and instead of creating some weird and odd concoctions they are treating bars and bartenders with respect, it’s up to you guys to come up with the more unusual serves.
The serves are:
Vermouth and Pepsi MAX with an orange twist
Tequila and Pepsi MAX with a lime wedge
Brandy and Pepsi MAX with lemon peel
Bourbon and Pepsi MAX with lemon wedge
As we said not groundbreaking but all tasty and we particularly liked the brandy serve.
Unfortunately Sarah failed to win the mirror ball but it was a great night nonetheless as the evening continued with a couple of bars knocking out the new signature serves to the assembled throng.