Very little needs to be said about the huge success that Cocktails are enjoying globally. Classic to contemporary and New Delhi to New Yorks are the toast of the season.
Spiritual Luxury Living connected with bartenders, mixologists, brands, bars & beverage experts to understand the trends on the Cocktail front in 2022!
Sustainability in spirits and bars: the sustainability movement is not just confined to the food segment anymore; customers are looking to invest their time and money in drinking establishments and spirit companies that are actively practicing sustainability. Bars with zero/ low waste policies or carbon neutral spirit brands will see a rise in business. Bars using local spirits and produce will be favoured, not just due to the low environmental impact but also because customers are increasingly appreciating local flavours and ingredients in their cocktails and bar snacks as well.
Mixology on the rise: with the world having spent as much time as we did in our homes, mixologists have taken to the internet to teach and share the knowledge of their craft with their customers. The customers too were more than happy to accept and have taken to expanding their own home bars, outfitting them with top shelf spirits, all manner of mixology equipment and techniques. These customers now not only have an appreciation for the final product but also the process and the ingredients that go into their drinks, they have experimented at home and you will see a lot more customers on the lookout for better bar experiences once they start to step out of their homes for a drink.
Tequila is still going strong:tequila! A spirit usually reserved for specific occasions like Cinco de Mayo for example, has now made it into the daily life of many customers globally. The sales for tequila have risen significantly over the past year and it seems like this trend will continue in 2022 as well. Owing to the growing trend of drinking at home and making the most of the pandemic customers started making cocktails that transported them to happier times like margaritas or palomas at home. The trend in tequila is also fueled by the premiumization of the spirit market with higher quality brands entering the tequila space, giving the customers greater freedom of choice when purchasing tequila.
Low and no alcoholic drinks:the pandemic has reignited the spark for living a healthier life for a lot of people and that lifestyle doesn’t stop at paleo or vegan diets, customers have been opting for low/ no alcoholic beverages more often. These drinks have seen a meteoric rise in the past few years and it looks like it’s here to stay. A large section of the population prefers to go for mocktails or classic cocktails with bitters instead of the usual spirits. This trend has also given rise to a huge boom in the RTD and hard seltzer sector as well as non-alcoholic beer and spirits with lower alcoholic content like Low ABV gins and vodkas.
Bitters and liqueurs: because of the movement towards low/ no ABV drinks, the sales for liqueurs and bitters have gone up significantly. So much so that it has caused shortages for ingredients like Amaretto, Aquavit, Ancho Verde and Reyes. Bars have started to make their own bitters using local ingredients and flavours. These homemade bitters not only help appreciate local flavours and support local agriculture but also help bars become more sustainable and eco-friendly in the eyes of the customer.
Bold flavours and simple cocktails: from RTDs to liqueurs to cocktails and mocktails you will see a rise in simpler and bolder flavours like cherry, strawberry, watermelon, etc. Unlike in the previous couple of years where we saw a demand for smaller notes and hints of exotic flavours in beverages, we will now see a rise in demand of simple, identifiable flavours that are strong and bold on the palate. This is due to the need for something more familiar for the customer, with the world changing as rapidly as it is and people reporting higher levels of stress and mental health issues like anxiety, depression, panic attacks and etc. there is a requirement for something more nostalgic that reminds people of simpler times.
Upgraded Classics: Classic drinks like the negroni, the old fashioned and the mojito may never go out of fashion and a lot of the credit goes to the innumerable twists and experiments done with these sorts of cocktails. With the customers more willing and ready to experiment with newer experiences and going a step beyond with experimenting at home, you can expect to see their adventurous behavior continue when they step out into bars and pubs globally. Whether it be different flavour profiles or using higher tier spirit or even switching up classic pairings with more innovative and out of the box foods and snacks, there will be a lot of new takes on the old classics and the customers are ready to embrace all of them.
Enjoy Responsibly !
