Ten intriguing trends set to shake up alcohol in 2025
Savory serves, protein cocktails and ‘brothtails’… what are some of the coolest and craziest trends emerging in beverage alcohol?
Future flavors
How to build a beverage brand: Gut health superstar OLIPOP on creating the next wave of soda
When Ben Goodwin founded OLIPOP in 2018, his mission was to reshape the US’ soda addiction with a healthier alternative. This year, the brand is featured in Time100’s Most Influential Companies 2024. How has Goodwin built both a beverage brand – and a...
Flavors drive canned cocktail purchases
What shapes consumers’ decisions when it comes to buying canned cocktails? Flavor is by far the biggest factor - but what else drives purchases?
Tequila cocktail trends
It’s not just about margaritas. National Tequila Day (July 24) puts the spotlight on the huge variety of cocktails now embracing the trending spirit.
News
Flavoured beer sees double digit growth
Between 2018-2022, flavour beer launches grew by a CAGR of 28%, according to an assessment of the market by Synergy Flavours.
Seven summer beverage trends for 2024
What's hot this summer? We take a look at the top beverage trends.
Cheese lovers, would you try Cheese Tea?
Tea brand Heytea has landed in Paris, France with the aim to entice the cheese-loving nation with its Cheese Tea in the build-up to the Summer Olympics.
Spicy and swicy heat up beverage flavor innovation
Jalapeno, pepperoncini, chili and more: spicy and 'swicy' flavors are trending across the beverage universe in 2024.
Sweets & Snacks Expo
Confectionery brands are blending pink lemonade into the latest launches
As consumers seek layered flavors that enhance their snacking experience, the sweet and tart notes of pink lemonade served as a popular confectionery trend during the Sweets & Snacks Expo.
Heineken acquires minority stake in hard seltzer STËLZ
Heineken Netherlands has acquired a minority stake in hard seltzer STËLZ, as the brewing giant increases its focus on the ‘beyond beer’ category.
Feeling the squeeze? How juice brands are dealing with an orange shortage
The world’s top orange production regions are struggling: putting pressure on the global supply of oranges for the juice industry. Beverage brands are finding innovative ways to deal with high costs and shortages.
‘Like chocolate, it is good for the masses’: Using cacao fruit in beer and wine
Cacao fruit, or cocoa fruit, is drawn from the same pod as cocoa beans. Normally thrown away, the juice, pulp and peel of the pod can be used as a sweetener in a range of products. Across Europe and beyond, cacao fruit has appeared recently in a range of...
From Horchata latte to Snickers coffee: Keurig Dr Pepper's flavored coffee strategy
Collaborations with Snickers, Twix and Milky Way have helped Keurig Dr Pepper find a winning strategy for flavored coffee: combining its expertise in coffee with imaginative flavors and the brand equity of some of America's best-loved indulgent brands.
Pepsi rolls out rebrand globally: with new look that’s ‘unapologetically current and undeniably Pepsi’
Having unveiled a new logo and visual identity system in the US last year, Pepsi is now rolling out its new look globally in a bid to appeal to younger consumers and help ‘shake up the cola category’.
Everyday Weekend seeks bigger share in RTD alcoholic beverages market through rapid expansion in SEA
New Zealand-founded hard seltzer brand Everyday Weekend is aiming to seize growth opportunities in the ready-to-drink (RTD) alcoholic beverages category across Asia through affordable pricing and community marketing strategies.
Peach is 2024’s flavour of the year: Chosen to inspire community, kindness and comfort
It’s expected to be a year of blush – with dsm-firmenich declaring Peach+ as its 12th annual Flavour of the Year, inspired by Pantone’s Colour of the Year, Peach Fuzz.
White Claw launches electrolyte-enhanced 0% Alcohol: ‘It’s a fundamentally new kind of drink for every kind of adult drinker that could only come from White Claw’
Hard seltzer pioneer White Claw is launching White Claw 0% Alcohol in the US in January: ‘a radically new beverage’ that is designed to combine White Claw flavors with hydrating electrolytes while replicating the complexity of alcohol.
Festive drink trends: Tradition meets tequila and tropical twists
What drinks trends can we expect for the upcoming festive season? Experts share what they’re looking out for in the UK.
Spicy rosé wine launches in the US: ‘Nobody will ever reach a new audience by playing it safe’
Drawing on a love for spicy cocktails, Kristen Knapp founded Heartbeat to ‘add unexpected spice into the wine category’. Can the hot rosé succeed in attracting younger drinkers to the category?
Yuzuco bridges the divide between juice availability in US, consumer demand for yuzu
Juice company Yuzuco is on a mission to spread the refreshing and aromatic attributes of yuzu in the US as it shores up its supply chain and release new products, company co-founder and CEO Basil Beshkov told FoodNavigator-USA.
Spindrift grows with new flavors, usage occasions
Spindrift is growing by tapping into the increased occasions for sparkling water and innovating around flavor, including seasonal varieties, the brand’s VP of marketing Sue Kim told FoodNavigator-USA.
‘Taste the future’: Coca-Cola uses AI to create its latest beverage launch
The launch of Y3000 Zero Sugar represents the ‘first futuristic flavor co-created with human and artificial intelligence from Coca-Cola'.
Odyssey Elixir partners with 7-Eleven and Wegmans to bring functional mushrooms “out of niche spaces”
As adaptogens and mushrooms continue piquing the interest of health conscious and sober-curious consumers, the sparkling, functional mushroom beverage brand expanded its convenience and grocery retail presence so “more people are able to experience the...
Pumpkin Spice Latte turns 20: What does the fall favorite teach us about great beverage innovation?
Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte returns to stores today: marking the 20th anniversary of the seasonal favorite. What can we learn from the ongoing success of the flavor?
Taste still drives beverage choice among consumers, along with hydration, nutrition and simplicity
From convenience to hydration and satiation, consumer preferences for beverages offer manufacturers an opportunity to hone in on value, attributes and nutrition with taste and simple ingredients as a common driver, according to Hartman Group’s Modern...
Guest article
'It’s a bold new colorful world!' New beverage brands are leveraging colorful brand palettes
The soda aisle is made up of iconic brands with red, blue and green products. But new beverage brands have other ideas, explains Amy Kosnick, CBX Director of Design Strategy, in this guest article.
BrewDog Distilling Co: ‘2023 will be the year we set the groundwork for our future success’
BrewDog Distilling Co is ‘on a mission to create a world-renowned Scottish spirits brand’: having announced a new portfolio, new distillery, and new CEO. The brand tells us how it intends to create ‘some serious tidal waves’ in the craft spirits industry.
From spicy margaritas to strawberry mojitos: Bacardi talks summer spirit trends
What’s trending in the US spirits scene this summer? Sean Eckhardt, Senior Vice President of US Sales at Bacardi, tells us how the company is tracking continued growth in tequila, RTDs and rum.
Function AND flavor: Intriguing flavors can influence functional beverage purchases
Functional beverage brands could be forgiven for focusing on functionality over flavor – but they do so at their peril. Flavor has an important role to play in attracting consumers to the category and keeping them interested in the long term.
Better-for-you beverages at Positive Nutrition 2023: From collagen-infused water to prebiotic soda
From fortification to flavor, low-no alcohol and low-sugar, what are consumers looking for in better-for-you beverages? Join us at FoodNavigator’s Positive Nutrition Summit to find out.
Flavor & function: Prebiotic sodas shake up category with lemon-lime flavors
As consumers look for both refreshing tastes and gut health claims, more are turning to prebiotic sodas in a range of classic flavors — including lemon-lime — Howard Telford, head of soft drinks at Euromonitor International, told FoodNavigator-USA.
Kerry’s 2023 Taste & Nutrition charts explore sriracha’s rise & guava, sesame, dulce de leche growth
After nearly two decades of first appearing in fast-food restaurants across the US and becoming a go-to favorite for spicy aficionados, sriracha today is not only an established flavor that many consumers love, but according to Kerry’s Taste & Nutrition...
My Drynuary: 'Our jobs are very fast-paced - there's no traditional playbook as we are building something new'
System launched its hard seltzers to create ‘the drinking experience we wanted but didn’t exist yet’: a 9 pack with 3 cans at 0% ABV, 3 cans at 5% ABV and 3 cans at 8% ABV. In our series celebrating innovators in the low/no alcohol industry, co-founders...
What’s next in RTD coffee?
Gen Z consumers are more likely to drink RTD coffee than hot coffee – and as brands respond, the category is expanding and developing. We explore what’s trending in RTD coffee – and where the category could go next.
PepsiCo reformulates Pepsi Zero Sugar, replaces Sierra Mist with STARRY in New Year shake-up
To kick start 2023, PepsiCo this week freshened up its beverage line-up, unveiling a new formulation for Pepsi Zero Sugar and releasing STARRY, a lemon lime-flavored soda that is replacing Sierra Mist.
From flowery to fruity: Fentimans’ focus on future flavors
What flavors can we expect to see trending in 2023? Soft drink and mixers company Fentimans puts the spotlight on three flavor trends it’s watching.
From spirulina spread to collagen water: Which innovations caught our eye at SIAL?
After five days of showcasing food and beverage products from around the world, SIAL 2022 in Paris has come to a close. FoodNavigator was on the ground, meeting with newcomers and category leaders alike to discuss trends, new product development, and...
Botanicals in alcohol-free drinks: ‘Creative product developers are pushing the boundaries of what is possible’
Today’s consumers want complexity and layers of flavors in their alcohol-free drinks. Having spent a collective 30 years foraging, exploring and learning, the duo behind Bax Botanics tell us why they believe botanicals are the way forward in creating the...
‘RTD innovation clearly shows a rapid pace of product transformation to meet consumer demand’
While hard seltzer has been in the limelight over the last few years, cocktails and long drinks are forecast to command a greater share of the RTD category by 2026 with premium and fuller-flavored drinks driving forward innovation.
Coffee-free coffee developed from non-tropical ingredients: ‘With milk, it’s virtually impossible to taste the difference. In the future, it will be indistinguishable’
Dutch start-up Northern Wonder is combatting coffee-related deforestation with an alternative developed from non-tropical ingredients, including barley, rye, chickpea, and chicory.
The latest innovations in low and no alcohol
The UK has been pioneering the no and low alcohol category: so London's Low2No Bev show offers the perfect occasion to see how the category is evolving. From functional drinks to new tech, we take a look at some of the latest innovations in the category...
From classic citrus to unicorn kisses: Beverage flavor trends
Today’s beverage flavors range from the classics to the weird and wonderful. We ask the experts what’s trending.
The emerging global hard seltzer market
Awareness of hard seltzers still needs to be built for the category to succeed globally, says Emily Smith of FMCG Gurus in this guest article.
Flavored vodka drinkers want ‘true-to-fruit’ flavors, says Absolut
Absolut Vodka has refreshed its flavored vodka range: improving flavor profiles and updating bottles to better signpost each flavor.
Mahou San Miguel launches innovation challenge to find ‘the beverage of the future’
Spanish brewer Mahou San Miguel and accelerator Eatable Adventures are calling for beverage start ups from around the world to take part in their innovation challenge to ‘discover the drink of the future’.
Diageo acquires flavor matching tech company Vivanda
Diageo has acquired Vivanda, the owner of the technology behind Diageo’s digital ‘What’s Your Whisky’ online platform as well as the ‘Journey of Flavour’ experience at Johnnie Walker Princes Street in Edinburgh.
Flavored spirits: a big commercial opportunity - or could there be a catch?
Flavored spirits add a new dimension to the category - but could there be a catch? Mike Spurling, co-founder of drinks consultancy Barfly, looks at the category.
From tequila to botanicals: Bacardi talks summer spirit trends
What's big in the US spirits scene this summer? Sean Eckhardt, Senior Vice President of US Sales at Bacardi, explains how the company has shaped its portfolio for the summer months - along with his take on the trending tequila, RTD alcohol, and lower...
Kerry talks consumer insights: From the ‘macro forces shaping out world’ to post-2022 ‘sticky’ trends
From ‘functional upgrades’ to sustainable consumption, Kerry Group details the macro and micro drivers shaping consumer behaviour.
Premium potential: ‘The RTD alcohol category will unshackle itself from the bright, sticky and cheap concoctions that defined its birth'
RTD alcohol has moved on from the cheap sugary versions of the 80s and 90s: and it will be premium versions that drive the fast-growing category forward, according to industry giant Bacardi.