These are the drinks trends for 2023

What are we drinking in 2023? Some, apparently. The choices would be…

Bar professionals, drinks manufacturers and importers as well as restaurateurs prophesy what the new year will bring. Here are some of the most mentioned developments and trends:

Canned cocktails are digging up the terrain for hard seltzer

White Claw and company have reached their zenith. No, not because people are drinking more beer again, but because RTDs (Ready To Drink cocktails) from the can are becoming more and more popular. Blackberry Bramble, Piña Colada, Mojito, Gimlet – everything is available in a can. And the choice will expand.

Old is iconic; Liqueur is delicious

Europe celebrates its cultural heritage: There are a number of things that are a bit dusty, but traditional liqueur or vermouth brands that are being rediscovered and successfully relaunched. Do you want the grandfather digestivo? braulio, to give an example, make it palatable to a younger audience, then the label “Bormio dal 1875” is not a disadvantage, but an advertising claim. There is no need for product design; more than a century of branding has already done that. The only new thing is that the time-honoured distillates are not only drunk pure, but also used as ingredients for fine drinks. So get ready for a comeback from Suze, Ramazotti, Frangelico and co. Hey, Aperol did it years ago.

Distilleries are expanding their visitor experience

Spirits manufacturers have long recognized the value of tourism and have joined forces, which is why there are now curated travel routes such as the Kentucky Bourbon Trail there or the Malt Whiskey Trail In scotland. Or – closer – the hiking routes Trail d’Absinthe in the Val-de-Travers or the Appenzell Whisky Trek. Paying a visit to such a venerable traditional distillery is quite entertaining. But younger brands also rely on the visitor experience. at Turkish there is one in Zurich Gin Lab, where visitors can create their own gin. Several distilleries are now offering on-site bars and/or restaurants, some even hostels.

Dirty and decadent

2022 was the year that the Dry Martini made a comeback. For long enough we had watched elaborately tattooed mixologists (just that word 🙄) fiddle with fine strainers and Bunsen burners and served us creatively named cocktails in a tin can or any other non-glass container. Then came the martini, that original classic of all classic cocktails, just in time: gin, a little vermouth, maybe a drop of bitters… sometimes less is more.

Just… not quite. The trend is clearly going in the right direction Dirty Martini. If the original version of this drink only asked for a dash of vinegar water from the olive glass, it is becoming more and more popular dirtier. Correct filthyeven: In Geneva in Los Angeles, bartender Kelso Norris serves hers Given Puti Martini with garlic powder, fish sauce and a whole 3 cl of the eponymous sugar cane vinegar from the Philippines. You get really decadent in the Legasea Bar & Grill at Times Square in New York, where’s one MSG Martini there, topped with truffle- and caviar-stuffed olives. Increasingly, one sees the option of a caviar spoon as a garnish for the dirty martini. It’s the Roaring Twenties, I guess.

Hardly anyone drinks vodka anymore

Oh yes, in connection with dry martinis and co. … Gin is still king. And vodka is being drunk less and less. Of course, Otto Normalverbölker continues to drink Moscow Mules – and the trend is declining. Something new with vodka, a trend at all, is not in sight.

Transparency is worth it

Disclosing the manufacturing process to the consumer – what speaks against it? In some cases, this information is traditionally encrypted, such as the letter code den Four Roses used to indicate location of distillation, strain of yeast, whether bourbon is straight, and so on. More and more are ready the exact origin to be specified for each blend. at High Westfor example, the grain recipe is given and whether the bourbon or rye is from the major distilleries MGP Indiana or Heaven Hill originated or was distilled in-house. More and more consumers want this information, and more and more vodka, rum, gin, and whiskey distilleries are poised to provide it.

sustainability too

There are now so many fine brandies that nobody has to forego quality or selection if they also want to pay attention to sustainability. More and more distilleries only use local, traceable ingredients. Carbon neutral distilleries in Scotland, Australia and the US are leading the way with a mix of sustainable energy alternatives, waste and energy reduction and carbon offsetting. As consumers increasingly shy away from greenwashing, these brands are committing to demonstrable actions that actually make an impact on the environment. Some distilleries even grow their main ingredients themselves. Waterford from Ireland, for example, sells whiskey cuvées whose ingredients can be traced back to individual farms – all verifiably organic. Of course, this has the consequence that the costs for the operation are increased. But in the high-end spirits market segment, consumers are willing to pay for it. Because: With the traceability of the ingredients, the methodology of the wine industry is used. Terroir, cuvée and co. send their regards. The corresponding profit margins too.

Cringe Cocktails

Time-honoured, traditional brands and sustainability in production are all the rage, but there must also be a little fun. It is so: 2023 is the year of Cringe Cocktailsplayful, fruity drinks that look fun and taste sweet (think Cosmopolitans or Pornstar Martinis). They were already big in the 80’s and late 90’s, but now they’re making a comeback in 2023, thanks to TikTok. Let’s look forward to a summer with Banana Daiquiris, Blue Lagoons, Grasshoppers and other cheesy classics!

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