Rich and pour – the rise of drinkable desserts
Decadent desserts will always be high on most peoples wishlists, but rich puddings and calorific cakes are increasingly seen as guilty pleasures to be curbed in favour of health and wellness. So, enter August 2024’s top drinks trend, drinkable desserts – booze-laced sweets you can sip to satisfy cravings. The loaded milkshakes and spiked slushies so well-loved in QSRs have now inspired bouji bars worldwide to create ‘little treat’ cocktails that are playful, nostalgic and unique.
Comforting, creamy puddings are being made pourable by creating traditional flavours using techniques like clarification or distillation.
Edinburgh’s Lucky Liquor Co has created the Cranachan cocktail, based on the traditional Scottish harvest-time dessert, combining raspberry and oat flavours in a clarified punch. Other perfect pudding flavours can come from rich, creamy and textured desserts like crème brulee or rice pudding.
Little Mercies bar in London uses a fermented cherry cordial in its Cherry Bakewell Sour. Pies like lemon meringue or key lime offer tart fruit flavours too, while traditional apple pies or Bakewell tarts offer simpler, textured tastes. Banoffee pie offers a classic retro flavour, as a 70s staple.
Building on the established cheesecake Martinis trend, all cake types are being make drinkable. Vesper bar in Bangkok serves a Cheesecake Sour, blending bourbon, burnt butter and spices, while a Pennsylvanian bar made a drinkable wedding cake in martini form using vanilla vodka. Creamy flavours from cheesecakes or nostalgic tastes of traditional birthday cakes, chocolate cakes or chocolate brownies are perfect here.
Nostalgic cocktails are being made using flavours from puddings like banana split, or candies like rhubarb and custard or Turkish delight, or creamy sundaes and Neapolitan ice cream. Instagrammer @mancavebartender layers flavours and colours in the Naughty Neapolitan cocktail, for example, topping Rum Chata, Tequila Rose and Chocolat Crème with a wafer. The Alchemist bar has a playful Banana Split cocktail, using banana liqueur all served in an edible cup.
Cannoli, churros and nougat have all inspired cocktails too, each perfect to be added as garnishes too.
This August 2024 drink trend links to wider food and beverage trends for affordable luxury, classic comfort and sensory experiences. Drinkable desserts can be standalone experiences in eateries, offering consumers easy, experiential playfulness that blurs the lines between food and drink, all without breaking the bank.
Lift off – the resurgence of the Paper Plane cocktail
A modern classic cocktail is taking off again.
The Paper Plane cocktail is enjoying a resurgence as it straddles a range of drink trends.
Combining equal parts Amaro Nonino, Aperol, bourbon and fresh lemon juice, the Paper Plane blends sweet, sour, bitter and herbal flavours, is a whisky cocktail, and has a simple recipe.
The orange-hued, spirit-forward cocktail is typically served without garnish – unless you count the customary Origami paper plane often added to glass rims. While this simplicity makes it ideal for replication, it also gives space for riffs too.
These started with simple swaps for different whiskys, then to swapping out the bourbon for rum, or the lemon juice for lime juice or mint for different herbal or fruit flavours.
The Paper Plane neatly demonstrates the joys of two key drink trends – offering classic comfort as an easy-to-make, nostalgic treat, and exciting the senses with its balance of flavours.
Latest launches
Retro revivals & bold colours
Nostalgic creations are on the up across quick serve restaurants (QSRs) this summer.
In the US, Dutch Bros’ cooling drinks feature retro drink flavours like blue raspberry and sherbet, Sonic has a range of new slushies, and Mooyah Burgers has a new blue shake infused with candies. And Dave’s Hot Chicken’s Top-loaded shakes can be garnished with a childhood favourite, Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal.
In Canada, McDonald’s new creamsicle popsicle – an orange and vanilla flavoured extra thick milkshake – is a nod to both retro drinks and the orange drinks trend.
Panera Bread and PJ’s Coffee each have new bold-coloured drinks too, with flavours like Pomegranate Hibiscus Tea and Watermelon Tropics creating orange, red and pink shades.
Starbucks new flavoured energy drinks are brightly coloured too, in Melon Burst and Passion Tango flavours.
Starbucks has new releases worldwide too, including a limited-edition Caramel Vanilla Swirl iced coffee in Canada and a Love & Peach Frappuccino, promising all the colours and texture of a peach, in Japan.
Also in Japan, McDonald’s has made a mint chocolate Oreo frappe to honour the country’s favourite, cooling summer flavour.
New cocktail creations & RTDs
Paris-based Bar Les Ambassadeurs has unveiled its latest cocktail list, featuring summer harvest inspired creations. Using French ingredients like pitted fruits, herbs and berries, the menu features savoury cocktails and alcohol-free alternatives.
In the UK, Niche Cocktails is using summer fruits too, creating summer pudding flavours in a Bullards Gin canned cocktail. Red Fin Cider promises similar summer flavours – including light floral and fruit notes like melon, berry and cherry – in its new medium dry craft ciders.
Bright colours ensure Welch’s and Tinnie’s canned cocktails stand out in US and Australian markets, respectively. Billed as fruit juice for adults, Welch’s RTDs are made with real fruit juice infused with spirits, each with an ABV of 5.9%. Tinnie’s Craft Beers’ launches champion retro drinks with Lemon Sherbet and Raspberry Crush flavours.
Sustainable drinkware innovation
Finally, a new partnership is championing sustainable drinkware. Circular&Co and kleen hub have developed a reusable cup and simple return system. The cups can be reused at least 1,000 times and are expected to save hundreds of thousands of single use cups per week.
Work with us
At Simpson’s Beverages, we develop and manufacture bespoke flavours for drinks. We stay at the forefront of emerging drinks trends, sharing our insights and experience with customers to ensure they are the first movers in their category. Chat to our team today.
Image source: Trendhub The Food People 2024
