Sweet flavours are creating the biggest buzz across the drinks industry this month.
Honey, Sโmores and Churros are each being used across coffees, cocktails, sodas and liqueurs thanks to their familiar yet indulgent flavours.
Sweet syrups, bold colours and sustainability are all inspiring new creations too.
Honeyโs hot
Everyoneโs buzzing about honey. Using the sweet flavour in drinks is a key current drinks trend.
With sweet, floral, fruity and even earthy notes to it, honey can be paired with a long list of complementary ingredients, including fruits, spices, desserts and even umami flavours โ it would be simpler to share a list of fruits it wouldnโt elevate or complement, in fact. It also offers natural, healthy and sustainable connotations.
Now honey is being used across soft drinks, coffees and cocktails, so if youโre wondering โwhat is the next drink trend?โ, hereโs your answerโฆ
Honeyโs familiar flavour pairing with lemon and ginger has inspired lemonades, cocktails and mocktails, while combinations of honey and nuts are seen across coffees and cocktails, including Honey Almond Milk Lattes or Hazelnut & Honey Iced Lattes. Covour Coffee uses a burnt honey in its oat milk iced latte, meanwhile.
The Rebello Hotel in Porto, Portugal, has created a cocktail with whisky, amaretto, benedictine, cream, honey and hazelnut milk too, and on socials @beeseandtreesmanuka shared a Manuka hot honey Paloma. Hot honey โ infused with chilli peppers – is used in Coffeeholic Houseโs hot honey yuzu soda too, and Starbucks uses it in exclusive Affogato and Espresso Martini offerings, only available in three US cities.
Heat can be added to honey with other spices too, including cardamom infusions or pumpkin spiced honey; giving a new twist on a classic Autumn flavour combo.
High Five uses the flavour in its Honey & Maple ale, available in the Philippines, while in the US Spirited Hive uses honey in its range of canned cocktails.
Salted honey is making the current drinks trend for โswaltyโ creations appealing to all drinkers. Influencers have shared salted honey espresso iced lattes and salted honey Old Fashioneds on socials, and Matcha & Me serves a salted honey matcha iced latte in the US.
Drinkable desserts
Super sweet desserts are inspiring new drink flavours and launches.
Sโmoresโ mash up of marshmallow, chocolate and crackers is being emulated across hot chocolates, coffees, milkshakes and even energy drinks, including Muscle Milkโs Sโmores flavoured energy drink and Pageโs Sโmores milkshake.
The iconic American dessert is indulgent, nostalgic and evocative of fireside treats. Where Sโmores are traditionally toasted over campfires, though, extra ingredients or alternative techniques are being employed to recreate their toasty taste and texture in drinks.
Churrosโ blend of sweetness, crunchiness and chewiness is being recreated across milkshakes, sundaes and coffees, sold everywhere from trendy wine bars to street food stalls and QSRs.
The cinnamon sprinkled, fried dough dessert is the ideal little luxury, offering instant joy and comfort in an affordable yet versatile format.
San Churroโs Churromisu is a hot mocha chocolate topped with tiramisu cream and a Churro, and Ridges Churro Bar does a fruity pebbled churro sundae. Baileys has now released a limited-edition liqueur inspired by cinnamon Churros, too. It says the Irish Creamโs vanilla and cinnamon flavours are ideal for coffees or cocktails.
Both flavours are also being delivered direct to drinks in flavoured syrups suitable for coffees or milkshakes.
New launches
Flavoured syrups, bold colours and brand collaborations are all key to some of the latest launches across the drinks industry.
Chick-fil-A has added a Banana Pudding Milkshake to its menu, while Bettyโs Burgers has launched a Creamy Pistachio Thick Shake, made using frozen custard and available for a limited time only.
McDonalds has also introduced a limited-edition milkshake. The purple Grimace Shake uses a blueberry flavoured syrup to emulate and celebrate Grimace, the purple character from McDonaldland.
Burger King has opted for a colourful drink too – its soft pink Frozen Pink Lemonade promises a refreshing โsweet yet tartโ flavour. Amino has also launched a pink lemonade. Made with natural caffeine and served in cans it is formulated and marketed as a pre-workout or energy drink.
Avvika, meanwhile, has created a caffeine-free, alternative functional drink. Its ingredients include ashwagandha and itโs available in two flavours, Sherbert & Yuzu or Cherry Blossom.
US brands are also using natural alternatives in new launches. Poppi uses natural caffeine and prebiotics in its Cherry Cola Soda while No Cap adds fibre, prebiotics and probiotics to its sodas, available in five flavours including Passion Vibe and Apple Rizz. Waterlooโs flavoured sparkling waters are purified and free from calories, sugar or sweeteners, available in Spiced Apple or Pomegranate Acai flavours.
New launches also include international brand collaborations. Coca Cola and Oreoโs icy Slurpee drink combines flavours from each of the food and drink giants. New Amsterdam Vodka has collaborated with YouTube show Hot Ones โ where celebrities are interviewed while eating increasingly spicy hot wings โ to create a spicy, hot pepper flavoured vodka, said to be perfect for making Bloody Marys or Martinis.
Finally, cocktails are made easier with Cointreauโs new RTDs. The Lime Daiquiri and Berry Cosmo cocktails come in copper-coloured aluminium bottles, as premium-feeling yet sustainable packaging.
Upcycled drinks
Sustainability is increasingly important to consumers, so the drinks industry is busy blending current drink trends with โgreenโ initiatives.
Upcycled drinks transform leftover goods or by-products into fresh ingredients to reduce waste streams. They often offer interesting flavours or additional nutritional benefits too.
In Japan, Starbucks uses โugly bananasโ in its Banana Brulee Cappuccino. In the US, Spare Food Co x Salt & Straw use โrescuedโ whey protein and bakery goods to make the tonic and ice cream for their soda float, while Trash & Treasure Spirits uses rescued pineapple and mango peel in its Tropical Rum. And on Instagram, @thetrashcollective shared a stock/juice made from leftover lime husks.
Using spent grains or discarded peels or cores, repurposing โwonkyโ fruits, or rescuing surplus produce allows drinks brands to demonstrate creativity, transparency and sustainability.
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Image source: Trendhubย The Food People 2024