Drinking Consumer Insights

Trend - While nitrogen-infused coffee has become mainstream through major coffee chains and ready-to-drink products, beverage manufacturers are now expanding nitrogen infusion into new categories including tea, juice, and non-alcoholic craft beverages. This technique creates a uniquely smooth, creamy mouthfeel and visual appeal without adding calories or dairy.

Insight - Contemporary consumers are increasingly seeking novel sensory experiences in their everyday products, particularly in the beverage space where innovation has become a key differentiator. This desire for experimentation aligns with growing health consciousness, as consumers look for ways to enhance their beverages without adding sugar or artificial ingredients.

Trend - Alcohol brands are positioning themselves to align with the savory cocktail trend by experimenting with ingredients that deliver strong umami flavors. From MSG to seaweed, the inclusion of these ingredients imparts a unique flavor combination that caters to the palates of adventurous drinkers.

Insight - Consumers are increasingly searching for alternatives to traditional cocktails, usually characterized by high sugar content and familiar, sweet flavors. In response, brands are exploring fermented and saline ingredients, such as mushrooms and broths, to create cocktails with savory flavor profiles. These companies recognize that consumers are increasingly conscious of the health benefits of their purchases and value brands that offer something different from the typical cocktail experience.

Trend - Bubble tea restaurants are launching new seasonal flavors inspired by traditional pumpkin spice lattes. This blending of a traditional fall dessert flavor with the bubble tea format is designed to offer more variety to fans of both respective products.

Insight - Younger consumers ranging from younger Millennials to Gen Alpha, are more drawn to loaded dessert-style beverages, such as bubble tea, than those of previous generations. These consumers treat bubble tea as a social experience. As these drinks continue to become ritualized in consumers' lives, demand for new flavors and experiences goes up in turn. In order to cater to the ever-growing demand for flavor diversity, bubble tea restaurants are looking to popular seasonal flavors for inspiration.

Trend - Brands are making portable espresso makers designed for camping and travel applications. These are durable with long-lasting batteries, often including secondary features such as lights or app connectivity. Portable espresso makers target the traveling on-the-go or outdoorsy adult demographic.

Insight - Many adults today live with busy schedules and only a select amount of free time. As a result, these consumers look to save time and effort in their day wherever possible. For some, this means meal planning and scheduling, while others turn to smart apps and digital solutions to save time and money. Appliance brands and startups are appealing to these consumers, often through crowdfunding, by launching a compact espresso makers designed for portability and reliability,

Trend - Brands in the beverage space are creating coffee creamers with simple ingredient lists. These creamers are often plant-based or organic, and focus on conveying to the customer that they use as few chemicals as possible, resulting in better-for-you alternatives to traditional artificial creamers.

Insight - The average consumer is becoming increasingly aware of the nutritional benefits of products, particularly as regulations around food packaging increase, requiring brands to disclose potentially harmful ingredients. These factors have contributed to an increase in attention given to clean-label products, particularly those without compromises, across the food industry. As a result, brands in the beverage space are now reducing ingredients lists, and are instead prioritizing clean, simple recipes.

Trend - Bubble-free booze is gaining traction as a preferred choice among Gen Z consumers, with many citing bloating and a feeling of fullness as major pain points. As a result, there's a growing demand for non-carbonated alcoholic beverages. This shift is evident in the increasing popularity of flat seltzers, still cocktails, and other innovative drinks that cater to the preferences of this demographic.

Insight - A growing awareness of physical wellness among Millennial and Gen Z consumers has led to more scrutiny of how different beverage attributes affect their drinking experience and overall comfort. These demographics are increasingly vocal about digestive discomfort associated with carbonated drinks, creating demand for alternatives that allow them to socialize without the physical side effects of bubbles. This shift reflects a broader pattern of younger consumers prioritizing functional benefits in their alcohol choices, moving beyond taste to consider how different beverage characteristics impact their overall drinking experience and next-day recovery.

Trend - Mocktail and sober beverage subscriptions are gaining popularity as more consumers seek alternatives to traditional alcoholic drinks. These subscription services offer curated selections of non-alcoholic beverages, from sophisticated mocktails to wellness-focused drinks, delivered directly to consumers' doors.

Insight - Fueled by a growing awareness of alcohol's health impacts and a desire for mindfulness, more consumers, particularly wellness-focused Millennials and Gen Z, are embracing the "sober curious" movement. Social media and wellness influencers are further contributing to this shift by normalizing sobriety and promoting the benefits of reducing alcohol intake. Furthermore, the increasing availability of high-quality, non-alcoholic beverages provides consumers with sophisticated and enjoyable alternatives, making it easier to embrace a sober curious lifestyle.

Trend - There is a renewed interest in culinary arts in the TikTok era that also impacts the world of nightlife and drinking. A new era of cocktail fascination is emerging, with mixology treated as an area of interest among consumers. Mixology hobbyists are more interested in flavor combinations and sensorial experience than the simple act of drinking.

Insight - This repositioning of mixology speaks to members of Gen Z who consume less alcohol than their predecessors, but still enjoy the ritual of social drinking. It introduces a new avenue for consumers who lean more sober-curious. With more focus on the craft and alternative functions of cocktails or mocktails, this group can focus on exploring flavor and texture. To these consumers, this pursuit is more about self-expression and immersion into a new topic of interest than sheer consumption.

Trend - Dirty sodas, a mix of soda, cream, and flavored syrups, have surged in popularity thanks to TikTok. Originating in Utah, where many abstain from alcohol and coffee, these drinks have evolved into a national sensation. Chains like Swig and Sonic Drive-In have capitalized on this trend, offering various concoctions that combine soda with sweet cream and syrups.

Insight - Consumers are increasingly drawn to indulgent, customizable beverages that offer a playful escape from their daily routines. The rise of these unique concoctions reflects a desire for nostalgic, treat-like drinks that balance sweetness with a touch of novelty. This trend taps into the broader movement of experiential consumption, where the process of creating and sharing the drink is as enjoyable as drinking it.

Trend - Restaurants and CPG brands are adding dried pepper mixes to iced beverages to add an extra level of refreshing flavor. Previously a more niche product in North America, big-name restaurants are entering the space, leading to spiced beverages becoming more commonplace.

Insight - Spicy products have continued to grow in popularity in the Western World, with studies reporting incremental increases in popularity year over year, particularly from 2019 onwards. This rise in popularity can be attributed to various consumer demands, such as globalization, or the desire for variety, novelty, and healthier products, as many peppers are rich in vitamins and feature antioxidants. In recognition of these desires, brands are infusing peppers into non-traditional beverages.