Category
Lifestyle
Assisted Choices
Trend cluster
Category
Savory
Beverage
Savory cocktails grow in popularity alongside experimental beverage consumption.
2.3
Trend score
Trend
What is the Savory Beverage trend?
Savory Beverage: Savory cocktails are increasingly common among restaurant menus and pre-packaged beverages, with truly unique innovations from duck fat to gravy being used as bases for new alcoholic beverages.
Insight
The consumer insight behind the Savory Beverage trend
In a category that typically leaves consumers overwhelmed with options, consumers begin to search for products that offer a different experience. By incorporating an unexpected twist, beverage brands are able to differentiate themselves and capitalize on a consumers who increasingly prioritize experimental and worldly flavors as part of the growth of "foodie" culture.
Trend themes
Themes within the Savory Beverage trend
Three behaviours holding the trend together01
Savory Cocktails
Restaurants and pre-packaged beverages are incorporating unexpected twists such as duck fat and gravy into their cocktails to differentiate themselves and cater to consumers prioritizing experimental flavors.
02
Savory Ready-to-Drink Spirits
Savory ready-to-drink spirits like Black Tomato Spirit made from Sicilian black tomatoes and the potential for intriguing flavors in buffalo-wing-flavored drinks pose disruptive innovation opportunities in the alcoholic beverage market.
03
Fat Washing
Infusing fatty flavors into alcohol to create smoky and savory cocktails using repurposed ingredients and unique ingredients such as smoked duck fat creates room for disruptive innovation in the alcoholic beverage space.
Industry implications
What the Savory Beverage trend means for industry
Where the trend changes the playbookFor
Alcoholic Beverages
All examples touch on opportunities in the growth of the alcoholic beverage market and cater to consumers prioritizing experimentation in flavors.
For
Restaurant
Savory cocktails, flavorful ready-to-drink spirits, and unique sounds-like-food-but-is-actually-a-drink menus each present opportunities for restaurants to participate in a larger trend of creating innovative food and beverage options.
For
Non-Alcoholic Beverages
With spiked or non-alcoholic options, cocktails and spirit-flavored drinks offer endless options for non-alcoholic beverage companies to explore refreshing and savory flavors.
Workshop question
How could your brand better focus on the preference for distinct product experiences?
Trend signals
Trend signals for Savory Beverage
Trend score 2.3 out of 10, from popularity 35%, activity 26%, freshness 8%.
Popularity35%
Activity26%
Freshness8%
Audience
50%Men
50%Women
- Gen Alpha (not a primary audience)
- Gen Z
- Millennial
- Gen X
- Boomer
Market
North America
Europe
Asia-Pacific
Evidence
Examples of the Savory Beverage trend
5 featured examples from Jan 16, 2018 to Mar 16, 2019CategoryLifestyle
Duck Fat Cocktails
Monsieur Le Duck & CTC Created an Experimental Cocktail with Smoked Duck Fat
The cocktail industry can explore the use of fat washing techniques to create new and innovative savory cocktails.
CategoryLifestyle
Texture-Rich Cocktail Menus
Buffalo Wings & Rings' Drinks Menu Features Pop Rocks & Savory Flavors
Opportunity for bars, restaurants, and hotels to elevate their beverage offerings by integrating inventive cocktails and texture-rich drinks into their menus.
CategoryLifestyle
Black Tomato Spirits
The Ready-to-Drink Black Tomato Spirit is Genuinely Made with Black Tomatoes
The ready-to-drink market can leverage the use of unique ingredients and nuanced flavors to create innovative and differentiated products, like the Black Tomato Spirit.
CategoryLifestyle
Gravy-Based Cocktails
KFC's Recipes for Savory Cocktails Cater to a Demand for Stock-Based Drinks
The food and beverage industry can explore the creation of innovative, stock-based cocktails that cater to the demand for unique flavor profiles.
CategoryLifestyle
Refreshingly Salty Citrus Beers
The Modelo Chelada Limón y Sal is a New Take on a Classic
Craft beer brands can explore the introduction of savory beer options that cater to consumers seeking unique flavors.
