Savory cocktails grow in popularity alongside experimental beverage consumption
Trend - 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 - 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.
Insight - 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.
Workshop Question - How could your brand better focus on the preference for distinct product experiences?
Trend Themes
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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.
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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.
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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
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Alcoholic Beverages — All examples touch on opportunities in the growth of the alcoholic beverage market and cater to consumers prioritizing experimentation in flavors.
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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.
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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.
