10 Drinks Trends for 2021丨FOOD2CHINA EXPO Trends

Since 2020 threw us all for a loop, it’s arguably never been harder to predict what’s to come. Still, we asked some forward-thinking experts to surmise what might be ahead for the spirits, cocktail and bar industries. Here are 10 trends to keep an eye on in 2021.

More low- and no-alcohol offerings

“This was big in 2020, with growth that is building,” says Kara Nielsen, director of food & drink with trend forecaster WGSN. Nonalcoholic offerings have gone well beyond early-arrival Seedlip to zero-proof vermouths, bitters and more.

On the low-alcohol front, “we’ve seen hard seltzer move into hard everything else,” she says. So, get ready for hard kombucha, hard tea and more.


Cocktails-to-go are here-to-stay

Between the meteoric rise of canned cocktails and relaxed regulations that allow bars in many states to sell alcoholic drinks to take home, expect this trend to continue strong in the coming year.

“I think 2021 is going to be the definitive year of the large-format bottled cocktail to go,” says Anu Apte, proprietor of Seattle’s Rob Roy bar. “Even more so than this year, because everyone has worked out the kinks…I don’t see us being able to open like we were in the before times until at least fall of 2021.”

需要的关键词

Brands like Ten to One are “recruiting a new generation of rum drinkers,” says Amanda Victoria, partner/director of judging for the LA Spirits Awards / Photo courtesy Ten to One

Spirits to watch: Tequila, Cognac and whiskey, particularly Irish

After a resilient year for spirits, the outlook for 2021 remains upbeat, says Brandy Rand, chief operating officer for the Americas for data analysis firm IWSR Drinks Market Analysis. She expects agave-based spirits (Tequila and mezcal) to continue to grow, along with Cognac and whiskeys, with the exception of blended Scotch.

That said, Irish whiskey was one of the few spirits categories hit hard during the pandemic. Rand expects to see it bounce back in 2021.

Victoria also champions Irish whiskey. “We’ve been seeing brands drive this trend through education ranging from niche distillation methods to single malts over the last five to 10 or so years,” she says. “I believe Irish whiskey is just about to pop in a completely new light.”

Will this finally be rum’s year?

Each year, industry pros guess that rum is about to have its moment in the U.S. It’s become something of an inside joke, says Victoria. But 2021 might actually be the breakthrough, as producers reach out to younger consumers.

“Up-and-coming category standouts like Ten to One are finally helping to move the conversation forward by recruiting a new generation of rum drinkers,” she says.

Stefan Huebner, co-owner/head mixologist at cocktail lounge Dot Dot Dot in Charlotte, North Carolina, views 2021 as “rum’s year to be back in the spotlight.” What makes it special? “Distillers have been releasing older rums that are attracting the discerning palates of whiskey drinkers,” he says.

需要的关键词

The popularity of canned cocktails is expected to continue to grow. / Getty

Canned cocktails will continue, at least in the first half of the year

Between the hard seltzer boom and the growing numbers of bartenders seeking to can their creations to sell at bars and retail outlets, most predict that the canned cocktail trend will continue strong. However, there’s a possibility that as the pandemic recedes and consumers can safely return to bars and clubs, canned cocktails may lose their luster.

Cocktail menus will vanish

The “touchless” menus that began during the pandemic, or drinks lists that can be read on a guest’s phone, will become the norm in 2021, says Sly Cosmopoulos, director of beverage marketing for wine and spirits wholesaler Republic National Distributing Company. Bonus: bar and restaurant operators can change menus instantly as they run out of certain ingredients, she says.


Wild card: Will spirits prices skyrocket?

The distilling industry’s temporary reduced Federal Excise Tax (FET) rate is slated to increase 400% at the end of 2020. If Congress doesn’t take preventative action, that would result in sharply higher prices for many craft spirits, says Becky Harris, president of industry trade group American Craft Spirits Association. “It would be the last straw for a lot of our little distilleries.”

She predicts that the odds that the lowered rate will be extended for another year are from 60% to 70%, “that’s still a 30-40% chance it could still happen,” she says.

Source:winemag,Bar Pros

  
The last newsThe next news









 粤ICP备15005621号