If you’re anything like me, it can be hard keeping up to date with Cocktail trends with new concoctions being created every day it can be difficult staying in touch. As we start to get used to post-lockdown life you might want to try new cocktails but don’t know where to start. Like many industries the cocktail market is ever evolving with new trends being created seemingly every day. In 2021 we saw the rise of the Cocktail-to-go, due to the pandemic there was a considerable rise in take-away and delivery cocktails. This has essentially changed the landscape in terms of accessibility as now someone can order their favourite drink and have it delivered. More bars are starting to hop on this trend with many bars now offering to deliver their signature cocktail. To help you and I out this is an informed list of what the future of cocktails will look like in 2022.
The rise of the Mocktail
In 2021, there was a significant rise in Mocktails with bars across the UK embracing a more health-conscious way of drinking. As more people have become focused on improving their well-being it is a certainty this will continue into 2022 as well. Non-alcoholic1 drinks brand Lyre have recently been valued at £270 million which is a £170 million jump from their previous yearly valuation. Many have attributed this rise in alcohol-free cocktails to the consumers post-COVID focus on improving their health. Combined with the fall in alcohol consumption it is apparent 2022 is going to be the year of the mocktail.
Summer of the Seltzers
When summer hit last year an incredible influx of hard seltzers seemingly rose to prominence out of nowhere and this rise is still soaring with projections for new heights in 2022. In the US there was no standout tipple quite like the hard seltzer with over $2.7 billion accounted for from June 2020 to June 2021. Don’t worry I can hear you exasperatedly question ‘what does that have to do with me?’. Well, the UK2 have posted a growth of 3.7% in the last year for hard seltzer products with a forecast of 90% annual growth until 2025 demonstrating the immense growth the sector has undergone and will continue to undergo in the future. Kevin Farrell2 of the Molson Coors Beverage Company stated “While it’s still early days in Europe, we’re expecting the hard seltzer category to follow a similar pattern to the U.S.” It is clear that there is going to be a significant rise in hard seltzer sales in the UK through 2022 and will be one of the leading trends to hop on to.
The Rosé Renaissance
One of the most established cocktails around, Rosé has been a staple of parties, events and casual dining for generations. However, after relatively fading away to make way for new concoctions it appears many are returning to the classic formula. Is it really as simple as the drink is pink? Obviously not but it plays a large part in the rise of the cocktail with many people celebrating life post lockdown and a sure-fire way of starting a party. With 2022 just around the corner the party is set to continue with more people coming out of lockdown and people more willing to spend their money on extravagances, here at Alliance3 we understand that the perfect glass goes a long way to enhancing the cocktail drinking experience, with our range of glasses you can be sure to find the ideal one that suits your tastes from luxury brands such as Utopia, Artis and Chef & Sommelier. It is safe to say that 2022 is going to be the year of rosé as it will continue its renaissance as one of the country’s most beloved cocktails.
Rum Revolution
Feeling a bit lost? Don’t worry, Rum has been making waves in the last couple of years and has really come back into fashion. Its greatest strength would be its versatility and diversity as it is able to be used effectively in a number of popular drinks. Due to the rise of fresh rum producers a substantial number of new concoctions have been created seeing a boom in the sector. Being able to appeal to the younger demographic has seen rum based drinks steadily grow as the go-to cocktail for any event. This4 year the rum industry was forecasted to grow by 9% in the UK with the majority of the rise in the last 5 years being down to growth in the premium end of the market. As was the case for rosé the forecasted growth is down to a combination of factors non more important than the celebratory mood people will be in post-COVID. With the number of rum brands exponentially increasing (50 in 2009 – over 200 in 2021) it’s evident that this sector isn’t stopping anytime soon, and this trend will continue on into 2022.
The Cocktail ‘Kiosk’
It will come as no surprise to many that as the world opens back up many mixologists firmly believe people’s tastes will become more elaborate as people will be looking to try new mixtures. Cocktail bars will have to be more creative than ever before after the wake of COVID with many customers wanting to try more adventurous drinks. A potentially profitable idea for business owners has already been created to supplement this rise in exotic cocktails by implementing a system very similar to the one so effectively used by Subway called a kiosk. Essentially allowing consumers to create their own cocktail using a wide variety of base ingredients. 2022 is set to be a year of the wild west in the cocktail industry with no one truly knowing what the next big trend will be (although we can confidently say the products and ideas in the points raised will be major players) however one thing is certain the cocktail sector and whole alcohol industry is sure to make5 substantial profits and will continue to see a big growth period.
As we know drinking responsibly should be at the foremost of our mind especially in these times of Coronavirus. Here at Alliance, we understand the business’ perspective as well and note that any bar or restaurant should be including these on their menus as well as experimenting with the idea of take-away and delivery cocktails. For more information on our cocktail glasses3, you can visit our website where you can find the perfect glass accompaniment to any cocktail for your customers in 2022.
References
1. https://www.forbes.com/sites/katedingwall/
2. https://www.modernretail.co/retailers/hard-seltzer-brands-flood-the-u-k-in-anticipation-of-a-sales-boom/
3. https://www.allianceonline.co.uk/tableware/
4. https://bbbdrinks.com/
5. https://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/alcoholic-drinks/united-kingdom
