Cocktail trends for 2023: When Old Fashioned met espresso martini

Globally, drinking trends in 2023 are expected to see a ‘pleasure revolution,’ with more and more martinis, familiar flavours, and ferments rocking the trends.

According to Bacardi’s 2023 Cocktail Trends Report in 2023, people are shifting their focus from enhancement to enjoyment and focusing on moving towards transformational tastes, virtual experimentation, sophisticated sips, and conscious cocktails.

“As cocktail culture flourishes, people are seeking inspiration from the new flavours, sensations, and experiences they’re seeing in bars and restaurants and using these to deepen their enjoyment in the creation of cocktails,” said Brenda Fiala Global VP, Strategy, Insights & Analytics at Bacardi.

Moving towards nostalgia and simple comforts

As per a consumer survey by Bacardi conducted in October last year, people have started experimenting with new ingredients and flavour profiles at home and in cocktail bars. Further people are also returning to traditional flavours for the search of nostalgia. Classics like martinis, negronis, highballs, and Old Fashioneds are back in the game.

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“For many people, pandemic lockdowns amplified aspects of creating cosiness,” said Brandy Rand, Chief Strategy Officer, IWSR Drinks Market Analysis. “Flavours and smells like chocolate chip cookies, fresh-squeezed lemonade, or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich bring back the nostalgia of childhood and are simple comforts.”

Experiments for the win

Apart from nostalgia, in terms of cocktails, the world is also moving towards bolder flavours and experiments. Spicy tequila, and vodka-based cocktails with ingredients like jalapeno and tabasco are gaining popularity, as per the Bacardi report.

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In addition to ferments like kombuchas, tepaches, and kefir, bitter flavours are still prevalent, and additives like coffee (ever heard of an espresso martini?) and aromatic bitters are becoming more common.

The year of innovation

The digital realm is proving fertile for drinks innovation, with accelerating technologies providing fresh paths to cocktail discovery, creation, and enjoyment.

If 2022 was the year of the metaverse, expect 2023 to be the year of the ‘betterverse,’ where the immersive, collaborative, and engaging virtual realm is harnessed to provide transformational experiences, education, and exploration.

“To continue to attract consumers and their ever-changing mindsets through the next decade and beyond, businesses must help to build the betterverse – a metaverse that stands for equitability, inclusion, representation, accessibility, transformation, and personal and planetary betterment.” said Martin Raymond, Co-Founder of The Future Laboratory.

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