With 2019 in the rear view mirror, it’s time to start looking ahead to the new year. Cocktails are constantly evolving, and this year more than ever, consumers are looking for something new and different.
So as with every year, we’re peering into our crystal ball and making some bold predictions about what will be the hottest trends in cocktail making for 2020. Last year we did pretty good overall, so let’s see if we can keep up the hot streak with this year’s predictions.
Minimalism
Rather than cocktails that read like a set of instructions, bars are starting to lean into the mantra that less is more. By stripping back cocktails to their bare essentials, not only does this means that drinkers are more confident in what they are ordering, but individual ingredients really get a chance to shine.
Expect to see more cocktail options with carefully selected craft spirits and an in-house made flavour enhancement like London-based Artesian’s sous-vide yuzu.
Pop, Pop, Fizz
The seltzer craze is going to drastically impact the way bartenders think about new cocktail creations. Consumers are into drinking carbonated beverages like soda water, hard seltzer and prosecco, so expect to see more cocktail options with a carbonated component as an element. We’re pretty confident this one is going to be a big trend come the summer time.
Zero proof
We predicted the rise of low-proof cocktails for 2019, and that’s exactly where the industry started to swing; but there’s been an early surge of zero proof spirits hitting the marketplace (like Seedlip which is even available at Indigo).
As consumers continue to be more conscious about health and wellness, and look for alternatives to the big and boozy, zero proof cocktails are going to make up more room on an average cocktail menu. These also let bartenders be more creative with taste, as they can’t rely on the alcohol to prop up the drink.
Brands go Pop-up
In an age where we are constantly connected to a global audience, bars and restaurants are starting to expand beyond the confines of their own brick and mortar locations. Individual pop-up’s like Dante’s visit to Vancouver’s Homer Street Cafe, bring new exposure to the brand and expands their audience base beyond those simply able to walk into their doors. This is likely to be a a big trend moving forward, as it drums up interest for both parties involved.
Plant based Colour
Waste reduction was a big component of last year’s trends, but one of the more interesting side effects of that was bartenders started discovering that certain plant elements impact unique colours and textures to cocktails. Look for cocktails with vibrant colours like yellows from turmeric, blues from butterfly pea flower, purples from corn, and greens from peas as examples of how this trend will represent itself.
Ale/Sessions 