Switch It Up

Gai lan broccoli-black garlic shrub forms the base of a tequila cocktail at Ever Bar in Los Angeles.

Credit: Bread & Butter

Switch It Up

Bring a healthy halo to your cocktails and non-alc drinks

Consumers have grasped “fresh, locally sourced, organic, farm-to-table, hand-shaken” and are now looking for what’s next. Operators now have adjusted ordering guides and menus to meet this demand. This is across all platforms: chains and independents, hotels, cruise ships and even airports.

This trend is Millennial-driven, but also supported by other generations, even Boomers, who in the past may have based decisions on value and price, but now they’re based on health benefits and quality of ingredients.
Look for items that can bring a healthy halo to cocktails or non-alc drinks. Examples include:

  • Juices—carrots, beets, fennel, snow peas
  • Produce high in water—watermelon, cucumber, bell pepper
  • Spices—cinnamon, turmeric, cayenne
  • Vinegar-based shrubs—fruit or vegetable juices; high-antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
  • Nitro—tea and coffee
  • CBD—cocktails, coffee/tea, ready-to-drink

Functional Sipping – both nonalcoholic and boozy beverages are getting a winning dose of wellness-promoting ingredients.