Beverage

Milk Bar in New York started the cereal milk craze a few years back. Now, operators are maximizing the emotional tie most diners have to cereal, then upping the game by featuring both the cereal milk and cereal in pancakes, cocktails, desserts and more.

Mixologists continue to introduce innovative new cocktails, but the classics never go out of style. These drinks are standbys for a reason: well balanced, broadly appealing, reliably satisfying, nicely nostalgic. They’re enjoying a refresh as operators look to create new experiences with familiar favorites

To identify what is being done to drive appeal and sales of cocktails at trend-forward concepts, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits set out on its second-annual fact-finding tour. The standout discovery this year is the creative and sophisticated use of high-impact ingredients that introduce unique profiles to classic cocktails. Based on our research, here are four key opportunities in the cocktail category.

With fall in full swing, dining consumers look to warmer flavor tones in their coffee drinks, smoothies, cocktails and more. Here are 15 flavor combinations that just might give pumpkin a run for its money

Together, coffee and tea carry a lot of good menu juju. The cocktail world is plugging in, rewiring some of that buzz into boozy beverage development.

Nonalcoholic beverages offer limitless opportunities for innovation. The question is how to select the right mix that best fits the concept and patrons. Here are 10 areas around which to innovate.

Leverage the booming tea category and make it your own.

Internationally, operators are taking the standard formula for a spritz and adding their unique personality and creativity to this popular, hot-weather-friendly beverage

Cold-pressed juices, functional ingredients, high-impact flavorings, Greek yogurt bases, favorite dessert flavors—all of these help make up modern smoothies

It’s all happening in the world of smoothies and shakes. Health-conscious moothies and bowls. Crazy freakshakes - the bolder, the better. Cold-brew shakes and cold-pressed lemonade smoothies. And nutrient-dense smoothies filled with flavor detail.

Innovation in the cocktail space continues to thrill the thirsty and the adventurous, wowing with intriguing flavor combinations and head-turning presentations

Fun and flavorful mark the trend in summer sipping

Taste Bar offers its Matcha Picchu: Matcha-infused pisco, Wray & Nephew Overproof Rum, allspice dram, coconut simple syrup, lemon

Dianoia’s Eatery offers its Hot Buttered Amaro Cocktail: Amaro, vanilla ice cream, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, shaved nutmeg; served warm

Riviera 31 offers a Fighter Weapon School aka top gun: Bulleit bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, lemon juice, passionfruit juice

Why you should consider uncommon beverage ingredients when designing new beverages or bar menus in the coming months and seasons.

Pj’s Coffee Of New Orleans offers The King Cake Protein Velvet Ice: Cold-brew coffee concentrate, fat-free milk, whey-protein concentrate, vanilla, cinnamon

The Whistler offers its Golden Fleece: Kikusui Funaguchi sake, preserved Meyer lemon, honey, soda

Patent Pending offers 'The Twain': Tequila, Alpine liqueur, gin, pear, Woodruff syrup, almond, Fuji apple and lemon

Red Rabbit offers a San Jorge: Tequila, grapefruit, lemon, Tattersall Grapefruit Crema, St. George Pear Brandy