Flavor Trends, Strategies and Solutions for Menu Development

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

Gai lan broccoli-black garlic shrub forms the base of a tequila cocktail at Ever Bar in Los Angeles.
PHOTO CREDIT: Bread & Butter

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.


From the Jan/Feb 2019 Top 10 Trends issue of Flavor & the Menu magazine. Read the full issue online or check if you qualify for a free print subscription.

 

 

About The Author

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TONY PEREYRA has developed his expertise in every facet of the bar and beverage industry, delivering innovations in mixology, developing structured bar programs, establishing strategic partnerships and creating positive training and educational experiences. His Los Angeles-based beverage consultancy, The Spirits In Motion, co-founded with business partner Phil Wills, has kept him involved with developing top-shelf beverage logistics since 2011. By attending and speaking at seminars and national conferences as an industry influencer, and applying countless hours of real-time research, Tony stays ahead of the game with industry trends to deliver top-notch bar and beverage solutions.