What trends are you expecting to see in the beverage sector?

This month’s Advice from the Experts is brought to you by a mixologist dream team of four incredibly talented women. Giorgia Di Stefano is the Manager at Demon & Wise and responsible for devising their new drinks and menus, Courtney Francis, a multi-award-winning Bartender at Couch has been blazing a trail in the industry since 2020, Chellsea Dagger, Head Bartender, Yard and Coop has extensive experience curating menus for a host of venues across the UK and Ashleigh Cilliers, General Manager at Hyde & Co, has gone from strength to strength in the industry.

Giorgia Di Stefano

“I think whisky, gin and agave spirits will continue to dominate our top ten but there are definitely opportunities for other spirits to grow. While the boom in agave has probably taken people’s eyes away from vodka and rum, interest is still steadily increasing and our Rum Punch and our Vodka Collins with strawberries both remain popular serves. Rhum Agricole, which is made from sugar cane juice as opposed to molasses, is definitely an exciting area to watch in 2024.”
“Heat and spice are playing a bigger role in drinks. Savoury flavours are also pretty hot right now whether that’s chilli, tomato, fat-washing or clarified drinks. Finally, ice is also a red-hot topic this year. The quality of the ice, the size, the shape, the look, the colour and even whether it is branded. The skills and new techniques being attempted, tried and pushed are amazing so it’s a fantastic time to be a mixologist and an even better one to be a drinker.”

Courtney Francis

“Agave spirits such as tequila and mezcal been the undoubted success stories in the last 12 months. These classic Mexican spirits have been propelled into the limelight and the buzz for margaritas is through the roof.”

“Tequila and Mezcal have been making serious moves and our mango margarita has been huge for us. I’m also very excited about whisky as new brands are appearing from all around the UK and over the world. It’s no longer a one trick pony. It’s very versatile and consumers are a lot more open to trying it in different long and short serves.”
“Consumers are no longer afraid of some of the big spirits so they’re more willing to try new serves, which means mixologists can really be imaginative. I’m excited by molecular cocktails, food-based serves and savoury flavours. Keep an eye out for oil garnishes and herb infusions.”

Chellsea Dagger 

“Tequila and Mezcal have been making serious moves and our mango margarita has been huge for us. I’m also very excited about whisky as new brands are appearing from all around the UK and over the world. It’s no longer a one trick pony. It’s very versatile and consumers are a lot more open to trying it in different long and short serves.”
“Consumers are no longer afraid of some of the big spirits so they’re more willing to try new serves, which means mixologists can really be imaginative. I’m excited by molecular cocktails, food-based serves and savoury flavours. Keep an eye out for oil garnishes and herb infusions.”

Ashleigh Cilliers  

“Thanks to cocktailing at home, customers are more knowledgeable, more discerning and more experimental so we’re seeing a lot of other spirits grow in popularity. I think consumers are less scared of whisky and bourbon and more open to trying different serves such as a Paper Plane.
I would say Highballs and Spritz serves will continue to be popular. Maybe this is due to the responsible drinking trend. Spritz has become a key buzz word in hospitality and consumers clearly understand the drink genre and what to expect. It may have started with a prosecco or gin serve but we’re now seeing spritz menus featuring a wide range of spirits and creative drinks.”