Beverages

The trends shaping the beverage industry will centre not only around healthier and “cleaner” products, which is more or less what is happening throughout all food and drink categories, but also around more sustainable, premium and socially responsible product offerings. Consumers are increasingly making more informed choices, around the idea that “what is good for me has to be good for the planet”. Quality is becoming more important than quantity, with premium, natural, origin-certified ingredients on one side, and “mindful drinking” and “sober-curious” movements gaining popularity and crossing the Atlantic on the other.

The latter in particular has ignited a decrease in alcohol consumption, particularly amongst the younger generations, who are fuelling the healthier, holistic and functional beverage arena. Low and no-alcohol adult cocktails and ready-to-drink offerings are booming, as they respond to a widespread demand for innovative, bartender-quality, convenient and portable cocktail experiences in the wake of coronavirus. High quality ingredients, authentic flavours, low-calorie, low sugar, and low or no alcohol content, functional ingredients – fermented, vitamins, minerals, botanicals – are shaping product consumption and market innovation.