Premium spirits are one of the biggest forces driving the cocktail market, according to Katy Carter, Cellar Trends’ research and brand manager.
Over the past five years, premium spirits saw a significant increase with premium Tequila sales increase by 197%, brandy by 160%, Japanese spirits by 113%, vodka 107%, and Bourbon 101% (IWSR).
“Consumers are much more knowledgeable about what they expect to drink. 87% think it is important to have a drink served in a certain way. This comes down to taste, flavour, base spirit, ingredient quality and bartender recommendation,” Carter said.
The brand advocacy team predicted that consumers would continue to go “back to basics” and orders of classic cocktails with a twist would soar in 2016.
Molecular Mixology at high-end accounts is predicted to “trickle down” and some elements will seep through to the lower end accounts next year.
Regional inspired cocktails are likely to feature heavily in the next twelve months, as British classics and Asian influences will spread, the research and brand manager said.
Unique spirits such as Mezcal and Pisco are forecast to rise and unique ingredients will appear in more on-trade accounts, according to the report. Low-calorie cocktail orders will also increase as more consumers opt for the “lighter option” when it is offered to them. Aperitif-based cocktails and disco drinks are also predicted to increase in 2016.
