14 Drink & Cocktail Trends of 2022

The 14 trends that will define the way we drink in 2022. What will we be drinking? How will we be drinking? And where will we be drinking?

It’s that time of year again were we look forward to seeing what will be trending and popular within drinks, alcohol and cocktails. What will we be drinking? How will we be drinking? And where will we be drinking?

On the face of things, this year isn’t so dissimilar to last year. I mean, who would've thought we would still be dealing with a global pandemic and the toll it’s taken on our beloved industry of drinks? But alas, here we are again, another start of the year led by the pandemic.

Last year, in my 2021 predictions there was a running theme of all things natural, local and mindful which did indeed see growth throughout the year. So much so that it seems that it’s only going to continue that growth throughout 2022.

However, not all was correct. In that article I also predicted the rise of Cremant and Tepache. Two things that did not take off. Shame really, it would have been nice to see. Tepache especially, I still believe that in the near future it will have its moment. But for now I’ll be leaving it off the list for 2022. Maybe 2023 will be the year of Tepache.

Either way, check out the drink trend predictions for 2021 to recap on what they were and how you think they lived up or down to the expectation. 

What will be trending in 2022

Now we are all up to date, let's take a look at my predictions for 2022, what will be popular and what I believe we will be seeing more of.

#1 Mindful drinking is still on the rise with No and Low breaking barriers

Ah yes, mindful drinking, the category that's been growing and growing year on year. If you still don’t know much about this, check out my article on what it is and how to achieve it. But to sum that up, this is the category that covers everything from sustainability to Non-alcoholic drinking.

Last year we saw more and more non-alcoholic products and otherwise alcoholic substitutes hit the market. It’s safe to say that at this point, the market for non-alcoholic products is well and truly saturated. Seems like just yesterday when the only non alcoholic replacement for booze was Seedlip. It also seems like just yesterday when half of the population didn’t understand Seedlip and the other half thought it was overpriced water. And yet it was 2019 when global giant Diageo purchased a majority share in the company. The purchasing figure was never disclosed, but it's a safe assumption that Seedlips humble founder Ben Branson made millions from the success of the Non-alcoholic start-up whilst making a trend setting movement and paving the way for a new market in drinks.

More recently in 2020, we have seen the major success of Lyre’s. Lyre’s is an Australian founded company producing everything from Non-Alcoholic Absinthe to Non-Alcoholic gin, who recently had the business valued at £270m, on target to become the fastest indie drinks group to achieve unicorn status, which would value it at $1bn (£741m).

Looking deeper into the rise of the non-alcoholic drinks market, it’s clear to see that this isn’t going to stop anytime soon. Already, this is a multi-million pound industry that’s expected to grow anywhere between 5-9% year on year for the next 5 years. That’s a lot of money when you’re talking about billions…

Just take a look at the past year, think about events like Dry January and Sober October. How many more people do you know getting involved with these? 2020 didn’t just see the launch of many more alcohol substitution brands, it also saw the launch of completely alcohol free off licenses, bars and various pop up events.

People are starting to realize that you can still have those great tasting cocktails and depth of flavour with non-alcoholic drinks and they are metaphorically, drinking it up.

More and more people are choosing to go sober, but a key piece of data here is that more and more people who have no intention of going sober are still buying these products, to have the option for sober days, to cut down the ABV or just to try when they’re not drinking.

What this means for 2022 is that although the market is now saturated, we will still be seeing a lot more product launches in this space, more so, a lot of established companies will have the confidence of bigger marketing budgets. So expect to see more advertisements with non-alcoholic products at the centre.

We can also expect to see more alcohol free pop ups and bars opening and of course, cocktail bars releasing larger and more throughout non-alcoholic drink menus. Not just fruity mocktails but flavour driven, complex and well, expensive, cocktails that are alcohol free. As Well as more options for alcohol free beer, craft sodas and zero proof wines.

#2 High quality drinks

High quality drink brands image source.

For those of us who are not going sober this year, and it's good to note there are a lot. Predictions seem to be geared towards higher quality alcohol. Sipping spirits and drinks that make us feel that much more luxurious. Going are the days of spending £40 on 4 different bottles of cheap rum and coming are the days of spending £40 on one good rum.

People are craving high quality spirits that have been made with care. So what if the price is 50% higher than the closest commercial option. If it means you’re going to get 50% more flavour, 50% more enjoyment and feel 50% better after drinking. There is no compromise. With this we can expect to see lower batch - higher quality products, more collaborations and innovation and more care taken into crafting these products.

More on this are people finding comfort in knowledge. The world seems to be having one issue after another. If it’s not global warming its carbon emission, and if its not carbon emission its a products sustainable print on the planet earth. People are caring about the companies that make these products and what they’re doing to make this planet greener. Which means there is a lot more product research, so branding becomes very important. 

With our cocktails, this means brand-mentioned spirits. Cocktail menus listing “gin” “rum” or “vodka” just ain't going to cut it. We want to know what gin it is, what rum it is, where that vodka is from. If we are going to drink in a world with so much emphasis on not drinking, we are going to make sure it's at least somewhat healthy. That being said, expect more ‘functional’ ingredients in our cocktails. Things like turmeric, and aloe vera. Ingredients that make us feel good instead of just getting us drunk.

#3 Rum makes a comeback

Rum line up image source.

Speaking of higher quality spirits, could this be the year that rum makes a comeback? Rum used to be everyone's spirit of choice until gin made an uprising. Then when the world went mindful it pushed rum further into the past. Let's face it, non-alcoholic rum just isn’t great so there’s no place for it in the zero proof category.

More to the death of rum was the fact that Rum hasn’t been the most popular spirit when it comes to sipping. Association is usually with sugary cocktails, Tiki bars and getting blackout drunk.

Not to mention a history shrouded in slavery and pirating. Once pirates went out of fashion rum went with it. There seems to have been a big lull in innovation within the world of rum.

However, in the last year we have seen rum brands breaking barriers, doing things a little differently. More and more people are swapping out rum and cola with rum and tonics, the associate with rum is becoming a spirit that can be sipped neat, luxury and sustainable. Rums with a focus on ‘dry’ sipping, meaning without sugar are becoming a focus.

People are becoming more innovative, especially with spiced rum. More and more spiced rum is being made to suit the tastes of today, with functional-botanical like ingredients, ingredients that are more exotic or rare, and focus on those classic spiced rum ingredients that are still gaining popularity such as ginger and cinnamon. Branding is also being created in more of a sophisticated way. It's giving rum a new light. We are in a world gearing towards higher quality spirits with more craft and innovation, rum is truly starting to fit that mould.

#4 Hard Seltzers

Hard seltzer line up image source.

Hard seltzers have already reached crazy levels of success in America, and it’s easy to see why. They’re low calorie and generally the more healthy option to go with, not to mention the taste is easily accessible. Nothing too complicated or pretentious, just “hey, you like peach, here's an alcoholic bubbly peach water” no matter how many people deem them ‘low craft’ you can’t deny they have a great POS and appeal.

Which is why I don’t believe they’re going to slow down anytime soon, especially considering we in the UK still haven’t fully experienced the true hard seltzer lifestyle. The large brands like Truly and White Claw have already started making the rounds here in the UK, something that in summer I can only imagine will skyrocket.

#5 Bottled cocktails

Bottled cocktails line up image source.

I mentioned this last year and I’m going to mention it again this year, bottled, cocktails. When all our favourite bars began to close, the more innovative of the bunch decided to take the opportunity to bottle and sell their most beloved cocktails. A system that seems to work well.

It seems people are fully enjoying this experience of having 5 star quality, high end cocktails from the comfort of their own homes. And there are more to the perks than simply convenience, it's also the fact that you have the opportunity to taste cocktails from all the bars you’re never able to visit because they’re too far away or booked out 24/7.

This doesn’t end with bars either, we have seen bartenders taking to business and setting up small batch bottled cocktail companies, bands like Nio with their innovatively packaged ‘letterbox cocktails’ and even larger food and drink companies like Harvey Nichols selling their own bottled cocktails.

#6 Eco-friendly drinks are here to stay

As previously mentioned, eco-friendly is a category that fits comfortably in mindful drinking. However, whilst the above focused mainly on the no and low sector, I figured the popularity of eco-friendly drinks and companies deserved a spot on this list in its own right.

Simply put, people are caring about the impact of their day to day lifestyles. One of the smallest changes you can make to reduce your eco footprint without sacrificing too much is just to shop more sustainably. 

Which means drink brands are fighting to see “who has the most trendy sustainable story” big brands such as Brewdog have gone carbon neutral, we are seeing new launches based around supporting charities and eco causes, the list goes on and on. In today's world, if you’re a drinks brand with no cause to support, then that’s all you are, a drink brand with no cause. Sustainability is a powerful marketing tool to get people to live the lifestyle of your brand. And sure, a lot of it is just that, a marketing tool.

But hey, if it helps make a change then I’m all for it. And of course, when the drink brands make a change so do cocktail bars. Which is something I see going forward more so in 2022, cocktail bars, restaurants and events pushing more towards eco-friendliness and all round sustainability. 

#7 Nostalgia 

Going into the new year something you will be seeing more and more is bars and brands targeting nostalgia. A throwback to the “good O’days” sort of speak.

From the naming of products and cocktails referencing niche cult classics and 90s/80s pop culture, all the way to bringing back our favourite childhood flavours. 

It’s hard to pin down exactly what a nostalgic flavour is, given differences between age and location, but expect things like lemonade, peanut butter and chocolate combinations. Generally speaking, sweet, indulgent flavours hit nostalgia the best.

This works great in contrast to the mindful drinking movement. Sometimes you’ve had a bad day, you don’t want to think about the sustainability impact or ABV of your cocktail and instead you just want something that tastes like a flump… or a beer with some niche pulp fiction type name.

This is only going to increase with the return of shows like Sex and the City. Anyone for a Cosmo? What other retro cocktails will we be seeing this year I wonder?

Looking for a unique idea for creating nostalgic cocktails?

Our first thought on the nostalgia trend is usually nostalgic flavours, how about instead, you make nostalgic ice with this easy to make at home, minimum freezer space required Rubik's cube shaped clear ice?

Tutorial on how to make Rubik’s Cube shape clear ice for nostalgic hitting cocktails.

#8 Saying farewell to sugar

image source.

Once again and for yet another year, sugar is on the down. Could this be the year we say goodbye to sugary drinks once and for all? It’s no longer about calorie intake either, people don’t even want sugar substitutes. They are turning away from drinks listing more artificial ingredients than natural (which is still a keyword for 2022 - Natural) and generally just not enjoying overly sweet drinks.

The world's palettes are getting drier and drier. Producers are creating amazing products within the world of drinks that don’t need sugar to hide the flavour. Expect “sugar free” and “dry” to be keywords plastered over this year's best selling drink products.

#9 The Home bartender is getting better

Last year, we saw a big spike in home bartending, for many obvious reasons; all the bars were closed, people didn’t have the money to go out and more to the point, people didn’t want to go out.

This meant that people turned to trying cocktail making at home. Accelerated by the amount of brands and bartenders taking virtual masterclasses. It means that the general consumer has much more cocktail knowledge than we have seen in previous years. People know how to make cocktails now. 

In terms of products, you can now push the boat out on creativity because more people have that base understanding of spirits and alcohols.

With cocktail bars, it means you can’t get away with the same old repurposed classics cocktail list. People know how to make the classics at home and they can adjust it to their own taste, so why would they go out to have one they’re not going to enjoy as much at triple the price? I suspect we will be seeing a lot more interesting cocktail twists coming from our favourite bars this year.

#10 Awareness

Awareness is something that's grown from sustainability and the rise of functional ingredients. Whereas in the past people generally picked a product based on how cool the label was and how much they liked the name, nowadays people nowadays are more interested in the back of the label. What's in it? Where was it made? Is it made just for money or does it support some kind of cause?

Consumer awareness has been on the rise and is something that's only going to accelerate this year. Even with cocktails in bars, people are asking more questions about what is in them and how they’re made.

#11 Could this be the year of Soju?

Soju is already massive. For the past 20 years HiteJinro (a soju producer) has been the top selling alcohol producer in the world. Massively popular in east Asia, especially in South Korea where Soju is from and where 97% of alcohol sales come from Soju, but could this be the year it takes the western world by force?

The western world is already experiencing the Korea wave, a term for going mad for all things Korean. From fashion and music to T.V and film, Korea is influencing every part of the western world so could this be the year Soju makes it’s western rise?

Recently, I released a full 2022 Soju market analysis and forecast for the coming years where I mention the research that backs this up. I’ve also released a full westerners guide to Soju. So if you’re still not familiar with the world's most popular drink, then check that out so if it does take off in the western world, you’re fully aware of what's going on.

#12 Agave 

Tequila spirits that are NOT agave.

That's right, Tequila is still growing massively. In 2021 we saw global Tequila giants Patron discontinue their coffee tequila ‘Café Patron XO’ which saw a mass influx of angry consumers who love the product, even to the point of petitions set up to put an end to the discontinuing of Café Patron. What that shows is people's love for this category.

And it’s not just Tequila, we are also seeing more and more Mezcal being utilized in everything from signature serves to cocktails. There is a world of agave spirits people are still unfamiliar with which are waiting for Tequila to pave the way. Check out my list of Agave spirits that are NOT Tequila.

#13 Pre batched in bars

With general consumer knowledge getting better and bars forced to come out with more innovative and creative cocktail menus, it means the process of making those cocktails becomes longer. Pre-batching is the one way to cut that process down.

We have already seen past trends for pre-batched cocktails such as aged Negroni’s and house infused old fashioned’s, and this year we will be seeing all of those as well as more innovative pre-batched drinks make a comeback in our bars.

#14 Food pairings

With more people choosing a more mindful approach to drinking and less likely to want to be rubbing up against strangers in a dark and sweaty club, it means more people are choosing to drink throughout the day. Drinking habits are changing in the way that instead of not drinking all week then going out on a Saturday night to drink a whole bottle of tequila in the space of 2 hours, people are now going for more lunch and brunch trips.

People are drinking alongside meals, restaurants need to focus more on the food service and pairing drinks with certain times of the day and certain meals. Brunches are getting busier and nights are getting quieter.

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So what do you think will be defining the way we drink in 2022? Comment below with your 2022 drink, cocktail and alcohol predictions, I’d love to know what you think.

Hi, I’m Cameron, Guv’nor of Smartblend and author of this article. If you’ve had a good read, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter below. I’ve got some interesting things coming this year and I would love to tell you fist!

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