The long awaited Bacardi Trend Report for 2021 has been revealed and it’s a wonderful insight into what the drinks business will look like this year. Unsurprisingly a lot of these trends are influenced by the pandemic surrounding us. Here’s a look at some of our top observations from the report.
1. Drinking at home
No surprises here – Bacardi believes that drinking at home will see a large upswing in the coming year with a lot of trends catering to the home drinker. From ready to drink cans to cocktail takeaways from well-loved bars, the format of how drinks are packaged and supplied will change. Cocktail kits, classes, gift packs and even new drinking cultures such as ‘walktails’ and ‘online drinking’ will see a rise. Online sales of liquor are also set to increase this year.
2. Searching for new flavours
A need for adventure and escapism will see consumers wanting extreme tastes such as hot chilli, super sweet, bitters and sour flavours. This period will likely be our very own roaring 20s. The comfort of classic cocktails and the adventure of tweaking it will see a rise in classics with a twist. Sparkling drinks, hard slushies and even caffeinated drinks have gained massive popularity.
3. The reinventing of the bar
Since many people have spent their days of isolation experimenting, they’re more willing to try unique bar experiences and drinks they would have never tried pre-COVID. Bacardi also sees sommeliers of cocktails emerging around the world and more personalised experiences being provided to consumers in bars.
4. Mindful consumption of drinks
This pandemic has only made us more health conscious which includes our drinking habits as well. Low and zero ABV drinks are only rising in popularity. Healthy foods that contribute to our immunity will be fused with alcoholic drinks to create a winning combo and liquors that are free of additives will be preferred.
These predictions make us truly look forward to post-COVID 2021 and experiencing all of these even at home.
