The biggest beverage trends in 2022

Attitudes towards alcohol are changing worldwide. After two turbulent years, the shift from attending events to cocooning at home has paved the way for new types of alcoholic beverages and non-alcoholic options. We have even seen retail offerings that bridge the gap between on-site bars and e-commerce shops. This movement has created unique opportunities and challenges for brands and manufacturers – and we want to help you make the most of them!

In this article, we give you an overview of the ever-changing alcohol industry, new global trends and key growth drivers to watch out for.

Drinks forecasts for the year 2022

Currently, demand in the alcohol industry is strong as consumers embrace innovative new products such as premium hard seltzer, bottled cocktails, aromatic wine and non-alcoholic drinks that taste (almost) as good as the real thing. Innovative ingredients and production methods will continue to capture consumer interest and help the industry target more markets.

Which drinks will be trendy in 2022?

1. Cocktails to Go

With far fewer places to go out for fun in the last two years, many consumers have started to create memorable experiences for themselves at home – although bar or restaurant visits are on the decline. Many bars have started to deliver cocktails to the home. In the US or Australia, this is a huge trend at the moment due to the pandemic. One example from Australia is called “hello, at-home cocktails! “and delivers cocktails directly to your home.

2. Alcohol with a (health) kick

Alcohol with functional benefits is becoming more popular as brands begin to think beyond kombucha and explore alcohol-free or ‘health’ options. Recent launches include Sneaky Bucha by Byron, US-made Vizzy Hard Seltzer with vitamin C and sugar-free Good Times Seltzer by Asahi.

Hard Seltzers are also becoming increasingly popular in Switzerland. Some examples are the Hard Seltzer from “Tanaka” in German-speaking Switzerland, Hardie in the canton of Bern, or the “Raw” Hard Seltzer from the Rugenbräu brewery.

3. Online shops and direct sales to customers

The pandemic made beverage producers aware of the importance of an online shop. Direct sales from producer to customer have therefore become all the more important. More and more consumers are using online shops to fill up their wine cellars. Thus, the spectrum of discovering new wine cellars or beverage producers is becoming more and more diverse. Consumers have come to know the accessibility and convenience of buying alcohol online – and for many there is no turning back!

4. The popularity of local drinks

“I consume locally” is increasingly seen on profiles of various people on social media. Consumers are more and more in favour of consuming locally. Be it in terms of food or beverages.

5. Drinks are premiumised

Complex flavours and cross-category blends are on the rise as consumers welcome the opportunity to experiment with new drinks at social events. This kind of premiumisation is all about drinking less but drinking better. With younger generations drinking less than their predecessors, this is an area to keep an eye on, as Generation Z and Millennials will make up about half of the alcohol-consuming population by 2025.

The 5 biggest trends in the various alcohol categories in 2022

The rise of innovative beverage launches and the search for new ways to reach consumers has motivated brands to become more creative than ever.

• Wine trends 2022
• Beer trends 2022
• Spirits Trends 2022
• RTD’s – Ready to Drink Trends 2022
• Non-alcoholic Beverages Trends 2022

Wine trends 2022

The virtual wine tasting

Wine is still popular and still bought – but not only in the traditional way. In the meantime, virtual tastings keep wine lovers in line, although cellar capacity is still limited. Some clever winemakers have even joined forces to offer “mini-tastings” in the form of small bottles of wine to encourage tasting and ultimately purchase – directly from the winery. The focus is especially on the convenience of ordering wine. Wine subscriptions are booming more and more, especially with personalised offers.

Creative wines

Wines and their tastes are becoming more and more creative. The winegrowers are focusing on innovation in order to attract new customers, especially young ones. One example is the “orange wine”. This is a white wine that is produced like a Rowein. The grapes are fermented with berry skins and thus extract more tannins and colouring from the skins. This orange wine is characterised by a dark yellow to orange colour. An example of this is provided by the winery C. Varonier & Sons, who have created an orange wine and the innovative and creative bottle to go with it.

Another creative example of an innovative wine is “Freyja” by Fruitex. This wine consists of a tangy Chasselas and apricots. No artificial flavours, synthetic preservatives or additives are added to this wine.

Organic wine

Finally, we are also observing the trend towards organic wine. This trend has been on the rise for several years and will certainly continue to grow in the future.

Non-alcoholic wine

It can be observed that for some time now, more and more non-alcoholic wine has been coming onto the market. The trend “better for you” which goes beyond the biodynamic offer and also includes vegan, non-alcoholic and low intervention wines as well as a new appreciation for younger vintages.

Beer trends 2022

As the cry “support local” made its way into the mainstream media, craft breweries celebrated.

Non-alcoholic beer

Anyone looking for a healthier alternative will be familiar with alcohol-free beer and also know that taste is often sacrificed in favour of trendy alcohol-free claims. Well, that’s over! Smaller brands are focusing on special non-alcoholic beers that are superior in taste.

Cider

Cider is no longer beer’s poor little brother, but continues to be popular with consumers and gluten-free drink lovers. It is predicted that demand for craft cider will increase over the next 5 years, with pear and other fruit flavoured ciders seeing the strongest growth. In the last year, cider makers producing small quantities have become increasingly popular.

Spirits Trends 2022

In the world of spirits, premiumisation is king, especially as consumers have a “less-is-better” attitude: If you’re going to drink, make it worth it. From craft distilleries using botanical ingredients to new, fancy flavours and even alcohol-free variants, it’s safe to say that demand for spirits is alive and well. Worthy of mention here are the special gins that are virtually flooding Switzerland.

RTD’s – Ready to Drink Trends 2022

RTDs, drinks that can be consumed immediately, are known to be consumed only by young people. This is no longer true. There is a worldwide growth of these drinks, which convince with new flavours and creative creations. RTDs are no longer seen as cheap, sugary junk, but as a drink that can be enjoyed in between. This is mainly thanks to the craft movement. In particular, the growth of hard seltzer is driving the RTD market. These drinks appeal mainly to younger consumers who associate it with convenience, innovation and a practicality to their social activities and lifestyles. However, sophisticated RTD cocktails with low alcohol content are currently trending, with a focus on low-sugar and natural ingredients that appeal to health-conscious consumers.

Non-alcoholic Beverages Trends 2022

These drinks are springing up like mushrooms and convince through modern communication, an innovative design and especially through their natural taste. One example is Adam & Uva, which has created an innovative, creative carbonated grape drink.

How to stay in good spirits in 2022

We don’t want you to drown your sorrows in a bitter-tasting drink that reeks of COVID-19. Here are our top 5 tips for a successful 2022.

• Stay open

Stay open to new possibilities and opportunities for new beverage trends.

• Do not compromise

It is no longer enough to offer health-oriented and alcohol-free products to jump on the trend. Style and substance take centre stage. Make sure your product delivers what its packaging and promise.

• Local

If possible, work together with local shops and use this for your communication.

• Go Premium – with a certain fun factor

Take advantage of customers’ new enthusiasm for “drinking better”! Consumers expect more bells and whistles and more fun – but are also willing to pay more for them.

• Love of lifestyle marketing

Use storytelling and influencer marketing on social media to differentiate your products and connect with younger consumers who value down-to-earth authenticity. Remember: online presence is important – even if your business is small and/or local!

Contact us for further information.