Key Points:
🍹 Drink trends are shifting towards quality over quantity.
🥃 Traditional and craft spirits are seeing increased interest.
🌿 Sustainability is becoming a major focus in the industry.
If you are looking for the latest drink trends, you don’t have to go much further than your latest sports bar franchise. The professional mixologists there stay on top of trends in the drink industry and love to perfect their skills to dazzle customers and keep the orders coming.
The latest trends in drink franchises have shifted greatly in recent years, with some of the biggest trends springing from the incorporation of technology, along with developed taste preferences that show a new audience and the types of drinks they prefer. The latest drink franchise trends are:
1. Sugary Cocktails Take a Back Seat
Whether patrons are becoming more health-conscious or their profiles are maturing, sweet cocktails have fallen by the wayside. If fruit is added to a drink, then it must be fresh with no additives or preservatives. More bar trends are pointing to people opting to explore bourbon and whiskey. Additionally, instead of blender-made daiquiris and margaritas, people are moving toward more traditional recipes. Savory cocktails garnished with fresh herbs are also making their way up the list of drink franchise trends.
2. People Aren’t Drinking Less, They’re Drinking Better
Quantity drinking is experiencing downward pressure among drink franchise trends. This has caused some alarm among franchise owners, until they look at the details of their inventory and customer orders. Drink franchise trends are showing that patrons want hand-crafted drinks, or to explore top-shelf labels. The surge in small-batch distilleries and breweries since the pandemic has sparked an interest in bourbon, rum, whiskey, craft beer, and everything in between. While fewer drinks may be ordered, the quality of the ingredients makes up – if not exceeds – the drop in volume.
3. Don’t Mock the Mocktail
The non-alcoholic beverage market has surged, and is expected to reach $1.6 billion by the end of 2024. Mocktails have warranted their own menus because of trends in the drink industry. Drink franchise trends show that more establishments aren’t simply removing alcohol from tried and true recipes like margaritas or martinis. Instead, they are creating hand-crafted mocktails and specialty drinks – and many of them are priced similarly to their alcoholic counterparts because of the high-quality ingredients and care for preparation.
4. Functional Beverages and Drink Franchise Trends
Functional beverages have disrupted trends in the drink industry as of late. One can joke that beer and cocktails do serve a function, the term encompasses much more than that and goes beyond protein shakes and herbal teas. Functional beverages include different types of water, drinks made with lion’s mane mushrooms, specific organic compounds and mineral supplements to achieve desired outcomes for muscle groups, brain activity, skincare, and many others. Additionally, the cannabis industry has gotten in on the latest trends in drink franchise offerings by making both alcoholic and non-alcoholic functional beverages made with CBD and even terpenes, where states allow.
5. AI Drives New Drink Franchise Trends
AI is everywhere, but AI is being used in new and innovative ways. People who lean on the tech side of things, and those who follow drink franchise trends are leveraging AI to create new trends in the drink industry of their very own. Generative AI is taking input from past experiences, food orders, allergies, specialty diets, and more to create drink recommendations for patrons. This, in theory, will change customer service. An indecisive patron can get a list of drink recommendations. Returning customers who want to try something new can get more options from their bartenders. The beneficial side effect to this is that turnaround becomes more efficient while simultaneously moving product.
Craft Your Future: The Ultimate Taproom Franchise Guide
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6. Sustainability Is One of the Hottest Trends
There is a big shift in consumer consciousness that is driving the latest trends in the drink franchise industry. Much like when consumers started demanding fresh ingredients in their food, they are now pushing for sustainability, Up to now, the beverage industry created a lot of waste – from straws to cans and bottles that were thrown away instead of recycled. Even the process of creating mass-produced beverages and mixers has a lot of waste and consumption of resources. Customers still want their beer, cocktails, and mocktails, but they want to be conscientious about their purchases. They are willing to pay a little more for a sustainable label than purchase a beverage made by a company that creates a lot of waste. One of the biggest drink franchise trends is a focus on sustainability. Small-batch breweries and distilleries are a good start, but others are becoming highly innovative. Just a few years ago, Buen Vato – a distributor based in Stockholm – announced a tequila in a cardboard bottle. The idea behind this is that liquor or beer is going into glasses for patrons, and no one behind the bar minds what the container is made of. However, that little shift from glass to cardboard ramped up the race for sustainability, making it one of the hottest drink franchise trends, and one that consumers will get behind for years to come.
Finding the Latest Drink Franchise Trends
Drink franchise trends set brands and places apart from the competition. So if you want to experience the latest trends in the drink franchise industry, look no further than Bohemian Bull Tavern & Beer Garden. Our laid-back atmosphere, high-quality food, and extensive beer and beverage selections mean everyone can experience the latest trends and find something they crave.
Bohemian Bull Tavern & Beer Garden sets itself apart from other sports bar franchises by taking its inspiration from the eclectic James Island in South Carolina. We stay ahead of drink franchise trends – and even establish our own – so our customers can always find what they want, or open their horizons to new experiences. With low start-up costs, dedicated and ongoing support, and higher ROI than other sports bars, consider getting ahead of the trends, and contact Bohemian Bull Tavern & Beer Garden today to learn about our franchise opportunities.
