Don't miss any of the installments in our series on 2024 trends!
While the espresso martini has certainly had its time in the sun, bar and restaurant patrons aren’t looking for the same old, same old in 2024. According to several trend reports, drinkers will be enjoying vegetal-style cocktails, with mushrooms, avocado, kale, and even celery-based tipples hitting menus. Tomatoes, which had a revitalization due to the “tomato girl summer” trend on social media, will also be used in new ways in drinks—it won’t just be your grandmother’s Bloody Mary anymore.
Drink Your Greens
As millennials continue to be more health-conscious than gen-X and boomer drinkers, healthier habits will find their way to the glass, and cocktails will take their cue from juicing. According to a 2024 trend report from Monin, manufacturer of gourmet flavorings, 40% of consumers say they're likely or strongly likely to order a cocktail or mocktail with savory, herbaceous elements. These include ingredients like basil, dill, turmeric, cilantro, celery, avocado, tomato, mushroom, beet, and even turmeric.
An interesting takeaway for bars and restaurants is the crossover between the kitchen and the bar. Many of these ingredients can be used in several different capacities across both segments, allowing for less waste and easier bulk buying.
Classics Still Trendy
There is a reason that the Dirty Shirley was tops in 2023 and the espresso martini is still a trending drink: Nostalgia. According to Monin, consumers yearn for yesteryear and love to sip on things that remind them of childhood—albeit with an elevated, often boozy, twist. Look for milk punches to see an increased placement on cocktail menus this year, with garnishes of childhood cereals like Fruity Pebbles and Rice Krispies.
Aside from nostalgia, classic cocktails will continue to be popular as long as there is creative execution. Executive Chef James Gee from Viceroy in Washington, D.C., says that martinis are hot, and he doesn’t see that slowing down anytime soon. However, fat washing in blue cheese and adding unique twists like olive oil, spice, or more savory components (like tomato) will be prevalent in the new year. Negronis, old fashioneds, and gin and tonics with new spins on old flavor profiles will gain ground, too, as palates shift to flavors like yuzu and different spices. Coffee-based drinks, cosmopolitans, and adult Kool-Aid bursts will continue to shine on cocktail lists as well.
“Customers come back to the classics every so many years, and we are seeing requests for them more than ever," says Chef Florian Wehrli of Grand Tier Restaurant in the Metropolitan Opera in New York, N.Y. "Restaurants will need to relearn the time-old techniques to create these recipes and adapt them to today's customer expectations for healthy and sustainably sourced products.”
ABV Takes A Backseat
As seen in recent years, bars and restaurants can expect low- and no-ABV drinks to grow in popularity, especially amongst Gen Z diners who are demanding more non-alcoholic cocktails, according to Wine Industry Advisors. Additionally, Monin notes that 23% of Millennials and Gen Z are considered “blenders,” ordering both cocktails and non-alc cocktails, and they want something more than just juice and tonic water as an option when choosing to forgo alcohol.
“A creative N/A selection, small or large, is not optional, it is required,” says Gee. "They will never sell in the volume that hard cocktails move, but a solid selection of mocktails tells the customer that we have talent behind the bar, and they enjoy what they do."
There is also a growing health-conscious crowd of sippers that want to enjoy nights out with friends but want to skip the hangover in the morning. In fact, Dataessential notes that “68% of consumers want to drink more water and exercise more in 2024,” and drinking less alcohol aligns with these goals.
Grant Sceney, creative beverage director of Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver, Canada, echoes this sentiment, noting that the low- and no-ABV trend has made it across the border and is here to stay.
“Non-alcoholic and low-alcoholic cocktails and spirits will continue to develop, becoming less of a trend and more of a staple for menus across the board. I predict these offerings will be given the same attention as cocktails and food, as there is so much to explore and play within the mocktail game,” he says, adding that mocktails also allow for a more inclusive dining and drinking experience, especially amongst the sober and sober curious.
Shifts In Wine Demands
When it comes to wine, there is one trend that will continue to have consumers and wine professionals polarized in the upcoming year: natural wine.
“More guests are veering away from the natural wine trends and are leaning back into classic styles of wine,” says Liz Martinez, group beverage and hospitality director for Detroit, Mich.-based Marrow and Mink.
But that’s not the case for everyone. Nicolas Torres, co-owner and bar director of True Laurel in San Franciso, Calif., says that he hopes natural wine sees more attention in 2024.
“As much as the rage for naturally made wines has grown, it still has plenty of room for growth,” he says. "And as much as it has instilled a more regenerative philosophy in wine production, it hasn't really infected spirits production quite yet. This is more of a hope of a trend, but I would really like the natural wine world to spread into the idea of naturally made spirits."
While natural wines may be down for Martinez, she did note that there is one trend that is increasing—sustainable wine. She explains that consumers are interested in organic and sustainable options, as well as the stories behind the sippers. “There are still many regions focused on tradition, but also winemakers that are thinking of ways to be innovative yet face challenges, like global warming,” she says, noting that the combination of good wine and a good story may be a win for sommeliers and beverage directors in 2024.
Martinez also notes to keep an eye on cool climate Alpine wines, as she has been seeing an upward trend in sips of that style going into the New Year.
In addition, something to look out for is the evolving palate of the white wine drinker. Nicolas Corrao, beverage director at New York, N.Y.-based Fasano New York, says that wine drinkers are looking for whites that are more out-of-the-box and not the traditional Chardonnay. Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier are making the rounds, he says, as they pair with a number of cuisines. “A sommelier's obsession with the great white wines of the Rhone Valley have helped to place them on the great wine lists around New York and subsequently in the homes of the everyday drinker. I hope more people get turned on to these wines in the coming years,” he says.
Happy Hour Comes Back
There were fears that the pandemic and its aftermath may have killed happy hour. With work-from-home continuing and less people in the office, heading to the local watering hole on a Thursday or Friday after work was dwindling. But not anymore. Many experts have predicted that happy hour is back—for every night of the week due to inflation as well as flexible work schedules.
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