What’s hot in beverages?I often write about food trends, but what about drinks? Here’s a look at several beverage trends — a peek at what we’ll be sipping in 2010.
For starters, there’s no denying that coconut water has become the latest health drink craze. Coconut water has been moving from inner-city bodegas, selling primarily to immigrants from the Caribbean and Latin America, into the world of the “in-the-know” hipster crowd.
You know it’s big when the world’s largest food and beverage companies have decided to dive in. Coca Cola Inc. bought a minority stake into the Hermosa Beach, Calif. based coconut water company Zico (pronounced Zee Koh). PepsiCo bought Amacoco, the largest coconut water company in Brazil, and is marketing O.N.E. coconut water.
Another indication of a hot trend is when a major celebrity gets behind it. Well here you go. Madonna became a major investor in Vita Coco, a drink made from young, green coconuts. It’s being positioned as a healthy substitute for sports drinks (among other claims). In fact, cartons of Vita Coco are stocked in the refrigerated case at my health club and I’ve spotted several people carrying coconut water instead of bottled water into Bikram yoga practice. Food Navigator says coconut water is poised to redefine the sports drink market in this country.
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Photo courtesy of Flicker user Stewart
Andrew Freeman & Co., hospitality and restaurant consultants, made these drink predictions:
• Iced tea is the new water
• Retro sodas
• Red, white or orange: natural wines
• Hard ciders and cask-aged beers
• Dessert drinks and spiked shakes
• All tapped in: wine on tap
• Beer cocktails
• Flower power: rosewater, crème de violette and hibiscus syrup
• Foam art and branded drinks on cocktails and coffee
• Bitter cocoa and coffee tinctures in cocktails
Sensient Technologies Corporation, a global supplier of flavors and fragrances identified top 10 beverage flavor trends for 2010:
● Baobab—native to Africa and high in antioxidants and vitamin C, the baobab fruit offers a tart lemony profile.
● Caja—native to Brazil, the caja fruit offers a tropical citrus profile and has a high carotenoid content.
● Cape Gooseberry—native to South America, the cape gooseberry has a uniquely sweet and tangy taste.
● Elderflower—found throughout warmer parts of Europe and North America, elderflower offers a lightly sweet flavor.
● Kumquat—originating in China, kumquat offers a plethora of tastes from sweet to sour to salty.
● Lulo—native to South America, the lulo offers a distinctly different citrus taste.
● Maqui—found in South America, the maqui is expected to be a next generation superfruit due to its high antioxidant content. [Indeed, this berry may be the next acai. You can find several superjuices made with maqui that are being sold online. Here we go again.]
● Marula—indigenous to Southern Africa, the marula has a high level of vitamin C with a juicy and tart flavor.
● Mora Berry—found in Colombia, the mora berry offers a sweet and tart flavor similar to that of raspberry and blackberry.
● Umbu—native to Brazil, the umbu offers a sweetly aromatic flavor.
What do you think the hot beverage trends will be this year?
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I just checked the nutrition information on Vita coco – 11 g of sugar per serving! Can’t believe the hype. It is a sugary drink after all!
I can relate to the appeal though. Chilled coconut water in the middle of summer where I grew up was a refreshing drink.
Great review of the hot trends in beverages. What it tells me is that there is still huge opportunity for marketers to exploit fancy berries and catchy slogans!
I love your “trendy” posts. You hit the nail on the head with coconut water. When my 8 year old says “is it bad that coca cola bought coconut water” I know there’s a buzz. I see juicing making a comeback. A recent facebook post by a friend received over 30 comments after posting “do you juice, what’s your favorite combination?” I am not sure if packaged juices and green juices will be as popular. The NYT recently wrote up kamboocha (sp?) which is a trend I don’t entirely get. And in terms of alcohol champagne drinks and champagne mixed with spirits seem to be on many cocktail lists. I’ll keep my eye out for wine on tap though
Yesterday, I read in the WSJ that “calming” beverages are on the horizon–and anticipated as a new niche for the beverage industry. These drinks contain herbs like kava or even hormones such as melatonin to help soothe a troubled, stressed or sleep-deprived soul. So… after we ramp it up with the energy drinks, we can shut ‘er down with drinks designed to induce sleep and relaxation. So many possibilities, so little time.
coconut water? interesting. any health benefits to it?
sounds like a tasty new drink.
so many drinks, so little time…hilarious.
sounds like fun. Cant wait to try some.
I like the idea. I love coconuts!
One problem I see with the beverages is that once the new beverage comes out, not every state will have it. I think the trend will toward less sweetened, zero calories and natural flavor drinks.