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Trending Flavors in Alcohol

Alcoholic beverages make up more than half of the revenue generated by beverages in the U.S. While beer still has the market share in the alcoholic beverage segment (with 47%), spirits sales grew 4.5% in 2016. This can largely be attributed to the frequent innovation with cocktails and increased interest in mixology in general. In addition to spirits being utilized more, Datassential has identified several flavors and ingredients trending on cocktail menus. Check out the top 10 below:

Flavor/Ingredient 4 Year Menu Growth
Cold Brew +2748%
Ancho Pepper +1436%
Horchata +562%
Salted Caramel +440%
Demerara +393%
Sriracha +332%
Jam +295%
Cardamom +270%
Rosewater +263%
Bramble +245%

 

Here are a few cocktails we found that incorporate these increasingly popular ingredients:

Sable, Chicago
After DarkCardamaro, Dark Matter cold brew, vanilla, Fever Tree Indian tonic

La Contenta, New York
El Easy Rider – milagro tequila + ancho reyes + grapefruit juice + peychaud’s bitters

Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29, New Orleans
Latitude 29 – Eight-year Demerara rum, passion fruit purée, our own Madagascar vanilla syrup, orange, pineapple and lemon $11

Redbird, Los Angeles
Turkish Delight – zu bison grass vodka, giffard black rose liqueur, lemon, cocchi rosa aperitif, rose water, bitter lemon soda

Marliave, Boston
Taking a Fall – Sinclair did for the Teapot Dome Scandal: Barsol Pisco, Lemon, Ginger, Cardamon

 

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