According to Bacardi’s fifth annual Cocktail Trends Report, 2024 is about limited editions, sundowners, native and natural ingredients and AI recommendations consumed at festivals.
A collaborative effort between Bacardi and strategic foresight consultancy The Future Laboratory (TFL), the report combines insights from Bacardi-led and external research, bartender interviews, and The Future Laboratory’s expertise to identify the prevailing themes shaping cocktail culture and the spirits industry in 2024.
Brenda Fiala, Global Vice President of Strategy, Insights & Analytics at Bacardi said, “As 2024 arrives, people are looking to settle into the unsettled – welcoming tastes of optimism into our reality. In this landscape, people are reshaping cocktail culture, infusing it with fresh perspectives and finding memorable experiences back at the bar with friends.
“From redefining moderate drinking to a surge in sustainable attitudes, Bacardi is at the forefront, championing a world where people-driven cocktail culture thrives through innovation, experimentation, and overall better moments.”
According to Bacardi’s Cocktail Trend Report, here are the five overarching trends defining cocktails and spirits in 2024.
Limited editions
Next-gen drinkers are embracing premiumisation and a ‘less but better’ approach for key spirits and NoLo categories.
This quality-focused shift transforms spirits into collector’s items, with forward-thinking brands enhancing limited-edition bottles through crafted storytelling.
The NoLo category continues to evolve, embodying ‘The Sipping Spectrum,’ where moderation is synonymous with choice, quality, flavour, and social connections.
IWSR research illustrates this flexible future in action, reporting that almost half of NoLo consumers choose NoLo options on certain occasions and full strength on others.
Innovative ageing & flavours
2024 will usher in an era of innovation for dark, aged spirits, with brands embracing unique ageing methods and novel flavour combinations.
Distillers are venturing into uncharted territory, discovering new sources of innovation in the expanding category.
Bold and unexpected pairings continue to lead, whereas regional experimentation yields spicy, fruity, and zesty profiles in innovative formats.
While enjoyers of dark, aged spirits are diversifying their palates, rum-based cocktails are continuing to grow in popularity.
Tequila is unanimously ranked as the number one premiumisation category, with Mezcal named as the next to premiumise, as indicated by the Bacardi Global Consumer Survey 2023.
The sundowner
Cocktail culture is transporting consumers across destinations, countries and even eras – as classic spritzes and ornate sips help to recreate nostalgic, convivial moments year-round.
In 2024, the link between drinks and destinations will deepen, with classic cocktails and European flavours taking drinkers from beach to bar.
This evolution is about where and when consumers enjoy drinks.
Non-traditional venues are on the rise, with Bacardi research indicating a shift away from nightclubs to festivals.
In South Africa and India, more than one-third of respondents are looking to enjoy more sundowner cocktails over the next year, and approximately a quarter in the U.S., Mexico (27%), and Spain (26%).
Nature’s notes
In the coming year, consumers will reframe their relationship with the natural world, impacting where they spend their time, the brands they support, and what they consume.
With a resurgence in next-gen outdoor activities and a growing emphasis on sustainability, drinks brands are redefining their connection to the environment through intentional ingredients and eco-friendly practices.
In the drinks world, 2024 will see brands and bartenders take a holistic approach to nature and its flavours – harnessing sustainably sourced aromatics, florals, botanicals and oils to create cocktail experiences uniquely rooted in nature.
According to the Bacardi Global Consumer Survey 2023, 44% of respondents in Canada and 43% of younger respondents in the U.S. intend to consume more cocktails made with natural ingredients in 2024.
In emerging markets, the numbers are even higher, with 51% in India, 47% in South Africa and 44% in Mexico.
AI advice
Digital advancements are inciting change in ‘what’, ‘where’, and ‘how’ drinks are enjoyed, providing all-new routes to personalization, brand experience and community.
As consumers increasingly seek personalized brand interactions, AI is introducing exciting opportunities for tailored cocktail experiences accessible anytime and anywhere.
For the drinks industry, AI’s evolution will create all-new paths to experimentation and discovery, with brand innovators using the technology as a tool to bring consumers closer to branded cocktails and experiences, regardless of their location.
While 8 in 10 younger consumers across select markets are looking to explore AI recommendations, they are adamant about maintaining the emotional connection and artistic finesse that only bartenders can provide.
