Dive Brief:
- To match the trend toward premium spirits, many brands are creating premium mixers — and had them on display at the Winter Fancy Food Show, according to Bevnet.
- Many spirit brands are tweaking existing drink recipes and developing higher-quality versions of classic staples.
- Other brands are looking to broaden the possibilities of what a mixer can and should be, and are relying on innovation to bring them into the 21st century.
Dive Insight:
Some beverage companies are starting to experiment with healthier and vitamim-infused mixes, designed to attract millennial drinkers and those who are more concerned about the health components of the drinks they are putting into their bodies.
According to FONA International, millennials are consuming more spirits than older generations and are drawn to higher quality craft and premium labels. Some say this desire for vintage-style mixed drinks is a result of the “Mad Man effect.” Millennials also enjoy the process of making a cocktail, drinking them socially with friends.
Surveys of mixologists in recent years reveal that bitters such as chamomile, celery and rhubarb are gaining popularity in too-sweet cocktails, while shrubs, or vinegared syrups, are also finding its way into more bars — playing off the rising popularity of drinking vinegars.
A study in Advertising Age found that consumers have a preference for spirits in premium glass packaging because it conveys a high-end look and feel, so more premium brands are gravitating towards this sort of package design, as well as creative reforumulations of well-known mixers.