Page 46 - March 2020

RLI LEISURE INSIGHT

Six Drinks Trends

For This Spring

Birmingham based marketing agency Big Cat specialises in
marketing communications for hospitality businesses and has
become somewhat of an expert in this diverse sector over the
last 17 years. In this article CEO & Founder Anthony Tattum
takes a look at six of the biggest drinks trends to look out for
this spring, from Healthification to Botanicals to CBD!

MAKE MINE A MOCKTAIL CBD INFUSED DRINKS
Millennials are having a big impact on trends at the CBD is already regularly used in most consumer products,
moment, including our eating and drinking habits. With from skincare to coffee and cocktails, and since being legalised
younger people now focussing on their health and wellbeing, in the UK, it is only growing in popularity. Consumers are
they are reducing their alcohol consumption and opting for crediting CBD with relieving anxiety and pain and this has
a post gym protein shake instead. In fact, some millennials increased the demand for more day-to-day products with
are even going as far as cutting alcohol out completely the ingredient. Mental health is becoming more widely talked
so with this in mind, many drink companies are launching about and as a result of this, CBD has shot to the forefront
alcohol-free products to keep up with increasing demand. It of the media as a potential cure. Although no official research
isn’t only beer and wine companies that are jumping on the has supported this, it is definitely something that is spiking a
bandwagon, alcohol-free spirits are now a thing. trend in consumer demand, so we can expect to see a lot
more CBD soft drinks throughout 2020.
HEALTHIFICATION
Healthification is a movement which has seen not only a PLANT-BASED DRINKS
reduction in the amount of alcohol people are consuming, “Just a grande, iced, sugar-free, vanilla latte with soy milk,
but also a reduction in the consumption of fizzy, sugary drinks please.” You’ve all heard it and eye rolled in the Starbucks
and the rise of fruit and vegetable-based shots, providing a queue, but jokes aside, plant-based drinks and dairy alternatives
quick dose of goodness to boost the wellbeing of concerned are becoming increasingly popular. With veganism and “plant-
consumers. Increasing concerns around wellness has resulted based” diets on the rise, it is unsurprising that companies are
in consumers demanding more transparency in what goes creating more and more plant-based options. It appears that
into products and evidence of authenticity, which has caused as people are made more aware of the sustainability and
a trend of more natural and botanical ingredients and ethics of the food and drinks they consume, they are adopting
flavourings being used. more of a plant-based diet, whether that means completely
vegan, vegetarian or even just flexitarian. Marks & Spencer and
Spar have both announced that all their own-brand wines will
become vegan within the next two years, which will surely set
the expectation for other brands to follow suit.

GINNOVATION
It isn’t all doom and gloom for the alcohol industry,
and among the health conscious millennials, there are still
consumers who enjoy popping to a bar on Friday nights and
indulging in a few drinks. One spirit in particular seems to
have an imperishable reputation. Pink gin was the drink of
2019, and the spirit’s popularity is only expected to grow
in 2020. There are now more than 300 spirit distilleries
across the UK which has more than doubled since 2015 and
is set to continue. With the continuing innovation from gin
distilleries, the introduction of ‘posh’ tonic water brands and
flavoured gins has increased variety in the market and made
it more popular and desirable.

HARD SELTZER
The latest trend set to hit the UK this year is fizzy water with
alcohol in it, otherwise known as hard seltzer. Appealing to the
healthification and wellness trend as a fruit-flavoured alcoholic
drink of around just 100 calories, it’s easy to see why the drink
went down incredibly well in the US in 2019 and why there
is definitely a market for it in the UK. Although they look like
innocent fruit-flavoured sparkling waters, hard seltzers are
actually as alcoholic as a lot of popular beers but significantly
less calorific. This makes them the perfect choice for health
conscious consumers still looking to enjoy a stiff drink.

46 RETAIL & LEISURE INTERNATIONAL MARCH 2020