GREATER emphasis on social media, the anti-waste movement and a rise in low and no-ABV cocktails are expected to be the three biggest trends in drinks in the New Year, according to Diageo.
As modern cocktail culture has risen alongside the image-led social media platform Instagram, a new generation of ‘drinkstagrammers’ on the app are said to be shaping the drinking habits of younger consumers, meaning a drink’s look will become just as important as taste.
Speaking from the final of Diageo’s World Class bartending competition in Berlin, mixologist Elliot Clark, said: “Social media opens up this incredible industry and provides a creative outlet to engage and interact with the wider drinks community. It challenges seasoned bartenders to push themselves creatively.”
Almost three quarters of millennials have expressed a willingness to spend more on products from sustainable brands, with bars which reduce waste and turn leftovers into eco-friendly drinks set to benefit from the movement.
Next year is also set to see an increased range of low and no-alcohol serves in bars, as younger consumers become more likely to order mocktails.
