Is 2025 really the ‘year of nostalgia’? As people in bucket hats gather all over the UK to hear music that first topped the charts in the 1990s, you’d certainly be forgiven for thinking so.
And that taste for the familiar is likely to seep into drinks lists this autumn, as people seek out alternate takes on their favourite serves.
“2025 is the year of nostalgia – and in spirits, that looks like a resurgence in classic cocktails,” said Xander Driver of Mangrove Global.
“We are, however, seeing another trend in the on-trade: the technical switch, where mixologists swap out a core ingredient of a classic recipe for something a bit unusual and enticing. It’s a great way to do it and really showcases the expertise of behind-the-bar teams.
“In terms of individual serves, I think the Negroni, the Old Fashioned, and the Irish Coffee will be stalwarts of menus for the season. Maybe not showcase serves, but steady, reliable favourites that keep all manner of customer happy.”
Driver was backed up by Boston Alexander of Drinksology Kirker Greer, who said he and his colleagues have been seeing ‘a real appetite for familiar serves with a premium edge, classic cocktails that people recognise, but made with greater care, better ingredients, and a bit more imagination’.
“Think Old Fashioneds or Whisky Highballs, but made with small-batch or cask-finished spirits and topped with seasonal touches like spiced syrups, ginger, or flamed orange zest,” he said.
“It’s those thoughtful details that help elevate a serve and give it that sense of occasion.”
Like Driver at Mangrove, Alexander also reckoned these twists could include swapping out one of the cocktail’s core ingredients for an alternative.
“There’s growing interest in hybrids – cocktails that sit at the crossroads of categories,” he said.
“Whiskey-based Espresso Martinis or darker, spiced twists on classic spritzes are becoming increasingly popular.”
Spices including cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg were predicted to be among the flavours showing up on autumn drinks lists, with Driver at Mangrove saying they are ‘all great options for adding that added level of indulgence to drinks, an indulgence we all seek when the cooler months arrive’.
And, as with other times of year, licensees were advised not to leave low and no-alcohol drinks off their lists over the autumn.
Lee Hyde at Monin said: “Don’t discount the low and no-alcohol movement. It’s no secret that younger generations are drinking less and less, and we’re all much more conscious of our physical and mental wellbeing. This isn’t something I foresee going away anytime soon.”
