Inside the Bottle Ep. 8 - How to Predict Beverage Trends

In any consumer market, one of the most critical tools for success is anticipating and capitalizing on the demand of your buyers. In the beverage industry, whatever drink, flavor, or ingredient is “trending” will instantly ripple throughout the market. At Flavorman, we’ve spent decades refining our skills in predicting future trends, ensuring that our team and clients are equipped with the proper tools for success. As we enter the last quarter of 2025, I’m discussing some anticipatory trends for the upcoming year, along with Flavorman’s methodology for accurately predicting beverage trends over the past 30 years!

Which beverage categories will grow in 2026?

Functional Beverages

Overall, we believe that the demand for functional beverages that claim to “do something” for you will continue to grow. The individual product categories we predict will experience significant success all align under the wellness or “better for you” trends amongst consumers right now.

Non-Alcoholic Alternatives

We anticipate continued growth in the non-alcoholic and “mocktail” spaces as consumers seek “better for you” alternatives to consume amongst social settings that traditionally serve alcoholic beverages. Alcohol consumption has been plateauing in recent years, following the exceptional growth of craft spirits in 2020. This opens the door for innovative brand owners seeking to emulate the taste of alcohol in their products.

Hemp Beverages

In the last episode, I spoke about hemp-derived THC and CBD beverages and how the cannabis market has evolved with highly fluctuating regulations across states. While there remains considerable uncertainty in the regulatory landscape, consumers continue to demand these products, nonetheless. This aligns with functional beverage trends, as consumers have found that a hemp-derived THC-infused beverage makes for a suitable “mocktail.”

How does Flavorman accurately predict trends?

Reading Our Own Data

The first and most valuable tool that Flavorman uses to predict beverage trends is our own data that we collect from our clients, partners, and vendors. Since our clients are formulating their products with us months before they’re released or fast-tracking a product launch to meet their consumers' demands, we can spot these shifts before they hit the market. However, not every data trend is an indicator of changing consumer behavior. Seasonal rollouts, regulatory changes, economic conditions, and other factors can also impact these shifts. It’s our job to use that information to keep our clients well-informed!

Monitoring Other Countries

We closely monitor the consumer markets in other countries, particularly in Europe and Asia. It has long been commonplace for American brands to adopt international trends and introduce them to their domestic market. For example, I mentioned in our episode about Energy Drinks that we formulated one of the first American-born energy drinks, after Red Bull’s explosion in Europe. Other beverage profiles, such as kombucha, matcha, and classic cocktails, originated from across the pond and were introduced to our market by ambitious brand owners.

Following the Food Industry

When it comes to flavor trends, we look to the food industry, particularly in candy products. There are many classic candies and sweets whose flavors have been incorporated into some of the most popular sodas, energy drinks, and coffees. More broadly, what people are eating will trickle into what they’re drinking. This ties back to health and wellness trends as well!

Observing Younger Consumers

Finally, we observe what younger consumers are drinking as a key trend indicator. Typically, the habits of consumers aged 18-35 have broad implications across the food and beverage market, especially with the increase in rapid information sharing online and through social media.

How have trends changed Flavorman’s business proceedings?

As beverage trends have grown and diversified, so have our capabilities and expertise. In the early days of Flavorman, most of our projects consisted of simple formulations that exhibited slight variation. However, that changed with the evolution of choice. Take juice products, for example. As consumers demanded different fruit options, sugars, and juice concentrates, we adjusted accordingly.

Are beverage trends cyclical?

Yes, we do see a lot of cyclicality in beverage trends, especially with ingredients. Functional beverages experienced a surge in popularity from the 1980s to the early 2000s, driven by the rise of protein and energy drinks. Then it evolved into “mindful indulgence,” where consumers craved sweet, decadent flavors without the calories. Now, we’re reentering the era of functional beverages but with a broader range of ingredients. The same can be said for alcohol! Bourbon saw a massive upswing over the past decade, but now it’s starting to taper off into what it was before.

However, some ingredients that were once trends have cemented themselves as mainstays in the market. Commercial juices used to feature only a single fruit (such as orange and apple juice), but now there is a permanent shelf spot for juice blends (like fruit punch and grape-cranberry juice). Alternative sweeteners, such as sucralose and stevia, are also here to stay!

How can brands capitalize on trends?

It’s quite simple - act quickly and be the first. One of the most accurate quotes I’ve heard in my career is, “Delays are poison in the beverage industry.” This is truer now more than ever, as social media has accelerated the lifespan of short-term fads. It may also be wise to determine which trends will offer the most value to your brand. To execute this efficiently and mindfully, having an experienced industry partner to help you with an expedited product rollout is essential. Our team is continually working with clients on new projects, line extensions, and reformulations to help them meet the evolving needs of their customers. As I always say, Flavorman succeeds when our clients succeed, and staying on top of the trends is a key to that success.