Top 5 Cocktail Trends You’ll See In 2019

Cocktail drinkers have much to look forward to in 2019—with many surprising ingredients and unusual pairings in store, according to the annual Culinary + Cocktail Trends Forecast launched by Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants earlier this month.

The report gathers the opinion of more than 130 seasoned bartenders, sommeliers and general managers from the group’s 80-plus restaurants and bars across 37 cities in the US and in selected locations in Europe and the Caribbean.

From Aperol Frosé to drinks inspired by savoury dishes, here’s a closer look at the major cocktail trends next year.

  1. Elevated mocktails

One of the biggest changes in next year’s cocktail menu will be a larger selection of mocktails—with 80% of the bartenders surveyed noting they will incorporate more non-alcoholic options on their menus. Instead of your run-of-the-mill mixes with grenadine and fruit juice, there will be more creative use of house-made syrups and tonics, fermented ingredients and non-alcoholic spirits such as Seedlip. In short, 2019’s mocktails will be more “complex and intriguing than ever.”

  1. Focus on sustainability

Sustainability has long been a global issue, so it’s natural that more and more food and beverage businesses are actively looking to reduce bar waste. Aside from considering sustainability during the design process for new drinks, according to 88% of the bartenders, many have come up with different ways to use their resources more wisely, such as incorporating more edible garnishes, adding bee hives on-site, serving room-temperature cocktails, and portioning fewer ingredients in multiple items.


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