beverage trends for 2025
In 2025, the beverage industry is poised to further embrace beverage trends centered on health, sustainability, and innovative flavors. here are the key beverage trends that build on the trends from 2024:
1. Functional and Health-Focused Beverages
Consumers are increasingly seeking drinks that offer health benefits beyond basic nutrition. Functional ingredients such as adaptogens, nootropics, and functional mushrooms are gaining popularity for their potential to enhance mental clarity and physical vitality. These components are being incorporated into a variety of beverages, including non-alcoholic options, to cater to health-conscious individuals.
2. Plant-Based and Sustainable Options
The demand for plant-based beverages continues to rise, driven by environmental consciousness and dietary preferences. Innovations in this category include the use of aquatic ingredients and plant-based alternatives that offer unique flavors and sustainable sourcing.
3. Nostalgic and Comfort Flavors
Nostalgia plays a significant role in consumer choices, with flavors reminiscent of childhood or traditional desserts gaining traction. For instance, brown sugar has been highlighted as the flavor of the year for 2025, expected to feature prominently in beverages such as lattes, milk teas, and cocktails.
4. Non-Alcoholic and Low-Alcohol Beverages
The "sober-curious" movement is influencing a shift towards non-alcoholic and low-alcohol drinks. Trends like "zebra striping," which involves alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, are becoming popular, particularly among younger consumers. This has led to an increase in sophisticated mocktails and alcohol-free spirits that provide the experience of traditional cocktails without the alcohol content.
5. Global and Fusion Flavors
There is a growing interest in international flavors and fusion beverages that combine elements from different culinary traditions. Ingredients such as tamarind, ube, and various Asian spices are being incorporated into drinks, offering consumers novel taste experiences that reflect a more interconnected global palate.
6. Textural Innovations
Texture is becoming an important aspect of beverage development, with consumers seeking multi-sensory experiences. This includes drinks with added crunch, layers, or unique mouthfeels that enhance the overall consumption experience.
These trends indicate a dynamic evolution in the industry, with a focus on health benefits, sustainability, and innovative sensory experiences set to define consumer preferences in 2025.
Take a look back on 2024 . . .
Hyper-personalized functionality
Consumers are increasingly drawn to functional beverages for the health benefits of packing superfood ingredients like turmeric, activated charcoal, matcha, melatonin and aloe vera into their drinks. It blends the beverage industry with vitamins and supplements, benefitting convenience and healthy grab-and-go options. Moving forward, new launches will reflect consumer demand for overall wellness goals. “Improved sleep, energy, cognitive function, beauty, weight loss and gut health will be the most desired benefits, but expect products that support even more personalized needs like oral or cardiovascular health to launch as well.” Meanwhile, CBD is set to become a popular ingredient in products across all beverage sectors. While a host of new launches using CBD have sprung onto the market in 2023, driven perhaps by the novelty value, 2024 will see interest focus on CBD as a functional ingredient. "CBD is suggested to aid with pain, nausea, seizures, anxiety and depression: which makes it an enticing functional ingredient."
Plant-based
More people are adopting a flexitarian lifestyle, incorporating meat, dairy but also an increasing volume of plant-based products into their diet. Consumers hold the perception that plant-based products are healthier in moderation and more sustainable than their animal-based counterparts. Plant-based product claims have grown 62% globally (CAGR 2018-2023) according to figures from NDP Group. And while interest in vegetarianism and veganism is increasing, 86% of people buying plant-based products are still meat-eaters. The coffee space illustrates the plant-based trend, with plant-based creamers and ‘milks’ finding an audience among flexitarians. Datassential reports that 83% of people who use creamer in their coffee are at least interested in using plant-based creamers or ‘milks’ and 34% already use them often. Almond, soy and coconut-based beverages lead the category with niche options like peanut, oat and flaxseed gaining momentum.
Color and nostalgia
In terms of flavors and colors, consumers are looking for bright, bold hues. Young people have an eye for what foods and drinks succeed on social media, looking for products that are 'Instagram-friendly'. Color and functionality collide with ingredients such as blue algae, beet, matcha, butterfly pea flower tea (a tea made with the dried flowers of the butterfly pea plant Clitoria ternatea, traditionally popular in south-east Asia) and purple tea: products that are 'chock-full of health benefits' and also make beautiful Instagramable beverages. "Butterfly pea flower tea will be the rising star of this year because it is high in antioxidants and naturally changes color from blue to purple when acidity is added to it," says Imbibe. Nostalgia helps provide consumers with a respite from their busy, stressful lives. The trend has a combination of indulgent, sugar-laden flavors like cereal milk, s’mores, birthday cake, cookie dough, pumpkin spice, maple, eggnog and caramel apple. These, too, are often visually appealing and work well on social media.
Globally-inspired flavors
Consumers love feeling connected to other cultures, leading to a rise in global flavors and ingredients in beverage launches. Imbibe reports an average annual growth of 20% between 2023 and 2025 for bold flavors like cardamom, ginger, Chinese Five Spice, cayenne, jalapeño, chili, and habanero. Indulgent beverages, cocktails, coffee, tea, juice, and RTDs are all seeing an increase in these international inspirations. A few lesser-known flavors to watch in the drinks space are yuzu, Meyer lemon, blood orange, and guava.
Texture
Brands are now paying more attention to the texture of their drink launches, alongside flavor and formula. With the rise in RTD coffees, replicating the frothy, foamy texture of a coffee shop beverage in a bottle or can remains challenging. ‘Shake-it-up’ drinks that taste barista-brewed are becoming more common and offer better complexity compared to traditional CSDs. Beyond coffee, carbonation, nitrogen-infusion, and whipped textures are carving out a larger corner of the beverage space in coffee, tea, juice, beer, pre-mixed cocktails, and protein drinks. There is a predicted 20% increase in sensory claims on food and beverage products from 2023 to 2025 and beyond.
Sustainability
Plastic continues to face scrutiny in 2024, but consumers' interest in sustainability extends even further. Data from Nielsen and Mintel indicates that consumers are willing to pay more for products that make sustainability claims. In the beer category, research shows that consumers are also willing to pay a premium for sustainable brews. The internet and social media are spreading the message about sustainability, encouraging consumers to be more mindful of their purchases. Expect more beverages with eco-friendly packaging, as well as upcycled, fair-trade, and carbon-neutral ingredients.