Beverage Preferences Experiencing a Significant Change, According to Asma Ferdoes
In the ever-evolving world of beverages, 2025 promises an exciting array of innovations and consumer preferences. The focus lies on health, premium experiences, and flavour complexity across energy drinks, tea, coffee, alcoholic drinks, and mocktails.
Energy Drinks
A shift is underway, moving away from sugary energy drinks towards healthier, zero-sugar options. Products like Coke Zero, Monster Zero Sugar, and Celsius are gaining popularity as consumers seek beverages with cleaner ingredient profiles and added health functionality, such as hydration enhancers and probiotic sodas.
Tea
The tea industry is leaning towards premium, craft approaches that emphasise traditional heritage combined with modern techniques. Cold-brewed and lightly oak-aged sparkling teas from China, such as Snow Jasmine, Volcano Oolong, Hibiscus Noir, are entering both Asian and Western markets, targeting health-conscious and moderation-minded consumers interested in elegant alcohol alternatives.
Coffee
Coffee in 2025 generally follows similar trends towards premiumisation, customisation, and clean-label ingredients, aligned with the overall increased consumer demand for quality and wellness-oriented beverages.
Alcoholic Drinks
Alcohol continues to evolve towards premiumisation and bold flavour profiles, especially bitter notes exemplified by cocktails like the Negroni and Aperol Spritz. The Negroni remains the world’s best-selling cocktail with many innovative variations including rum, white, and non-alcoholic versions. Ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails are rapidly growing, forecast to double globally by 2029, particularly in North America with projections of +400% growth.
Mocktails and Alcohol-Free Drinks
The alcohol-free segment is expanding fast, with substantial new offerings in alcohol-free wine, beer, and spirit alternatives. Innovations outside the traditional categories—including premium non-alcoholic sparkling teas—are gaining traction among consumers looking for sophisticated, healthful drinks without alcohol.
Additional trends note customised frozen slushies and premium lemonades with clean labels boosting summertime beverage innovation and consumer engagement through nostalgia and indulgence.
In summary, the beverage landscape in 2025 emphasises health-conscious reformulations, reducing sugar and adding functional benefits in energy drinks and non-alcoholic beverages. Premiumisation and craft approaches are prevalent in tea and alcoholic drinks, including aging and complex flavour profiles. RTD cocktails and bitter-forward cocktails lead alcoholic beverage innovation and market growth. Rapid expansion of alcohol-free alternatives caters to moderation and wellness consumer demands. Customisable and experiential beverage offerings in fast food and retail settings drive social engagement.
Tea is the second most widely accepted beverage globally, with a vast variety and scope for innovation. Tulsi ginger tea is also a trending tea variety. Other popular cocktails include Cosmopolitan, Gimlet, Daiquiri, Manhattan, Mimosa, Margarita, and Old Fashioned.
The youth are increasingly inclined towards alcoholic mixtures and drinks. However, there is also a growing trend towards herbs and spices in drinks, from tea to cocktails. Some people are turning away from alcohol to more herbal and natural-based drinks.
Beverage sizes and portions have become more individualised, with single-serving sizes popular. New flavours in coffee include buttered coffee. Beverages can be simple, naturally obtained like milk and tender coconut, or complex mixtures of juices, alcohols, and herbs. Many prefer healthy and nutritious concoctions over empty calories and taste.
There is a shift towards stronger flavours in all types of beverages. Trending mocktails include Virgin Grapefruit Mojito, Cantaloupe Ginger Spritzer, Mexican Chocolate Mock-tini, Spicy Raspberry Lemon Cooler, Pom-berry Bellini, and Mango mock-a-lada.
Lastly, people are more health-conscious and aware of nutritive content than in the early 2000s due to increased internet access and social media interaction. Energy drinks contain caffeine and other energy-boosting substances like guarana, taurine, or ginseng. A trend towards bitter or compromised tastes due to health benefits or stress relief is also apparent.
- In the health-and-wellness movement, the tea industry is not only focusing on traditional heritage and modern techniques but also introducing health-conscious and sophisticated drinks, such as cold-brewed and lightly oak-aged sparkling teas, which are highlighted for their hydration enhancers and probiotic benefits.
- As consumers seek healthier and more nutritious beverages, the trend towards zero-sugar energy drinks is growing, with products like Coke Zero, Monster Zero Sugar, and Celsius gaining popularity for their clean ingredient profiles and added health functionality.
