Cocktails are fun for all sorts of reasons — not just because they scream “party”, but also because they’re a great little barometer for what’s happening out there in booze-land. I’m hardly a cocktail expert, but I do enjoy drinking them, and I do enjoy summing things up — so why not combine the two?
Salt and Heat Take Centre Stage
According to hospitalityinsights.ehl.edu, cocktails with deep, umami-rich and spicy flavours are hotter than ever. Ingredients like miso, seaweed, mushrooms and even anchovy essence are adding new dimensions to classic serves. It might sound slightly bonkers, but honestly, I can’t disagree. When I visited Roe & Co in Dublin a couple of years ago, I tried their take on an Espresso Martini — made with their own whisky and paired with a salty seaweed crisp. Shockingly delicious, actually. Heat is having its moment too — chilli, jalapeño and even wasabi are finding their way into glasses. Sadly, I’m allergic to chilli, but the idea still sounds fun to me, especially paired with something sweet.
Mini Cocktails – Small but Mighty
One trend I find both fun and slightly odd is the rise of mini cocktails — little Martinis, tiny Baby Guinnesses, all that. They do let people taste more without overdoing it, which is very on-brand for an era obsessed with mindful drinking… but where is the line between a mini cocktail and a shot? And if anything screams “overconsumption”, it’s shots. On the other hand, the Pornstar Martini has always come with a cute little side glass of bubbles, so maybe this trend is just the natural evolution of that silliness.
Asian Spirits Step Into the Spotlight
It’s no surprise that Asia is setting the pace in the spirits world. Japanese shochu, Korean soju and Chinese baijiu are rapidly gaining international attention. More bartenders are experimenting with these spirits to create unique, exciting cocktails. Meanwhile, whisky producers from “new” countries are popping up too — South Korea’s Ki One, Thailand’s PRAKAAN Single Malt and more. It all just gets me even more hyped for next year’s London Whisky Show.
More Alcohol-Free and Low-ABV Options
Young people today are, tragically, drinking less. And more people in general want alcohol-free serves that still feel like proper cocktails. Fine by me — I actually appreciate a good alcohol-free G&T rather than a sad glass of squash. Mocktails and low-ABV cocktails are now staples on most menus, and sometimes they’re not even the alternative — they’re the main event. Alcohol-free spirits have also made their entrance in the last few years, with zero-ABV gin and whisky cropping up everywhere. I can’t imagine sipping them neat, but they do make it easier to create grown-up alcohol-free drinks that don’t taste like Fanta.
Ready-to-Drink Cocktails (RTDs)
I’ll be honest: the whole RTD thing initially gave me flashbacks to traumatising sixth-form drinking episodes. Imagine a Smirnoff Ice, but tasting faintly of washing-up liquid. Grim. But — and I’m happy to admit this — the quality has skyrocketed. I bought a bunch in London recently and they were, hand on heart, fantastic. Consumers want convenient, flavourful drinks they can take on the go without sacrificing taste. And frankly, it’s brilliantly practical to grab a canned Negroni/Bellini/whatever instead of hauling around three bottles and shaking them together like an idiot. For someone like me, who doesn’t love Swedish “cider” or beer, a canned cocktail is a blessing.
Minimalism and Premium Ingredients
A new minimalism is creeping into mixology: fewer ingredients, but higher-quality ones. In other words: less faff, more posh stuff. I’m not entirely convinced it counts as a “trend”, but I have noticed it’s more accepted these days to make cocktails with good whisky rather than the cheapest bottle available. And the same goes for everything else. My favourite cocktails (and my go-to long drinks) tend to use just a few components anyway — so for me, using better ingredients simply makes sense.
Whisky’s New Wardrobe – The Classic Gets a Makeover
Whisky, whiskey and bourbon have long been the backbone of classics like the Old Fashioned, Manhattan and Whisky Sour — but there’s a clear movement towards modernising these old favourites. According to drinks writer Millie Milliken, bartenders are experimenting with cask-aged whiskies alongside fermented ingredients, fruity cordials and even coffee. IN additions to this, whisky journalist Mark Jennings is saying that smoky Islay whiskies are being used in drinks more often today, for example as as flavour accents in both sweet and sour drinks. Some people I spoke to in London were discussinng how bourbon’s natural sweetness shines in combos with salted caramel, toffee notes or spicy bitters, and I for one am happy that whisky and whiskey is used in more creative ways today compared to ten or fifteen years ago.
Japanese whisky has climbed the ranks too and is often found in elegant highballs, where the simplicity lets the spirit shine. That trend is spreading — when I visited Johnnie Walker Princes Street in Edinburgh, I tried several of their highballs, including one with sun-dried tomatoes and Black Label. Shockingly good, actually.
There’s also growing interest in whisky-based low-ABV drinks, often using alcohol-free vermouth or soda as balance — part of the wider “low & no” movement I mentioned earlier.
All this means whisky is no longer just an after-dinner sipper — it’s a dynamic cocktail ingredient, constantly evolving. And that’s a good thing. It expands people’s idea of what whisky is and can be, and suddenly folks who don’t identify with the whole “sit in a leather armchair and mutter about GlenGottigottgott” vibe can enjoy whisky in a way that suits them. Love it.
