Today, with the growing war on waste and a focus on taking care of the planet, teamed with people looking for healthier ways of living, our approach to beverages has drastically changed.
Even if beverages are not the focus of your business, you’d be surprised at how many products cater to a person’s drinking needs. Some prevalent examples are DIY beer kits for the home, a plethora of blenders, shakers and accessories for mocktails and cocktails, juicing machines, kombucha kits, trendy water bottles and reusable coffee cups, juice and tea diffusers, scotch sets and wine glasses, tea sets and ice cube trays… the list goes on and on.
Australian-based Top3 by design has a relatively large selection of products in the beverage sector, and Terri Winter has seen some great new trends emerge over the past year or two that have recently gained even more traction.
“We’ve seen a massive uptake of fruit infusion beverages―both alcoholic and non-alcoholic,” she says.
“The Porthole Infuser by American master chef Grant Achatz was originally designed for The Aviary cocktail lounge in Chicago in 2011. Interestingly though, only in this past year have we seen it really gain traction. People are increasingly using it for non-alcoholic infusions as well, rather than just cocktails.”
The massive global trend in reusable water bottles is also linked to fruit infusion.
“We’re seeing people wishing to select water bottles that facilitate fruit infusions and that showcase them―they look pretty. The Eva Solo MyFlavour Carafe has also taken off and I expect it to have its strongest sales to date this Australian summer. Adding teas to the fruit is a new spin on traditional infusions and adds stronger flavours and colours too.”
Winter notes that the BYO cup/bottle has had a gigantic effect on people’s lives and on the planet. “People are actively avoiding the single use water bottle and they understand that drinking more water is important for health.”
Winter mentions one new beverage trend that she believes is a world-first. “Australian coffee guru Craig Hiron has launched a very new concept, which is an innovative pairing of filter coffee, blended with fruit juices and vanilla beans, developed by a team of technical and sensory experts,“ she says, predicting that the classy looking drink will be very popular.
Over in New Zealand, Liz Oldfield, director of Milly’s has seen a decline on the personal blender (Nutribullet type models) in favour of big super blenders.
“Slow juicing has also declined as people are aware of their need for fibre, and so are wanting to blend whole fruit and vegetables rather than simply extract juice,” she says.
“There is also a growing interest in both craft cocktails and craft beer, and a general decline in soft drink-type beverages, presumably in response to the anti-sugar movement. There has been a definite rise in sales of specialist ice moulds, things like large spheres and cubes.”
Want to read more? Check out the full article in our Kitchen & Dining digital magazine, which is out now!
