Try some of these tasty new cocktail trends to look for in 2022!
Mixology is both an art and a science. Cocktails can be complex or straightforward, but one thing they must be is delicious.
Nostalgia, flavor-forward spirits, and a desire for luxury and quality will define the cocktail landscape in 2022. Bartenders and distilleries predict that the tequila wave has yet to crest, while concerns for sustainability will fuel a rise in locally produced spirits, beer, and mixers. Expect your guests to read labels for ingredients and ask about the ABV (alcohol by volume) of what you’re serving.
We enter 2022 with high hopes that the current wave of COVID may be the last and that the party-pooping microbial menace will retreat to endemic status. When that happens, be prepared to celebrate with some tasty new cocktail trends to look for in 2022.
Bring the Flavor Forward
If you came through the pandemic with your senses of taste and smell intact, congratulations. You’re in for some flavorful innovations in cocktails. Distilleries are throwing subtlety to the wind with peach-, pineapple-, and even (not kidding) peanut butter–flavored spirits. You may even field requests for hot mustard in a martini or Bloody Mary.
Low-ABV Beverages
Staying home a lot through the past two years found many people imbibing a bit too much. As the new year begins, cocktail enthusiasts are embracing mixes with lower ABV percentages, and producers are obliging. Low-ABV vermouth is a new option for mixologists.
Ready-To-Drink Choices
Beer can be boring. That’s why ready-to-drink (RTD) options have become more popular, especially those that pair quality spirits with ready-to-consume packaging. RTDs are also good alternatives to hard seltzers.
Nostalgia and Natural Ingredients
Old-fashioneds, martinis, and gin and tonics never really left, and they’ll be around as nostalgic comfort cocktails in 2022 as well. The annual Bacardi Cocktail Trends report for 2022 notes that many people are requesting mojitos, a quintessential summer cocktail, year-round now: they’re simple, and they use fresh, natural ingredients. Plus, you get to say “muddled,” a nice nostalgic cocktail term.
With the return of weddings, you may see the return of the champagne cocktail along with signature cocktails featuring another trend: locally sourced ingredients and an emphasis on the cultural origins of the base spirits.
These tasty new cocktail trends to look for in 2022 should help you mix joyfully and drink responsibly this new year.