{"id":2974612,"date":"2024-12-16T15:42:11","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T15:42:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jamesonwhiskey.com\/?page_id=2974612"},"modified":"2025-03-07T12:11:55","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T12:11:55","slug":"7-cocktail-trends-to-watch-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.jamesonwhiskey.com\/en\/jameson-hosts-hub\/7-cocktail-trends-to-watch-in-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Cocktail Trends to Watch in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Written by Tyler Zielinski (AKA @bon_vivantito)<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n\n\t\t

7 Cocktail Trends to Watch in 2025 <\/h1>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t
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Every country, region and city has its own cocktail trends and drinking preferences. But there are a few themes that transcend culture and place and subsequently influence the types of cocktails served in bars from New York to Tokyo.<\/p>\n

This article explores the latest drinks trends and innovative techniques that are shaping cocktail culture globally right now, so for bars and bartenders looking to ride the wave of what\u2019s hot and happening, here are 7 of the biggest trends to watch for in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Minimalist Cocktails<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n\n \n
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At the heart of this trend is the modern bartender\u2019s undying desire to clarify cocktails at any given opportunity \u2014 a choice that\u2019s driven by aesthetics as much as it is by flavour and texture; and, in some cases, sustainability (clarified ingredients have a longer shelf life).<\/p>\n

Visually, minimalist cocktails are striking: the garnishes, if there are any, are subtle or geometric; the glassware tends to be more elegant than clunky; and the liquid in the glass mostly resembles a lightly coloured glass of water because of the clarification process.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n \n <\/div>\n\n

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But don\u2019t be fooled: minimalist drinks may present themselves as simple, but they\u2019re far from it in their preparation. Despite focusing on fewer ingredients \u2014 often no more than five \u2014 the way those components are developed are highly technical and often take days of labour.<\/p>\n

Take\u00a0the Kazimir<\/a>\u00a0from London\u2019s\u00a0A Bar With Shapes For Name<\/a>, for example. The cocktail is a seemingly straightforward blend of \u201cvodka, peach yogurt and absinthe blanche,\u201d as the menu reads, but it\u2019s a drink that\u2019s greater than the sum of its parts.<\/p>\n

To make this minimalist serve vodka and peach yogurt are clarified in a centrifuge, then adjusted with sugar and acid before being finished with a few drops of absinthe to tie it all together. It\u2019s served without a garnish, but the flat bowl-like double rocks glass and clear ice cube, which contains an iridescent prism within it, give the cocktail the visual appeal worthy of its refinement. It\u2019s a trend that primarily exists in higher-end cocktail bars, but it\u2019s one that enthusiasts can expect to encounter globally.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Insta-Worthy Garnishes and Presentations<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n\n \n
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It\u2019s no secret that the camera drinks first in the age of social media. And most bartenders and owners are well-aware of this phenomenon as they notice how theatrical presentations (e.g. Connaught Bar\u2019s Martini Trolley service<\/a>) and visually-attractive cocktails \u2014 be it an eye-catching blue drink, or one spewing clouds of liquid nitrogen \u2014 spread like wildfire throughout the bar once a single guest orders one.<\/p>\n

With apps like Tik Tok and Instagram serving as the primary source of marketing for bars, it\u2019s no surprise more businesses \u2014 beyond just craft cocktail bars \u2014 are embracing the trend of creating social media-worthy garnishes, and designing theatrical ways of presenting cocktails to guests as a way to garner some free marketing.<\/p>\n

While there was an era of tacky, maximalist garnishes that dominated the 2010s during the early days of photo-first social media, the modern Insta-worthy garnish that\u2019s come into vogue is slightly more refined.<\/p>\n

In the case of Handshake Speakeasy\u2019s Banana Split<\/a>, a minimalist cocktail is juxtaposed with a banana cream-filled chocolate lego garnish, demonstrating the confluence of multiple cocktail trends. At Shinji\u2019s in New York City, the bar created a high-concept twist on the classic Screwdriver<\/a> that is served in a picture-perfect, hollowed-out orange that\u2019s designed to evoke nostalgic memories of the old Tropicana orange juice adverts<\/a> from the 1990s. And at tropical cocktail bar Kiki Lounge on the not-so tropical Isle of Man, their tableside Zombie service<\/a> livens up the room with the cinnamon-induced pyrotechnics that gets the whole bar filming the spectacle. With the growing cohort of Gen Z drinkers<\/a> seeking more enticing experiences when socialising with friends at bars and restaurants, you can expect to see this trend continue to grow for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n \n \n \"insta\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Tiny Cocktails Bring Big Flavour to the Low-Alcohol Drink Category<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n\n \n
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For nearly a decade, no- and low-alcohol beverage consumption flourished year on year, with a particular\u00a0boom during the Covid-19 pandemic<\/a>\u00a0as enthusiasts took to cocktail making at home. Because of this drinking trend, the spritz is now a household name, retail shelves are filled with low-ABV RTD beverages, and there are more aperitifs on the market than ever before. But the issue most imbibers have with low-alcohol cocktails is that they lack diversity in style and flavour since most call for carbonated mixers, fortified and aromatised wines or aperitifs.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n \n <\/div>\n\n

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Enter the novel alternative: tiny cocktails, or micro-sized versions of beloved classics, like the Martini and Irish Coffee, and original creations alike that allow enthusiasts to enjoy the drinks they love without the alcohol content of a full-sized cocktail.<\/p>\n

In addition to a book dedicated to miniature mixology being released in February 2025 by Penguin Random House called\u00a0Tiny Cocktails\u00a0(a shameless plug from your fellow author), the\u00a0New York Times\u00a0has also recently noticed an uptick in this unique drink format as bars globally embrace the trend at scale as a more flavourful way to drink less.<\/p>\n

In London, Tayer + Elementary\u2019s One-Sip Martini, a shot-sized Martini variation served with a blue cheese-stuffed olive, has become a cult favourite since the bar opened in 2019 and has played a significant role in pushing this trend forward. And newcomers to the Big Smoke Archive & Myth<\/a> have even created an entire section of tiny tipples, including a five-layered Pousse Caf\u00e9, for guests to indulge in either as a solo amuse bouche, or as a sidecar to a beer or glass of bubbly. At Gen Yamamoto<\/a> in Tokyo, the eight-seat bar offers an ever-changing tasting menu of tiny cocktails for its guests; and in New York City, the Snaquiri \u2014 a shot-sized Daiquiri born in 2010 as a bartender\u2019s handshake \u2014 is alive and well. As more consumers crave flavour without the unnecessary overindulgence of many full-sized drinks; and as more people come to appreciate tiny cocktails as a cheaper way to taste more, expect to see more bars exploring the benefits of small format drinks in 2025 and beyond.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Savoury Cocktails Hit the Mainstream<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n\n \n
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After becoming especially popular in craft cocktail bars, savoury drinks, a segment of the overarching culinary cocktails trend, have officially hit the mainstream.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a long time coming, with modern classics like PDT\u2019s famous Benton\u2019s Old Fashioned (Don Lee, 2007), made with bacon fat-washed bourbon and sweetened with maple syrup, blazing the trail for drinks that are inspired by specific dishes, or feature peculiar foods, like kimchi, aubergine or even miso. With an increased focus on provenance and the use of hyper-local ingredients as a means to share regional dishes and flavours in liquid forms with guests, savoury drinks give bars the licence to develop all sorts of weird and wonderful creations.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n \n <\/div>\n\n

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At Zapote Bar<\/a> in Riviera Maya, Mexico, the bar showcases vibrant ingredients from the Yucat\u00e1n in its cocktails, including the moreish Jaguar \u2014 a clarified milk punch flavoured with turmeric, banana, chocolate and pumpkin seed that is both unctuous and delicious.
\nEqual Parts<\/a> in London has become known for its savoury delight dubbed the Flor \u2014 olive oil-washed vodka, fino sherry, tomato, garlic, basil and other spices \u2014 which tastes like biting into a well-seasoned tomato.
\nAnd with wide-reaching outlets like Forbes<\/em><\/a> and Food & Wine<\/em><\/a> amplifying the trend, putting it on the radar of the masses, imbibers can expect to see more of the Tomatini, various twists on the pickle-spiked Gibson and other savoury drinks at both high-end cocktail bars and chains alike.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/section>\n\n\n\n

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The Rise of Coffee Cocktails Beyond the Espresso Martini<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n\n \n
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Riding off the coattails of the iconic Espresso Martini, coffee cocktails are primed to proliferate in bars in 2025. And in many markets, such as the U.S where the Espresso Martini is one of the\u00a0top ten most popular cocktails on-trade<\/a>, they already have.<\/p>\n

According to a\u00a0January 2024 report<\/a>\u00a0by trade title\u00a0SevenFifty Daily<\/em>, \u201cmore than half of North America\u2019s 50 Best Bars have coffee cocktails on their signature menus, with less than half of those cocktails appearing as Espresso Martini variants,\u201d further reinforcing that this trend is on the up and up.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n \n <\/div>\n\n

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As is the case with savoury cocktails, coffee-laced serves, such as Swift\u2019s iconic Irish Coffee made with Jameson Caskmates Stout edition, aren\u2019t only prevalent in the world\u2019s best bars, though. They\u2019ve also infiltrated sports bars, pubs and restaurants as well due to coffee being one of the more approachable cocktail ingredients because of its ubiquity. The classic coffee cocktail that made the rounds in 2024<\/a> on social media and online editorially was the inimitable Carajillo, a shaken mix of Licor 43 and espresso. We can expect that invigorating tipple and many other caffeinated beverages to go from strength to strength in 2025.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Martini Madness<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n\n \n
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There\u2019s no stopping the Martini and its infinite permutations. The Telegraph<\/em> declared the iconic three-part cocktail as \u201cthe drink of 2024<\/a>,\u201d and while the claim wasn\u2019t necessarily groundbreaking based on the global Martini obsession, it was certainly accurate. Unsurprisingly, the Espresso Martini and the classic Martini \u2014 whether it be pre-batched and frozen, or built a l\u00e1 minute and served dry, wet or fifty-fifty \u2014 were the two iterations that drove the trend forward. But 2024 also saw a continued growth of savoury Martinis<\/a>, Turf Club-style Martinis that get depth from sweeter modifiers, and the Dirty Martini, which has come back into vogue with contemporary flair.<\/p>\n

At London\u2019s Three Sheets<\/a>, a bar renowned for its exceptional ability to produce top-notch \u2018tinis, their take on the Dirty Martini, served specifically at the bar\u2019s Soho location, has taken the British capital by storm. The cocktail blends olive oil-washed vodka with picpoul, korset tea and sea salt, making the twist as fresh as it is dirty, appealing to the spectrum of Martini lovers. On the savoury end of the spectrum, Gaucho\u2019s Wagyu Martini<\/a> washed with wagyu beef fat has started making waves across the UK as it\u2019s served at each of the restaurants\u2019 locations. And Dante Beverly Hills<\/a> has paired trendy tequila with a citrus forward gin, sweet vermouth, Cocchi Americano and cr\u00e8me de cacao for a balanced, but sweet take on the Martini that is quickly becoming one of the most sought after in America, in part due to the bar\u2019s pedigree.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n \n \n \"martini\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Whatever Cocktails Influencers Decide Should Be Popular <\/h2>\n <\/div>\n\n \n
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First, it was the tongue-in-cheek Parmesan Espresso Martini that went viral on Tik Tok and Instagram, eventually being covered in the mainstream media<\/a>. Then, in early 2024, twenty of the most followed drinks accounts on social media, such as @thelucasassis<\/a> and @notjustabartender<\/a>, decided to see if they could collectively start a global cocktail trend by posting about #BatangaWeek<\/a> \u2014 a fake cocktail week they fabricated \u2014 on their individual accounts to gauge the power of social media influence. And the crazy thing is that it actually worked (the campaign reached over 1.5 million accounts).<\/p>\n

Liquor stores in the U.S started promoting \u201cBatanga Week\u201d to peddle their tequilas; publicists started pitching the occasion to journalists, leading publications like Forbes<\/em><\/a> to dub the Batanga \u201cthe drink of 2024\u201d; and the whole initiative led to mayhem with cocktail enthusiasts around the world ordering the drink in bars and even posting their own takes on the tequila-based mixed drink.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s all to say, as influential as the world\u2019s best bars and bartenders are, they won\u2019t be the ones driving mass drink trends. If you\u2019re looking for the next big cocktail trend of 2025, start following social media\u2019s influential home bartenders.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/section>\n\n\n\n

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About the writer<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n\n \n
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Tyler is a multifaceted drinks professional who has worked in the bar industry for the past decade as a drinks writer, bar consultant, educator,\u00a0content creator\u00a0and bartender.\u00a0He\u2019s best known for his online presence via @bon_vivantito, as well as his drinks writing for\u00a0Punch<\/i>,\u00a0Class<\/i>,\u00a0Eater<\/i>,\u00a0Food & Wine<\/i>\u00a0and\u00a050 Best<\/i>.
\nHis written work is also poised to hit bookshelves in 2025 with his first book,\u00a0Tiny Cocktails<\/i>,\u00a0set to be published by\u00a0Clarkson Potter in February.<\/span><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n \n <\/div>\n\n

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