Better-for-you beverages—including probiotic drinks and immune-boosting beverages with plant-sourced ingredients such as elderberry, ginger, turmeric, oats, herbs and flowers—have been gaining momentum in the foodservice and retail spheres.
In fact, Datassential research shows that more than half of consumers overall and 66 percent of millennials are extremely or very likely to purchase foods that support mental well-being.
In the house cocktail Can’t Beet Me, a base of thyme-infused beet juice is married with bourbon, elderflower liqueur and citrus-flavored vermouth.
But in this case it is an adult beverage, featuring soy matcha tea, lemongrass syrup and persimmon spiked with ginger liqueur and green tea shochu, presented in a Collins glass with a wide straw for slurping up the boba.
They say it is a reversal of the boozy indulgence that spiked among consumers during lockdown—driven in part by “more mindful eating and drinking” attitudes after COVID.
An example is the popular Secret Garden, which combines nonalcoholic spirits with essences of peas, herbs and hops with basil-flavored simple syrup and lemon juice.
Another hit is Berry Spicy, a combo of muddled blackberries, lime juice and simple syrup over crushed ice, finished with a float of jalapeño water.
In today’s challenging business climate, it is essential to seize business opportunities when they come.