Beverages are no longer confined to cups and mugs.
They are inspiring a wave of culinary creativity, transforming both sweet and savory dishes.
This year’s FlavorIQ® Food & Flavor Outlook Program: The Perfect Bite explores the delight and emotion of culinary experiences that activate the senses through themes, culinary platforms, ideas, and themes, including Sipping on Inspiration.
Even soda flavors are getting revamped—like root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime are enhancing batters, glazes, and marinades. These flavors are versatile, complementing not just meats but also vegetable-forward dishes. Tea and coffee, for instance, have found their way into various recipes. Chamomile dressings, Earl Grey pickled onions, and green tea noodles add unique flavors to meals, while coffee dry rubs and syrups offer smoky, nutty, and fruity notes.
- 65% of US consumers have tried Latte-flavored desserts or confections in the past three months.1
- 36% of Canadian consumers enjoy “breaking the rules” when it comes to what they eat or drink (e.g., eating breakfast foods at night, combining unexpected flavors).1
- 42% of Mexican consumers strongly agree that they enjoy products that remind them of the past, highlighting a potential interest in nostalgic beverage flavors.1
Cocktail Hour in the Kitchen
Wine-braised proteins are finding their way onto menus worldwide, often highlighting regional varietals.
Chefs and food manufacturers are embracing the complex flavors of alcoholic beverages to elevate their creations.
In Taiwan, drunken shrimp marinated in Shaoxing wine and Chinese herbs offer a taste of local tradition.
Beer, whiskey, and sake are making appearances in marinades and sauces, while innovative cocktail-inspired spice blends are adding a creative twist to dishes.
- 77% of USA consumers think Whiskey is an appealing flavor. 5
- 42% of Canadian consumers are interested in trying Maple Bourbon.5
- 62% of Mexican consumers are interested in trying Vodka Sauce.5
Snacking on a Sip
The snack aisle is becoming a playground for beverage-inspired flavors.
Hot cocoa almonds, frozen rosé sorbet, and lemonade popcorn are just a few examples of how familiar drink profiles are being transformed into crave-worthy bites.
For the health-conscious consumer, snacks infused with coffee and tea flavors like chai and matcha offer a functional twist with promises of energy and alertness. In Canada, coffee, green tea, and beer are the top three beverage flavors consumers have tried and liked.5
- In the US, 76% of consumers find green tea to be an appealing beverage flavor, while 34% find matcha to be appealing.5
- In Mexico, 49% of consumers have tried Matcha, and 60% of consumers think green tea and matcha will have a positive effect on their health.5
Spirit of Adventure
When it comes to elevating the snack world, India is leading the charge with alcohol-flavored crisps, such as Italian wine and cheese-popped potato chips. While in Japan, melon soda-flavored rice puffs delight taste buds with their sweet and salty play.
Alcoholic beverages are proving to be versatile flavor enhancers in entrée, vegetables, and snacks. Sake, Japanese rice wine, is brightening vinaigrettes and infused butter, while whiskey and wine continue to shine in braising liquids and barbecue sauces.
Beer is also making its mark in unexpected places, from IPA salad dressings to stout gravies.
- 55% of US consumers find beer to be an appealing flavor.5
- 37% of Canadian consumers have tried Whisky BBQ Sauce and liked it.5
- 60% of Mexican consumers have tried Mezcal and like it.5
Sweet Sips for Dessert
Alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages impact savory meals, and the dessert world is embracing the beverage trend with open arms. Frosé sorbet, horchata milkshakes, and lemonade cupcakes are just the beginning. Bubble tea, chai, and hot cocoa flavors are expanding beyond their liquid forms, inspiring a new wave of sweet treats.
- 36% of US consumers enjoy the flavor of Blackberries in their beverages.4
- 38% of Canadian consumers have not tried but are interested in Marsala.5
- 71% of Mexican consumers find Bourbon somewhat or very appealing.5
Thirsty for More
As consumers continue to seek out new and exciting flavor experiences, the fusion of beverages and food offers a familiar yet innovative path forward.
Whether it’s a coffee-rubbed steak or a champagne-infused snack, these beverage-inspired creations are sure to quench the thirst for culinary adventure. The statistics speak volumes about the potential of beverage-inspired flavors:
- 80% of US consumers find coffee to be an appealing beverage flavor.5
- In Canada, wine-inspired sauces are seeing significant growth on menus, with red wine jus increasing by 40% and white wine sauce by 35%.7
- 35% of Mexican consumers claim to like wine flavors with seafood.8
FlavorIQ® Food & Flavor Outlook Program
At Griffith Foods, we turn insights and culinary creativity into new opportunities with our FlavorIQ® Food & Flavor Outlook Program. Through our annual culinary theme program, we curated a list of key culinary themes that reflect the food industry’s current state and our prediction for what’s next.
Learn more about our program and themes here.
Let’s Create Better Together
We’re here to help inspire creations that keep your product portfolio on trend. Contact your Griffith Foods representative or reach out to our sales team to learn more about our ongoing research and innovative offerings.
Resources
- Mintel Consulting, 2024 Food & Flavor Outlook Report
- Mintel: Trending Flavors & Ingredients in Non-Al. Bev. 2023
- Griffith Foods Flavor Dashboard 2023
- GlobalData 2023 Q1 consumer survey
- Technomic Sauce Menu Trends – Canada 2023
- Griffith Foods Seafood Survey 2023
