Now that 2024 is coming to an end, it’s time to look ahead to 2025. Through the lens of your favorite glass, that might look like the continued success of non-alcoholic beer, new agave spirits, or a return to classic wine regions.
To paint a clearer picture of the future of beverages, we reached out to a few industry insiders. Together, they glanced at the crystal ball and offered some drink trends to look out for in the new year.
Here’s what to know about upcoming drink trends.
Beer
Peter Skrbek is the CEO of Deschutes Brewery in craft beer-centric Bend, Oregon. If there’s one thing he wouldn’t mind saying farewell to in 2025, it’s all IPAs approaching the 7% ABV mark. “Let’s make beers drinkable,” he said.
NA and lighter beer
“We’ll see continued growth of the non-alcoholic segment as fans of craft beer continue to be presented with better tasting options,” he told us. “I also see an opportunity for craft lagers and lighter, more accessible styles to have an impact in 2025.”
Innovation
“We have lots of exciting innovation coming on the non-alcoholic beer front,” he said. “In 2024, we released three new NA beers.” He says to look out for a new addition to the brand’s Patagonia organic NA line. It’s very much a theme, as other breweries are doing much the same and really dialing in their near-beer approaches.
Hop evolution
“The most exciting developments on the hop side have been more from the downstream products like those focusing on terpenes from processors like Abstrax,” Skrbek explained. “On the varietal front, some of the now commercially cultivated wild varietals like Elani are super exciting.”
The value of transparency
“Transparency is a critical part of our ethos as a company,” he said. “We are a family and employee-owned company that is also totally an open book. As we’ve developed our NA technology we’ve been very transparent about the technology with our fans.”
Spirits
Alex Cuper is the beverage director at Brasero and El Che in Chicago. He wouldn’t mind saying bye to the extreme influx of espresso martinis and customers asking if drinks are sweet. “We all take pride in what we do creatively, and part of the work done is testing cocktails to make sure there is balance to them.”
He added that it’s perfectly fine for a guest to dislike a drink, but there should be some trust in what they’re doing. He offered some more trends as well.
Low-ABV cocktails and mocktails
“I think there’s going to be this continued influx of the low- and no-ABV cocktails,” Cuper said. “It’s already such a large category, but even more so, bartenders are getting more creative with what they are creating with ingredients of NA spirits. It feels like a vegetarian option in a tasting menu where you can’t rely on animal proteins for the rich flavors. You have to get creative with other things and truly coax flavors of ingredients, coming up with something truly new and unique. It’s really cool to see and experience that. On that same note, the NA spirits and beverages keep getting better, too. Some of these bottled NA Almafi Spitz drinks taste identical to the real thing. It’s awesome to see.”
Beverage director Sarah Clark of The Dearborn (also in Chicago) agrees, offering Seedlip as a top NA spirit choice. “Mix it simply to let its inherent flavor shine through, or use it in a cocktail the same way you would an alcoholic spirit. The result will be the same: a quality, handcrafted beverage that is thoughtful, flavorful, and worthy of any occasion.”
Cachaça
“Maybe this is a personal goal for myself and us at Brasero and El Che, but I would love to see Cachaça get some recognition,” Cuper explained. “It’s an incredibly diverse spirit with so much room to play with in terms of creativity and uses. We have a couple on our back bar that make a mean Vieux Carre or Sazerac, so much so that you would never miss the rye in the drink. I know it’s easier said than done, but even a little bit of recognition would be a huge step forward for it in the U.S.”
Sotol
“The new ‘It Girl’ of the spirits world could be Sotol,” said Michael Vollmer, food and beverage manager at the Kimpton Gray Hotel (in Chicago). “Similarly produced like mezcal or tequila, but with a unique flavor profile. Extremely terroir-driven, Sotol will show you exactly what it’s made of and give variety in interesting ways. When I tried Señor Sotol for the first time, it reminded me of a mezcal but was lighter and more floral while maintaining a solid structure. There is a lot of cocktailing potential here, and I know I’m excited to see what classics can be updated with this exciting expression.”
Going clear
“Clarified cocktails are going to find a home on most menus in 2025,” Vollmer added. “Mixologists are always experimenting to find the next best thing, but why not take it back to basics? Clarifying cocktails removes most of the color while removing impurities, blending out imperfections, and providing a smooth and decadent mouthfeel. Rather than building a new drink with nine or more touches, let’s build something as classic as a margarita but give it a simple but powerful presentation.”
A cocktail to look out for
“Look to 2025 as the year of the Carajillo,” Vollmer said. “While espresso martinis are everyone’s sought-after booze and caffeine fix, this little gem has started to gain some attention. Not a new cocktail, but it is flavorful and simple to make in its base form. As mixologists have exhausted variations of an espresso martini, this simple espresso cocktail should provide a welcomed change to a saturated scene. The caveat here is going to be the need for fresh espresso. In an espresso martini, cold brew and other coffee expressions can sub in and still make a quality drink. The Carajillo will be less forgiving, as its original conception is only two ingredients. Quality comes from sourcing, and if you cheat here, people will know. I’m excited to see how this drink will develop as it continues to gain traction.”
Wine
We anticipate a pumping of the breaks with the natural wine craze, even more interest in native varietals, and perhaps some breakthroughs in the NA realm.
NA wine’s time?
“As far as non-alcoholic wines, I have tasted very few whose flavor lives up to the promotion,” Clark admitted. “However, a clear standout in this slim category is Dr. Lo Alcohol-Removed Riesling. This beauty comes to us from Emi and Thomas Loosen, of the renowned Loosen Estate in Mosel, Germany, the heart of riesling country. The wine is fermented in the traditional style of riesling, then has the alcohol removed through a process called ‘vacuum distillation.’ The result is a beautiful, bubbly, flavor-filled delight. Mild peach and citrus notes on the nose and a touch of petrol and lemon round out this non-alcoholic treat. Side by side, it is nearly impossible to know that this marvel contains no alcohol. This is the perfect bottle to bring to any celebration, and just as suitable for a weeknight reward.”
Indigenous varieties
We’ve already had a resurgence in tremendous indigenous varietals in places like Italy, Greece, and Georgia, so why not elsewhere? Look out for domestic producers to take on wild American grape varieties of old, as well as big wine nations like Chile and Spain and more looking inward at grape types that originated and still thrive right in their backyards.
Less glass
As sustainability continues to become less of a marketing scheme and more of a brand ethos, look to wineries large and small abandoning glass altogether. The environmental impact is simply too significant, and consumers have already embraced everything from canned wines to good boxed wines.
