For brands, the brief is bigger than the bar. Think new moments (introducing the daycap), new mediums (menus as storytelling engines), new places (third spaces as cocktail hubs), and new value (provenance, purpose, play).
As The Future Laboratory co-founder Martin Raymond explains: ‘Brands are delving beyond traditional frontiers to capture consumers’ attention and their spending. True value for today’s consumers means appearing across the many touchpoints and occasions they inhabit, delivering experiences that mirror and mould their tastes, values and interests beyond the sector.’
Drawing on Bacardi-led surveys with consumers and brand ambassadors, interviews with industry experts and the on-trade, and The Future Laboratory’s independent research, this report charts the emerging trends and fresh directions shaping the drinks and spirits market in the year ahead. It offers a roadmap for relevance amid shifting consumer values, behaviours and industry headwinds – capturing a future when drinks will evolve beyond the glass to become catalysts for experience, creativity and cultural storytelling.
Click below to discover the resulting 2026 Cocktail Trends Report.
Clemente cocktail
TEELING Honey
: Afternoon Society
As hybrid routines settle, a new ritual is emerging: the daycap. Consumers are embracing lighter, earlier indulgences that align with their evolving lifestyles – from Thursday happy hours to slow-paced afternoon parties. These ‘sweet treat’ moments are designed to champion balance, micro-celebration and small bite-size pleasures – proving indulgence today is less about excess and more about intention.
: Rewilding Connection
As consumers rebalance their relationship with the digital world, Rewilding Connection celebrates intentional, analogue moments rooted in creativity and community. For next-gen drinkers, it’s less about being seen, more about feeling seen – gathering for pop-ups, workshops, shared rituals and ice-breaker serves where cocktails act as companions to connection.
: New Localogy
As transparency and trade shifts reshape the industry, bars are transforming into laboratories of local flavour – harnessing micro-farms, regional ecologies and scientific experimentation to pioneer a new era of mixology. This New Localogy movement doesn’t replace global spirits, but elevates them through locally sourced ingredients and terroir-driven craft, turning every sip into a story of place and process.
: The Liquid Experience IP
No longer just drinks, cocktails are evolving into full-spectrum lifestyle experiences that blend fashion, music, design and travel into cohesive cultural identities. For emerging generations, in particular, it’s about aligning with brands that reflect who they are, not just what they drink. Enter the era of the liquid experience IP – where cocktails become living, shareable worlds to be worn, collected and experienced.
: More is More Mixology
After years of minimalism and casual drinking occasions, bars are embracing bold, high-gloss escapism. Loud luxury is back with More is More Mixology – a new wave of nightlife spaces where opulence, spectacle and theatrical hospitality take centre stage. In an age of digital fatigue and quiet restraint, these venues invite guests to dress up, lean in and revel in joyful excess.
GREY GOOSE Tini Martini
