Top Drink Trends of 2022 & 2023
Air Up Bottle
The Air Up Bottle is a refillable water bottle with a scented component near the cap. This fools the brain into thinking that the water is flavored when in reality it’s just plain water. The bottle is popular with dieters and health advocates alike.
Poppi Soda
Poppi Soda is a line of fruit-flavored sodas that are made with real fruit juice and no artificial colors or flavors. The sodas are available in six flavors: apple, grape, orange, pineapple, raspberry, and strawberry.
Liquid Death
Liquid Death is a brand of canned water that is rich in minerals and electrolytes. The water comes from deep underground mountain source, purified, and then bottled in aluminum cans, maintaining the original mineral profile of water.
BeatBox Drink
A BeatBox Drink is a ready-to-drink cocktail packed in eco-friendly tetra packaging. It is an alternative wine-based drink to bring to parties and events, and is popular among Millennials.
Mogu Mogu Drink
Mogu mogu is a Japanese drink that is made from fruit juice, carbonated water, and sweetener. The drink is marketed as a healthy alternative to soda and other sugary drinks.
Olipop
Olipop is a brand of canned sparkling tonic that uses plant-based ingredients and prebiotics as a healthier alternative to soda. It also uses cassava, fruit juice, and stevia as sweeteners.
Karak Chai
Karak Chai is a type of black tea that is popular in India and Pakistan. The tea is made with a blend of black tea, spices, and milk, and is often served with sugar or honey.
Celsius Drink
Celsius is a line of fitness drinks that are designed to help with weight loss and energy. The drinks are calorie-free, non-carbonated, and sweetened with sucralose. They are available in a variety of flavors, including fruit punch, grape, and orange.
Mullein Tea
Mullein Tea is a tea that is made from the mullein plant. Mullein is a traditional remedy for respiratory problems and is said to be a soothing and calming tea.
Jot Coffee
Jot Coffee is a coffee subscription service that delivers fresh, small-batch roasted coffee to subscribers’ doors every week. The coffee is roasted the same day it is shipped, ensuring that subscribers receive the freshest coffee possible.
Sober Carpenter
Sober Carpenter is a non-alcoholic beer brand based in Canada. Its non-alcoholic beers are known for their high quality ingredients and flavor.
Athletic Brewing
Athletic Brewing is a company that specializes in making non-alcoholic craft beer. The company’s beers are designed to provide the same flavor and satisfaction as traditional craft beers, but without the alcohol.
Ginger Shots
Ginger Shots are beverages that are made with ginger and other complementary ingredients. The shots are meant to be consumed as a way to improve digestion, reduce inflammation, and boost the immune system.
Ceremonial Cacao
Ceremonial Cacao is a type of cacao that is considered to be the most pure and sacred. The cacao is often used in spiritual ceremonies and is said to promote feelings of well-being, love, and joy.
Canned Boba
Canned Boba is a type of drink that is made from tapioca pearls. The pearls are cooked in sugar syrup and then canned. The drink is often consumed as a refreshment, especially in hot weather.
Blue Lotus Tea
Blue Lotus Tea is a type of tea that is made from the flowers of the blue lotus plant. The tea is said to have a relaxing effect and is often used as a natural sedative.
Adaptogen
An adaptogen is a natural substance that is believed to help the body adapt to stress. The term is used to describe a wide variety of substances, including herbs, mushrooms, and minerals.
Birria Ramen
Birria Ramen is a ramen dish that is made with a goat meat broth. The broth is flavored with chilies, cumin, and other spices, and is served with ramen noodles, goat meat, and vegetables.
Milkis
Milkis is a carbonated beverage that is made with milk and ice. The beverage is available in a variety of flavors, including grape, strawberry, and banana. Milkis is popular in South Korea and is often consumed as a snack or a dessert.
Not Milk
NotMilk is a plant-based milk alternative that is made from a blend of nuts, seeds, and water. The milk is dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and GMO-free. It is also high in protein and calcium.
Taro Milk Tea
Taro milk tea is a drink that is made with taro root, milk, and tea. Taro is a starchy root vegetable that is often used in Asian cuisine. The combination of taro and milk makes for a unique flavor profile.
Oat Milk
Oat milk is a plant-based milk alternative that is made from oats. The milk is high in fiber, protein, and vitamins, and has a creamy texture and a slightly sweet flavor. It is becoming a popular choice for those who are looking for a dairy-free milk alternative.
Bubble Tea
Bubble Tea is a tea-based drink that is made with milk and/or fruit juice and is shaken with ice. The drink is then poured into a glass and topped with tapioca balls or other fruit.
Trend Highlight – Flavored Water That Isn't Really Flavored
A new water bottle startup is making more than $100M per year selling flavored water that isn’t actually flavored at all.
The company, Air Up, adds a scented ring around the lip of the bottle that fools users’ senses into thinking that what they’re drinking tastes great, just because it smells great. As the company puts it, “Good taste doesn't need sugar.”
Diet sodas, first introduced in the mid-1900s, were intended to help consumers reduce their caloric intake–but in reality, many use them as an excuse to eat a higher calorie meal. This is consistent with the theory of moral licensing, where, in the context of fast food, consumers comfortably combine a healthy food option with a less healthy, indulgent one. Air Up leans into this effect, but for the better, letting consumers’ bodies get the benefit of plain water and their brains get the benefit of the sweet flavor.
This isn’t the first time a company has played these games. The interplay between smell and taste has long been known to businesses who have gone so far as to pump artificial smells into their restaurants in an attempt to make their food taste better.
Trend Highlight – The Rise of Canned Boba
Producing a shelf-stable version of an existing beverage is a good way to grow the market. Similar to how battery-powered devices are particularly popular in places with intermittent electricity, canned goods can become popular in places with initially unreliable or unavailable infrastructure.
In fact, milk has already undergone this evolution. While Americans are used to buying refrigerated milk, much of the rest of the world buys unrefrigerated boxed milk that has a 6-9 month shelf life. It’s called UHT milk and is made by momentarily heating milk to a high temperature to sterilize it. The UHT process has helped milk penetrate into new markets and, today, milk’s adoption in China, for example, is growing at a higher rate than ever before.
The benefits of shelf stability are now coming to boba tea in the form of canned boba; searches and online discussion of the term are at an all-time high.
Being shelf-stable also helps to make boba a snack. If people can consume it at any time, they'll keep it with them–in the car or on a hike, for example–and that reinforces the habit.
Another contributing factor to the rise of canned boba is the speed at which boba itself is becoming more popular. Boba’s popularity has outpaced retail infrastructure such that consumers in rural areas wanting boba are too far from trendy areas, forcing them to buy it online, in cans.
