What's In Your Drink? Experts Predict Alcohol Beverage Trends Of 2025 And Beyond

The alcohol beverage landscape in 2025 is defined by the convergence of wellness with indulgence, storytelling with science, and sustainability with sophistication. According to Shatbhi Basu, consumers are increasingly seeking beverages that align with health-conscious lifestyles. Cocktails infused with functional ingredients like adaptogens, probiotics, and superfoods such as turmeric and ginger are gaining popularity. These "supercharged" drinks offer both flavor and perceived health benefits. Ami Shroff seconds the wellness angle, noting that cocktails that don't have artificial sweeteners and processed sweeteners, but natural sugars like fructose, or even dates, are gaining popularity. 

Pro tip: We did our research with an expert, and here's everything to know about adaptogen drinks! 

The cocktail experience is becoming more theatrical. Basu brings our attention to how bars are incorporating elements like smoke-infused domes, 3D-printed garnishes, and interactive presentations to engage multiple senses and create memorable experiences. Ajay Shetty echoes the sentiment as he believes that's what consumers look forward to: memorable experiences and narratives with drinking choices. Spotlighting how Jack Daniel's distillery tours draw 300,000+ visitors annually, while Guinness's Storehouse became Ireland's top tourist attraction, he is firm in the belief that cocktails have evolved to being beyond a drink and a clink. 

Siya Negi, with her experience of helming the Library Bar, opines that collaborative pop-ups by leading bars and kitchens are on the rise, featuring curated cocktails with food or preparing cocktails using gastronomy-inspired techniques like sous vide or espuma. Bartenders are now also incorporating miso, seaweed, mushrooms, and smoked elements for deeper profiles in their cocktails, in addition to sweet and sour flavour profiles.

Finding Hajmola in your drink is just the tip of the ice cube in your cocktail. Aiming to make drinking an overall experience, many bars are amping up the nostalgia factor to bring back our memories associated with particular ingredients. Ajay spotlights the resurgence of classic cocktails (70s-90s) with modern twists. The Cosmopolitan (Sex and the City's signature drink) is back, while the much-maligned Appletini returns with craft ingredients replacing artificial components.

Shatbhi also green flags the revival of 'old is sold' cocktails, as she points out that classic cocktails are making a comeback, often with modern twists. Drinks like the Martini are being reinvented with ingredients such as olive oil or savoury flavours, offering fresh takes on traditional favourites.

There's a growing trend of incorporating international ingredients into cocktails, Shatbhi notes. Flavours like Japanese yuzu, Thai lemongrass, and Brazilian cachaça are being used to create unique, cross-cultural drinks that cater to adventurous palates. Siya Negi adds that there's a rise in the utilisation of exotic salts and smokes in cocktails, which add aroma and theatre to them. Homemade pickles and brine, fermented fruits, and preserved syrups also add a tangy complexity to each beverage. The usage of local herbs and Indian spices such as tamarind, cumin, curry leaves, and dil is also increasing in cocktail bars across the country.

The rise of sober cocktails and low-alcohol beverage options is indicative that India has become a growing market for low-alcohol cocktails offering sophisticated flavours without the high alcohol content. Ajay observes that chain restaurants now feature "light" cocktail sections, while Siya Negi also notes that bars all over the country are adopting zero-proof cocktails in their menus.

While zero-waste cooking has always been the highlight of most Indian kitchens, the zero-waste movement is slowly taking over the bar spaces as well. As Shatbhi points out, sustainability is at the forefront, with bartenders adopting zero-waste practices. This includes repurposing ingredients like citrus peels and coffee grounds to create syrups and garnishes, minimising environmental impact while enhancing creativity. There's an increased emphasis on local sourcing, waste reduction, and eco-friendly practices, according to Ajay who spotlights that Jack Daniel's and Bacardi lead with visible green initiatives, including Bacardi's biodegradable bottles coming in 2025.

Ajay Shetty: Botanical infusions like herbs, flowers, and plants; fermented ingredients like Kombucha, kefir, and ferments adding complexity and probiotic appeal. And the good old fruit juices, maintaining their consistent use in cocktails. 

Shatbhi Basu: Floral and herbaceous additions like butterfly pea flower, hibiscus, elderflower, and kaffir lime. Desi ingredients like Tamarind, curry leaf, kokum, and smoked jaggery. 

Siya Negi: Exotic salts and smokes to add aroma and theatre to cocktails, homemade pickles and brine, fermented fruits, and preserved syrups add a tangy complexity to each beverage. 

Ami Shroff: Flowers, like roses and marigolds, any ingredient that is freshly accessible, like herbs. 

Ajay Shetty: Lagavulin, White Claw, and Salud (ready-to-drink option), Woodford Reserve Double Oaked (Kentucky bourbon)

Shatbhi Basu: Stranger & Sons, Nicobar Gin, Terai Gin

Siya Negi: Indiri, Komos and Macallan

Ami Shroff: Craft beers, Hapusa, Comorin, Mackazai, any of the local Goan brands. 

Ajay Shetty: Complex Spritzes, Cannabis-Infused Options, Ready-to-Drink Infusions

Siya Negi: Innovative variations of classics such as espresso martini and clarified cocktails, picante and Agave-based cocktails. 

Shatbhi Basu: Clarified milk punch, Coffee cocktails 2.0, Spiced highballs

Ami Shroff: Feni, tequila-based drinks