Spring is almost here, which means outdoor event season is almost upon us, and as we all know many outdoor summer events usually involve our favorite friend: Cocktails.
Cocktails follow trends just like most everything else in life. For example, in 2019 many people embraced a keto diet. Following that trend, gin and mezcal suddenly became the darlings of the season. The same is true with beer. Every year there is some new small-batch IPA that people rave about, and for 2020 we predict a few cocktail and alcohol trends that you will want to share with your guests this season.
The Great Whiskey Revolution
Whiskey is our gold standard old faithful. A good whiskey never lets us down, and is almost impossible to mess up. You can have it neat, or add a splash of water to open up the flavours, or on ice (or whiskey stones). They’re all good, and just about any whiskey maker will tell you there is no wrong way to enjoy their fine products.
This year, whiskey lovers can expect a flood of limited editions, experiments with mash bills which are wheated whiskeys seem to be coming into favor, for example and intricate barrel finishes, overproof variations that burst with flavor yet are almost too hot to drink.
All of these products are being offered up as a way to keep whiskey fresh in our minds, and a regular staple in our bars.
Low-ABV and No-ABV Comes Into Its Own
Cocktail enthusiasts will have noticed the trend towards nonalcoholic and low alcohol content cocktails lately. They were around briefly a few years ago, but lately they have made a strong resurgence. This of course is great news for people who fancy a delicious cocktail at an event, but don’t want much or any alcohol because they have to drive.
At the 2019 Bar Convent Brooklyn trade show, products from Stryyk (UK), J. Gasco (Italy), Memento (Italy) and Undone (Germany) were among the most popular No ABV drinks, and bartenders have also been hard at work creating fun new cocktails for guests to enjoy.
The Gin Keeps On Giving
When we used to think of gin (not that we did very often) it generally conjured up images of two nice English gents sitting in a pub in Portsmouth enjoying a gentile gin and tonic whilst discussing cricket. Those days are long gone and in 2019 gin took over the cocktail world.
It seemed like every week there was a new gin distillery that everyone had to try, and the best part was, most of them were actually really good.
This year, gin makers aren’t resting on their laurels (or juniper) and are offering up some truly exciting flavoured gins. Products such as Sipsmith Lemon Drizzle and Luxardo Sour Cherry have already hit the market in merry oldEngland, and are starting to make a splash here in the colonies. There is little doubt that North American gin distillers are already crafting their own flavoured creations for us to enjoy this summer, and this is great news for cocktail lovers everywhere, because a beautiful gin cocktail on a summer day is almost as good as it gets.
