100: 2026 Drinks Trends: A Meta Analysis of Top Industry Reports - Business of Drinks

Jan 21, 2026

Caroline Lamb, a sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners and frequent contributor in the drinks industry, dives into the future of beverages. She highlights the evolution of bars as community hubs and the shift towards non-alcoholic drinks taking center stage. The conversation emphasizes the rise of better-for-you options and the increasing importance of transparency in drink ingredients. Caroline also reveals how technology is shaping modern cocktails, making them more personalized and efficient.

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ANECDOTE

Hosts Self-Grade Last Year’s Calls

The hosts reviewed last year's predictions and found many tracked accurately, especially zebra striping and savory cocktails.
They graded themselves highly for calling non-alc acceptance and bitter/savory flavor growth.

INSIGHT

Fruit Flavors As Flavor Anchors

Mango, passion fruit, and blackcurrant will lead fruit-forward flavor innovation as anchors for bolder pairings.
These fruits provide familiarity while enabling adventurous mashups like mango-chili and blackcurrant-rosemary spritzes.

ADVICE

Make Zero-Proof Menu Primary

Design menus with zero-proof options as primary real estate rather than a tucked-away section.
Treat non-alcohol offerings as revenue-driving inclusions that add seats and occasions.

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Episode 100 is a milestone moment for Business of Drinks — and instead of looking backward, we’re doing what this show has always done best: Looking ahead.

In this special episode, Erica Duecy, Scott Rosenbaum, and Caroline Lamb break down the biggest drinks trends shaping 2026, using a meta-analysis of 16 leading industry trend reports. The goal isn’t hype, it’s pattern recognition. We’re pressure-testing what’s structural, what’s actionable, and what actually matters for founders, operators, and drinks leaders navigating a complex market.

Across the first 100 episodes, one pattern has held true: Trends only matter if they translate into execution. This conversation applies that lens to what’s coming next.

Here’s a preview of what’s to come:

🔶 Third spaces are evolving.Bars, cafes, and beverage-led venues are becoming modern community hubs — earlier, lighter, and more intentional. Drinks aren’t the point; they’re the facilitator. As digital life accelerates, in-person connection is becoming a growth driver.

🔶 Zero-proof is moving to the center of the menu.The “mocktail section” is officially outdated. Non-alcoholic options are now core to menu design, driving inclusion, incremental occasions, and revenue. These drinks are not replacing alcohol, but expanding the total addressable audience.

🔶 Better-for-you becomes a growth engine.Lower sugar, lower alcohol, and functional benefits are no longer niche. From NA wine surpassing $100M in U.S. retail sales to better-for-you wines topping $250M, these products are pulling consumers into the category, not pushing them out.

🔶 Smart caffeination replaces energy extremes.Matcha, yerba mate, hojicha, and tea-forward formats are redefining caffeine as a tool for focus, calm, and ritual. They expand daytime drinking occasions with or without alcohol.

🔶 Premium faces a reality check.Consumers still want premium, but only when it delivers meaning. Emotional connection, storytelling, and experience now justify price, while “drinkflation” without value hits resistance.

🔶 Showmanship and sensory experience rise.Texture, garnish-as-snack, flavored ice, and immersive storytelling are redefining drinks as multi-sensory experiences. Great liquid alone is no longer enough.

This episode is both a thank you to the Business of Drinks community and a field guide for what’s next. One hundred episodes in, the mission remains the same: Cut through the noise, learn from what’s working, and help the drinks industry grow smarter, faster.

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Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies.

Instagram @ericaduecy

Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor.

Caroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor.

Instagram @borkaline

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