Photography and styling by Laurie Mosco

2020 sparked new consumer appetites that continue into 2021, including cravings for specialty non-alcoholic beverages, according to Forbes. With traveling and other activities sluggish to return to pre-lockdown levels, customers seek to sip from other wells of adventure. A top popular oasis — specialty beverages. It’s time to add a POP of flavor to your beverage selection.

Beverage Daily released it’s 2021 flavor trends that are sure to raise glasses and eyebrows. Read on for practical ways to build these fashionable flavors into your beverage selection.

Citrus Shake-up

How is citrus a NEW trend, you ask? There’s no denying the love for a zesty burst of sunshine has long been a thirst quencher for Americans. What’s not to love when a beverage is brimming with refreshing citrus? The twist this year, is introducing your customers to exotic members of the citrus family.  Think blood orange, Key lime, yuzu, clementine, pomelo, grapefruit, Japanese Dekopon, and Filipino calamondin.

There are many ways to get in on the nouveau-citrus trend. A “zest” practice — offer the trending flavors straight up like Lorina Blood Orange Sparkling Soda or Oogave Mandarin Key Lime Soda.  Or mix it up with a red hot combination like Bruce Cost Blood Orange Meyer Lemon Ginger Ale , or punch their taste buds with Dragon Tale Sour Tornado Citrus Blend featuring a mix of grapefruit, lemon, and lime with guarana extract for an extra power boost.

Alert: Hot trend for 2021 — a focus on health and wellness.  You’ll be their main squeeze if you offer two trends in one like sparkling water bubbling with citrus flavors like Nixie Sparking Water in Grapefruit and Lime Ginger.

Savory Global Flavors Causing Quite a Stir

The rapidly growing trend towards health and wellness has customers taking a vacation from sweetsville and heading to savorytown.  Here they’re looking to experience such attractions as turmeric and also appetizing Asian, and Mediterranean flavor combinations.  For a savorytown destination, stock new savory flavors with a hint of mellow sweet like Bruce Cost Passion Fruit Turmeric Ginger Ale. Or better yet, give them a full international experience with imported Sangaria Ramune Lychee complete with a marble stopper that has to be popped before the drink can be enjoyed. The cool shaped bottle is a standout in your selection.

There’s more than one way to get to savorytown. Hot or iced, tea is a beau-TEA-ful way for customers to experiment with trending flavors. Pukka Tea Turmeric Glow features a blend of turmeric, lemon fruit, and whole green tea. Pukka is TEA-riffic to have on your shelves or at a self-serve hot beverage bar.

Growing Interest in Botanical Blends

Get on board with this blossoming beverage trend that’s growing like a wildflower patch – botanical flavors.  Botanicals and herbs offer a sweet flavor without the calories, also appealing to health fanatics.  Elderflower continues to be the prized floral flavor, which is why everything’s coming up roses when Belvoir Elderflower Rose Lemonade and Elderflower Rose Cordial are part of your selection. Sweet, aromatic, and delicately flavored with fresh-picked floral notes, Belvoir botanical beverages offer a smooth, slightly sweet refreshment to tantalize tastebuds.

Other flavor notes sprouting up on the botanical scene – lavender and hibiscus.  Beverages like Bruce Cost Pomegranate Hibiscus Ginger Ale and Lorina Lavender Sparkling soda are really growing on us. They offer a floral flavor without tasting like perfume. Delicately flavored and effervescent for a unique drinking experience that mixes well with adult tonics and also stand alone for a light and refreshing sip that’s really out of the ordinary.

Botanical brews are what’s brewin’, with floral tea blend beverages like Bruce Cost Jasmine Tea Ginger Ale a cream of the crop example.  Take this trend one step further with brewed botanical sodas from Fentimans.  The brewed botanicals add an extra depth of flavor to classics like Cherry Cola, Curiosity Cola, Ginger Beer, and Victorian Lemonade. Or the definitive in botanical beverages – Fentimans Rose Lemonade with real Otto rose oil.

Nostalgia Keeps on Keepin’ On

While consumers do love branching out to new and exotic flavors, they’re still going to be drawn to what they know. Nostalgic flavors continue to trend because nostalgia gives folks fee-good vibes. If the flavors are over-the-top or indulgent, even better. Combine a classic bold flavor like chocolate with the unexpected burst of bubbles like Gourmet Chocolate All Natural Chocolate Soda. Tempt tastebuds with a classic combination that hits all the sweet notes. Gourmet Chocolate All Natural Chocolate Strawberry Soda calls to mind the extravagant experience of a chocolate dipped strawberries. While trends are fun, don’t forget the classics like orange cream to round our your assortment.

Set some trends with your selection