The World Set To Go On A Spirited High With The Enchanting Flavours Of 2025

Wineand spirits make for one of the oldest industries known to humankind. Production of alcoholic beverages is presumed to have originated around 7000 BC and its popularity has been on a continuous high ever since.

Nearly every culture on earth has its own take on producing wine and spirits, using the source materials available to them — from grapes to sugar cane to potatoes. Humans have developed an ingenious array of ways to enjoy a tasty beverage and a pleasant buzz. And yes, by visiting that bar you are contributing to a tradition as old as time. Raising a toast to that!

But despite the enduring popularity of wine, whiskey and other spirits, the state of the market is constantly in flux.

Like any other product, the industry is affected by shifts in the ways that we purchase things, societal changes and consumer preferences. Even the seemingly timeless business of producing libations must keep adapting as the world evolves and drinkers’ tastes keep changing.

While rapid shifts in the world of retail, in general, have brought about challenges for the industry, we’re convinced that the glass is more than half full when it comes to the future for wine and spirits brands — at least, for those who know how to pay attention to the trends and adapt to meet drinkers’ needs.

The demand for spirits like whiskey is increasing in parts of the world like Asia and Africa. And geographic shifts don’t apply only to demand, but to supply too: drinkers in places like India and China are becoming interested in spirits like whisky, so too is the Western world becoming increasingly aware of and interested in spirits like the Japanese shochu, Korean soju and Chinese baijiu.

No longer is the best wine strictly French, nor the best bourbon exclusively from Kentucky. For the first time in 2024, Japanese whisky won out over Scotch in a majority of categories — at a blind taste test in Glasgow, no less.

Our world seemingly grows more complicated with every passing year — and so do our tastes in alcohol. No longer settling for just sweet or bitter, imbibers are increasingly interested in spirits, wines and cocktails that bring a more nuanced flavour palette, cask strength, incorporating tartness, umami, spice, and botanicals.

This is evidenced in part by the growing popularity of coffee as a mixer and tasting note. Sure, the espresso martini may be a sophisticated version of a FourLoko, but it’s also a great use of a flavour, which like spirits and wines, can present on a spectrum from strong and bitter to sweet and creamy. Other coffee-based cocktails, like the tasty carajillo that has long been popular in Spain and Latin America, are on the rise. In keeping with these change in habits, spirit makers are exploring ways to infuse coffee notes into their products.

By the end of 2024, nearly half of Gen Z population has turned 21 — the minimum age to purchase alcohol in the United States.

That means that it’s essential for alcohol producers to understand the new generation’s tastes and how to appeal to them. Many of those preferences are already reflected by the other trends we’ve dished on — for example, it makes sense that young people of the Western hemisphere who have grown up in a much more globalized world are nearly as familiar with other cultures’ popular beverages as they are with western classics like Kentucky straight bourbon.

But to Gen Z, values are nearly as important as flavour preferences. According to an ICSC report, 47 per cent of Gen Z consumers prioritize supporting brands that prioritize racial/gender equality and sustainability. That means an increased interest in wine and spirit brands that give back to their communities, are women or POC-owned, or use sustainable practices — like recycled or biodegradable packaging or even farm-to-bottle production methods.

Following years of back and forth with regulatory authorities, American Single Malt was finally ratified as an official whiskey category. For brands that have been distilling the spirit since their inception, it’s a long-awaited Hail Mary that brings validity and quality control to the label. For brands that are just getting in on the game, it’s an opportunity to capitalize on one of the most in-demand trends among spirits enthusiasts.

American Single Malt must be distilled to 160-proof or less in the U.S., produced at one distillery using one hundred per cent malted barley and stored in oak barrels no larger than 700 litres.

The rules — akin to a designation of origin for Mexican tequila or French champagne — are slated to take effect, sooner than later.

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