What Are the Top 15 Beverage Trends in 2025?
Beverages are where flavor meets function, and 2025 is proving that no category is off-limits.
From the rise of adaptogen-packed sodas to the evolution of zero-proof cocktails, beverage trends are rewriting the rules of what, and how, we drink.
Whether you’re tracking coffee trends, diving into tea trends, or exploring the nuances of alcohol trends and dairy trends, understanding what’s next is critical.
This guide brings together the top 15 drinks redefining food trends today, with data-backed insights from Tastewise.
Top 15 Beverage Trends in 2025
1. Cold-Brew Tea
Cold-brew tea is rapidly becoming the drink of choice for wellness-focused consumers. Compared to traditional brews, it offers a smoother taste and a less bitter profile, making it perfect for newer tea drinkers.
Available in flavors like jasmine, lemongrass, and hibiscus, this trend is a staple in both the tea trends and water trends categories. It bridges hydration and indulgence, two key drivers in modern food trends.
2. Functional Sparkling Water
Bubbles are going functional. Sparkling waters enhanced with electrolytes, nootropics, or botanicals (think ashwagandha and ginseng) are expanding rapidly across retail shelves.
Positioned between water trends and alcohol trends, these drinks appeal to those avoiding sugar and booze, but still craving an experience. Tastewise data shows these beverages performing especially well among Gen Z audiences.
3. Nitro Coffee
Nitro coffee remains dominant in the coffee trends conversation. Infused with nitrogen for a creamy texture without milk, it’s a favorite in both café and RTD (ready-to-drink) formats.
It satisfies a growing need for clean energy without added sugar, placing it at the intersection of dairy trends, food trends, and functional performance.
4. Oat & Plant-Based Milks
The dairy trends landscape continues to shift, with oat, almond, and pea milks leading the way. These beverages offer sustainability and allergen-friendly advantages while maintaining texture and taste in drinks from lattes to smoothies.
This trend is shaping everything from coffee trends to cocktail trends, with Tastewise insights showing consistent menu growth.
5. Kombucha Cocktails
Fermented drinks like kombucha are stepping up with boozy adaptations. Kombucha cocktails bring gut-friendly benefits to happy hour, appealing to health-conscious consumers in the alcohol trends and cocktail trends spaces. Tangy, fizzy, and slightly sweet, these drinks thrive where function and flavor meet.
6. CBD-Infused Beverages
CBD is maturing. Once a novelty, it’s now appearing in elevated drink formats, from sparkling waters to low-dose mocktails.
Positioned squarely within alcohol trends and wellness food trends, CBD drinks offer consumers a sense of calm without compromise. They are particularly appealing in urban markets, where Tastewise data tracks high social engagement.
7. Shrubs (Vinegar-Based Beverages)
Shrubs, fruit, and vinegar concentrate drinks are booming among adventurous sippers. They deliver a tart complexity that cuts through sweetness, often featuring herbs like thyme or basil.
Found at the intersection of cocktail trends and water trends, shrubs reflect a shift toward bold, sensory-rich experiences.
8. Golden Milk Lattes
Turmeric-based golden milk lattes are extending their reach beyond cafés into mainstream grocery stores. With a mix of anti-inflammatory spices and creamy plant milk, these drinks blur the lines between dairy trends, tea trends, and functional health beverages. Their soothing effect fits well with relaxation-focused food trends.
9. Matcha Beverages
Matcha is no longer niche. The fine-ground green tea is exploding in lattes, sodas, and even cocktail trends. Its vegetal bitterness and antioxidant boost appeal to consumers seeking both energy and wellness. It lives at the core of tea trends and coffee trends alike, driving innovation across formats.
10. Botanical Tonics
Tonics infused with florals like elderflower, hibiscus, and lavender are redefining sophistication in non-alcoholic drinks. These beverages offer subtle complexity and visual appeal, earning their place in both alcohol trends and cocktail trends. Their growth is driven by premiumization and the demand for occasion-worthy zero-proof options.
11. Non-Alcoholic Spirits
Zero-proof spirits are moving beyond novelty and into essential bar inventory. Mimicking the mouthfeel and complexity of traditional spirits, they serve as a bridge between alcohol trends and the sober-curious movement. Tastewise shows rising menu penetration across bars and restaurants.
12. Bone Broth & Sippable Soups
Savory beverages are rising as protein-rich, comforting options. Bone broth drinks deliver functional benefits (collagen, amino acids) while tapping into dairy trends and warm food trends. These drinks often show up in both wellness menus and post-workout routines.
13. Spiced & Smoked Cocktails
Cocktails featuring ingredients like smoked salt, chipotle, and star anise are becoming menu mainstays. These flavors build a layered drinking experience and push cocktail trends into more complex territory. Their appeal is especially strong among millennials seeking elevated taste journeys.
14. Yerba Mate & Herbal Energy Drinks
Herbal caffeine sources like yerba mate are gaining popularity among consumers wanting a natural boost. Earthy and slightly bitter, these drinks bridge tea trends, coffee trends, and energy drink categories. Their success ties directly to the rise in clean-label preferences.
15. Hybrid Juices (Fruit + Veg)
Blending fruits with vegetables like carrots, beets, or spinach offers a balanced taste and nutrient profile. These juices play into both water trends and dairy trends by replacing less functional options with flavor-forward hydration. They’re increasingly present in the wellness segment of food trends.
Trendy Flavors for Drinks in 2025
Three flavor profiles are defining beverage trends this year: salty, sweet, and umami-rich. Salted honey and matcha pistachio dominate both tea trends and coffee trends, offering indulgent yet elevated sipping experiences.
At the same time, floral and fruit-forward notes like strawberry matcha or blueberry syrup are winning across both cocktail trends and water trends. Umami flavors, especially in broths and smoked cocktails, are carving a space within food trends where comfort meets complexity.
These emerging tastes point to a broader trend: consumers aren’t just looking for refreshment, they’re seeking layered, mood-enhancing experiences. Across wine trends, alcohol trends, and even dairy trends, the push is toward drinks that deliver both impact and intention, flavor with a purpose.
Sales & Consumption
Despite a modest ‑0.18% dip in social conversations year-over-year, beverages remain a central part of food culture. Currently, 66.03% of U.S. restaurants offer beverage items, underscoring their continued menu relevance. Tastewise data reveals fitness as the top consumer driver in this space, particularly for natural, unprocessed beverage formats.
Popular drinks like coffee (24% of social share), beer (17%), and tea (11%) maintain dominance in conversation.
However, up-and-coming players like Dirty Soda (+320% YoY) and matcha latte (+71%) are gaining traction in coffee trends and tea trends. Cocktail trends are also seeing innovation, with Hugo Spritz and salted honey-based drinks climbing fast in mentions.
Across beer trends, wine trends, and alcohol trends, the focus is shifting toward quality over quantity, lighter ABVs, botanical infusions, and creative non-alcoholic alternatives. This nuanced consumption reflects evolving needs in health, convenience, and celebration.
2026 Outlook
Looking ahead, Tastewise predicts beverage innovation will center around personalization, hybrid formats, and experiential drinking.
Functional beverages, especially those integrating adaptogens, collagen, or gut-friendly ferments, will expand beyond niche health stores and into mainstream distribution. Expect continued crossover between dairy trends and coffee trends, as oat milk and other alt-milks find new uses.
In alcohol trends, low- and no-proof drinks will dominate younger audiences, while cocktail trends will lean heavily into smoky, savory, and textural innovations. Water trends will evolve too, with natural enhancements and bioavailable ingredients leading the charge.
The data signals one thing clearly: beverage categories aren’t just quenching thirst; they’re becoming central to identity, wellness, and culture.
Final Thoughts
Beverages in 2025 sit at the intersection of purpose and pleasure. Whether you’re diving deep into coffee trends, experimenting with cocktail trends, or tracking plant-based shifts in dairy trends, there’s one consistent thread: drinks are no longer just background. They’re platforms for health, storytelling, and innovation.
With insights from Tastewise, F&B professionals can track real-time shifts, adapt recipes, and build more meaningful connections with consumers. The pace of change is high, but so is the potential. For brands watching food trends, the beverage category is a key arena to lead, not follow.
FAQs
Nitro coffee remains a leader across coffee trends for its smooth texture and dairy-free appeal.
Gen Z favors sparkling functional drinks, oat-based beverages, and zero-proof cocktails, blurring lines between water trends, dairy trends, and cocktail trends.
Coffee continues to top consumption lists in the U.S., supported by strong coffee trends across all age groups.
Tea is still the most consumed drink in the UK, maintaining its stronghold in tea trends.
Like the U.S., Canada leans toward coffee, with cold brews and flavored lattes gaining ground in food trends.
Functional teas, kombucha cocktails, and alt-milk drinks dominate Australia’s take on dairy trends and cocktail trends.
Coca-Cola remains the most consumed soda globally, though dirty soda is shaking things up in water trends.
The Margarita still leads globally, but spritzes are climbing fast in cocktail trend
Orange juice continues to top the list, though hybrid juices (like carrot-orange) are emerging in food trends.
Specialty coffee holds the top spot in profitability, central to evolving coffee trends and café innovation.
Classics like Mojitos and Margaritas dominate orders, but custom zero-proof options are expanding within alcohol trends.
Low-ABV spritzes and mocktails with fruit-forward profiles are increasingly popular, bridging cocktail trends and dairy trends.
Functional, personalized drinks, adaptogen-infused tonics, custom zero-proof cocktails, and mood-aligned coffee alternatives will define the next evolution of beverage trends.