Artificial Intelligence (AI) often knows us better than we know ourselves, which makes it handy for quick, comprehensive trends research. For example, what are people eating and drinking this year around the world? GlobalData asked its Ai Palette Foresight Engine just that question and published its findings in Emerging Flavors & Ingredients in Alcoholic Beverages.
GlobalData is a data analytics and consulting company, headquartered in London, England. Sometimes they send over interesting consumer trend observations. They asked Ai Palette, to identify one standout ingredient for each of six key markets analyzed.
What is Ai Platette?
Ai Palette analyzed the data from thousands of flavors and ingredients, pinpointing six that are set to drive new product development in the alcoholic beverages industry in 2025. Leveraging a consumer data lake with a staggering 61 billion global data points, AI Palette collected real-time info from social media, e-commerce, and foodservice menus.
Six emerging alcoholic beverage flavors
Each of the six selected ingredients is classified as having “high growth” and “high engagement” based upon consumers interactions with them across social media, retail and restaurant industry sites over recent years – as measured during the review period in March 2025. The report places each ingredient into an ingredient family, provides suggestions on ingredient pairings, and reviews how brands can leverage these ingredients in alcoholic drinks and capitalize on their benefits.
Tahini | Is a creamy paste with a slightly bitter undertone made from ground sesame seeds. Common in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and North African cuisines. One promising opportunity for tahini lies in the rapidly growing UK stout segment, which is expected to achieve a 14.2% CAGR from 2020 to 2029, according to GlobalData. Rogue Ales & Spirits has innovatively incorporated the flavors of tahini into its 2022 Santa’s Private Reserve stout, in collaboration with Honey Mama’s.
Flavor Profile: Nutty, Woody, Bitter
Ingredient Pairings: Chocolate, Tangerine, Honey
Ingredient Benefits: Strong nutritional profile, Creates a creamy texture, Subtle neutral colouring
Roselle | Hibiscus sabdariffa is a plant known for its red calyces, which are often used in herbal teas, health drinks, tonics, jams, jellies, yoghurt, lozenges and candies. In recent years, roselle juice has become more popular in functional drinks aimed at hydration, digestion and heart health. It is more widely consumed in the Middle East & Africa as well as the Asia & Australasian markets. In the latter, it’s ‘floral’ flavor ranks among the top five flavors within spirits, making it the highest-ranking region for this flavor in the alcoholic beverages sector, according to GlobalData’s Q1 2024 consumer survey.
Flavor Profile: Floral, Fruity, Herbal
Ingredient Pairings: Lime, Lemon, Ginger
Ingredient Benefits: Health functionality, Younger generation appeal, Attractive color
Valencia Orange | A summer variety of Citrus sinensis, which includes other cultivars such as Cara Cara, blood and navel oranges. The inclusion of Valencia oranges in alcoholic beverages, is both appealing and growing in demand in the United States, where consumers express a preference for sweet flavors in wines, beer and cider.
Flavor Profile: Tangy, Sweet, Bitter
Ingredient Pairings: Cranberry, Honey, Vanilla
Ingredient Benefits: Nutritional benefits, Regional authenticity, Versatility with other flavors
Olive | Olea Europaea is a small fruit native to the Mediterranean region, prized for its rich flavor and versatility. The inclusion of olives as in ingredient and flavor in alcoholic beverages is up and coming due to its unique taste profile, with South Africa emerging as a key market, reflecting growing consumer demand for natural and healthy products.
Flavor Profile: Bitter, Nutty, Earthy
Ingredient Pairings: Rosemary, Orange, Lemon
Ingredient Benefits: Unique and distinct flavor, Rich in healthy fats, Digestive health
White Pepper | Often used as a conceptual flavor descriptor rather than a physical ingredient in alcoholic beverages, white pepper is widely utilized in culinary traditions worldwide. The appeal of flavors that white pepper can facilitate in alcohol, such as spicy and woody, are appealing to consumers and demand for them is high in the MENA and Asia pacific regions.
Flavor Profile: Earthy, Fiery, Woody
Ingredient Pairings: Peach, Caramel, Agave
Ingredient Benefits: Subtle and versatile color, Intensify other flavors, Anti-inflammatory properties
Finger Lime | Finger lime (Citrus Australasica) is a unique citrus fruit native to the rainforests of eastern Australia, known for its vibrant flavor and distinctive texture. Citrus flavors already holds a strong position in the alcoholic beverage market as an ingredient in spirits such as gin and vodka, making finger lime a promising option in high consuming spirits markets like the UK, and in Australasia where the fruit is produced.
Flavor Profile: Citrus, Floral, Bitter
Ingredient Pairings: Peach, Caramel, Agave
Ingredient Benefits: Premiumization, Versatile flavor, Novelty
OK, so what? Why do this?
“The alcoholic drinks sector is currently navigating significant challenges, including a global trend toward reduced alcohol consumption driven by health concerns, fierce competition from alternative beverage categories, and the ongoing impact of universal tariffs on U.S. imports,” commented Alice Popple-Connelly, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData. “Tempting drinkers with cutting edge innovation or core brand enhancements based upon new flavors and ingredients is essential for category growth.”
For example, ingredient innovation will help brewers maintain their “cross-generational appeal”, especially with Gen Z consumers, and compete with other beverage categories in key consumption occasions such as on-premise and at-home.”
“Leveraging these emerging ingredients and conceptual flavors allow alcoholic drink brands to target novel, experiential and health-conscious consumers thereby gaining a competitive edge,” Popple-Connelly adds. “Each ingredient identified by the platform presents a unique opportunity for innovation across various alcoholic drink categories, empowering brands to confidently explore new possibilities.”
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