Published on June 5, 2023.
Summer Cocktail Trends for 2023
What’s new?
Social media may not be for everyone, but 2022 saw a variety of drink trends born from platforms such as TikTok (negroni sbagliato anyone?). We know that people eat and drink with their eyes. With food, this means fancy, elevated plating with live demonstrations of kitchen skills. However, drinks are a little more complicated. Drinkers are now expecting extravagant shows of shaking and stirring to entice and enthral. Therefore, the summer of 2023 will see a lot more bartenders taking on the challenge of cocktails, not only making delicious beverages, but multi-sensory displays that are even more innovative than ever before.
Constructing an unforgettable experience is harder than it looks with multiple techniques at a bartenders disposal. Mixologists are starting to create stories through their drinks with vapours, gels, foams, food pairings and so much more. However, the one key thing is that a cocktail needs to still taste delicious. Our Spirit Expert, Matt Searles explains the fundamental rule of cocktail ratios. “The best ratio I could ever get you to start with is the 4, 2, 1 ratio. So, when we break that down, it’s four parts of alcohol, half that for two parts of citrus and half once more for one part of your sweet element. That’s 50ml, 25ml and 12.5ml, plus ice. This is the building blocks for a Sour, which is then the building blocks for a Margarita. You can then move on to a Cosmo, and we can build so many cocktails from this simple rule. If you want to add some bitters or a mixer in there just to lighten up that flavour, go for it. However, don’t go too mad, don’t add 5/6 ingredients. Your palate can’t take it and your guests are not going to be able to pick apart those flavours. Keep it simple. That is all a cocktail needs.”
Although there may be rise in elaborate cocktail theatrics, the summer of 2023 will also see the revival of classic cocktails as they are put back on many menus. With their quirky names and familiar flavours, the classics really never went out of fashion as the starting point of many nuanced drinks. However, there is nothing wrong with going back to basics. There will also be a rise in non-alcoholic cocktails, or mocktails, throughout the summer with a rise in health-conscientious consumers. There is a thirst for wellness and mindfulness, but that does not mean we have to compromise of flavour. People still want to indulge in a beautifully balanced drink without having to abstain completely from the experience.
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About the author
Chloe Lewis
Chloe looks after all copywriting and proof-reading for Drink Warehouse UK, working with the Marketing team to deliver educational content to all our customers. She has spent many years in the hospitality sector, moving from behind the bar to now helping venues to stock their own. You can find more from Chloe about beer, cider, spirits, wine, non-alcoholic, soft drinks and RTDs all over our blogs, website, social media and Set The Bar magazine.
Matt Searles
Matt is DWUK’s own Spirit Expert with over 10 years of experience in the industry, ready to bring passion and flavour to the world of spirits. He is driven to diversify our customer offerings by further exploring flavour profiles and tasting notes. Matt also wants to educate our customers so they can be the best they can be with the right tools and a bit of fun!
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