Cheers to 2025 – 5 trends set to raise the bar for spirits marketing

In 2025, cocktail culture will become less about simple consumption and more about curating meaningful, immersive experiences. Consumers are moving away from being passive participants to active curators of their drinking moments. This shift means cocktails will evolve into gateways for deeper connections, knowledge, and multisensory engagement.

The Bacardi Limited 2025 Cocktail Trends Report reveals that across the world, 39% of consumers are looking forward to celebrating moments that matter over cocktails with family and friends. Created in collaboration with strategic foresight consultancy The Future Laboratory, the report explores the key trends that will shape a new era for cocktail culture and the spirits business over the next year.

Let the bar tab show that, despite economic challenges, people still want to treat themselves and will continue to invest in the brands they know and love. Here are some of the standout trends set to mix up the spirits marketing experience:

1. Premium fans

2024 was all about fandoms as fan experiences off the stage redefined premium entertainment experiences by embracing luxury in unexpected ways. In 2025, luxury cocktail experiences will find traction with next-gen fandoms, in all new locations. Experimentation and elevation are taking a front row seat, with ‘where’ and ‘what’ people are drinking shaking up a new era for premiumization.

Elevated hospitality add-ons and bespoke travel packages centered around concerts and live events are set to become staples as fans are increasingly willing to invest in immersive, premium experiences. With sales of the Grey Goose Honey Deuce cocktail at this year’s US Open hitting $12.4 million, the synergy between fandom and premium spirits at live events is helping to shape the future of entertainment.

Marketers can cater to this demand with offers that include luxury hotels for “gig-tripping” packages and sports bars curating exclusive cocktail experiences.

2. In-The-Know imbibing

Cocktail culture is shifting from ‘show’ to ‘know’, as consumers, especially Gen Z and millennials, are willing to invest in quality and creativity, whether it’s a perfectly crafted cocktail or a unique bar experience. If You Know You Know (IFKYK) experiences will turn drinks into opportunities for knowledge and discovery, with consumers increasingly drawn to expert-led spaces, where mixologists use their craft to create more meaningful connections.

By aligning with this shift, brands have the opportunity to differentiate themselves in a crowded market. Marketing will move from promoting products to championing experiences, transforming cocktail culture into a platform for storytelling, community, and exploration.

3. New cocktail frontiers

With consumers seeking deeper, more immersive experiences, a new frontier of cocktail culture will take food and drink combinations to new, sensory heights.

Consumers would pay more for cocktails that provide a multisensory experience, according to the Bacardi Limited 2025 Cocktail Trends Report. And so, expect drinks to go beyond the glass: cocktails are becoming cultural touchpoints, connecting with audiences through food, music, and culture. Future-facing brands will harness the power of music and sound to create 360 moments that enhance, and outlast, taste alone.

For example, Bacardi’s collaboration with Camila Cabello on a sugarcane vinyl for Bacardi rum merges music and cocktails to resonate with consumers on a cultural level.

And this shift is transforming not only how people enjoy drinks, but where they enjoy them too. With fewer people going to nightclubs, there’s an uptick in immersive, early-evening cocktail venues.

Marketers should continue to meet their consumers where they frequent. Investing in immersive spaces can elevate brand experiences and build stronger connections with consumers.

4. Culinary connoisseurs

With food taking center stage, culinary creativity is reshaping cocktail culture. Mixologists will increasingly experiment with kitchen staples like butter, oil, milk to create premium drinks for the new era of gastro-discerning consumers.

Seventy-one per cent of bartenders draw inspiration from culinary arts when creating cocktails, according to the Bacardi Global Brand Ambassador Survey. This trend aligns with a 20% hike in consumer interest in savory flavors in the past year. Take, for example, Bangkok’s Funkytown bar which awards ‘funkiness’ complexity scores for drinks such as Som Tum. Inspired by the Thai soup classic, the drink mixes Bombay Sapphire gin fish sauce caramel, som tum cordial, honeyed wine and dried shrimp.

5. The future spirit

The spirits industry is poised for a transformative future, driven by a blend of optimism and purpose. With consumers drinking less – and more mindfully – it’s up to brands to stand for more than just an occasion to celebrate, and instead represent a force for making the industry better. For younger cohorts particularly, commitment to uplifting communities and inclusivity, will prove key.

Highlighting how brands are working on these issues, like Bacardi’s commitment to locally sourced ingredients and supporting the bartending community, will resonate with the values of next-gen drinkers, fostering deep bonds and driving positive change.

To explore all these insights and more, download the Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report 2025 here.