Three Big Cocktail Trends That Will Change The Way We Drink In 2021 And Beyond

- Digital platforms set to predict your favourite cocktail: Pinterest launches first of its kind partnership with Diageo World Class, allowing people to use their interests to inspire their next cocktail

- Sustainable socialising will be a priority for cocktail enthusiasts:  people are increasingly seeking out great tasting drinks which are also good for the planet

- At home mixologists are on the rise: lockdown-inspired at home bartenders set to continue honing their skills using new technology 

LONDON, July 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As 50 of the world's best bartenders battle it out to be crowned the world's best bartender, global leader in beverage alcohol, Diageo^[1], has brought together some of the leading industry figures to reveal the trends and experiences it believes will shape the future of drinks experiences worldwide. 

Judges L-R Ago Perrone and Hannah Lanfear listen to a presentation for the Johnnie Walker Hidden Highball Challenge at the World Class Bartender of the Year Global Finals 2021

From partnerships with Pinterest to inspire your next cocktail, to leveraging the latest AR technology to make world class drinks in the comfort of your own home, the future of socialising looks full of new ideas, aiming to inspire people to drink better around the world.  To bring the trends to life Diageo has opened the virtual doors to a Taste of the Future experience: https://www.diageo.com/tasteofthefuture/^[2].   

Simon Earley, Head of Diageo World Class, said: "Each year we work with the world's best bartenders and innovators to discover the future of world class drinks. The past year has seen extraordinary innovation and creativity within cocktail culture; we want to celebrate that and give everyone a taste of what's next. A Taste of the Future is a fully interactive virtual space, allowing everyone to explore for themselves some of the near-future partnerships appearing at home or in a bar near them soon."

Among other things, the virtual space sees visitors able to use Pinterest to answer a series of trend-based questions and as a result find a Pin board, including a cocktail match, completely personalised to their taste; explore how using advanced augmented reality technology via a phone or tablet can create a perfectly measured Johnnie Walker Highball and unlock the next generation of drinks personalisation on a Ketel One Espresso Martini with a unique selfie, using Ripples printed cocktail technology.  

But don't just take our word for it, drinks enthusiasts can also hear leading drinks innovators Ryan Chetiyawardana (Mr Lyan), Tim Philips-Johansson (World Class Winner 2012 /Johnnie Walker Global Brand Ambassador), Benni Lickfett (Diageo's Global Head of Digital Innovation) and Anna Sudbury (Senior Partner Manager at Pinterest) discuss how elements such as tech and sustainability are central to the future of our drinks experiences in an exclusive Taste of the Future and Johnnie Walker panel 'The Future of Social Culture'.

Benni Lickfett, Diageo's Global Head of Digital Innovation, said: "There is a huge amount of passion in our industry, with a lot of the magic happening at the intersection of drinks, food, hospitality, tech and media. At Diageo we collaborate with different partners like Pinterest to really understand their insights and perspectives on how consumer behaviour is shifting, allowing us to focus on experimenting, getting things into market and to really be ahead of the curve."

Discussing the role of sustainability in future bar experiences, Ryan Chetiyawardana, sustainability trailblazer and Johnnie Walker partner, added, "There has been a real moment of reflection for the trade over the past 18 months, be it connections to consumers; digital tools and sometimes purely operational shifts.  The idea of human connection has become so important - people have been craving something new and exploring new horizons. It's helped people reassess what's important and fast-tracked concerns such as sustainability.  With people increasingly wanting to find the balance between a luxury experience and protecting the planet – there's a lot to be optimistic about."

OVERVIEW OF WORLD CLASS 'TASTE OF THE FUTURE' VIRTUAL SPACE

A PINTEREST COCKTAIL PALATE

Diageo has turned to Pinterest, the visual discovery platform where people go for inspiration, to help users spark fresh ideas across their drinks choices. Visitors to a Pinterest Cocktail Palate can answer a series of trend-led questions, select their favourite aesthetics, and Pinterest will generate a Pin board, including a cocktail match, completely personalised to the user.

Anna Sudbury, senior partner manager at Pinterest, commented: "We're thrilled to be teaming up with Diageo on this first-of-its-kind partnership. Pinterest is where people come for inspiration and to discover new ideas, and unsurprisingly people are super excited to play host this summer, reunite with friends in a safe way, and enjoy delicious food and drinks! We've seen an increase in the past few months of people searching for cocktail party ideas, so we know Pinners will love the ability to find personalised cocktail recommendations and recipes based on their individual tastes"

PERSONALISED COCKTAILS CONTINUES TO GROW

Personalisation continues to be a mega-trend in the drinks industry and Israeli innovators, Ripples, (the brains behind printed cocktails) return to World Class with their latest tech, the Ripples 2.0 platform. Amongst a series of updates, Ripples has launched a second-generation printer and a revised way to easily build customised web apps to maximise the experience.  All of this is alongside food technology development of "Glow" prints using natural extract, providing a surprise element to any drink as it glows under UV light.

AR COCKTAILS CREATE WORLD CLASS HOME BARTENDERS

A partnership with Verizon and Yahoo Ryot Lab sees incredible augmented reality technology inspiring the next generation of mixologists.  Use your phone or tablet's camera and be guided step by step on how to make the perfect Johnnie Walker Highball cocktail – from adding the ice, to pouring the perfect measure of Johnnie Walker, the BETA AR tech ensures a final product of a perfect Highball.   

GET INSIDE THE BOTTLE

ThreeDium's forward-thinking technology provides the opportunity to view and explore bottles online of your favourite brands through immersive and interactive 3D technology – you can even place them into your own home - inspiring you to try something new.

DISCOVER YOUR FAVOURITE WHISKY

What's Your Whisky?' is an innovative digital experience using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to analyse your flavour preferences to match you with your perfect Whisky serve. Prepare to be inspired to try something new and learn a whole lot more about whisky along the way.

VOICE GUIDED TASTING

The Alexa/ Google Home-enabled immersive Talisker Tasting experience transports users to the Isle of Skye, inviting you to join the iconic tasting tour, all from the comfort of your own home. 

Visit https://www.diageo.com/tasteofthefuture/^[3] to explore the World Class Taste of the Future space and follow @WorldClass on Instagram for the latest drinks, trends, cocktail recipes and experiences.

The Ripples machine in action, which is one of the hero partners featured on the Taste of the Future digital hub, part of the World Class Bartender of the Year Global Finals 2021.

References

1. ^{^} Diageo (www.diageobaracademy.com)
2. ^{^} https://www.diageo.com/tasteofthefuture/ (www.diageo.com)
3. ^{^} https://www.diageo.com/tasteofthefuture/ (www.diageo.com)