De La Calle Cócteles
Fiori Toscani
Fee Bros . rhubarb bitters , blood orange tincture and Fever Tree aromatic tonic .
Tea-based tipples
Mixologists frequent use tea in spirit-free cocktails to give them some backbone and flavor , but tea has been popping up in plenty of boozy drinks , from basic black tea to matcha to hibiscus to chai . For instance , Matthew Belanger of Death & Co . in New York recently created a cocktail for Chivas Regal called Green Knight that uses the Scotch with Malibu Rum , Kashmiri green tea , lime juice and honey syrup .
The Beeman Hotel in Dallas offered a holiday Bourbon Tini made with espresso , bourbon cream liqueur , Mr . Black Coffee liqueur and chai tea simple syrup .
Bacardi expects to see an uptick in tea-focused ingredients in 2024 , as the Bacardi Global Brand Ambassador Survey indicates a growing interest in tea from about a third ( 32 %) of all respondents .
Vincent Bolognini , head bartender at Due West in New York , also predicts a rise in using teas in cocktails , from a traditional black or green tea to different leaves , herbs or spices . “ They bring a beautiful depth to any drink and a lovely bitter note that makes you want to take another sip .”
Lagers come back
Alcohol delivery service Drizly ( owned by Uber , which in January announced it was shutting Drizly down ) notes that more consumers — 43 % compared to 38 % in 2022 — indicate they plan to drink lager in the coming year , more than any other beer subcategory . A number of lager launched this past year , such as Dale ’ s Light Lager , a 4.2 % ABV brew from Oskar Blues , maker of Dale ’ s Pal Ale .
Memphis , TN-based Wiseacre Brewing Co . in January unveiled Sky Dog , a 99−calorie premium lager , as well as Hop Zip , a non-alcoholic , hop-infused sparkling water . Rock star / spirits entrepreneur Sammy Hagar in 2023 established Red
Rocker Brewing Co . in Detroit with a Mexican-style lager inaugural brew . And the Las Vegas entertainment district Area 15 in January announced the launch of its Signal Lager , a Mexican-style lager created in collaboration with the local Able Baker Brewing .
The Carajillo
( and other coffee cocktails )
Espresso Martinis are everywhere and not going anywhere : Hospitality engagement platform Union predicts that Espresso Martinis will outsell the Old Fashioned at on-premise establishments in 2024 . Riffs on the classic now abound , using a variety of spirits . But there is a new coffee cocktail in town , and it ’ s called the Carajillo .
The cocktail , a blend of espresso and Licor 43 , originated in Spain and later became popular in Mexico . It ’ s now storming the U . S .: Yelp says that searches for Carajillos were up 118 % this past year .
Vera , a Mexican-Lebanese restaurant that opened in Washington , D . C . in May 2023 , even offers a Carajillo selection . These include the traditional Carajillo as well as two versions with a Lebanese spin : the Ahumado , made with espresso , cardamom , Licor 43 and Hoja Santa smoke ; and the Mediterranean , made with espresso , Licor 43 , arak and maraschino liqueur .
Eight Row Flint in Houston makes a Carajillo with sotol , along with Nixta corn liqueur , crème de cacao , cold brew , piloncillo ( unprocessed cane sugar ), orange blossom water and salted caramel Licor 43 whip . ( Sotol cocktails are also one of the NRA ’ s emerging trends .)
AF & Co . and Carbonate ’ s report says that we ’ ll be seeing even more creative coffee cocktails in 2024 . “ Top bartenders are joining the best baristas , opening their own coffee shops or being hired by hotels and coffee shops to design their drink programs , enhancing menus with sophisticated coffee concoctions not found anywhere else .” • www . cheersonline . com Spring 2024 • Cheers 13