Happy 2013, drinking buddies! A new year means lots of opportunities to try new drink trends and we’ve been hearing some good buzz from the industry experts. Here are a few things we think are looking forward to this year:
• Sweet Wines, like Moscato and a range of sweet and medium red blends. It’s been rising in popularity over the last couple of years, but it’s expected to really shine in 2013.
• Bottle Shops, bringing an upscale turn for retailers.
• Outdoor and Indoor Beer Gardens, with the goal of offering relaxed settings to hang out and enjoy good food and drinks.
• Digital Menus for beer, wine and spirits. This has been building over time as well and is beginning to become more widely adopted across the nation. Digital menus can come in many different forms from a big, digital beer menu on the wall at a bar to an iPad wine list brought directly to your dinner table.
• On-site Barrel Aged Drinks, meaning everything from beer, wine, liquor and even full out cocktails.
• Local, local, local. We’re talking locally produced spirits, beer, and using local fruit/produce. Also keep an eye out for regional signature cocktails to keep with the local theme.
We obviously have our favorite drinks, but it’s always fun to see what’s new and different on the drinking scene. Woohoo – cheers to 2013.