BY MARTÍN CABALLERO Spend enough time with anyone in the beverage industry and they’ll all eventually tell you the same thing: the most important thing a drink can do is taste good. That old adage may still hold true, but it doesn’t make the entrepreneur’s job any easier. At the dawn of a new decade, consumers are not only demanding great taste, as they always have, but they’re also seeking answers to a litany of suddenly critical questions. Where was this fruit sourced? Is this plant-based? What is this ingredient and how will it make me feel? And, of course, does this have CBD? Those queries, and others, will serve as the wellspring for beverage innovation in 2020, and BevNET sought out the expertise of suppliers, brands and industry experts to help explore the trends and market forces shaping flavors and ingredients this year.
FLAVORS: EXOTIC BUT ACCESSIBLE Seemingly year by year, consumers have become more open to and interested in a broadening array of beverage flavors. As the world has become more connected, ethnic and regional tastes that were once exotic curiosities have been introduced and, in some cases, embraced by a new generation of cultured shoppers seeking out new drinking experiences. That desire to explore looks set to continue in 2020. “As consumers visit international destinations, many opt to live like a local to uncover a region’s cuisine and these foreign experiences have influenced the daily life of Millennials and Gen Z in particular, encouraging them to try new flavors and ingredients,” said Alex Massumoto, marketing associate at Synergy. 42 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020
Looking ahead to what’s next, many we spoke with expect this year’s flavor innovations to carry a strong Asian influence. With Tokyo set to host the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in July, Synergy noted that Japan will be “in the global spotlight in 2020,” which has inspired the company to focus on creating a Red Cherry Blossom flavor that combines “delicate floral notes with a subtle hint of red berries.” Micah Greenhill, beverage marketing manager at ADM, said he is also expecting to see expanding interest for Japanese cherry blossom — specially Sakura, the pink variety — as part of a “wider acceptance of exotic ingredients combined with flavors consumers already know and love.” Beyond botanicals, Asian fruits and citrus flavors are also projected to grow in beverage. Dylan Thompson, marketing and consumer insights manager at Symrise Flavor Division North America, said that his company will continue to focus on “Accessible Asian” flavors, such as yuzu, calamansi, ume and misugaru. In its 2020 U.S. Taste Charts, Kerry Flavors listed yuzu as an emerging flavor for dairy-based and hot beverages. Within cold beverages and water, however, Kerry listed “New Age Citrus” — a category which includes yuzu, calamansi, satsuma, dekopon and dalandan, among others — as a “key” flavor for 2020, while also noting lychee as one of the 20 fastest growing flavors in the last three years. Vinegar was also listed as an up-and-coming flavor for water and cold drinks. Outside of sweet fruit flavors, the influence of traditional fermented foods from Asia is also beginning to be felt in beverages. According to Christina Witter, director of corporate communications at Symrise, U.S. consumers are getting more comfortable with “funky” ingredients and flavors, as seen with the rise of