6 Drinking Trends Coming to a Bar Near You

Walk the floor at Bar Convent Brooklyn, the annual convention for bar and drinks professionals held recently in Brooklyn, and you just might see the next big thing. Tasty single malt from Switzerland? Present. Japanese green chartreuse and fernet alternatives? Check. Green tea shooter whisky, espousing notes of peach and citrus? Yes, apparently that’s a thing.

Taking in the show through the lens of the whiskey drinker, you spot trends that may represent fundamental shifts in how America approaches flavor, technique, and consumption. These aren’t predictions; they’re movements gaining traction among the industry’s influential players. Love them or hate them, here are six examples of trend-spotting at the show:

Umami Enters the Chat

Umami has found its way from high-end kitchens into the whiskeyverse before, notably, Johnnie Walker Blue Umami. Now, the fifth taste is showing up in ways that challenge traditional flavor expectations. This is about understanding how savory depth can enhance rather than overwhelm. Expect more mushroom and fish essences in bottles, creating flavors that engage the parts of the palate that traditional spirits don’t reach.

Case in point: Veda Mushroom liqueur (20% ABV), a grain neutral spirit infused with shiitake mushrooms, blended with 15 herbs and botanicals (think gentian, mastic, rosemary, thyme, and more), then sweetened with New York maple syrup and honey. Or Kokuto De Lequio’s Smoky Umami rum, a Japanese offering that employs katsuobushi (bonito fish flakes) to elicit a sweet yet savory, toasted finish. Both are revelatory, working beautifully neat and promising more interesting applications behind the bar.

Making a Highball? Split your whiskey with either aforementioned option for enhanced depth. Try a Paper Plane riff where the Aperol is replaced by an umami spirit; the savory notes create fascinating tension with the lemon and Amaro Nonino. Boulevardier fan? A few dashes of any umami spirit adds depth to the Campari's bitterness.

American Amari Start to Make Their Mark

Italian amari have long commanded respect among bartenders. But distilleries from California to Vermont are creating amaro expressions that reflect regional botanicals and American palate preferences. How? They incorporate indigenous herbs, local honey and maple as sweeteners, and (often) present with higher sugar content to appeal to American tastes.

American amaro works exceptionally well in whiskey-based cocktails, shedding the sometimes aggressive bitterness of traditional European expressions. (Herbaceous traditionalist? Continue to rejoice in Haus Alpenz offerings, including Dolin Genepy and Sevez Honey Lavender.)

Try a Manhattan with Faccia Brutto’s green chartreuse clone, Centerbe. Combine 1 oz. rye whiskey, 1 oz. Centerbe, 1 oz. sweet vermouth, add ice, stir, and strain for a refreshing herbal alternative to the staple cocktail. Or reach for St. Agrestis, a Brooklyn, New York-made amaro created by macerating 20 herbs, flowers, and spices in cane distillate, then rested for weeks in bourbon barrels. While the company offers a ready-to-drink Boulevardier (eschewing gin for whiskey), a DIY option is a Black Manhattan: a 2:1 ratio of rye and St. Agrestis.

Advancing The Terroir Issue

While scotch distillers have long understood the climate’s effect on maturation, American distillers, notably Texas whiskey makers Milam & Greene and Balcones, are showcasing how the Lone Star state’s extreme temperature and humidity levels create distinct flavor profiles.

Milam & Greene’s master blender and CEO Heather Greene conceived “The Answer,” a two-bottle (375 ml) experiment that takes Bardstown Bourbon Company distillate—70% corn, 22% malted rye, and 8% malted barley—and places it in number-4 char barrels, with half the lot aging in Kentucky and half in Texas. Five years later, the divergence in flavor is clear: the Kentucky-aged whiskey is bright, fruity, and floral, while its Texas-aged sibling, subject to higher angels’ share, yields a deeper, darker, more robust (and 8-point higher proof) bourbon. Texas-based Balcones has taken this experimentation even further, aging its single malt distillate in six locations around the world—including Texas, Kentucky, Washington, Baltimore, and Edinburgh—as part of an experiment conducted in partnership with barrel maker ISC. (After performing a chromatography test on each lot, the team found that they had wildly different flavor profiles). The Waco-based distillery also uses multiple locations throughout Texas to age various grains and components, and weaves this into its brand identity. Expect other warm-climate distilleries to orchestrate similar experiments.

Cristalino Tequilas Infiltrate Classic Cocktails

Cristalinos—clear tequilas aged in oak then filtered to remove color—are increasingly used as whiskey substitutes, creating drinks that maintain structural integrity while offering different flavor profiles. Gone is the whiskey’s dark color and tannic grip, but the oak, vanilla, and fruity brightness remain. The result? Sophisticated cocktails that drink lighter but still linger.

We sampled a Cristalini, a Manhattan riff, and were astounded. Add 2 oz. of 1800 Cristalino, .5 oz. manzanilla sherry, .5 oz. blanc vermouth, and 2 dashes orange bitters to a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain, garnishing with a lemon peel and a side spoon of caviar. (The caviar’s salinity pairs perfectly.) While 1800 Cristalino is complex and engaging neat, the best Cristalino we tried was Jose Cuervo’s Reserva de la Familia. With big stone fruit notes, a sweet, soft palate, this has a vibrant and lengthy bright finish that doesn’t skimp on the oak. This reflects tequila’s continued evolution from party shooter to serious sipper.

Less is More: Low-ABV Culture Is Here

The most significant trend of 2025 is the widespread embrace of lower-alcohol drinking. Every fifth booth at Bar Convent seemed to be a low or no-alcohol brand. Low-ABV aims to offer flavorful cocktails that satisfy at 15-20% ABV rather than the traditional 25-30%. Spritzes have long led this movement, but the concept has expanded into stirred cocktails, punches, and even spirit-forward drinks diluted for session consumption.

This trend reflects drinkers seeking quality experiences while in moderation. Bartenders are responding with techniques that maintain complexity while reducing alcohol content: using fortified wine, such as amaro, as base spirits and incorporating low-ABV liqueurs instead of high-test liquors.

One standout is Curious Elixirs, which are canned booze-free craft cocktails, shelf-stable for 12 months. Each variant has a different flavor profile and promised functional benefits. Take No. 5, a smoked cherry chocolate “Old Fashioned” that features ginger elderberry and ayurvedic ingredients. Many Curious Elixirs ingredients give you a light (non-alcoholic) buzz, and they’re delicious as poured. Seeking more oomph? Add an ounce of beloved whiskey.

Expect More Unorthodox International Flavor Combinations

It’s understood that bourbon and barbecue align. But Thailand melding with Kentucky?

Scotland mixing with South Korea? Get used to more multinational offerings on menus. Smart venues may employ the array of Bitter Queens bitters—the Sarsaparilla, Thai Spice, and Chinese Five Spice options excel—to push flavor boundaries on traditional cocktails. Others will flawlessly meld disparate ingredients. Smokehead scotch whisky mixologist Michael Brown’s Bloody Mary concoction, called From Islay to Seoul, is so delicious that even the most ardent haters will be instant converts. Brown combines Smokehead’s High Voltage single malt alongside tomato juice, kimchi, gochujang chili sauce, and soy sauce (umami!). You will crave thirds.