Drink trends: Industry experts weigh in on what we’ll be sipping more of in 2024

Champagne, artisanal brandies, agave spirits, and cocktails made with hyper-local ingredients – expect these drink trends this year, experts tell us.

What will we be drinking in 2024? Spirited reached out to our friends in the trade to understand the drink trends we might be seeing in Singapore’s wine, spirits, and cocktail circles. From wine professionals and bartenders to alcohol suppliers, they share their predictions on what we’re likely to be seeing on shelves, back bars or restaurant lists in 2024.

While much of this is akin to gazing into a crystal ball, the collective industry experience of these drinks experts will shine a light into what we’re likely to see in our glasses this year.

WINE

Demand in Singapore for champagne and other sparkling wines remain bubbly.

“(A major wine trend in 2023 was) champagne. We saw a big increase in how much champagne we sold at the club, from affordable non-vintage up to cult grower. There was a halo effect on non-champagne sparkling wine too, especially for English sparkling. This looks set to continue.” – Richard Hemming MW, Head of Wine, Asia at 67 Pall Mall Singapore

“A surge in demand for grower champagnes is certainly discernible, possibly due to higher prices for the big-name champagne houses and as drinkers pursue more artisanal labels. We also see this in the rising popularity of cava, as drinkers increasingly appreciate its Methode Traditionnelle pedigree, quality and value.” – Patrick Sng, CEO of One Minor Group

“2023 was the year for grower champagnes. Many entered our over-saturated champagne market and I don’t deny a few are very good. Other bubblies such as Franciacorta and English sparkling wines offer great value alternatives that I believe we’ll see more of.” – Patricia Britton, Director at Le Vigne Wines & Spirits

Classical wines remain important, but wines from other regions will begin to feature more as consumers become increasingly experimental with their wine choices.

“All the classics remain popular – not just Burgundy, but also Bordeaux, Piedmont and Napa.” – Richard Hemming MW, Head of Wine, Asia at 67 Pall Mall Singapore

“Sales of our Italian and Spanish wines were stronger than ever, both offering great price-quality ratio compared to established French or American labels. With many new Italian and Spanish restaurants that opened up recently, demand for these wines have grown in tandem. We anticipate that wines from Abruzzo, Mount Etna in Sicily, regions beyond Rioja and Priorat, such as Ribera del Duero, Penedes, are poised for heightened demand.” – Patrick Sng, CEO of One Minor Group

“Portuguese wines, especially fresh Vinho Verde and elegant Douro reds. In spite of the myriad of native Portuguese grape varietals – so difficult to remember what they are or to pronounce – we’re definitely seeing more Portuguese wines on shelves and lists here. There’s an increase in demand for Port, not to mention white Port as well.” – Patricia Britton, Director at Le Vigne Wines & Spirits

“There will be a reemergence of alternative or forgotten varieties, and off-the-grid regions where you can get wines at better value. For example, the southern Italian varietals coming out from South Australia have been making waves among the wine circle: Fiano, Nero d’Avola, and Zibbibo, to name a few.” – Ian Lim, Co-Owner of RVLT

White wines may prove to be a dark horse.

“Singapore is not traditionally known to be a white wine market with majority of drinkers going for red wines almost intuitively. But we’re witnessing an uptick in demand for white wines, fuelled by consumer awareness of food and wine pairing with whites matching very well with many of our local or Asian cuisines.” – Patrick Sng, CEO of One Minor Group

“Consumers, in terms of wine drinking, tend to remain conservative in their reds, whites and champagnes. But there’s an increasing preferences for whites, which is interesting to note.” – Susy Santoso, Director of Alfa International

Also watch out for wines from China and Japan.

“Emerging wine regions would definitely be China and Japan without a doubt. One of our best selling Pinot Noir outside of Burgundy in 2023 was actually the Silver Heights “Jia Yuan” from Ningxia, China. It’s an absolutely incredible wine that everyone called Burgundy every time. There is also a huge following of wines coming from Hokkaido in particular, such as Takahiko, Nora Kura, Hirakawa, Niki Hills Winery and Yamazaki.” – Mason Ng, award-winning sommelier and Wine Director at Park90

“The quality of wines from China and Japan have been rising over the last five to eight years, and we believe we’ll see a broader selection as the growers become more export-savvy, and more plugged-in to global competitiveness.” – Patrick Sng, CEO of One Minor Group

“There are more and more top-quality Chinese wines emerging, although they remain a very niche category.” – Richard Hemming MW, Head of Wine, Asia at 67 Pall Mall Singapore

But consumers are definitely getting price-sensitive, even as global pressures push wine prices up.

“With the current economic climate, I feel wine drinkers will move away from branded or premium” wines, and alternative wines with a friendlier price point will become more appealing to drinkers.” – Ian Lim, Co-owner of RVLT

“The challenges to shipping, increased cost of dry goods (especially glass) and unstable politics will all contribute to rising prices. While some regions have experienced decent yields in 2023, prices will only go up. (Ironically) our high duty rates mean that incremental changes in supply chain costs are a smaller proportion of the overall bottle price.” – Richard Hemming MW, Head of Wine, Asia at 67 Pall Mall Singapore

“The wine industry is definitely facing some headwinds. In our recently released ProWein Business Report 2023 that interviewed over 2,000 respondents about the state of the wine industry, challenges highlighted by respondents include the worldwide economic slowdown and the global oversupply of wine. Producers are concerned about declining wine consumption as well. But opportunities abound amidst the doom and gloom. Affordable mass market wines are likely to do well as consumers trend downwards, although premium wines will continue to do well in Asia.” – Gernot Ringling, Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf Asia, organiser of ProWine Singapore

SPIRITS

2024 is likely to be the year for agave spirits – tequila and mezcal – while other categories remain strong.

“Last year we saw growth in the agave space and are set to see this improve throughout 2024. Additionally, we see continued focus and attention to dark spirits across the board. Aged premium rum remains an interesting investment opportunity for private consumers as well as a trending drink category. (There’s also) new attention being drawn to Irish distilleries.” – Brandon Grusd, General Manager (SEA) of Proof & Company

“Agave spirits will likely continue to see their fan bases grow. The stalwarts such as gin, vodka, rum, Scotch and whiskey will tick along. If there is a global recession people will continue to drink but may do more at home than in a bar.” – Stefanie Goh, Founder of Distilled LLP

“While globally the rise in agave and the plateau in craft gin have been a little more prominent, the much vaunted rise of agave, rise of rum, fall of gin and fall of whisky trends that people have been predicting have not made any progress (here in Singapore).” – Matthew Fergusson-Stewart, Founder of SPUN Spirits

Brandies – particularly those of the artisanal variety – will finally emerge from the shadows.

“Artisanal French brandies such as Calvados, Cognac and Armagnac are slowly but surely creeping up in the scene for more discerning drinkers who seek individuality over consistency. These early adopters are being rewarded with superb price-quality ratio while the category is still being discovered.” – Patrick Sng, CEO of One Minor Group

“We’ve definitely seen a slight uptake on brandies, particularly Cognac from smaller houses, and Armagnacs as well. Le Vigne already imports a couple of family-owned Cognac houses, but we’ll definitely continue our love affair with brandies.” – Patricia Britton, Director at Le Vigne Wines & Spirits

Drinking at home will be (more of) a thing.

“Difficult financial times make people more conservative, so drink trends have been very slow. But one real trend I note is greater consumption in the off-trade, as people became more comfortable drinking at home during COVID. Obviously that has mostly bounced back to on trade – but not entirely – and drink-at-home will likely remain entrenched at higher than pre-COVID levels.” – Matthew Fergusson-Stewart, Founder of SPUN Spirits

SAKE

Premium Japanese sake will continue to do well in Singapore.

“With many Singaporeans travelling to Japan – the birthplace of sake – to eat and drink there, that will build a foundation for a surge in the popularity of sake in Singapore in the years to come. And with sakes becoming more available in the non-Japanese restaurants and bars, we’re likely to see increased demand for richer Junmai and Junmai Ginjo sakes that are are better for pairing with heavy, umami-rich food like the cuisines we find here.” – Adrian Goh, Director at Inter Rice Asia

“Singapore is 4^th in the world in terms of sake consumption  – behind China, US, and Hong Kong – which is a testament to our evolving palates. While our consumption volume is not colossal, significant growth over the past five to eight years reflects a burgeoning appreciation. Increasingly, non-Japanese restaurants are stocking up with the drink, apparently due to demand and its versatile pairing potential beyond traditional Japanese fare. More discerning drinkers are seeking out the muroka, nama, genshu style of sakes, even enjoying them warm to unlock a broader spectrum of flavours.” 
- Patrick Sng, CEO of One Minor Group

COCKTAILS

Sustainability, hyper-locality and gastronomic influences remain enduring trends behind the bar.

“Farm-to-glass or farm-to-bar cocktails will continue to show up on menus. While the international sustainability movement plays a part in this trend, it’s increasingly now more about understanding ingredients better, which factors into the creation of great cocktails. At Jigger & Pony for example, drinks on our current IDENTITY menu like the Ugly Tomatoes where we use B-grade heirloom beefsteak tomatoes from a farm in Genting Highlands and the Honey Magnum, utilising local honey harvested by Nutrinest, appeal to guests not just because of the flavours, but also because of the story of the produce. Cocktails with flavours that are familiar but feature uncommon ingredient combinations like pear and hops or tomato and kummel (caraway, cumin, and fennel) will continue to trend too.” – Aki Eguchi, Bar Programme Director of Jigger & Pony Group

“There’s likely to be a continuous emphasis on sustainability, and an increasing use of local and unique ingredients in cocktails. We might see a resurgence of some forgotten classics as well.” – Shelley Tai, General Manager of Nutmeg Collective

“Savoury cocktails was also a consistent topic. More bars are exploring umami as the main flavour focus and playing with ingredients that would more commonly be found in a dish rather than in a drink.” – Andrew Pang, Regional Brand Ambassador at Beam Suntory, and owner of Bar Spectre

“Bars will delve deeper into their beverage offerings and refine their process to carve out identity. Bars may spend this year travelling to multiple destinations and host many bartenders, therefore it has never been more important to make sure they have a unique stamp on what separates their bar from the rest.” – Brandon Grusd, General Manager (SEA) of spirits importer and distributor Proof & Company

NOLO – non-alcoholic and low-alcoholic – beverages are set to gain ground.

“The NOLO trend around the world has been getting much attention recently. The upcoming ProWein 2024 in Dusseldorf this March will see many examples from this category, and we are expecting ProWine Zero in ProWine Singapore in April this year to similarly showcase this trend driven by an increased propensity towards health and wellness.” – Gernot Ringling, Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf Asia, organiser of ProWine Singapore

“It’s clear that low and no-alcohol cocktails are gaining popularity. People were exploring options that didn’t pack a boozy punch, focusing more on lighter choices. As for this year, I believe the trend might continue as people are generally quite health conscious.” – Shelley Tai, General Manager of Nutmeg Collective

“I can see the preference for low ABV drinks continue to trend upwards. Non-alcoholic products are also going to see a surge as drinkers look at what they perceive to be healthier alternatives.” – Stefanie Goh, Founder of Distilled LLP

“Tea & Sympathy, a low ABV cocktail consisting of Sauvignon Blanc, green tea, honey and a mint as a garnish, was Bar Spectre’s top selling drink since our opening in September. Low ABV drinks are here to stay.” – Andrew Pang, Regional Brand Ambassador at Beam Suntory, and owner of Bar Spectre

“Zero proof cocktails continue to feature not just in bars, but also increasingly in restaurants.” – Aki Eguchi, Bar Programme Director of Jigger & Pony Group

The global cocktail bar community will collaborate and transcend borders. 

Singapore remains the leading light for cocktail culture in the region, but others are catching up.

“Singapore’s cocktail scene will still remain the leading scene in Asia this year. This is because many regional bars and discerning F&B enthusiasts still regard Singapore as the cocktail capital in this part of the world. To stay ahead, Singapore will however need to evolve and find new ways to showcase their craft while being mindful of rising costs and uncertain travel trends.” – Andrew Pang, Regional Brand Ambassador at Beam Suntory, and owner of Bar Spectre

“Rising material costs and manpower issues will continue to plague the Singapore F&B industry. The cost of a cocktail in a decent outlet in Singapore is now on average S$23 before taxes. That is way more expensive than our neighbours. Going to a cocktail bar may become more a special occasion rather than a regular occurrence as the public feels the pinch of inflation. Some of our neighbours in IndoChina are fast developing their cocktail culture. Capital cities have regionally and even globally competitive talent. Their handicap is the availability of the breadth of product we have in Singapore. Most of the Asian countries have much stricter import regulations than Singapore so that generally slows down the entry of new products to those markets.” – Stefanie Goh, Founder of Distilled LLP

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