Walk into any notable cocktail bar or liquor outlet and you'll find
yourself in a wonderland of distilled spirits, bottled tipples and
canned crafts. Throw in a line of psychedelic shooters and exotic
aperitifs and things soon get a little overwhelming.
"Finding a beverage you fancy can be complicated," says Marson
Strydom, mixologist at The Really Great Brand Company (RGBC). With all
the varieties and flavour combinations available (there are well over
300 gin brands on the South African market alone), choosing exactly
what one wants can be a conundrum. "Consumers are fatigued by an
overload of different brand labels, shapes and colours. Customers tend
to shop with their eyes – anything pretty gets picked up. Yesterday,
pink was a colour, today, it's a flavour."
As long as there is an abundance of liquor products on our shelves,
consumers will continue to 'drink pink'. But will consumers follow the
fads in 'Twenty Plenty', or will they fold and stay with what works
for them?
With SA Cocktail Week kicking off on 29 February, Marson Strydom
explores some of the shake-ups we can expect to see on shelves, in
bars, at festivals and at home in 2020 and beyond.
Less is more
Over-the-top cocktails and sugary concoctions are fizzling out as
mixologists turn back the clock and serve the classics. Gone are the
days of frivolous garnishes and flavour enhancers that dilute a drink
for what it is. Savouring a simple, classic drink allows us to
appreciate its true taste and quality.
Healthy alternatives
The growth of a health and wellness culture has spilled over into the
liquor market. As consumers become more aware of what they put into
their bodies, there is a greater need for high-quality, low alcohol by
volume (ABV) and alcohol-free products. We have already seen a rise in
non-alcoholic products on shelves – even the launch of an alcohol-free
drinking festival to celebrate sobriety – as well as low-calorie
spritzers and mixes. You can expect this health trend to grow.
Convenience
Alcoholic beverages are increasingly being packaged in ready-to-drink
(RTD) varieties to satisfy consumers' needs for convenience. One-litre
bottles and two-litre mixes are making way for easy-to-handle
innovations like gin-in-a-tin and pocket-sized spirits for consumption
on the go. No longer do you have to carry around multiple mixes and
ingredients to make a drink, because it's all conveniently canned.
Conscious consumption
Consumers are basing buying decisions not only to quench their thirst
– albeit with a kick – but also on whether a brand aligns with their
lifestyles. While 'low calorie' and 'alcohol-free' are important
factors, sustainability is seemingly the number one draw card when
choosing products.
"Local brands are embracing sustainable processes, ingredients,
packaging, and paying it forward with community and environmental
projects. At The Really Great Brand Company, we're dedicated to the
survival of all things classically South African. That's why for our
Wixworth gin brand in particular, for every bottle of Wixworth sold,
we contribute to stoprhinopoaching.com to help in the fight against
rhino poaching," says Strydom.
Local is lekker
There's a growing culture among local brands that embrace South
African culture and local ingredients. "We pride ourselves on our
locally produced products with local ingredients. Our unique flora –
like the renosterbos that is used to produce our Wixworth Gin – is
envied among distilleries around the world, and there is no reason why
our spirits shouldn't be either," says Strydom.
The popularity of gin
Gin is still on the rise and will be for a while. "We'll see new gins
come and go over the next two years, along with up and coming craft
spirits like spiced and botanical rums, but we'll also see gins form a
solid foundation that will carry them for years to come," says
Strydom. "Innovation will subside and we'll see a great number of gins
being discontinued. Consumers will fall back into their comfort zone
and purchase what they are most confident in – the classic gins like
Wixworth that have withstood all the trials."
#BeAClassic #wixworthgin
Website: www.wixworth.com
Facebook: Wixworth Gin
Instagram: @wixworthgin
Twitter: @wixworthgin
