Monin Americas announces its highly anticipated 2024 Flavor Trends. Each year, the award-winning, premium flavoring company conducts extensive industry research to identify five macro trends expected to shape food and beverage menus in the coming year. This year’s findings explore international flavors, culinary crossovers, retro-inspired indulgences, and more.
Monin’s 2024 Flavor Trends were identified by an internal, full-time team of Monin Consumer Insight Specialists, Beverage Innovation Directors, Chefs, and Flavor Scientists. Every year, this team conducts an in-depth analysis of information from four key areas: leading data partners, proprietary and secondary research, industry insights, and customer data points. From this, the team establishes and tracks rising trends and concepts anticipated to see increased visibility across menus around the world. Monin layers in an additional direct approach, which includes frequent global market excursions as well as collaborating with Monin beverage developers around the world.
“Consumers constantly seek variety. This year, we know they will look for menu options that provide both comfort and excitement, expose them to new flavors that mesh with their lifestyles, and give them a taste of what everyone is talking about,” says Brian Loukmas, Vice President of Innovation at Monin Americas. “In 2024, expect to see beverage and culinary preferences shaped by global ingredients and influence from at-home chefs and bartenders that consumers are exposed to online.”
Explore the five trends below that will inspire bar and restaurant menus in 2024 and beyond, and visit moninflavortrends.com to discover trending cocktails, mocktails, and culinary creations:
Flavor Journey - Expect bold, authentic flavors from Southeast Asia and Central America to influence beverage and culinary menus as consumers look to embark on a global flavor journey from the comfort of local establishments.
63% of consumers say they prefer traditionally prepared, globally influenced food (Datassential)[HS1] , while 60% associate Asian cuisine with offering a good variety of flavors (Mintel). From K-Pop to Korean BBQ, Asian influences are quickly integrating into American culture and menus. Emerging beverage applications include Thai tea, bubble tea, and matcha. Fermented and pickled flavors are becoming more popular, and Asian ingredients like kimchi, miso, and umami are captivating American taste buds like never before. After trying them on menus, 63% of consumers say they like or love umami flavors.
The authentic flavors of Central America are also inspiring U.S. beverage and culinary menus. Expect to see region-specific flavors like mezcal, tepache, and falernum become even more popular. Pair uniquely smoky, spicy, and tangy flavors with sweet fruits to meet consumer desire for adventure and to escape from the everyday.
Kitchen Meets Bar - Savory ingredients and techniques from the dinner menu are moving to beverage. Operators are stretching diners’ palates and imaginations with culinary flavors becoming the star of the cocktail menu. Expect culinary techniques like clarifying, brûléeing, and fat washing, as well as smoking, charring, and fermentation to be found in your glass—adding layers of complexity that consumers crave.
With the kitchen pantry as inspiration, greens such as basil, dill, turmeric, cilantro, celery, and avocado are on the rise with beverage innovation. According to Monin proprietary data, 40% of consumers say they're likely or strongly likely to order a cocktail or mocktail with savory, herbaceous elements. Beyond fruits and herbs, ingredients like beets and turmeric infuse beverages with vivid color and fresh flavor. Mushrooms as an ingredient are also growing on beverage menus, seeing more than 41% menu penetration increase over the last 12 months, according to Datassential.
This trend also promotes a no-waste mentality as dual/multiple-use ingredients can be used across culinary and beverage applications.
Timeless Temptations - Consumers' love for nostalgia is here to stay, and this year is all about creating unique and modern renditions of beloved childhood flavors. 72% of consumers enjoy things that remind them of their childhood (Mintel). Today’s consumers want retro and indulgent flavors reinterpreted for modern palates—think cereal milk cocktails, birthday cake and S’mores lattes, upgraded Shirley Temples, and mezcal espresso martinis. Speaking of espresso martinis, they are now found on 13.6% of U.S. menus and are projected to grow +101% through 2027 (Datassential).
Also, expect to see nostalgic beverages infused with of-the-moment flavors like elderflower, yuzu, and spicy peppers. Playful and indulgent menu offerings appeal to an audience of consumers with globalized, sophisticated tastes who still yearn for the comfort and simplicity of their childhood favorites.
Under the Influenc[er] - Pop culture is powerful, and when paired with the reach of social media, it’s reshaping how we sip, savor, and socialize.
From drinks as pink as Barbie to entire summer camp-themed bars, it's evident that microtrends, current events, and limited-time offers ignite consumers' desire for new experiences and spark their fear of missing out. 72% of consumers say they are curious to try new foods, flavors, and dishes they find online to “see what the hype is about,” with nearly 80% of Gen Z willing to try menu items just because they saw it on social media (Datassential).
Additionally, 67% of consumers reported they want to see more fads and short-term trends at restaurants and retail—operators should move quickly and stay on top of trends to satisfy this craving (Datassential). To influence patrons, try crafting expressive and tailored menus to create that “you had to be there” moment worthy of sharing on social. Now trending: new florals, bright colors, and mashups.
Next Gen Now - The next generation of mindful consumers—who still want to enjoy happy hour—are driving the trends of today and tomorrow. Approximately 23% of Millennials and Gen Z are considered “blenders,” meaning they order both cocktails and mocktails (Datassential). Customization and creativity are key factors when building beverage menus to cater to these consumers seeking delicious "low/no" options on par with traditional craft cocktails, refreshers, coffees, and teas.
Tea is having its moment as a base ingredient that adds depth to both non-alcoholic and cocktail offerings. In line with the "low/no" movement, there's a growing demand for elevated, wellness-focused beverages with sugar-free options and functional additives that meet customers' varying lifestyles and health choices. Think outside the box with unique flavor combinations to draw attention and fans.
As the premier flavor solutions provider, Monin supports its partners with trend insights to help them identify opportunities and bring concepts to life that will resonate with their customers. The brand’s goal is to consistently provide its customers with successful innovation, with these expected trends marking the starting point of the development process. In the upcoming year, anticipate Monin to release new flavors inspired by 2024 trends and customer preferences.
Monin Gourmet Flavorings is based in Bourges, France. Monin Americas, headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, employs more than 300 people who oversee sales and operations throughout North America, South America, and the Caribbean.
