When all else fails, it’s time to go back to basics.

By Martín Caballero

Let’s face it: 2022 was another grind of a year, an exhausting voyage across against economic headwinds and geopolitical tremors whose path ahead only promises more pain. Against that backdrop, ingredient suppliers, flavor specialists and the beverage makers that they work with are seeking to offer some relief by simply giving consumers the tastes that they crave: think indulgent desserts, crisp and refreshing fruits, and nostalgic candies.

As far as ingredient trends go, this one has a relatively long tail. Dave Asprey’s homespun “bulletproof” coffee recipe helped bring Silicon Valley’s biohacking sensibilities to mass audiences, and while most Americans still aren’t adding butter to their morning joe, Asprey’s recipes helped inspire current emerging brands like Kitu Super Coffee and Koia.

But while consumers are asking for functionality, these brands are betting they still want flavor, and they’ve leaned into indulgent taste profiles like salted caramel and glazed donuts for their latest RTD coffee releases. That aligns with Flavorchem’s 2023 Flavor & Trend report, which cites premium coffee as an in-demand platform for “experimentation, wellness, and novel flavors,” including cookie butter, bourbon caramel, chocolate cayenne and brown sugar. In its own Flavor Trends for 2023 report, T. Hasegawa notes that nearly half (48%) of global consumers are interested in cold RTD coffee with indulgent options. Other examples include Dunkin’s new Iced Coffee Bakery Series, with flavors like Cake Batter Donut and Brownie Batter, and, on the more functionforward side, Pop & Bottle’s Vanilla Cold Brew Oat Milk Latte + Collagen.

Rolling out the Pumpkin Spice for a few months every year doesn’t seem to be a problem, either, as 77% of global RTD coffee consumers say they find limited-edition flavors most appealing, according to retail data group Mintel. T. Hasegawa notes in its report that 15% of consumers prefer coffee as the beverage they are most willing to try unfamiliar flavors, while nearly three out of four global consumers say they like to see new and unusual flavors in coffee and tea, per Mintel. More broadly, coffee as an ingredient and flavor is enjoying strong momentum across categories, including snacks and desserts, which bodes well for future growth in RTDs.