The Drink Trends of 2021

2021

BY TOM FIRTH

ather than watching the food and beverage scene changing organically according to the whims of producers, R consumers, restaurants and liquor retailers, the past year has seen a number of trends change due to necessity rather than our desires. Lockdowns and restrictions limited our dining in options for significant parts of the year, while opening the doorway to more online shopping, and consuming at home.

For the spirits industry, distillers in Alberta have had a tough time with the impact on restaurants this past year, but offset somewhat by the renewed interest and community-based support for buying local.

Gin seems to be showing some indications that the market is possibly saturated, or that consumers seem to be slowing down in their quests to “try all the gins,” but on the bright side, Alberta-made craft whiskies seem to be trickling into tasting rooms and onto shelves at local retailers. The quality of most are fantastic, and expect a lot of drum banging and shouting from the rooftops as new bottlings and novel aging regimes are announced.

From further afield, it looks as though rum (though there are some locally made ones!) and tequila are gaining traction, whether evoking the beach or sunny destination we missed or are pining for, might be the hot new ticket this coming summer.

Somewhat of a surprise is how much the readyto-drink category and pre-mixed cocktails continue to grow. Perhaps it’s that more craft distillers and brewers are making them with premium ingredients, less sugar or sweeteners, and an eye to

an authentic drinking experience rather than Smirnoff Ice Redux or Mike’s Hard Lemonade 2.0. While a Manhattan, daiquiri, or a negroni might not be too hard to make at home, having a small format, dare I say… single serving handy - is a good thing.

As the economy continues to sputter, we should expect to see ongoing collaboration brews or bottlings, where producers will work together on a product that might be a local brewer using a local distiller’s barrel and so on. This will also include restaurants working with a producer to create a collaborative house bottle. Hopefully gone are the days where your local watering hole only serves beer from the “big guys”; every place should, when possible have at least one tap devoted to a local craft beer. Personally, I love it when a brewpub or brewery taproom has a rotating “guest” tap to showcase another local producer. That high tide floats all boats.

On the wine front, the drive to support local will most likely continue, and British Columbia’s offerings are about as close as we get to local. Thankfully, we have a good selection of those wines in our retail stores, and I know of more than a few people who are choosing to order directly, though I like to support our local wine shops and retailers when I can.

More people continue to embrace online shopping or ordering for their beverage needs, but also with fewer opportunities for interaction with sommeliers or servers with specials, many might be using the time to continue to explore the wonderful world of wine in all its variety, while others are choosing to stick by established brands, countries or regions that provide, good, consistent value and flavour profiles.

As dine-in eating is severely impacted these days, at home consumption will continue to be a thing as people generally avoid bars and other licensed establishments for a casual drink. Please continue to support our local producers whenever possible, and many are offering free or very reasonable delivery.

The buzzword for the year ahead will be “local” but perhaps more accurately, it will be “community”. Local businesses – whether in our neighbourhoods, our cities, province, or even across Canada - will need our support, and will need consumers to make buying decisions that impact our communities positively. Whenever possible, buying within our communities, from local businesses, or even direct from producers will make a big impact.

Tom is a freelance wine writer, wine consultant, and wine judge. He is the Managing Editor for Culinaire Magazine, and is the Competition Director for the Alberta Beverage Awards. Follow him on twitter @cowtownwine.

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