2023 is finally here, and we couldn’t be more excited! It’s a time for new beginnings, tantalizing experiences, and a novel iteration of ‘New Year, New Me(mories).’ In the last year, cocktail culture and the trend of home bars swept the globe in a big way – people around the world got together to take fun sips seriously – turning towards experimenting with flavourful, vibrant, and consciously sourced cocktails. As consumers rediscovered their love for classic cocktails, or explored rave recipes – their love for cocktails has resounded loud and clear through the year.

This year, we can expect this love affair to only grow deeper, as the New Year brings with it a latest host of reasons to raise a glass and celebrate. If you’re one of the many looking to stay updated of the latest creations in modern mixology – we’ve got you covered. Bacardi has released the fourth edition of its global Cocktail Trends Report 2023, which spotlights this year’s top 20 most sought-after lip-smacking cocktails that consumers fell in love with. From age-old classics to contemporary delicacies, we’re diving deep into the top 10 of these serves to help you be a well-rounded cocktail connoisseur.

Tis’ the season of #CocktailExperiments as Mojitos, Daiquiris, Pina Coladas, and Rum and Coke occupy top spots

With more people turning towards fun flavors – tropical white rum based drinks will be a big hit, truly making it the year of #ColorfulCocktails. Whether it’s a summer sundowner with your favorite Mojito, an evening unwind Daiquiri, or relaxing by the pool with the evergreen Pina Colada, an icy serving of your favorite tropical white rum mix is always a welcome companion. 

Rum Mojito and Rum Daiquiri

To get mixing, and fixing some fun and easy serves for you and your friends, simply add 50 ml of authentic BACARDÍ Carta Blanca Cuban white rum in a glass with crushed ice, 25 ml soda, and sugar syrup topped off with mint leaves and lime wedges for a refreshing minty mojito. For a tangier Daiquiri serve, give the soda a skip as you dash 50 ml of unflavoured white rum with lime juice and sugar syrup to taste.

Rum Piña Colada

Coming with an interesting coconutty twist, concoct your own Piña Colada with equal parts of coconut and water poured into a highball glass with 50 ml BACARDÍ Carta Blanca Cuban white rum and ice. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and a cherry flag to add that extra cheer to your perfect evening of bottomless celebrations.

As seasons change, so do our drinking preferences – but if there’s one thing we seem to always circle back to every winter is that good ol’ pour of Rum and Cola.

Rum and Cola

Battling the chills as one of the most sought-after highball – this smooth, sweet, and reminiscent cocktail made with two parts coke to one part BACARDÍ Carta Oro black rum will be a top choice for cocktail aficionados this year.

Sameeksha Uniyal, Senior Brand Lead, BACARDÍ India & South East Asia, says, “As per the recent Cocktail Trends Report 2023 by Bacardi – a cocktail experimental revolution is taking over the spirits industry today. As consumers shift their focus to enjoyment, they are driving the demand for fun cocktail experiences – making rum-based cocktails in a variety of exciting and distinct flavors as the top choices for cocktail enthusiasts across the globe. We are looking forward to discovering how these rum-based cocktails will continue to excite the evolving palate of Indian consumers this year.”

 Vodka Soda, Bloody Mary, Gin & Tonic, Cosmopolitan emerge as top choices as people experiment with flavors

 ‘New year, new tastes’ has never been truer for the spirits industry, with nearly one third (30%) of global consumers expressing their intent to buy a drink driven purely by their curiosity about its flavors. As flavors become a favorite – vodka-based cocktails in a variety of different flavors and palates will be an exciting option for adventurous consumers this year. With favorites like the simple yet elegant Vodka Soda, tomato and paprika spiced Bloody Mary, and zesty Cosmopolitans bubbling with cranberry juice, featuring on the list, this will surely be the year for a variety of vodka-based concoctions to gain an even larger following.

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With Gin & Tonic making a comeback as the fifth most popular drink across the globe, feel free to get creative and give it your own flavorful twist with a fun sip of premium orange and ginger gin & tonic made using one part of GREY GOOSE dry gin mixed with two parts of chilled tonic, with a generous squeeze of a fresh orange wedge along with a finely sliced fresh ginger root.

Adtnu Tiwari, Sr Manager, Premium White Spirits, Bacardi in India, says, “Vodka has always been one of the most popular spirits when it comes to making cocktails, making Vodka Soda the number one most popular cocktail of 2023. Today’s consumers are ready to give a spicy or zesty twist to their favorite cocktail as Bloody Marys and Cosmopolitans rank as the fourth and tenth most popular cocktails across the globe this year. Similarly, with the influx of gin trends in India and the new-age consumers’ keenness for experimentation – we have witnessed that consumers are dabbling with new flavors and new drinking occasions. As per the recent Cocktails Trends Report 2023, we can also expect to see more consumers play with new and interesting twists of the classic Gin and Tonic, which ranks as the fifth most popular cocktail across the globe today.”

 There is always more avenue to experiment with sophisticated sips, securing the Whisky Highball a spot in the survey

 Making a dazzling comeback with a twist is the reminiscent taste of whisky, with whisky highballs occupying the eighth spot for the world’s most sought-after cocktails this year. As a feeling of nostalgia continues to pervade the market, expect simple club soda highballs to be back in demand. To give this novice bartender’s drink a shot, simply place a big clear piece of ice in a tall glass, pour some premium Scotch Whisky aged in the Mizunara cask, top it off with cold soda, and garnish with a lemon twist as you say Kanpai! to this simple yet elegant serve.

Vijay Dev, Category Lead, Whiskies, Bacardi in India, says, “More consumers across the world seem to be opening up to experimentation when it comes to their whiskies – making Whisky Highballs as this year’s eighth most sought-after drink in the world as per the latest Cocktails Trends Report 2023 by the brand. Keeping in line with this global trend, we are witnessing a similar shift in India where whisky drinkers are showing a preference for whisky being consumed with soda.  India being home to the largest market for whisky globally, we are constantly keeping a tab on new consumer trends in the whisky drinking space. With our eyes set on establishing the Whisky portfolio from our brand as a major player in the brown spirits industry in the coming 5 years, we are extremely thrilled to see how this growing love for Whisky Highballs unfolds as we innovate more products and experiences to excite the country’s vibrant and dynamic whisky loving community year-on-year.”

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