Mexican Momentum
Trend-forward takes on Mexico’s beverage builders
Mexican Momentum
Trend-forward takes on Mexico’s beverage builders
By Rob Corliss
February 6, 2024
By Rob Corliss
February 6, 2024
As tequila and mezcal take center stage, don’t sleep on Mexican beers and picadas (hard aguas frescas that rival hard seltzers), as their drinkability has vast appeal. On the non-alc front, beverage development should continue to explore aguas frescas and tepache, along with a look at licuados (thinly blended milk, fruit and ice drinks) for new inspiration. Health-conscious patrons seeking new fermented drink options are prime candidates for tepache. Cross-functional Mexican beverages, like cold-brew coffee horchata, will tap into the trending consumer preference for dual-purpose benefits with both flavor craves and hydration.
Applying unexpected Mexican seasonings/spices and flavor injections to drinks creates a heightened sensory experience aligned with the evolving direction of consumer tastes.
Consider these ideas to leverage trend-forward Mexican beverages for signature sips:
NEW TAKES ON TEPACHE:
- Coconut water-pineapple tepache
- Passionfruit-pineapple tepache
- Spiced apple-cinnamon-pineapple tepache
- Raspberry-pineapple tepache
- Hard cider-pineapple tepache
- Tequila, mezcal, rum or bourbon cocktails with pineapple tepache&
- Mexican beer-pineapple tepache (similar to a shandy)
MANGONADA RIFFS:
- Vary the chamoy fruit base: mango, apricot, peach or plum
- Add tequila or mezcal
- Increase the spicy level with a chile flavor (and heat level) of choice
- Utilize different seasonal mango varieties
- Add a complementary fruit (chopped, puréed, or in sorbet form) to the mango, like strawberry or watermelon
HORCHATA INFUSIONS:
- Strawberry horchata
- Boba Thai tea horchata
- Matcha-vanilla horchata
- Maple-bourbon horchata
- Pumpkin spice (or roasted sweet potato) horchata
- Ube horchata
Mexican drinks and ingredients that demonstrate impressive lift over the last four years in beverage development, according to Datassential MenuTrends:
- Mangonada +555%
- Mezcal Margarita +177%
- Carajillo +163%
- Mango-Habanero +122%
- Elote +82%
- Paloma +81%
- Poblano +80%
- Tepache +55%
- Horchata +22%
As tequila and mezcal take center stage, don’t sleep on Mexican beers and picadas (hard aguas frescas that rival hard seltzers), as their drinkability has vast appeal. On the non-alc front, beverage development should continue to explore aguas frescas and tepache, along with a look at licuados (thinly blended milk, fruit and ice drinks) for new inspiration. Health-conscious patrons seeking new fermented drink options are prime candidates for tepache. Cross-functional Mexican beverages, like cold-brew coffee horchata, will tap into the trending consumer preference for dual-purpose benefits with both flavor craves and hydration.
Applying unexpected Mexican seasonings/spices and flavor injections to drinks creates a heightened sensory experience aligned with the evolving direction of consumer tastes.
Consider these ideas to leverage trend-forward Mexican beverages for signature sips:
NEW TAKES ON TEPACHE:
- Coconut water-pineapple tepache
- Passionfruit-pineapple tepache
- Spiced apple-cinnamon-pineapple tepache
- Raspberry-pineapple tepache
- Hard cider-pineapple tepache
- Tequila, mezcal, rum or bourbon cocktails with pineapple tepache&
- Mexican beer-pineapple tepache (similar to a shandy)
MANGONADA RIFFS:
- Vary the chamoy fruit base: mango, apricot, peach or plum
- Add tequila or mezcal
- Increase the spicy level with a chile flavor (and heat level) of choice
- Utilize different seasonal mango varieties
- Add a complementary fruit (chopped, puréed, or in sorbet form) to the mango, like strawberry or watermelon
HORCHATA INFUSIONS:
- Strawberry horchata
- Boba Thai tea horchata
- Matcha-vanilla horchata
- Maple-bourbon horchata
- Pumpkin spice (or roasted sweet potato) horchata
- Ube horchata
Mexican drinks and ingredients that demonstrate impressive lift over the last four years in beverage development, according to Datassential MenuTrends:
- Mangonada +555%
- Mezcal Margarita +177%
- Carajillo +163%
- Mango-Habanero +122%
- Elote +82%
- Paloma +81%
- Poblano +80%
- Tepache +55%
- Horchata +22%
About the Author
Rob Corliss is a three-time James Beard House guest chef with more than 30 years of experience that includes running world-class hotels, launching new concepts, working in top marketing agencies and owning the culinary consultancy ATE (All Things Epicurean) since 2009. Based in Nixa, Mo., ATE has an energizing passion focused on flavor innovation and is dedicated to connecting people to their food, environment and wellness. Rob is also a regular contributor to Flavor & The Menu.
