Gen Zers love sweet flavors. Of the top 25 foods and flavors that skew more toward Gen Z than the general population, a whopping 22 feature a level of sweetness, according to Datassential. Most of these items are actual candies, including Airheads (67 percent of Gen Z love them, compared to 44 percent of consumers overall), Sour Patch Kids, Fun Dip and Trolli Sour. If you want to grab Gen Z’s attention with your beverage menu, start with something sweet.

Chicago-based modern diner JoJo’s ShakeBAR knows a thing or two about sweet, decadent Gen Z-friendly drinks. In addition to the concept’s over-the-top milkshakes, the other milk drinks at JoJo’s skew sweet. The brand’s infused milks are offered up in varieties like salted caramel, double chocolate and blueberry-lavender. And for those Gen Z customers who want an extra decadent experience, these sweetened milks can be paired with signature cookies for a modern-yet-nostalgic Milk + Cookie Flight.

Wetzel’s Pretzels, a national bakery concept based in Pasadena, Calif., introduced a sweet beverage to the menu earlier this year, answering the call from younger consumers for drinks that are creative, flavorful and TikTok-worthy. It also reflects research showing that Gen Z consumers are more globally adventurous than other demographics. The result is the Frozen Horchata LTO, which features a sweet rice “milk” flavor in a decadent, frozen format, introduced alongside Choco Churro Bitz for two new Latin-inspired treats.

59% of Gen Z love or like horchata, compared to 20% of consumers overall
SOURCE: DATASSENTIAL, 2023