Hot Trends: From cold brew coffee, earthy tones and mushroom mania

The beverage industry has seen an exponential rise in the last few years, and coffee more so than ever. According to Euromonitor, on-trade volume of coffee sales increased by 6% in 2016 and is expected to remain at this growth rate in 2017. A recorded 2.3 billion tonnes in 2017 is set to reach 3 billion tonnes by 2021, representing a total volume CAGR of 6% over the forecast period 2016 – 2021.

But it’s not just ready to drink coffee brands that are seeing a rise.  Google’s first ever beverage trends report that looks at non-alcoholic drinks in the US, United Kingdom, Mexico and Spain has identified cold brew coffee as one of the top beverage trend of 2017.

The tech company’s data revealed that consumers “see cold brewing as a process that enhances and elevates their beverage experience” and according to a Mintel report, cold brew sales jumped up 580% between 2011 and 2016.

Costa Coffee UAE recently announced its expansion into cold brew with Costa Cold Brew.

It is a smooth, chilled drink made from 100% single origin Arabica Colombian beans. Designed for a rich and balanced flavour, the beans are immersed in fresh filtered water and brewed in-store for 20 hours to bring out the coffee’s natural sweetness. The brew is then chilled for at least 12 hours before being served over ice to produce a smooth and light texture. The absence of heat during the slow brewing process reduces the acidity sometimes found in coffee, ensuring a more distinct taste with notes of caramel, honey and chocolate.

Costa Coffee UAE head of marketing Shemaine Jones said in a statement: “Our aim is to inspire people across the UAE to love great coffee and we do this by finding new and innovative ways of expanding our menu for our customers. Costa Cold Brew combines a carefully selected Colombian blend with expert craftsmanship and a 20-hour brewing process that produces a deliciously smooth and refreshing experience that will tempt the coffee-lover in all of us.”

For the coffee industry the rise of the cold brew has proven beneficial for the sector as a whole. According to Bloomberg, cold brew coffee uses more than twice the amount of ground beans than your regular cappuccino and has reinvigorated coffee sales in the summer.  In the 12 months ended in February 2017, sales of cold brew in the US were up about 80% over the previous year, according to estimates from Cedarhurst, New York-based researcher StudyLogic.

Robert Jones, managing director of Coffee Planet said: “One of the most notable trends aside from specialty-grade coffee is the increased demand for freshly-roasted as well as cold brew and nitro coffees. This is great for us as we roast and pack our own coffee in Dubai, which allows us to quickly adapt to any coffee needs. Cold brew is suited to specialty coffee as it emphasises the delicate nuances and aromas of the bean and we expect to see this type of coffee continue to grow in popularity.”

Powders have also made their way into the beverage industry. Cafes world over are spicing up their menus, adding turmeric juice to milk and coffee.

In Dubai, plant-based café Wild and Moon are championing the powder trend. Among their signature drinks are the Golden Turmeric latte with turmeric, homemade sprouted almond milk, vanilla, dates, black pepper and sea salt; the Black Gold, made with activated charcoal, vanilla, dates, almond milk and sea salt; and the Tiger made with sweet potato, orange, turmeric, cardamom and black pepper.

In a new report on food trends in the US, Google singled out turmeric’s ascent after searches for the spice increased by 56% from November 2015 to January 2016.

Bull&Roo coffee-master Jamie Elfman makes a distinction between ‘trendy’ and an observable trend in the market.

“Most of what you see in magazines and on line is somebody making a joke, and people buying into that. Avo-lattes and glitter coffee for example. If someone actually pays money for this kind of thing, I have to question their decision making abilities! The only trends I’m interested in are quality based. New equipment developments that make consistency easier, so the overall quality of coffee continues to rise. So for me, adoption of things like distribution tools and push style tampers is a positive trend for me,” Elfman added.

On new and upcoming trends in the coffee industry next year Elkman believes that we may see more “useful” trends.

“Besides actually useful things like more accurate grinders and espresso machines, we’re probably going to see a lot more bad coffee that looks good on Instagram. How about açai coffee with floral garnishes?”