Experts

Experts Predict This Fall’s Top Beverage Industry Trends

The last year has completely upended the drinks industry. Bars crumbled in favor of at-home drinking. Consumers drank more, or not at all, fueling a wave of non-alcoholic options. Hard seltzer rose, then fell, then paved the way for a whole slew creative RTDs. Sustainability continued to become a larger and larger part of the conversation, while a proliferation of online ordering options made it easier than ever to order booze.

So what’s to come? Experts predict the top beverage industry trends of the season, from what’s next for RTD to a big moment for classic cocktails.

Agave Spirits

“One of the greatest success stories over the past few years has been the explosion of tequila and mezcal,” says Zach Kameron, the beverage director of Peak in Hudson Yards. “The tequila you are getting today is incredibly better than the tequila you were getting 10 years ago, so as the market is maturing people are looking for higher quality products that have a high purity of expression.” He notes that Peak recently received new releases of Clase Azul—the bottles sold out before ever hitting menu. “That sort of engagement with allocated products is normally only seen with fine wines and whiskeys, so the trend in agave spirits right now is definitely toward an appreciation for quality.”

“The tequila category has seen exponential growth due to the surge in consumer interest of the spirit and we anticipate this trend continuing

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Experts Encourage Food Delivery Users to #PrepYourself with New Outreach Campaign

WASHINGTON, D.C., Aug. 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Responding to the increasing use of food delivery services and as National Food Safety Education Month kicks off, the Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE) has launched a new national campaign to help food delivery users ensure the safety of their delivered foods. Prep Yourself: Food Is on the Way, the first national food safety campaign specifically targeting users of food delivery services, seeks to encourage safe food handling at home and educate consumers on what to consider when ordering from food delivery services.

“The coronavirus pandemic kicked food delivery usage into overdrive,” said Shelley Feist, executive director of PFSE. “We’re excited to have led the expert collaboration behind these new, consumer-tested resources.  Using this campaign is a great way to start a conversation with people who want to ensure health and safety when ordering food to be delivered.”

Food delivery services include meal kits, restaurant delivery and grocery delivery. According to an April 2020 survey conducted by Statista, over one-third of both suburban and urban respondents said they used online food delivery services or restaurant apps to order food. According to the 2021 Food and Health Survey conducted by the International Food Information Council, 72% of Americans say the pandemic is changing the way they eat and prepare food. This study showed 42% of consumers are shopping for groceries online at least monthly.

“Where consumers get their food has changed, from around the corner to around the

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