What’s new in drinks? The drinks market is ever When it comes to alcohol, spirits is the fastest growing drinks you don’t want the sweet, sugary taste coating your teeth as a category in the on-trade, and the yearly value is forecast to ‘traditional’ soft drink may. evolving. Whether out in a bar, or grow by nearly £800mi, with further room for growth still. The Seedlip brand responded to this and is the first of its kind at home with friends, consumers Soft drinks is also a category that is thriving, with sales worth – a sophisticated, craft-driven, premium distilled spirit that’s are always seeking a new or £1.5bn in Britainii whether consumed by themselves as an also non-alcoholic, and it’s truly disrupting the way people alternative to alcohol or as a mixer to your favourite spirit. Will think about adult non-alcoholic beverages. The results? different drink, ranging from this still be the case with the introduction of the ‘sugar tax’ It’s been the best-selling ‘spirit’ at Selfridges for 12 months an alcoholic tipple to ‘adult’ soft this April? despite being non-alcoholic. We’ve seen the arrival of cold-brew coffee and challenging- drinks, and cold-brew coffee. looking fermented tea. What will be driving consumer behaviour next and how will brands and businesses adapt to this? Changing consumer demands The tonic explosion In 2017 we saw the accelerating explosion of premium gins and vodkas such as Silent Pool and Black Cow, and this growing popularity of premium spirits has helped mixers become the fastest growing carbonated drinks sector in the UK. The once impervious Schweppes brand had its tonic water crown Craft torn off by the relentless emergence of the Fever-Tree brand, ‘Craft’ is a current trend, which is proving to be a rather whose mixers rose by 77%ii . However, Schweppes is no broad term, open to many different interpretations (including doubt benefitting from the cleverness of Fever-Tree and has real people, vintage, handcrafted, irreverence, simplicity, re-launched its core tonic range, as well as launching a new, sustainability, purity of ingredients and authenticity). In the premium brand of tonics. main, ‘craft brands’ tend to be more artisanal in approach, ‘Adult’ soft drinks made in smaller runs and with elements of traditional and hand-made production and packaging. Think cottage There has also been huge demand for soft drinks, and with industries, craft ales, hand-signed labels and single batch this came a change from punitive ‘adult soft drinks’ to more distillation. sophisticated and authentic non-alcoholic propositions. Consumers do not always want to drink; they may be on a Whilst some of these new ‘craft’ offerings are excellent, some health kick, tired or teetotal but still want to enjoy going out to have rather forgotten the old adage that ‘behind every great bars and socialising, or making a satisfying drink at home. But brand is a great product’. Whilst their designs are distinctive and irreverent, some of them leave a lot to be desired taste wise. Some great iterations of ‘craft’ brands currently include Isle of Harris gin, Black Cow vodka and Cracker Drinks Co fruit juice drinks. Whether ‘infused with sugar kelp from the Outer Hebrides’, ‘made entirely from the milk of grass grazed cows’ or blending new and exciting combinations of fruit with water, each offers the market something distinctive and compelling, with unique products that deliver in spades. Cracker Drinks Co identified this trend last year and worked with Parker Williams (the creative arm of Sun Branding Solutions) to create ‘Crafted’, a range of uniquely crafted fruit juice blends. The team were tasked to encapulate the craft of blending, in the on-pack design. The name ‘Crafted’ drove the overall look and feel to the design from the impactful ‘stamp like’ brand mark to the intricately detailed illustrations, created in a similar style to those used in crafted ales and ciders. A focus on health According to Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD), natural product claims (which include no additives/ preservatives, organic and GMO free) appeared on 29% of global food and drink launches from September 2016 to August 2017, which is an increase from 17% from September 2006 to August 2007. Categories that were once resistant to focusing on health are now getting in on the action; the launch of the Skinny lager brand in 2017 (89 calories a bottle, reduced sugar, low carb, vegan and gluten-free) signals a growing awareness of the impact alcohol has on your diet. Soft drinks is another area where healthier options have become big business, with flavoured waters and infusions the big winners in 2017, as consumers continue to ditch refined sugar. Brands have shifted their focus from younger consumers to a more adult market, swapping sweetness for more foodie flavours and artisan production methods. Newton’s Appl Fizzics, which is an all-natural blend of apple juice and lightly sparkling water is already doing well in this market, and offers a ‘curiously refreshing’ low-sugar option for those looking for an interesting, grown-up soft drink. High-end non-alcoholic spirits company Seedlip carved a new niche in 2017, offering an alternative to gin with its copper pot-distilled botanical- inspired tipples to serve with tonic, but with no alcohol, no sugar and no sweeteners. In parallel, the naturally-inspired soft drinks market is so strong that some challenger brands are starting to shun category design cues, focusing instead on the overall lifestyle effect. Ugly Drinks launched last year, promoting natural ingredients and no sugar, but with a confrontational brand personality using vibrant colours and chunky text to target younger shoppers who want to be healthier but who also want to make a statement about the products they buy. It’s a brave move, as most shoppers are used to flavoured sparking water in clear bottles adorned with images of fresh fruit, and it’s an approach that’s likely to divide opinion. But moving away from traditional category cues into a more ‘lifestyle’ brand approach could be something we see more and more of as healthier options become the standard. Big tea brands are responding to the ‘betterment’ trend here too. As well as challenger brands offering products to support immunity, combat stress and aid sleep, big names like Tetley responded too, launching a range of 18 ‘superfood’ inspired teas enhanced with vitamins and minerals and including super trendy ingredients like matcha. It may not be a big change, but it’s a simple swap for the average consumer to make. These ranges not only focus on physical health, but play to the consumers’ understanding of the benefits relaxation and sleep bring. Love Hemp Water joins a growing market for functional waters with the stress on health consciousness an increasingly important purchasing factor, with every bottle of Love Hemp filled with refreshing spring water infused with CBD hemp droplets. Becky Fone, Brand & Innovation Director at Parker Williams, who created the brand and packaging said: “Our task was to bring credibility to an ingredient that has a certain stereotype attached to it. Hemp, once the darling crop of the USA, swiftly fell from grace and was linked with psychedelic effects enjoyed in the 60’s. Fast forward 50 years and its health benefits are now once more being heralded.” Sugar tax impact The Government is taking decisive action on sugar; in the November 2017 budget, Chancellor Philip Hammond confirmed: “Soft drinks with more than five grams of sugar per 100ml will see a tax hike this year, with penalties as early as April”. The most recent brand we’ve seen respond to this is Coca- Cola European Partners (CCEP), which is unveiling a brand refresh and new Sprite Lemon Lime and Cucumber No Sugar variant. Made from 100% natural flavours and available in 330ml cans, 500ml and 2L PET bottles, Sprite Lemon Lime and Cucumber No Sugar is soft drinks tax exempt, contains zero calories and is free of caffine and preservatives. CCEP has also launched its first ever range of premium ready- to-drink (RTD) cold coffee with the introduction of Honest Coffee in Britain. The product range will tap into the growing consumer demand for RTD coffee products, a sector which is worth £66m and growing by 20% year on year. Made with Arabica beans, the products are organic and also exempt from the soft drinks tax. What should we put on our labels? Making healthy food choices relies heavily upon the information made available to consumers on product labels. Alcoholic beverages (with over 1.2% alcohol) currently benefit from exemptions including two otherwise key elements of food information that direct consumer choice in their labelling; they don’t need to include either an ingredients list or nutritional information on their labels. From a health perspective, the absence of the ingredients list is probably less of an issue, as any allergenic ingredients must always be named on the label, but not including nutrition labelling has given rise to more concern since alcohol provides a very significant number of calories (seven calories per gram of alcohol), which is nearly twice the amount provided by the equivalent weight of sugar (four calories per gram). For many adults alcohol may be as big an issue in weight control as sugar. In recent years there have been many calls for clear labelling of calorie content to be included on these drinks too. Labelling on milk alternative products can also be interesting. The Sun Branding Solutions legal team creates labels for Califia, who produce a range of plant-based beverages, cold brew coffees and enhanced beverages.