7 Cocktails, Mocktails to Take Consumers Into the New Year

Beverage development company Flavorman is predicting drink consumption in the new year will be all about celebrating life’s simple pleasures. The Louisville, Ky.-based company revealed its top trends for 2022, including bigger and bolder profiles, with flavors such as watermelon, strawberry, cherry, apple and grape seeing a resurgence; quilt-free indulgence, with an emphasis on premium drinks made with ingredients such as real juice and full sugar; and a return to simplicity, with low- or no-calorie drinks helping consumers achieve their health goals.

With these trends in mind, WGB complied seven cocktails, mocktails and mixers that will surely get consumers’ taste buds salivating.

A noncarbonated alternative to hard seltzers, Funny Water is a naturally flavored spiked still water with no bubbles and antioxidants and electrolytes to promote better hydration, the company says. Funny Water comes in 12-ounce variety packs featuring three flavors: Watermelon, Citrus and Cucumber Mint. Each variety has 80 calories and an ABV 3.75%. The company plans on adding additional flavors, single flavor six-packs, and larger 16-ounce and 24-ounce packaging.

For the holidays, Nutrl Vodka Seltzer has launched a cranberry seltzer variety pack. This limited release eight-pack is available through the 2021 holiday season and features four flavors: Classic Cranberry, Cranberry Orange, Cranberry Grapefruit and Cranberry Apple. Nutrl is made with simple ingredients such as vodka, seltzer and real fruit juice. In addition to the cranberry pack, Nutrl also offers a six-count variety core pack with Raspberry, Watermelon and Pineapple flavors.

Spindrift Spiked is made with sparkling water, alcohol from sugar cane, real squeezed fruit and no synthetic natural flavors, sweeteners or additives. Unlike most hard seltzers, which are clear, Spindrift Spiked features real fruit color. A 12-count variety pack features four flavors: Pineapple, Mango, Lime and Half & Half. Each variety contains 82-95 calories and has a 4% ABV per 12-ounce can.

SweetWater Riff, a ready-to-drink cocktail, represents a collaboration between two of Tilray Inc.’s brands: SweetWater Brewing Co. and Riff Cannabis. The cocktails are made with vodka and real fruit juices. They come in Citrus and Strawberry Mule flavors, with 105 calories each, 1 gram of carbs, 0.5 grams of natural sugar derived from fruit, and no added sugar or any cannabis or THC. SweetWater Riff comes in a six-pack of 12-ounce slim cans.

Navy Hill has released two new flavors to its lineup of premium cocktail mixers, which contain a blend of club soda and tonic. The new flavors, Blood Orange and Grapefruit Soda, are on shelves now across the country and available online. Navy Hill Cocktail Mixers also contain electrolytes for extra hydration and are all-natural, the company says. Other flavors include Original, Ginger and Juniper.

Mocktail Club offers a line of low-calorie alcohol-free cocktails that includes flavors such as Capri Sour, an Italian spritz-like drink with pomegranate, cranberry, apple cider vinegar and lemongrass; Bombay Fire, which blends pomegranate, chili, agave and infused tea and is reminiscent of an Old Fashioned; Havana Twist, a new-age take on a mojito with a zest of lime and hint of spice and cardamom; and Manhattan Berry, which contains a mix of blackberries, pear shrub and a linger of ginger.

Crafted from natural ingredients and free from chemical additives, Mingle Mocktails come in festive flavor blends inspired by popular cocktails, minus the alcohol. The low-sugar and low-calorie drinks come in five flavors: Cranberry Cosmo, Blackberry Hibiscus Bellini, Cucumber Melon Mojito, Moscow Mule and Blood Orange Elderflower Mimosa, the newest flavor. The brand comes in 750-mL bottles and 12-ounce sleek cans.