Beverages are going to make a splash in 2019, according to early results from the National Restaurant Association’s (ACF) annual survey, What’s Hot. The study found craft, artisan, and locally produced beverages, such as wines and spirits, are on tap as the industry’s number one alcoholic beverage trend next year. Craft coffee and house-made soda trended highly in the non-alcoholic category.

The What’s Hot survey is a barometer of food and beverage trends at restaurants around the country. The results forecast the food, beverage, and culinary concept trends for the year ahead. The annual survey looked at the responses of approximately 650 professional ACF chefs.

“At restaurants and other foodservice operations today, beverages, including wines, spirits, beers, and non-alcoholic drinks are big traffic drivers,” said Hudson Riehle, the Association’s senior vice president of research. “Offering craft liquors, wines, and other beverages, allows restaurants to distinguish their drink programs from their competitors. At the same time, putting a more local, sustainable spin on beverages is particularly appealing to millennials, who, in general, are more apt to support smaller, different, more socially responsible businesses and products.”

Here is what chefs said about some of the beverage trends for 2019:

• Nearly 65 percent of respondents indicate that craft, artisan, and locally produced spirits is the number one alcoholic beverage trend on the What’s Hot in 2019 Culinary Forecast.
• Almost 60 percent of respondents said locally produced spirits, wine, and beer would be among the hottest beverage choices in 2019.
• More than 50 percent identified house-brewed beer as a hot trend.
• On the non-alcoholic side, 51 percent said craft/house-roasted coffee would simmer over in 2019.

Click here to read the Gold Medal Classroom story “The Spirit of Beverages,” which examines trends in alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage consumption with an eye toward back of the house synergies.