Drinks trends to watch in 2018

It used to be so simple. There was a time when bar orders needed be no more complex than ‘pint of bitter’ or ‘gin and tonic’; there was rarely a need to specify by brand name. That’s a rare occurrence now, particularly in the best city-centre pub and bars, where the bitter hand pump has been replaced by 35 taps and there are 15 different gins stacked up on the back bar.

Given this abundance, it can be hard to decide which trends matter and which don’t. Some seem to have reached a state of permanence, such as gin (voted the nation’s favourite spirit in a recent YouGov poll, for what it’s worth), Prosecco and hoppy, American-style pale ales. But, beneath this slow-moving mainstream there’s plenty of interesting activity that can give us an idea of where things will go next.

Lots of people are deciding to forgo alcohol, at least some of the time. While the hype around no-alcohol options can be overdone, it’s clearly a growing sector; value sales of low and no-alcohol beer grew by more than 20% in the 12 months up to last August, according to consumer insights specialists Nielsen. That still represents a small part of the market, of course, but the way in which operators both large and small are scrambling to cater for it suggests there’s something going on.

Soft options

It pays to be cautious. Lots of no-alcohol beers are not very good – particularly, in my experience, the pale lagers – but small companies such as Big Drop Brewing, whose stout and pale ale are excellent, are changing that. Then there’s Bavarian-style wheat beers, which seem better suited to being served sans alcohol; Erdinger is easily available but there are better beers from Maisel and Schneider, if you can find them.

The rise of soft drinks, meanwhile, is being driven by a gaggle of optimistic young companies such as Square Root, founded in 2012 and based in a railway arch in Hackney. The reason Square Root exists is simple: until recently, pub and restaurant options for non-drinkers were dismal. “You’d go to the pub and there’s only fizzy drinks, which are full of sugar, and lime and soda, which is boring,” said co-founder Robyn Simms. “We wanted to create something more interesting.”

Square Root makes fairly traditional soft drinks, for the most part: its lemonade and ginger beer are particularly good. A more challenging option is kombucha, a fermented tea drink that originates in Asia and whose popularity is already established in America’s more fashion-conscious cities. It can be quite tart, depending on which one you choose; Jarr Kombucha Passion Fruit, also made in east London, is an approachable choice for newcomers.

Kombucha is one example of how consumers are accepting tartness. It’s a good trend for restaurateurs, since some of these tart/sour drinks go very well with food: a classic Belgian gueuze, a sparkling sour beer, works wonders with charcuterie and seafood, for example. The Belgians lead the way in terms of sour beer, although producers like Wild Beer and Burning Sky are driving standards upwards in the UK.

Cider and wine hitting the spot

The most well-respected cider maker in the world, though is British, in the form of Tom Oliver, whose excellent products may be the spark cider and perry need to create their own version of a craft beer boom. The signs are promising: British cider makers are raising their game in quality and packaging. The sale of Aspall to Molson Coors demonstrates good cider is now on the menu for the big operators too.

Then there’s natural wine, which appears to have replaced craft beer as the most fashionable drink around; it’s increasingly easy to find in British cities. At its best it is extremely delicious, and operators like 40 Maltby Street and Elliot’s Café in London have built businesses around it but it can be inconsistent so approach with caution.

Gin is rather more reliable, in terms of quality and demand. Every year brings the suggestion that it might be toppled by a rival spirit, but it just doesn’t seem likely. Britons have rediscovered their passion for ‘mother’s ruin’; sales have doubled in value over the past six years. Rum’s revival has been talked up for a while and sales continue to climb slowly; there are now even producers in the UK, like Essex’s English Spirit Distillery.

Finally, there’s the current big trend in beer, New England IPA. IPA has been the big thing for years, but the New England version is a little different. Thanks to the way its made, it’s served cloudy (some would say murky) and can have extravagant tropical-fruit aroma. It looks like more than a fad, too: breweries like Cloudwater in Manchester and Brew By Numbers in London are building business on it.

■ Will Hawkes is a drink, food and travel writer and author of @craftbeerlondon