Culinary Food And Beverage Experimentation Set The Stage For Consumer Packaged Goods Flavor Trends

Food and beverage innovation in restaurants, cocktail bars, and food service abound. The sky is the limit and the trends happening in the culinary scene inspire new flavors and trickle down into consumer packaged goods. Savory cocktails with a nod to tomatoes, instant noodles, and the viral Dubai Chocolate phenomenon are three leading trends making their way into packaged food and beverage flavors.

Savory Cocktails The Next Frontier

Martinis are experiencing a renaissance and are on trend with a modern, savory twist. Forbes’¹ July 3, 2024 “We Are In Our New-Age Martini Era” article states, “Bartenders and home enthusiasts alike are experimenting with fresh ingredients, innovative techniques, and unexpected flavor combinations to create new-age martinis.” Brian Masilionis of Southern Glazer identified Umami Unveiled as one of the top 10 cocktail trends shaping the 2025 beverage market². The trend is described as “Umami flavors – the core fifth taste – expand the cocktail repertoire, adding savory depth to drinks through ingredients like mushrooms, onions, fish, meat protein, and aged cheeses. These flavors linger on the palate, creating a mouthwatering experience that elevates cocktails into something truly memorable.” This sentiment is echoed under the Culinary Connoisseurs umbrella in the 2025 Bacardi Cocktails Report³. The Savory Serves trend suggests that “the focus is shifting from food and drink pairings to fully-fledged translations, where the line between food and drink becomes increasingly blurred.” Bacardi’s research found that nearly three-quarters (71%) of bartenders draw inspiration from culinary arts when creating cocktails. The popularity of savory and herbaceous flavors and ingredients showed an interest growing by 20% and 15% respectively. Resy’s⁴ take on the trend is Snack-tails Cocktails “whose garnish is so good it’s like a snack with your cocktail. Or is it a cocktail with your snack?” This trend is not specific to the U.S. and is apparent across the pond. According to a Condé Nast Traveller’s⁵ July 12, 2024 article, as the line between food and drinks blurs, ingredients such as caviar, tomatoes, butter, olive oil, garlic, and even seaweed are cropping up in bars. Savory flavors are also not reserved for cocktails but are trickling into coffee culture. Coffee’s Next Act was one of the nine predictions for 2025 that the New York Times⁶ featured and savory coffee drinks are the next wave. AF&CO & Carbonate’s 17th Annual 2025 Hospitality Trends Report⁷suggests, “The miso latte and its umami-driven compatriots are the next drinks to watch for.”

Tomato Is Up-And-Coming

Tomato is a growing inspiration in food, beverage, home fragrance, and fashion. For example, Technomic⁸named 2024: The Year of the Tomato, while Menu Matters⁹ identified tomato water, “the liquid extracted from tomatoes [which] is full of rich umami flavor” as a trending menu ingredient. One of TikTok’s viral 2023 trends was “Tomato Girl Summer,” a “Mediterranean-inspired aesthetic.” Malin and Goetz released an alcohol-free Tomato Home Spray with an odor-neutralizing technology. Tomatoes are a savory ingredient commonly used in beverages like V8 and Bloody Mary. This year, V8 launched two limited-edition flavors: Spicy Chipotle and Hot Honey. The Spicy Chipotle contains roasted red peppers, dehydrated chili, and chipotle peppers, with natural smoke flavoring. V8 Hot Honey combines honey and chili pepper extract. These flavors illustrate how culinary trends influence mainstream consumer products. The Bloody Mary is a classic cocktail and is still popular. It was number 15 on Bacardi’s top 20 bar calls. Michelada like a Bloody Mary but with beer instead of vodka, is becoming more widespread. Newer tomato-based cocktails are emerging such as the Caprese Martini, which features vodka infused with tomato, basil, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. The Tomatini, a portmanteau of tomato and martini, is another contemporary example. Inspired by the Rhode Island pizza strip¹⁰ (a rectangular strip of focaccia dough covered with tomato sauce and dusted with Romano cheese), ISCO Spirits created a new spirit, Li’l Rhody Pizza Strip. The specialty spirit is made from real pizza strips from Pizza J and 100% organic wheat. ISCO enjoyed the creation process and is working on a second pizza vodka that will include cheese.

Trilogy Flavors predicts that savory cocktails will inspire new flavor combinations translated into alcoholic and non-alcoholic RTD beverages and other unexpected food and beverage segments. Trilogy Flavors offers a diverse portfolio of savory flavors for several applications. Raise a glass and contact us or request samples today.

Instant Noodles Get An Upgrade

According to the World Instant Noodles Association (WINA)¹¹, instant noodles are global with more than 100 billion servings consumed annually. The U.S. consumed 5.1 billion servings of instant noodles in 2023. Instant noodle sales are up as brands grow in the U.S. For example, in 2024, Maruchan’s sales¹² grew by 12.2% compared to the previous year, Nissin’s sales¹³ rose by 9.5%, and Nongshim’s sales¹⁴ increased by 22.6%. Buldak noodles by Samyang Foods Co. were introduced in the U.S. two years ago and have become the company’s largest overseas market with a 120% growth compared to last year¹⁵. Once an inexpensive college staple, ramen noodles are getting an upgrade thanks to social media. As of February 10, 2025, the hashtag #ramenhacks has garnered 25.3 thousand views¹⁶. “Instant noodle packs are now haute cuisine” as consumers customize and add a variety of ingredients and flavors such as bacon, butter, cheese, chili paste, curry powder, eggs, garlic, protein, Kewpie mayo, sesame seeds, shichimi-togarashi, soy sauce, and vegetables. Trendincite LLC¹⁷noted brands are developing innovative ramen flavors and creating plant-based options such as Cup Noodles Everything Bagel with Cream Cheese and ZENB’s line of vegan and gluten-free ramen. Totino’s, known for Pizza Rolls, debuted ramen in Cheese Pizza and Buffalo Chicken Pizza flavors. In addition to consumers elevating ramen, restaurants are highlighting customizable ramen. For example, Instant Noodle Factory in New York is a self-service, fast-casual instant ramen restaurant that serves 88+ types of packaged noodles with 40+ toppings. K-Ramyun (Korean ramen) in Texas is a self-serve shop that offers 50 different types of Korean ramyun. In South Korea, instant noodle mashups are also happening like the Ram-Don (a portmanteau of “ramen” and “udon”) or Jjapaguri, a combination of Chapagetti and Neoguri instant noodles¹⁸. According to Myojousa.com¹⁹, the biggest 2024 highlights were the growth of gourmet ramen shops focused on premium ingredients and hand-pulled noodles, and the shift towards higher-quality ramen products on supermarket shelves. “Ramen may be rooted in tradition, but a bowl of broth and noodles has become a known quantity for both chefs and diners, offering an established template ripe for riffing,” says Helen Rosner of Food Fanatics Magazine.

From marinades and sauces to meat and cheese snacks, Trilogy Flavors offers an array of savory flavors inspired by global culinary trends. Noodle on it and reach out to collaborate on your next savory flavor product formulation.

The Dubai Chocolate Effect

The Dubai Chocolate Bar (pistachio, kataifi, chocolate, and tahini) ranked fifth on the Top 10 Most Googled Food And Drink Recipes Of 2024²⁰. The Dubai Chocolate Bar was a viral phenomenon and checked all of the boxes for a sensorial experience. It is flavorful, colorful, textural, and auditorial and has inspired several flavor interpretations such as baked goods and ice cream. Taste Tomorrow’s research²¹ found that 72% of consumers actively seek foods with diverse textures and the Dubai Chocolate fits the bill. From May 2019 to April 2024, crunchy, smooth, and chewy were the leading texture claims used by global launches of confectionery and snacks, according to Mintel GNPD²².

This confection skyrocketed the status of the humble pistachio and pistachio flavors. For example, Spate’s research²³ found that Pistachio Desserts experienced a +888.6% increase. Tastewise showed social conversations about pistachios grew 10% with a 15% rise in interest in the nut as a confectionery ingredient over the past year. There has been a 60% rise in searches for pistachios since 2019 per Google Trends analysis²⁴. Like the viral cucumber sensation, increased consumer interest in pistachios created a supply chain strain. California produces 63% of the world’s supply of pistachio. Last year’s harvest saw a 69% increase from the previous year, setting a new state record. California exports about 80% of its pistachios and China experienced a 240% increase in consumption, surpassing that of the U.S²⁵. Pistachio is also appearing in other food and beverages. For example, in 2019 Starbucks launched a limited-time Pistachio Latte and brings it back annually for the winter menu, due to popular demand. According to AF&CO & Carbonate, pistachios “play a starring role in savory salads, sauces, drinks, and much more.” At the beginning of the year, Edenesque debuted Barista Blend Pistachio Milk available at all Whole Foods locations in New York State and Connecticut. Pistachio flavors are so popular they are even inspiring scented products such as Kayali Yum Pistachio Gelato 33 Perfume, Touchland Rich Pistachio Power Essence Body & Hair Fragrance Mist, and Yankee Candle The Hello, Italy! Pistachio Latte candle.

As social media offers inspiration, unexpected food and drink trends emerge. New flavors are continuously developed creating consumer demand. These trends trickle down into new flavors in consumer packaged goods found in supermarket aisles. Trilogy offers a range of flavors from sweet to nutty and everything in between for many applications such as baked goods, dairy, and nutrition and sports products. Stay on top of the trends and reach out to request your samples.

Flavor Experimentation Inspires New Products

Restaurants, cocktail bars, and food service continually experiment with ingredients, techniques, textures, and flavor combinations. Consumers are actively seeking new experiences and look to these outlets for options. Resy²⁶ noted that in 2024 restaurants reigned as the “third place” as diners center restaurants as a lifestyle mainstay and top leisure activity. VML Intelligence’s research²⁷ found that three-quarters (76%) of global consumers “agree that when something is magical it allows them to escape from the mundane,” while two-thirds “prefer to spend time in places that spark my imagination.” Restaurants and cocktail bars are rising to this challenge by creating elevated, awe-inspiring dining experiences that challenge the perceptions of our senses. Menu Matters’ data²⁸ revealed that 69% of consumers say that taste is important when making a food decision, just behind aroma at 61%. Furthermore, 40% of consumers say a multisensory experience is equally important in food and beverages. The culinary creativity in cocktail bars, restaurants, food service, and social media inspires new packaged food and beverage flavors. These experiences create opportunities for flavor suppliers to create flavor interpretations that bring the experience home and excite consumers. According to Innova Market Insights²⁹, one in three global consumers are intrigued by new, unique, and different flavors, while one in four are now attracted to interesting and exotic global flavor combinations.

Trilogy Flavors provides creative inspiration, cultural insights, and innovative solutions for your food and beverage formulas. We specialize in creating unique, high-quality flavors tailored to your specific needs. Reach out to collaborate and engage consumers.

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