What does drinking look like in 2025?

Our beverage team weighs in on what to expect in the coming year

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Today, I want to hand things off to the José Andrés Group beverage team, a group of incredible people, smart and so creative. The team has been talking about what this year looks like across all of our JAG restaurants—what people are drinking right now, what trends are popping up this year, and how we can stay ahead of the curve to offer the most creative and interesting drinks we can.

Here’s what they had to say:

Spirit-free and low alcohol cocktails are having a big moment.

Dry January has been a trend for a while, but more and more people are embracing the “sober-curious” movement. Gen Z also happens to drink less than the generations before it. These trends are driving the industry to experiment with zero proof and lower alcohol drink options, creating great cocktails without alcohol instead of just relying on standard soft drinks and “mocktails” (a name that many people don’t like!).

Ticket to Nowhere, one of the spirit-free cocktails we have on a few of our menus, with flavors of ginger, citrus, mint, and heat from Thai chili!

Daniel Grajewski, JAG’s beverage director, says his team spends more time tasting non-alcoholic products than wines, beers or spirits: “the hot trend in the industry is finding exciting ways to bring the level of spirit free drinks to the forefront. There are non-alcoholic spirits being made by leaders like Seedlip and Lyre's that are giving bartenders more options to work with. And beer companies are finally creating great non-alcoholic beers that taste like the real thing.” Kara Daving, lead sommelier at The Bazaar New York, NoMad, talks about the spirit-free movement as more of a lifestyle than a trend: “I hope N/A options continue to evolve. While I love wine and sharing it at every table, great conversations can happen with or without alcohol. There’s so much room for discovery—whether exploring terroir or unique drinks like mushroom teas.” And Amanda Fewster, the beverage director at our new restaurants at The Shay in Culver City, agrees that spirit-free options are here to stay: “I think it’s more about functional drinking. Be it low ABV or no ABV, adaptogen-infused, or something else, people just want to feel good after they indulge.”

Look for unexpected ingredients on cocktail menus.

Classic cocktails will always exist. Just ask an industry professional: the daiquiri is often a litmus test for a bartender (as we learned on The Chef’s List post where we met a few of these people and heard about their favorite bars in the world!). People will always drink Manhattans and martinis and old-fashioneds. But today, creativity behind the bar means that anything, when balanced properly, can be a cocktail ingredient (did any of you try our paella rice negroni??). Amy Hosseinnian, bar manager at Oyamel, says she thinks we’ll see more and more savory and umami elements like mushrooms, miso, and foie gras in cocktails. Amanda echoes this and also the importance of herbals: “I think herbal ingredients are about to have a 'glow up,’ …medicinal qualities of herbs and tea are coming to the forefront of the industry.” And Adam Zeitler, beverage manager at Jaleo in DC, emphasizes the importance of seasonality: “In a Spanish restaurant that sells a lot of sangria, keeping up to date with seasonal fruit in cocktails—like strawberry, clementine, quince, and honey crisp apple— is crucial.”

Doesn’t that look refreshing?

A great cocktail program is intentional.

There’s nothing wrong with offering the classics and doing them well, but a great cocktail program also keeps growing and innovating. Daniel stresses the importance of this at all levels of dining: “While it is almost expected to get great drinks at ‘fine dining’ establishments, I hope that restaurants and bars at all levels continue to try and serve great drinks.” Amy feels this intention can translate to sustainability: “I hope that there is an increasing emphasis on transparency with spirits brands and sustainability efforts. As businesses we can have a greater impact by reducing waste.”

People are investing in their home bars.

As more and more people are becoming serious about cooking at home, the same goes for cocktails. More information than ever is available online, especially video tutorials, and people are using their newfound knowledge to take cocktail making into their own hands. From Adam: “Ever since Covid hit, people have gotten really serious about being able to create restaurant-quality cocktails or dishes from the comfort of their home. We have far more people coming into the bar and asking for tips on how to stock up their home bars than ever before. It’s really fun to be able to help open that world to them.” (If you want some tips, we’ve shared some here before!)

Bars and restaurants are a great place to find community.

While many people have taken home cooking and cocktail making to a whole new level, there is still nothing quite like going out to experience a meal or a drink prepared by the best of the best, no matter your reason for leaving home. From Amanda: “I feel a disconnect between the public and the restaurant community, but they truly belong together—that's where even bigger communities grow, and I am hopeful we can get back there this year.” She also emphasizes the importance of collaboration within the industry: “pop ups and collaborations will be big, our industry needs the camaraderie, and I think the general public enjoys the excitement of it.”

Our people will always innovate, create, and meet the moment.

When you put smart, creative, and passionate people together, they push boundaries and innovate. That happens in every industry, and it’s especially true in restaurants. Daniel emphasizes the importance of embracing change: “while we are always happy to be trend setters, we are also embracing current trends in the market…not to just be a part of it, but to be a leader of the trend. We are also doing our best to get the word out by doing events like Tales of the Cocktail, Bar Convent Brooklyn, Athens Bar Week, hosting other bars for Guest Shifts in our bars, or doing guest shifts all over the world!”

A few members of the team bartending at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans in 2023

Amanda echoes the importance of spreading the word and staying in touch with your community: “staying in tune with the needs and interests of the community is a way we will always stay ahead as a group. Listening and learning is key. The team works so hard, and I'd love for everyone putting their best foot forward to receive that deserved recognition.” And even in a place as massive as New York City, our team keeps it local. From Kara: “guests love hearing terms like small batch and local. Our culinary team started a rooftop apiary, and we are working on fitting their honey into our bar's cocktails, creating a true taste of place.”

José here again…let’s hear it for my amazing beverage team! Are you noticing anything new at your favorite cocktail bars and restaurants? What are some of the most surprising things you’ve seen?