Consumers want innovative flavour combinations in their beverages

The third annual Seasonal Flavor Guide from flavour supplier FlavorSum offers insights on food and beverage flavour trends across spring, summer, fall, and winter. The new report reveals that seasonal and limited-edition flavours can drive sales across multiple categories, including beverages, and that North American consumers are seeking new and innovative flavour combinations in their beverages.

For example, the FlavorSum report finds that 26% Canadians (respondents), 23% of Americans (respondents) and 23% global respondents agree that seasonal/limited flavours impact product choices.

In-season fruits link with the Spring and Summer, with spicier and darker flavours trending during the Fall and Winter. Fresh and tropical fruit flavours like peach, mango, and pineapple are popular during the warmer months, while ginger, tonic, and cranberry are launched more often during the cooler months.

The FlavorSum report finds that the Top Ten flavours associated with Spring and Summer – in the Refreshing Beverages category – include:

1. Blood Orange
2. Berry
3. Peach
4. Blackberry (new)
5. Black cherry
6. Pineapple
7. Peach Mango
8. Lime & Watermelon (new)
9. Grapefruit (new)
10. Cream Soda

One of FlavorSum’s ‘Flavors to Watch’ in 2024, moved into one of the Top Ten popular flavours this year — blackberry.

Flavours to watch for the Spring and Summer 2025 include: basil strawberry, lime coconut, calamansi (a small, sour, and fragrant citrus fruit, a hybrid of kumquat and mandarin orange, popular in the Philippines and Southeast Asia), coconut and blackberry lemon. Per FlavorSum, “looking outside of the Top Ten shows that unique fruits and fruit combinations are trending in social discussion.”

The Top Ten flavours associated with Fall and Winter 2025 – in the Refreshing Beverages category – include:

1. Tonic
2. Cola
3. Lemon & Lime
4. Lemonade
5. Strawberry
6. Ginger Beer (new)
7. Cranberry
8. Root Beer (new)
9. Ginger Ale (new)
10. Orangeade (new)

Flavours to watch for the Fall and Winter, according to FlavorSum, include: apple lychee, cherry cola, cranberry raspberry, pink grapefruit, and apple pomegranate. Per the report, “in-season tree fruits and berries are gaining momentum outside of the Top Ten. Often combined with more novel fruits, these familiar plus novel pairings are gaining traction in the social discussion.”

Many of the flavours on both Top Ten lists could do well as teas, either as herbal/botanical teas (blends or stand-alone) –and some already are (e.g. cranberry hibiscus, lemon, lemon ginger, etc.) or in blends with Camellia sinensis.

Curiously, lavender, which emerged last year and the ‘it’ ingredient/flavour across many beverage categories, including coffee (it became the spring/summer’s answer to ‘pumpkin spice’ for coffee shops/coffee houses and cafés), is not on FlavorSum’s list last year or this year. Furthermore, another popular flavour to emerge this year – horchata – did not make FlavorSum’s 2024 or 2025 list. To that end, it is interesting that pumpkin spice, which is a favourite fall flavour across multiple beverage categories, not just coffee and tea, is not on the list.

But which flavour or will any of the flavours on FlavorSum’s Top Ten lists translate to popular flavours for coffee beverages?

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal, [email protected]