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Gen Z is reshaping the beverage industry, with TikTok trends fueling more people to emulate cafe baristas and bartenders by creating their own drinks at home. Torani, a longtime staple in beverage syrups, is always on the lookout for the next trending flavor, paying close attention to what people are making at home, from nutty coffees to vanilla-flavored energy drinks.
Andrea Ramirez, Torani’s consumer market insights manager, has been with the company since 2001 and has seen beverage consumption trends change dramatically. The company’s main product used to be flavored hot coffee, which was typically served with cream, sugar and flavors like vanilla or caramel. But around 2016, Ramirez noticed iced drinks becoming more prominent among consumers.
“We want to establish ourselves in the space of personalized beverage experiences that incorporate more layers of flavor and bring novelty and excitement,” Ramirez said.
The company sells more than 150 flavored syrups designed for both retail and commercial use. for Foodservice In cafes and other places, it is made both with and without sugar to give the drink a unique taste. Sugar Free There’s a wide variety to choose from, including vanilla, caramel, coconut, raspberry, peanut butter cup, Belgian cookie, macadamia nut, and Irish cream.
the The latest syrup, dragon fruit, was released in April.was created in collaboration with a Vietnamese coffee shop in Kansas City. Seeing the flavor’s growing popularity, Torani’s food scientists tested several varieties of the slightly sweet syrup designed for use in flavored waters, cocktails and coffee.
Foodservice Trends Ramirez said the spaces, with machines like Coca-Cola’s Freestyle soft drink machines, encourage people to try new flavors, especially in the Southwest, such as Utah. A custom soda shop that makes “dirty” drinks The flavours, which include Coca-Cola, Sprite, coconut lime and creamer, have also become popular through word of mouth. Trani Alongside this change came a greater variety of flavours.
Torani told Food Dive that annual sales recently surpassed $500 million for the first time. The company’s current surge in popularity dates back to the start of the pandemic in 2020, when the coffee shops and drive-thru restaurants where the company typically thrives were forced to close.
“Our business has really grown because we offer a professional-grade product that allows consumers to create their own café-quality drinks at home,” Ramirez said.
Torani dragon fruit syrup.
Courtesy of Torani
Meet the moment
Ramirez said manufacturers in the flavor industry are constantly searching for “the next pumpkin spice,” a flavor that will dominate the food and beverage industry.
“The time frame is short, but consumer enthusiasm is huge,” Ramirez said.
Passion for fall-themed flavors led the company to develop Kettle Corn Syrup after conducting consumer research.
Part of Torani’s approach to new flavor innovation comes from mapping major news events and thinking about how they fit into the zeitgeist: The company’s 2022 and 2023 flavor syrups of the year, Salted Egg Yolk and Toasted Black Sesame, were born from Gen Z’s love of “Instagrammable” experiences and the growth of tapioca in Asian-inspired drinks.
Trani 2024 Flavor of the Year: Galaxy SyrupThe striking purple drink has notes of raspberry, dark rum and “a hint of minerality” and is designed to be mixed into matcha, energy drinks and cold brew. The company consulted with Dr. Robin T. Garrod, an astronomy professor at the University of Virginia, to model the flavor after Sagittarius B2, the compound that gives raspberries their distinctive taste, according to Torani.
The Galaxy flavor was inspired by this April’s solar eclipse and several other space launches scheduled for this year. The company also observed how much younger generations are resonating with horoscopes and astrology.
“There are always cyclical events, but also one-off events like a solar eclipse, and we want to find ways to bring those new sensory experiences to life,” Ramirez said. “It’s always fun predicting what’s going to happen next and narrowing it down from over 100 ideas.”
The boom in energy and functional drinks
The company is always on the lookout for new and unique flavors, but there is a tectonic shift happening in the beverage industry where Torani wants to meet demand.
The company predicts that both energy drinks and functional drinks will continue to grow rapidly over the next few years. Ramirez cited figures from Bevnet Magazine and Circana that show energy drink sales have grown 51% since 2021 to $21 billion. The sports drinks category has similarly seen sales grow 49% over the past three years and is now worth about $4 billion.
“There are always cyclical events, but also one-off events like a solar eclipse. We want to find ways to bring those new sensory experiences.”
Andrea Ramirez
Consumer Market Insights Manager at Torani
Two other trends taking hold among younger consumers are defining the future of the beverage industry: skyrocketing sales of hydration drinks containing electrolytes, from Unilever’s Liquid IV packs to Prime soft drinks, and the growing use of reusable water bottles from brands like Stanley and Owara.
