Connections, Local Flavors, and Luxurious Experiences Top the 2026 Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- The five defining trends set to reshape cocktail culture and the spirits industry in 2026 are highlighted in the seventh annual Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report. The Report released by Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held international spirits company, in partnership with The Future Laboratory (TFL), draws on data from Bacardi-led and third-party research, consumer surveys, bartender interviews and TFL’s trend forecasting to uncover the forces shaping cocktail experiences, flavor innovation, and drinking culture in the year ahead. The Report also reveals the cocktails which are set to be the most popular in 2026 and trends for younger Legal Drinking Age (LDA) consumers.

“Gen Z isn’t drinking less, they’re simply drinking earlier, lighter, and with more intention,” says Sean Kerry, Vice President for Global On-Trade for Bacardi. “Around the world, we’re seeing a move towards more meaningful drinking moments whether that means in-person get-togethers with friends, discovering flavors rooted in local culture, or embracing new forms of creative expression through cocktails.”

"Consumers are moving from curating experiences to cultivating connections. The pendulum has swung from digital convenience to human creativity, and the drinks industry sits at the center of that shift,” says Martin Raymond, Co-Founder of The Future Laboratory. “In 2026, value will be defined not by scarcity or status, but by depth: the provenance of ingredients, the stories behind serves, and the ability to transform a moment into meaning.”

Here are the macro-trends defining the spirits industry in 2026:

1. AFTERNOON SOCIETY

Happy hour is having a cultural renaissance as earlier-day indulgence replaces late-night excess. The rise of "daycaps" (cocktails enjoyed in the late afternoon to close the workday) marks a shift toward micro-celebrations that fit modern routines. Across regions, people are heading out to drink, eat, and socialize earlier in the evenings. Notably, younger LDA consumers are leading the charge, with over half of those in France (51%) and more than one third in the U.S. (34%) reshaping routines around earlier evenings, according to the Bacardi Global Consumer Survey (GCS). Daytime drinking now revolves around Spritz culture, mood-based cocktails, and small serves that tap into the sweet treat economy. It’s not about escape; it’s about new rhythm and new routines of enjoyment that fit your energy and your calendar.

2. REWILDING CONNECTION

As social life recalibrates away from constant connectivity, drinkers are seeking intentional, offline experiences that prioritize presence over performance. With 84% of consumers saying technology has made social interactions feel less personal, bars and brands are designing shared, analog moments that feel human again—think screen-free gatherings, communal serves, analog entertainment, and rituals that spark real conversation. From martini flights to micro-format gatherings, Rewilding Connection reflects a consumer desire to slow down, tune back in, and rediscover the social magic of enjoying a cocktail together.

3. NEW LOCALOGY

As changing trade conditions and transparency reshape the industry, bars are evolving into laboratories of local flavor – harnessing micro-farms, regional ecologies, and scientific experimentation to pioneer a new future of mixology. This movement is not about replacing internationally celebrated spirits, but about elevating them through locally sourced ingredients, garnishes, and flavor accents that root each serve in its environment. Here, every sip is as much about terroir and technique as it is about transparency – catering to new consumer preferences to savor not only the flavor, but the place and process behind it. In fact, three-quarters (77%) check ingredient origin labels, seeking locally sourced ingredients.

4. THE LIQUID EXPERIENCE IP

No longer just vessels for a taste experience, cocktails and drinks brands are transforming into full spectrum lifestyle experiences that blend fashion, music, design, travel and sport into cohesive cultural identities. Gen Z and millennials choose brands that reflect their identity, and 70% of people who say emotional engagement drives loyalty. Bars and brands are responding with immersive cocktail worlds, drink characters, playlist pairings, traveling pop-up menus, and branded sensory elements like scent, sound, and storytelling. In 2026, a cocktail isn’t just ordered; it’s experienced, collected, and followed like a creator brand.

5. MORE IS MORE MIXOLOGY

After years of “quiet luxury” minimalism, maximalism is back behind the bar with showstopping cocktails full of glamor and theatrics. Over three quarters of the Bacardi GCS participants (76%) value heightened, memorable experiences as bars embrace edible pearls, metallic garnishes, evolving flavor layers, fire presentations, and high-drama glassware. Loud luxury venues—from Dubai to Las Vegas—prove that joyfully excessive design and unapologetic opulence are in. In a world still healing from burnout, people don’t just want a drink, they want a moment.

Globally, the top 10 cocktails in 2026 will be:

1. Margarita

2. Mojito

3. Piña Colada

4. Rum and Coke®

5. Whisky and Coke®

6. Spritz

7. Vodka Lemonade

8. Vodka Soda

9. Gin & Tonic

10. Dry Martini Cocktail

Download the complete 2026 Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report and Infographic.

About Bacardi Limited

Bacardi Limited, the world’s largest privately held international spirits company, produces, markets, and distributes spirits and wines. The Bacardi Limited portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including BACARDÍ® rum, PATRÓN® tequila, GREY GOOSE® vodka, DEWAR’S® Blended Scotch whisky, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, MARTINI® vermouth and sparkling wines, CAZADORES® 100% blue agave tequila, and other leading and emerging brands including D’USSÉ® Cognac, ANGEL’S ENVY® American straight whiskey, and ST-GERMAIN® elderflower liqueur. Founded more than 163 years ago in Santiago de Cuba, family-owned Bacardi Limited currently employs approximately 8,000, operates production facilities in 10 countries and territories, and sells its brands in more than 160 markets. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. Visit http://www.bacardilimited.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

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