How Does a Cocktail Become the Drink of Summer?
"Have you ever noticed that every summer seems to have a drink?"
One year it's an Aperol Spritz. Another year it's an Espresso Martini. Now it feels like everyone has a Paloma in their hand. Suddenly it's on menus. It's all over social media. Your friends are ordering it. And before you know it, it becomes part of the season
But have you ever stopped and wondered...
Who actually decides what the drink of the summer is?
Most of us don't question it. We order the drink, enjoy the moment, and move on and never stop to think about how that happens.
Recently, we found ourselves asking that exact question.
What actually makes a cocktail become the drink of summer?
and Who decides what becomes the drink of summer?
At first, it seems obvious,
A good recipe,
A nice garnish
Bit of sunshine.
But after spending time behind the scenes with some of the biggest drinks brands in the world, we realised there's far more to it than that.
So what actually makes a cocktail become the drink of the summer?
1. It has to be easy to drink.
The biggest summer cocktails all have one thing in common.
They're refreshing.
They're approachable.
You don't need to be a cocktail expert to enjoy them.
Think about the Aperol Spritz, the Hugo Spritz or the Paloma. They're light, bright and built for long afternoons in the sun.
2. It has to be easy for bars to make.
The best-selling cocktails aren't usually the most complicated.
If a drink uses accessible ingredients, can be built quickly and served consistently, more venues will add it to their menus.
The easier it is to make, the easier it is for people to discover.
3. People need to see other people drinking it.
Cocktails spread through conversation.
Someone posts it online.
A friend orders one.
A festival serves it.
A rooftop bar adds it to the menu.
Suddenly everyone wants to know what they're missing.
That's how drinks become part of the culture.
4.The story has to be bigger than the recipe.
This was probably the biggest surprise for us.
The cocktails that stick around usually have something behind them.
A place.
A tradition.
A brand.
A memory.
People don't just remember what they drank.
They remember where they were when they drank it.
That's what creates trends.
Which brings us to the people quietly shaping them.
Who's responsible for shaping these trends?
Global drinks companies like Bacardi spend years building experiences around their brands, partnering with festivals, bars and venues to introduce signature serves to new audiences.
If you've ever wondered why an Aperol Spritz suddenly seemed to be everywhere a few summers ago, or why Espresso Martinis exploded in popularity, there's usually a huge amount of planning happening behind the scenes.
This year, Bacardi are putting their focus behind two serves.
The Patrón Paloma.
And the St-Germain Spritz
First of the rising star, Patron Paloma. A cocktail that has quietly gone from being relatively unknown outside of Mexico to appearing on menus across the world.
The drink didn't change overnight.
What changed was the conversation around it.
More bars started serving it.
More people started sharing it.
More brands started investing in it.
And slowly, it became part of the culture.
Will they become the drinks of the summer? Only time will tell.
Because no matter how much planning goes into a campaign, the final decision always belongs to us.
This year, there's a new comer. The St-Germain Spritz.
To most people, it's a refreshing summer cocktail. But behind it sits a story that starts long before the drink reaches the glass. Hand-picked elderflowers, a short harvesting window, careful production methods, and years spent building a reputation around quality.
The Paloma continues its rise after a huge summer last year, while the St-Germain Spritz is hoping to become this year's sunshine favourite by introducing more people to elderflower through a lighter, floral take on the classic spritz.
Why Some Drinks Become More Than Drinks?
The more we looked into it, the more we realised something surprising.
Cocktails don't become popular on flavour alone.
They become popular because of the moments attached to them.
The rooftop drinks with friends.
The festival where you tried one for the first time.
The holiday where it became your go-to order.
The sunny afternoon that somehow turned into an evening.
That's what people remember.
Not the exact measurements.
The feeling.
And that's what many of the world's biggest drinks brands understand so well.
They're not just introducing cocktails.
They're creating opportunities for people to experience them.
At festivals, In bars, At events.
In places where stories are made.
Because when a drink becomes part of a great memory, it has a habit of sticking around.
That's why every summer seems to have a drink.
It's never just about what's in the glass.
It's about where the glass takes you.
And honestly, that's probably why we love drinks culture so much.
Behind every trend is a story.
Behind every cocktail is a community.
And behind every great sip is usually a conversation waiting to happen.
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