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Fulton, Summit, Surly, Fair State. The Twin Cities is among the leaders in the independent craft brewing trend, and its popularity locally inspired us to explore its effect nationally. The craft movement taps into consumer desires for unique, innovative experiences when they dine, and it has exploded into a wider variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic options such as craft liquor and even craft soda.

Inspired by local pride, we decided to dig deeper and discovered that craft beer is only the tip of the iceberg in national beverage trends.

Similar to general trends in the food industry overall, consumers have become much more health conscious in their selection of beverages. This has led to a marked decline in consumption of soda, milk, juice and other highly processed or sugary drinks. And a variety of healthier options, such as non-dairy, plant-based “milks,” premium juices and bottled water, have risen to fill the gap.

Convenience and functionality are also key in consumers’ beverage choices. The popular desire to grab-and-go has led to a frenzy of ready-to-drink novelty beverages such as energy drinks, tea and coffee. If you incorporate a stop at Starbucks or Caribou into your morning ritual, you are part of the trend.

So how do beverage companies reach consumers during this new craze, and how do they make their product the “drink of choice”? For starters, they make it healthy, make it unique and make it easy for consumers to integrate into their busy lives. To learn more about how these trends impact categories inside and outside beverages, read the full report.

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