FEATURE: What will drinkers order at the bar this winter?

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As interest ramps up, The Morning Advertiser takes a look at what consumers are going to be ordering at the bar this winter.

As fans of ‘80s TV sitcom Only Fools and Horses will recall, lead character Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter, was partial to a cocktail. Many of which were consumed at Peckham pub – the Nags Head – with maligned publican Mike being the one responsible for concocting Del’s adventurous requests like a Caribbean Stallion, Singapore Sling or a Tia Maria & Lucozade.

Del Boy’s drinking habits were considered exceptional at the time. Today, cocktails – albeit less garish ones than those requested by a south London market trader – are more accessible across the on-trade, says Katie Lawton, insights manager for UK&I BevAl on-trade at NielsenIQ, meaning customers are as likely to order a Margarita or a Negroni as they are a pint of Guinness or a glass of wine.

“We’ve seen venues broaden their cocktail offerings beyond traditional cocktail bars, helped by the rise of simpler serves that are easier to execute consistently. As a result, consumers are encountering cocktails in a wider range of venues and occasions than ever before.”

Cocktails are also a popular choice with a growing number of customers, the latest Mixed Drinks Report by NIQ, powered by CGA Intelligence, reveals.

Data from the report published in August, shows the on-trade cocktail market was worth £733m in the 12 months to March, with year-on-year growth at 3%.

Nathan Last, on-trade channel director at Pernod Ricard, says cocktails appear to be immune to the effects of the cost-of-living crisis with consumers shown to be more likely to pay extra for a higher quality drink every year for the past four years (source: NIQ, CGA Brandtrack October 2025)

“We see this reflected in the numbers, as 14% of all on-trade outlets across Great Britain have closed, since Covid, but we’ve gained 40% more cocktail bars over the same period,” he says, citing the GA Hospitality and Nighttime Market Monitors March 2020-March 2026.

There’s even better news for pubs and bars with cocktails on their drinks list: Of the spirits drinkers NIQ surveyed for its Mixed Drinks Report, 56% said they were drinking cocktails weekly while 40% are drinking more cocktails than they did a year ago.

“Cocktails are increasingly moving from an occasional treat to a more habitual choice for many consumers,” asserts Lawton, adding that while people are going out less frequently, they are placing greater value on those occasions and therefore seeking drinks ‘that enhance the overall experience’.

Cocktails have become a more habitual choice for drinkers but before you dust off the Boston cocktail shakers and order more spirits to expand the list, there are some trends you should note.

Putting on the spritz

While consumers are ordering more cocktails at the pub, they don’t want to fall over after they’ve drunk one, nor do they want to pay high prices associated with high ABV, or elaborate (so long, liquid nitrogen) concoctions.

Moderation, instead is what’s reshaping cocktail consumption of today, according to NIQ. Its data shows 64% of spirits consumers want to see more low or medium strength options when they go out. That number rises to 73% among 18 to 34-year-olds.

One beneficiary of this move to moderation is the spritz. While a spritz traditionally comprises an Italian wine (usually Prosecco), mixed with a bitter liqueur, syrup and soda, there are no strict rules around ingredients, so it has inspired lighter, longer styles of cocktail.

“Spritz is now the leading cocktail style in the GB on-premise and the emergence of serves such as the Hugo Spritz alongside the Aperol Spritz suggests consumers are increasingly drawn to lighter, more refreshing cocktails that work across multiple occasions,” says Lawton.

It’s a trend Anthony Peart, bar manager at the Mutton at Hazeley Heath, in Hampshire, has seen first-hand. This summer, the country pub introduced a dedicated spritz menu comprising four options, three of which used a 16% ABV Rosé Vermouth from the Asterley Bros as their alcohol base.

While this special menu was created strictly for the summer months and won’t be replaced for the winter, Peart is mindful of keeping things low in both the alcohol and price stakes with this season’s cocktail list.

“The low & no alcohol category across wine, cocktails and spirits has exploded,” he says. “People have become more health-conscious and want to see more bang for their buck as well. Spritzes are a good shout when money is tighter, because they’re low ABV, they tend not to cost as much as another cocktail.”

“Lighter and longer spritz serves are particularly popular at the moment,” agrees Last at Pernod Ricard which saw Lillet Spritz sales in bars and pubs increase by 33% this summer.

The Hugo Spritz and Aperitivo Spritz are so popular at the bar at London hotel The Standard, they are available on draught. Cocktail specialist Black Lines, which also serves its RTD cocktails such as the Negroni, Paloma and Aperitivo Spritz in its bar Little Lines on London’s King’s Road, supplies these to the hotel, which, as its names suggests, has high standards.

“Draught allows us to meet that expectation while working at the pace and volume of a busy hotel. The cocktails are batched and balanced in advance, meaning the team can deliver a consistent, high-quality serve quickly,” says Black Lines co-founder Kuleen Khimasia.

Whether pre-mixed or created on the spot, Aperol and Hugo Spritz have both been runaway hits and are unlikely to fall out of favour as we move into the colder months, but Last thinks consumers will be looking for alternative flavours and base spirits as we head towards the festive season. Absolut Vanilla Hugo Spritz is his suggested tweak.

Meanwhile, Peart will continue to offer the Mutton’s house cocktail – the Hazy Heath, a blend of Gin Chin Dry Gin, Martini Rosso, elderflower cordial, lime and ginger ale – as its alternative to a spritz.

“With the ginger ale in there, you could argue it’s a spritz, but it doesn’t have the soda or Prosecco. In the colder months, if people aren’t drinking spritzes, they might go for a Tom or a John Collins and switch that aperitivo to whisky or gin.”

Ho ho low and no

Of course, another way to meet demand for ‘moderate’ cocktails is to discard alcohol from them altogether.

Social acceptance of non-alcoholic spirits is rising with 72% of spirits drinkers now feeling confident enough to order one, according to NIQ’s consumer survey. Nevertheless, 34% don’t see what non-alcoholic spirits add to a drink and 22% consider them poor value for money.

More positively, however, 51% of those who have tried non-alcoholic cocktails are converted and will try them again.

That’s certainly the case At Mr Fogg’s, the group of London-based cocktail bars and taverns. The operator is renowned for its inventive, adventurous – and vast – cocktail offering, yet asked about which ones are most popular and the non-alcoholic versions of ‘Fogg’s Favourites’ its 10 most popular creations – is a surprising reply.

Cocktails like Perfect Timing, which uses Smiling Wolf non-alcoholic functional agave to replace tequila and Everleaf Forest aperitif in place of Cointreau are ‘not just popular around dry January,’ says its head of bars Simone Spagnoli, noting that the festive party season is when ‘non-alc serves’ really gain in popularity.

Black Lines also developed the Shirley Temple as its first non-alcoholic cocktail in response to growing demand.

“Expectations around non-alcoholic drinking have changed significantly,” says Khimasia. “Consumers are looking for more than a soft drink alternative; they want something that feels considered, grown-up and worthy of the same drinking occasions as an alcoholic cocktail.”

Seasonal spirits

While the overarching trend in cocktails this winter is moderation, it is premiumisation in the spirits category.

“Consumers may be more conscious about how often they drink or how much they spend but when they do choose to go out, they still want their drink to feel worth it. That means quality ingredients, interesting flavour combinations, eye-catching presentation and serves that genuinely elevate the experience rather than simply ordering another drink for the sake of it,” explains Craig Chapman, head of brand at Global Brands.

Much noise is made about the type of spirit that is set to take the on-trade by storm, but debate around whether ‘gin’s bubble has burst’ and what will take its place – rum, tequila or vodka? – is irrelevant says Patrick McCaig, managing director at Otter Brewery, who predicts premium and artisanal spirits – of any type – will take centre stage.

“This piggybacks off the growth of experiential dining, especially when there is a unique, locally distilled spirit on the menu.”

British-produced spirits with a genuine story attached – like aperitif Sipello – are sought out by Peart for use at the Mutton. His own-made spiced rum – Fr’um – inspired by time spent on his grandfather’s farm in Jamaica – features on the Mutton’s drinks list and is used in cocktail The Dark Side.

Listing spirits from small producers fits with Peart’s own ethos and that of the pub where he works where care is taken over all aspects – from the food to the décor, to the drinks – so it’s an easy sell.

“Owning a small business myself influences how I think, so, you know, collaborating with small boutique companies that make their products really well, especially when they’re made in Britain makes sense.”

Research by Lumina Intelligence for its UK Alcohol Trends 2026: What’s Changing Across Beer, Wine and Spirits report suggests bars would be wise to stock up on premium spirits, especially as we approach a time of indulgence.

“Their [spirits] increased share and frequency is supported by higher spend per occasion and stronger alignment with how people now drink. Moreover, they fit the ‘less but better’ mindset of the modern drinker,” it says in its report.

Pushed to suggest a winning premium spirit to back this festive season, experts agree on tequila.

Nick Gillett of ‘spirits innovators’ Mangrove Global is disregarding the ‘tequila boom is over’ headlines and putting his money on higher end brands like Arette’s, which is distilled by a fifth-generation family in Jalisco, Mexico.

“The premium end is where it’s happening. Ultra-premium tequila has kept climbing for years while the middle of the market has cooled off. That’s the middle getting squeezed while the top keeps growing, which tends to happen once a spirit stops being a trend and starts being taken seriously.”

“We expect tequila to perform well this festive season, with premium names such as Altos offering an elevated take on party staples,” agrees Nathan Last at Pernod Ricard.

Tequila is also a true workhorse, providing the base for popular cocktails.

“Over the past couple of years, we have seen a huge lift in tequila-based cocktails, with Margaritas and palomas still being the most popular cocktails served across Mr Fogg’s portfolio,” says Spagnoli.

Peart at the Mutton is dabbling with using tequila as the base for a special festive cocktail, subverting the idea that festive spirits must be dark, like whisky or brandy.

“I’ve been working on a cocktail using coconut tequila, coconut purée and pineapple juice. For Christmas, it’s about how a cocktail looks as much as it tastes and this cocktail, once complete, has a white, fluffy texture. Bartending is all about being creative and this I see as a riff on the idea of what we associate as being Christmassy.”

Put this on your Christmas list

The must-have cocktails and spirits for the festive season

Margarita

This classic cocktail continues to be a hit with drinkers of all ages and is open to adaptation (frozen, strawberry, spicy and even cranberry – Nathan Last’s festive suggestion – are popular variants).

“It’s perfectly balanced. You’ve got the sweetness from the agave syrup, the tartness from the lime and the punch and zing from the tequila. It’s not too boozy if you make it well” – Anthony Peart, the Mutton at Hazeley Heath

“Sour-style cocktails like the Margarita are growing in popularity, as consumers seek these fresher, more balanced, and more premium flavour profiles” – Nathan Last, Pernod Ricard

The Shirley Temple

The original non-alcoholic cocktail. A blend of grenadine, ginger ale and garnished with a maraschino cherry, this sweet red-hued drink named after the child star has a festive feel.

“Our Shirley Temple has also become a really important part of the range as our first non-alcoholic cocktail. Expectations around non-alcoholic drinking have changed significantly. Consumers are looking for more than a soft drink alternative; they want something that feels considered, grown-up and worthy of the same drinking occasions as an alcoholic cocktail” – Kuleen Khimasia, Black Lines

Tequila

There’s been much speculation around the success of this fiery Mexican spirit but research shows its time is very much now. Tequila’s versatility is a huge selling point – it can be served alone and included in current cocktail favourites, the Paloma and the Margarita (see above) with the emergence of premium variants providing a broader offering for adventurous pubs.

“It’s a clear spirit that people are familiar with and enjoy in different ways” – Anthony Peart, the Mutton at Hazeley Heath

Warmth

It’s an obvious suggestion to turn up the heat in the glass as the temperature drops outside but any type of mixed drink that warms rather than refreshes – from a mulled Kir Royale (on the Mutton’s list) to a Spicy Margarita (check out Black Lines’ Spicy Tommy’s Margarita) should take precedence.

“A Negroni or an Amaro sour does more work on a cold night than a G&T ever will and menus that lean into that now will be ahead of the ones who wait until December to notice” – Nick Gillett, Mangrove Global