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After two lockdowns and Auckland doing the extended version, it’s intriguing to see how the drink trends have changed in the post-Covid New Zealand market.
After two lockdowns and Auckland doing the extended version, it’s intriguing to see how the drink trends have changed in the post-Covid New Zealand market.
We’ve always been that tiny island nation with amazing geographical range, a mere hour’s drive from Alpine awesomeness to sunny sandy beaches, with forests and rolling farmland in between. When hearing of a virus outbreak, my thought process was to compare NZ to that neighbour on the outskirts of town with the immaculate massive garden - none of that crazy virus stuff will make it here! Yup. I was so incredibly wrong.
Going into the first lockdown, we were on the tail end of the frose’ trend (slushy rose essentially) and kombucha was popping up everywhere. A lot more low/non-alcoholic options were becoming more available. During the lockdown period, most people could access spirits, but even with access to Youtube cocktail tutorials, it just hit differently.
Two things that people bought a ton of after lockdown were haircuts and cocktails. While hair stylists were repairing some valiant attempts at cutting hair, bartenders were whipping up your favourite rum old fashioned at your nearest local.
Obviously, being closed for two-and a-bit months did not do any favours to any businesses. But with a lack of social interaction outside of your household, a lot of internet access and a substantial percentage of kiwi ex-pats returning to Aotearoa, the other side of Covid was always bound to look different.
Lockdown gave people the opportunity to research their drinking choices - we became more informed about what we drank, where we could get it in a bar, and also made us look out for different things to try. Couple that with a lot of Kiwi’s returning from abroad who have seen international drink trends and we could expect some reflection here in our NZ industry. Negroni variations like the Sbagliato, Whiskey Highballs start popping up more regularly. Due to the natural integration of overseas trends here in NZ, bars were able to lean into this without having to “teach the market” too much.
Reading a cocktail menu can be quite daunting, especially when techniques and terms are used that can seem like a total foreign language. A lot of the time, it's easier to order a gin and tonic, beer, or wine instead of that sous vide Apricot Manhattan. While more common in smaller cities and towns, bars utilising advanced techniques or drinks would have to earn the trust of their patrons and build that reputation of being a bar that makes cool advanced cocktails. Without building that trust, epic cocktails on a list can get looked over or ignored due to looking too complex to try.
In terms of tasting notes that we saw trending, citrus forward flavours like yuzu and grapefruit were our summer drinks vibe, while a touch of floral was also present in cocktails and botanicals. Sours and Collins are all the rage now! Of course, the beloved espresso martini is still dominant and we’ve been seeing lots of creative riffs on them - and it makes sense with so many local roasters in Christchurch.
In Diffords Guide’s Top 100 Cocktails of 2022, the Pornstar Martini took the number one spot for the eighth year running, while espresso martinis came in 4th . Over the last few years, Pornstar martinis have made more of an appearance on general cocktail lists.
Coming out of lockdown, with non-alcoholic spirits becoming more accessible, it helped usher the trend of people drinking less quantity wise and opting for something a little more premium in both spirit and mixer. Higher quality tonics to go with an upscale gin was more common than cheap and cheerful for the home liquor cabinet.
Gen Z aren’t drinking as much as the Millennials too. My guess is that social media plays a massive role in this. In an age where surveillance is everywhere, being affected by alcohol under social media’s all-seeing eye can have negative effects on many facets of life. That shift from a binge drinking culture seems to have started.
In overview, pre covid drink trends had a healthier tinge, with the likes of low abv and zero alcohol drinks or kombucha gaining momentum. Lockdown gave people the opportunity to either drink everything and anything they wanted or to refine their tastes through research. Post covid was like the hangover of lockdown. People were more educated on their drink choice, whether healthy, refined or just more inquisitive. Either way, it’s the opportunity bartenders needed to share our acid balanced, off dry, clarified, ‘look at my custom-made ice,’ cocktail dreams with the public.
Born from passion and nurtured with love, this delicious spirit is the brainchild of two visionary co-founders, Stephanie Jordan being one of them. As she sat in a charming café in Amsterdam chatting with me via Google Meet, her eyes sparkled with pride and excitement as she delved into the story of her beloved "baby," Avallen.
Enter Salut Salut, an intimate hole-in-the-wall Spanish wine bar. Despite its cosiness, Salut Salut has an impressive range of wines as well as a handful of spirits and predominantly NZ beers.
Cal Ross is the friendly face that greets you the second you walk into Parasol and Swing, or the wine pop-up downstairs, Brolly. His cheeky British banter and contagious laugh has gained him a reputation for impeccable customer service, which ended up winning him the Lewisham Award for Outstanding FOH for 2023. I sat down with him with a cocktail in my hand, as we often do, to ask about his past, present, and future in our thriving industry.