More martinis, less wine among 2024 predictions

Just like the fashion industry, the beverage industry is no stranger to ever-changing consumer trends and tastes. I thought it might be fun to see if I could predict a few of these trends for this year. Check back here in 2025 to see if I was right.

Martini madness continues.

Walk into any bar or restaurant in America right now and you’ll likely notice that martinis are all over the drinks menu. This isn’t a bad thing, of course. I’m always happy to down a Gibson or Vesper martini. What’s new, however, is that these martinis are just downright weird. I’ve seen recent examples made from pasta water, burrata water, even a small charcuterie board as a garnish. These aren’t necessarily bad, per se, but I think we’ll see the martinis get even weirder as the year goes on. What’s next? Pickle juice? Barbecue drippings? Who knows, but I promise always to order it.

Tequila continues to boom. If you had more money than sense and wanted to start a liquor brand, tequila is the juice for you. The agave-based spirit is on a sales rocket ship that shows no signs of returning to Earth in 2024. This will be helped by the continued gradual deflation of the whiskey bubble and the fact that no one will listen to me about how great gin is.

Wine will have a slow year.

I’ve written before about how younger drinkers have been slow to pick up wine, and I don’t think 2024 will see any changes here. Many wineries, especially in California, are seeing negative growth and lost revenue. I think, in general, we’ll see the California wine industry shrink and “right size” itself over the course of the next decade, but it’ll be at the expense of many jobs and livelihoods.

Sparkling will grow.

Sparkling wine is the one category where I think wine will have a banner year. Sparkling wine sales have been up by double digits since the onset of the pandemic, and I just don’t see that changing. I think a big trend here in 2024 will be people making at-home cocktails using sparkling wine inspired by social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

Arkansas gets a great wine bar.

Admittedly, this is less a prediction and more of a hope. Arkansans deserve a great place to drink wine, and I hope 2024 is the year we all get it. What makes a great wine bar? A wine list that doesn’t feature bottles that you can buy at the local Kroger and prices that aren’t two and three times the same bottle’s retail price. And personally, I always like bars that have couches. I’m at my best when lounging.