Trending flavours and functionality: the drinks to sell this summer

While great quality, thirst-quenching drinks are a must-stock throughout the year, the warmer months offer an opportunity to do things differently – to shake off what’s gone before and enter the season with a refreshed offering.

Picnics, barbecues and al fresco eating are now the order of the day, and there are plenty of options to help you quench your customers’ thirst this summer.

It pays to think outside the box when it comes to summer sips. “There are some great new whiskies coming out this summer which I am really excited about, and I think the right whisky that has fruit forward, lighter notes can be a perfect summer sipper or refreshing highball, showing whisky is not just for winter!” says Dawn Davies, head buyer at The Whisky Exchange. “Summer sun always makes me feel like rum, and some interesting celebrity collaborations will be making their way onto the summer drinking scene.”

Fruity serves will ultimately sell well as shoppers move away from more comforting flavours towards refreshing and tangy tastes, so it makes sense to stock a small range of juices to quench the thirst of younger shoppers too – if locally produced, even better.

Why you should stock kombucha and fermented drinks

Fermented drinks are no flash in the pan; with growing numbers of consumers seeing food and drink as a way to boost their health, kombucha is a clear winner this summer thanks to its gut-supporting credentials and refreshing taste. “The rise of kombucha and fermented drinks reflects a broader shift in consumer mindset. Drinkers still want something refreshing and flavourful – especially when it comes to summer socialising and al fresco dining – but they’re opting for drinks that feel a bit cleaner,” explains Steve Behan, general manager at Duvel Moortgat UK.

“This is where fermentation comes in. It’s a natural process that creates drinks that are lower in sugar with a gentle sparkle that guarantees a sense of occasion while fitting into a more balanced lifestyle. Kombucha, in particular, has really found its place in the mainstream, sitting comfortably between soft drinks and more premium, grown-up options.”

Kombucha’s lack of saccharine sweetness has also won plaudits amongst discerning drinkers, who are serving it alongside food as well as as a grown-up alternative to conventional soft drinks. “As the weather warms up, kombucha provides a versatile summer-serve – best enjoyed over ice with a fresh garnish – suitable from brunch through to evening. It delivers all the ritual and sophistication of a crafted drink, with zero alcohol or artificial additives.

How to add functional drinks to your range

Of course, when temperatures rise, drinks serve a greater purpose than simply enjoyment – they are necessary for hydration and refreshment, which makes PRKL’s prickly pear cactus water a valuable addition to your range. For Simon Elliott, founder of PRKL, nutrition and functionality lie at the heart of his product’s launch.

“Whilst there were a couple of drinks that utilised prickly pear cactus, it was more from a flavoured drink perspective and they hadn’t really understood the fundamentals of the science, which was that prickly pear offers anti-inflammatory properties as well as hydration.”

This launch wasn’t a case of plastering claims on a label as selling tools; Simon’s background as a biochemist and toxicologist meant that he was keen to make sure that each can of PRKL did good. “The dose is what’s important, so we had to ensure we had the right amount of prickly pear nutrients in the drink to give those benefits,” he says.

With the number of consumers actively seeking out functional, health driven products that also taste great – and deliver a clean label – there is undoubtedly a thirst for naturally refreshing drinks which serve up health benefits alongside refreshment.

4 tips for selling drinks this summer

Dawn Davies of The Whisky Exchange offers her tips

1. “Make the experience fun, ensure you are sampling the product with them and showing them how to use it to create an easy at home drink.”

2. “Use the summer drinking occasions to do some fun activations: strawberries and cream with gin for Wimbledon, rum and Ting for carnival. The more accessible you can make it and the more you create theatre in your shops the more the customer will be engaged.”

3. “They also want to feel confident talking about the drink so fun ‘dinner party’ facts can be a good way to give them confidence.”

4. “People, as we know, don’t have a lot of money, so the more you can give them a sense of value for money or add to their shopping experience the more likely they will be to buy.”

Trending flavours for 2026

“The Hugo spritz is going to be all the rage this summer, swapping out the orange of Aperol for elderflower, with many brands coming to market with new elderflower liqueurs to capture the essence of British summer time,” Dawn says.

“I am seeing many more savoury-style cocktails out in the bars right now, with people using flavours like matcha tea, curry, tomato to add another layer to their drinks. Off a much smaller base we are seeing a growing interest in Eaux de Vie – which capture the fruits of the season perfectly and can be served neat, chilled or with different mixers.”