Summer 2025 is set to be a big one for the drinks trade, with sport tie-ins such as the FIFA Club World Cup and festivals like Glastonbury offering ripe opportunities to reach consumers. But what are they actually drinking? Lizzy O’Riordan catches up with retailers and producers to hear predictions for the season ahead

LIGHT REDS

Although summer is often associated with white and rosé, red wine has shed its winter coat and become an exciting choice for the hotter months.

Vinca, which produces organic canned wine, predicts that light-bodied reds will be significant this summer. Its red wine is made with a blend of Sicilian grapes: Nero d’Avola and the quaffable Frappato. On the trend, Jack Green, Vinca co-founder, explains: “Red wine has grown in popularity as a summer drink massively in the past few years.

“Light-bodied reds are perfect for serving cooled in the summer months.”

Commenting on ice bucket reds, Phil Innes, founder and MD of Loki Wines, adds: “We’ve seen the trend for chilled red wines explode over the past couple of years, and I’m pretty certain this is going to increase this year”.

Rebecca Vernon, head of retail at Lanchester Wines, agrees: “Chilled reds are now a firm fixture on summer wine lists, and it’s a trend we’re seeing consumers replicate at home.

“Pinot Noir, Gamay and Barbera are leading the charge, but we’re also seeing winemakers experiment with carbonic maceration on varieties like Grenache to create juicy, lower-tannin styles that can be enjoyed cold.”

As for whites, the prediction is that high-acidity and dry options will thrive. Innes expects wines from Spain and Portugal to come into their own over the season, noting slightly spritzy options such as Txakoli and Vinho Verde, as well as sparkling wines like Cava and crémant.

The same is true for Morrisons BWS trading director John Morris, who anticipates Portugal will be popular this summer, along with Albariño from Spain.

Vernon also describes “a growing appetite for mineral-driven styles with high acidity that feel ultra refreshing”, noting the popularity of Albariño and Picpoul de Pinet.

As expected, rosé will continue to play an important role. Emily West, brand and marketing manager at Bijou Wine, says: “The trend toward premium yet accessible rosé continues to grow.” Citing Nielsen data, West explains that the £7.50–£10 price bracket now represents 45.4% of total French rosé sales in Great Britain.

José Ignacio Bascuñan, export director for Europe at Morandé Wine Group, remarks: “Provence-style rosé remains a popular summer essential, thanks to its attractive pale pink colour and its crisp, fresh, fruit-forward taste.”

FRUIT BEER

At the start of spring, retailer Tesco reported that European-style fruit beers were the fastest-growing trend in its stores, with volume sales increasing 250% in a year. This trend is undoubtedly continuing into summer with the release of products such as Brewdog Cold Beer Peach Lager; Beavertown Cosmic Drop Berry Punch Beer and Watermelon Punch Beer; and Brooklyn Brewery’s Playa De Brooklyn Lime Lager.

From a retailer perspective, Jonathan Buckley, Co-op commercial buying manager for drinks, confirms the trend. “We expect fruit beers to do well this summer, and we are adding to our range with the exciting launch of Dripp with Brewgooder.”

From a producer perspective, Paul Brazier, head of marketing at Keystone Brewing Group, expands: “Seasonal flavour trends continue to influence purchasing decisions, and in summer, fruit-led beers take centre stage.”

Chris Mitchell, marketing manager at Vocation Brewery, adds that he’s also noticed “an increasing popularity of fruit and sour beers”. He says he’s seen Vocation’s Death by Cherries beer gaining traction.

Giles Mountford, head of beer brands at Hall & Woodhouse, refers to the release of Red Rascal Cherry Mild under the Badger Brewery label and Tropical Pale Ale under the Outland brand as examples of the trend. He says: “There’s a lot of tropical around at the moment, and in general I think we’re seeing growth in flavoured lager.

“Just like many fruited ciders don’t really taste like cider, beer is seeing the same. It’s almost a mixed drink or an RTD to some degree, with beer as a base.”

Caitlin Brown, off-trade category development executive at Brewdog, continues: “Shopper data [from Circana] shows that fruit lagers over-index in the summer as shoppers look for light, refreshing fruity flavours.”

Outside of fruit, the classic success of lagers and IPAs remains strong. “Naturally refreshing and lighter styles like lagers, pilsners, pale ales, IPAs and fruit/sour beers are likely to be the biggest hits this summer,” says Mitchell.

Brown adds: “Craft beers, especially light IPAs, can offer more complex flavours while remaining refreshing, making them great for warmer weather.”

Most agree that the stout craze will likely dip as temperatures rise. “It’s typical to see a natural decline in sales of beers with darker, richer profiles during the summer,” says Mitchell. “It’s just part of the yearly cycle,” agrees Mountford.

MEZCAL MOMENTS

Agave spirits such as mezcal and tequila are set to continue their reign this summer – helped by the UK government’s decision to suspend import tariffs on agave syrup until July 2027.

William Campbell-Rowntree, general manager at Nine Lives bar, predicts: “Tequila and mezcal are still the ones to watch. I truly believe the Paloma trend is going to reach its peak this year.”

In the off-trade, Rob Wallis, co-founder of Moth, confirms: “The tequila trend continues to grow.” Referencing the brand’s new release, Wallis adds: “The response to Spicy Margarita has been brilliant.”

Ryan McFarland, chief commercial & strategy officer at Drinksology Kirker Greer, expects even more innovation: “We’ll see twists on the classics – Palomas with yuzu or smoky riffs on Margaritas.”

Steve Smith, co-founder of RTD brand Ghost Labs, adds that “grapefruit remains a powerhouse” alongside tequila. He also expects spicy cocktails to flourish.

Craig Chapman, head of brand at Global Brands, weighs in on the spice conversation: “A 2024 [Diageo] study indicates that social media conversations around jalapeños as a standout cocktail ingredient have increased by 32% in the UK.”

Many also point to whisky and rum in highball and RTD formats. “I’d love to see high-quality rums become more accessible,” says Campbell-Rowntree.

Smith considers: “Whisky has long been associated with old men and slow sipping, but we wanted to show its versatility in a refreshing, sessionable format.”

All agree that RTDs will be a primary driver for spirit sales this summer. Wallis points to last summer as an example of what’s to come. “The RTD category as a whole saw a huge lift, with 6.2 million units sold during Glastonbury week alone, the biggest sales week to date.”

Likewise, there is a clear agreement on the topic of spritzes for summer. Sarah Pollard, senior brand manager at Gonzalez Byass UK, says: “A summer trend that keeps coming back is the spritz.”

Rico Dynan, global brand ambassador for Absolut, observes: “Spritzes with a twist are set to be a go-to choice, reflecting the growing demand for simple yet elevated summer drinks.”

Ashley Birch-Ruffell, brand marketing director at Funkin Cocktails, confirms the release of the new Funkin spritz range. “With a lower abv, spritzes are more sessionable and perfect for daytime socialising”.

CIDER SERVES

When it comes to cider, the trade is divided on what’s likely to perform. Daniel Wheeler, category manager at Kopparberg, predicts that, for the brand, fruit flavours will lead the way. “Fruit cider is one of the most weather-reactive drinks out there,” he asserts.

“We know that consumers love a cider that’s refreshing and fits the occasion. Sweeter ciders tend to be more popular, especially when the sun’s out.”

Alexander Wilson, category and commercial strategy director at Heineken, agrees: “The summer months see strong growth of berry and exotic flavoured ciders.”

With that said, the cider industry doesn’t completely agree. Darryl Hinksman, head of business development at Westons Cider, posits the exact opposite. Citing the latest Westons Cider Report, he explains that findings speak to the popularity of apple cider over fruit cider, making up 63.7% of total market value.

Though the number of flavoured cider drinks has increased from 23.4% to 25.4% over the year, “apple drinkers are far more invested”, spending three times more annually than drinkers of flavoured cider. However, Hinksman sees promise in pear cider. “While pear’s overall share remains small at 4%, Henry Westons Vintage Pear has added £550,000 to the category since launching last year.”

The Drinks Retailing Trends Report backs this up, showing losses in both dark fruit and mixed fruit cider categories. Nonetheless, all agree cider sales will rise with the temperature. “Summer? It’s our time to shine,” says Wheeler.

“Cider sales spike on the warmest days,” Hinksman confirms – though unpredictable British weather remains a challenge.

WELLNESS WAVES

Finally, the whole trade seems to agree on the growing importance of low & no. Rishi Ravalia, UK country manager at The Pathfinder, suggests that the excitement comes from increasing variety within the category. “There’s more to NA than a non-alcoholic gin & tonic,” he says.

On non-alcoholic craft beers, Michael Baggs, co-founder of non-alcoholic brewery Mash Gang, cites data from the IWSR: “The low & no-alcohol category is one of the fastest-growing sectors in drinks retail. In 2024, non-alcoholic beer sales rose by 20% year on year.”

On summer specifically, Rob Fink, founder of non-alcoholic brewery Big Drop, says: “Summer is a key season for us in the low & no alcohol category.” He adds that sales over summer are starting to rival those of Dry January.

Though lagging slightly behind beer, the wine world expects the same. Jo Taylorson, head of marketing & product management at Kingsland Drinks, says the standard of low & no continues to get better all the time. “It has become part of many consumers’ repertoires, whether they abstain from alcohol completely or are choosing to moderate for health or other reasons.

“While low/no spirits and beers have been gaining most traction, lower-abv wines are also gaining momentum in the off-trade as health and wellness trends continue to influence the category.”

Dan Harwood, MD for Eisberg’s SW Wines Europe, furthers this, emphasising that alcohol-free drinking is no niche and there is an expectation that there should be celebratory and inclusive options across all categories.

Commenting on a health focus, Campbell-Rowntree at Nine Lives predicts that “lower-abv drinks or cocktails with added health benefits” will grow to be one of the most defining trends of the future.