From classic comebacks to a renaissance with rum, here are the cocktails and mocktails experts predict will be shaking up your year.
Barrel-ageing our spirits means Hunter & Barrel cocktails have stood out in Dubai and Abu Dhabi since we very first emerged on the UAE bar and restaurant scene. But with an energetic mixology team, who are passionate about crafting premium drinks that continue to impress no matter how many times you visit us, we make it our business to keep up with the very latest in cocktail trends.
Here’s what could be filling your glass throughout 2023.
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NOSTALGIC SIPS
The classics never go out of style. Negroni, Old Fashioned and even the Piña Colada will be making a comeback in 2023 but, as with anything retro, it’s important that we continue to reinvent. A recent survey by drinks company Bacardi found that 58% of bartenders are most interested in creating classic cocktails with a twist, which is exactly what you get with our beloved Hunter & Barrel Signature Cocktails, including the Bullseye Negroni, Stag Fashioned and Hunting Sour.
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The Mocktail Movement
A study by the International Wines and Spirits Record (IWSR) found that the volume of no-and low-alcohol alternatives will grow by a compound annual growth rate of 8% between now and 2025, as ‘occasional’ drinking becomes an increasingly trendy lifestyle choice.
Alcohol-free beers have become commonplace in Dubai and Abu Dhabi bars and restaurants, but we could see alcohol-free spirits appearing on cocktail menus this year.
Mocktails will also move up in public opinion, although they’ve long been high on the hot list at Hunter & Barrel. And unsurprisingly so, when you’ve got the likes of our citrussy King’s Juice, herby Basil & Beyond and Bull With No Horns bloody Mary to choose from.
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Rum Renaissance
As the global obsession with gin, and its seemingly ceaseless flavour combinations, begins to fizzle out, experts are predicting rum as the next ‘it’ spirit. The IWSR says the global rum market was worth US$15 billion in 2021, and it is determined to reach a valuation of US$21.5 billion by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate of 5.5%. Rum-based cocktails such as the Mojito or Mai Tai are also set to peak in popularity, although we’d put our Forager’s Mule [barrel-aged rum, pineapple & coconut shrub with pear, tiki bitters and ginger beer) firmly in first place.
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Let’s Talk Tequila
Tequila has totally shed its former image as an eye-wincing ‘shot’, and is instead seen as a smooth premium spirit to be savoured among today’s drinking crowd. Figures released by Allied Market Research at the close of 2022 suggest tequila had generated more than US$8 billion throughout the year, and that figure is set to rise to US$24.1 billion by 2031. Those in search of exceptional agave-based cocktails need look no further than Hunter & Barrel’s La Vida Loca – a beautiful bright yellow mix of our barrel-aged tequila, citrus cordial and agave syrup.
The 3 O’Clock Beverage Club is your chance to sip through Hunter & Barrel’s famous barrel-aged cocktails and signature craft drinks at up to 35% off. Our extra-long, extra-generous happy hour takes place from 3pm to 7pm, seven days per week, at Hunter & Barrel Vida Hills in Dubai and Hunter & Barrel Yas Bay in Abu Dhabi.
To view the full Hunter & Barrel beverage menu, click here.