Hot Trends for Hot and Cold Drinks from NRB Manchester 2025

13 March 2025

Key Insights from the UK’s Biggest Restaurant & Bar Show

We’ve just returned from NRB Lunch, the largest UK restaurant and bar show in the North. What a brilliant couple of days! We caught up with familiar faces, made new connections, handed out hundreds of delicious samples, and explored the latest trends for hot and cold drinks in hospitality. If you didn’t manage to make it this year, here are a few fresh insights we picked up along the way.

2025’s Trending Hot and Cold Drinks Flavour: All Sort of Spicy

Spicy flavours are heating up! According to hospitality professionals who played Sweetbird’s ‘Trends with Benefits’ game, ‘Spicy’ landed in the Top 5 non-alcoholic flavour trends for 2025. Think warming chilli hot chocolates or spiced mocktails to meet this growing demand. This is definitely one of the hottest trends for hot and cold drinks in 2025… pun intended.

Some standouts from the show included:

• Bristol Syrup Co.’s Green Chilli Syrup – Launched this week, this syrup captures the essence of green chilli and is perfect for cocktails like spicy margaritas or as a Bloody Mary secret ingredient. Bristol Syrup Co and Turner Hardy & Co Lightly Spiced Tomato Juice proved just how well these flavours pair when they kicked off Day 2 with some much-needed tasters for the trade show crowd.
• Spicy Tequilas and Liquors – We spotted several spicy spirits with the kick already built in. Standouts included Take (tequila with jalapeño), Neurita (tequila with red chilli and tangerine), and Gabriel Boudier’s Chipotle Liqueur (15% ABV).
• Hot Honey – We tasted Hilltop’s hot honey and loved it! Possibly the tastiest food at the show. Try it on pizzas or anything cheesy for a fiery twist.

Hospitality and Sourcing Trend for Hot and Cold Drinks: Local & Sustainable

We know this isn’t new, but there’s more to it now.

• ‘Made in the UK’ is a badge of honour for brands that can claim it. From food wrappers to artisan spirits, local sourcing is everywhere. It makes sense—less transport means a smaller carbon footprint, stronger support for the local economy, and full traceability back to the producers themselves.

Across all Beverage Categories: No & Low

The no- and low-alcohol market has exploded in recent years, and it’s here to stay. Popular drinks like wines, beers, spirits, and ready-to-drink cocktails now have impressive no- and low-alcohol options. Innovation in this sector is moving fast, with exciting alcohol-free menus expanding beyond iced drinks to include shaken and blended options.

When we asked hospitality experts at the show about Trends for Hot and Cold Drinks, and 38% voted for botanicals. If you’re looking for ideas, check out Sweetbird’s Botanicals Collection for inspiration.

Want to Dive Deeper Into Trends for Hot and Cold Drinks?

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