The holidays are the ideal backdrop for a hot, cozy beverage. During the colder months, people worldwide sip on iconic hot chocolate, eggnog, hot toddy, and mulled wine by the fireplace while stringed lights flicker outdoors and cold weather forces us to spend all day bundled up inside. A warm, delicious beverage is the cherry on top of any holiday scene. Be the business that provides that cherry on top, the pièce de résistance that makes the holidays even more memorable. Want to be that business? Read on.
Beverage Flavors of the Season
Beverage flavors most associated with the fall and winter are spiced with cinnamon, clove, and ginger. They yield a warm, comfortable flavor profile we associate with cold months. Hot beverages balance the colder temperatures outside and warm your hands and your tummy, but with fruit flavors, they can be even more special. Adding fruit flavors to traditional hot holiday beverages may seem unconventional; however, they add excitement and novelty to traditional.
Enhancing Traditional Hot Beverages with Fruity Flavors
Balancing the flavors of traditional holiday drinks with fruit flavors might be a challenge, but the Northwest Naturals team has over 40 years of experience as flavor experts. They can help create a unique, delicious, balanced, and exceptionally memorable flavor worth the effort. For example, hot toddies are a great starting point since traditional versions contain lemon juice. We can recommend using tart citrus for a variation of the standard toddy (orange, tangerine, blood orange, grapefruit, etc.) Maybe even make a Key Lime Toddy for a Florida Keys Christmas!
We can also add orange and cherry blends to hot chocolate. That would make drinks like chocolate oranges that make great stocking stuffers or chocolate-covered cherries. Eggnog is lightly spiced (nutmeg usually), eggy/custardy, and very creamy. Berry blends would be a great addition. Berry eggnog could become a berry custard or a berry trifle.
Businesses specializing in cocktails and spirits can also take advantage of the hot beverage holiday boom. Many cocktails traditionally served cold can also be delectable hot. For example, you can do warm Old-Fashioneds, warm and spiced mai tais, rum punches, and mulled wine cocktails. For end products such as punch, wassail, sangria, etc., Northwest Naturals has several options ready to order. We are also always prepared to use our creative expertise to make new combinations to fit your vision. Your products will be a holiday trend people will talk about all year round.
Flavor Guidance from Northwest Naturals
Northwest Naturals juice concentrates can help you get there. Since 1980, Northwest Naturals has specialized in transforming fruit into nutritious, natural juice concentrates, fruit essences, WONF juice blends, and turnkey liquid fruit solutions. Today, Northwest Naturals is a leading supplier of fruit juice concentrates, servicing both domestic and international manufacturers. We know flavors, and we know what it takes to create something delicious and memorable. Some Natural Flavors may “flash off” when heated, and there may be some reduced flavor notes if that happens. Make sure to contact our team, and we can help guide you to ensure you receive the most out of our flavors!
Now is the time to make something magical for the holiday season. Are you ready?
Request a Juice Sample Today!
Request free juice samples and order products by creating a free Northwest Naturals account. It is a quick and easy way to gain a team of specialists ready to support all your flavor needs. Get started on your holiday masterpiece and request a free sample today!