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*this article first appeared on thespiritsbusiness.com December 2025: full article here
As we head into the new year, optimism may be in short supply – but resilience remains a defining trait of the on-trade. While economic challenges are likely to continue into 2026, many in the industry are finding ways to entice and please cash-strapped drinkers while still making a solid margin.
Here are the trends we think are poised to shape the industry in the coming year.
Mini cocktails take flight
It seems 2025 truly was the year of the tiny cocktail. The craze began with the miniature Martini, with smaller serves providing all the flavour of a high-proof cocktail with fewer alcohol units. Tiny cocktails offer many benefits beyond moderation, such as maintaining a consistent temperature and being more budget-friendly in today’s economically fraught climate.
Third spaces and all-day concepts
The trend also ties into a growing demand for third spaces. “The concept of the third space isn’t new, but it’s also not widely used in the hospitality world,” explains Tom Hogan, co-founder of hospitality consultancy Studio Ryecroft. “All our clients are searching to create their third space: building an environment that sits between work and home, bridging the gap to create community, connection, and comfort.”
The ideal is creating a venue that is somewhere guests can exist comfortably whenever they need to.
Hit the clay
We’re no strangers to the concept of ageing here in Singapore, but it’s certainly less common when it comes to cocktails. We’ve definitely witnessed a few barrel-aged Manhattans in our time, but 2026 could be the year of clay ageing. As Studio Ryecroft’s Tom Hogan explains, Georgian wines, Peruvian pisco and baijiu are all traditionally aged in clay.
He says: “Unlike oak, clay doesn’t add flavour; it shapes texture. Its porous structure allows micro-oxygenation, softening sharp edges and opening up aromatics without the heavy vanilla or tannin of wood.”
