Wilde Toast – a drinks agency who counts global brands such as Red Bull, Diageo and Edrington among its clients – trawled data from Google, SEMrush and Exploding Topics, a tool which tracks trending topics across major social media platforms (Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and Reddit).
And the top spot in 2024 went to… Aperol Spritz
Aperol Spritz dominated both search and social media conversations.
“Aperol has seen consistent growth in trade and third space, bolstered by its strong brand activations in retail. The data strongly reflects this ongoing popularity,” says Tom Bronock, the Wilde Toast Marketing Director.
“We also are seeing a phenomenal result for the Aperol Spritz across socials, with mentions across social platforms into 7 figures.”
Aperol Spritz has been a global winner in 2024. But other cocktails have been making their mark.
“One of the most fascinating insights is the influence of cultural trends on cocktail choices and how we can see UK cocktail culture evolving year on year. For example, the Dirty Martini has been quietly gaining popularity both in bars and in at-home drinking occasions, signalling an evolution in the UK’s cocktail culture. Ten years ago, it wouldn’t have come close to the top 10,” Bronock added.
Unsurprisingly, cocktail searches were influenced by the season: Negroni and Espresso Martini showing notable spikes at Christmas, while Aperol Spritz and Pina Colada peaked in the summer (but also again during the festive season).
Most reports only use Google data: but that’s a mistake given the ‘significant role of social media in shaping cocktail preferences’, says the agency.
And one of the unexpected findings of its report was that LinkedIn and Reddit have emerged as ‘surprising hubs’ for discussions about cocktails.
