Top ten drinks trends for 2012

1. Real ale fans might blanch at the thought (and taste) of keg beer,   but craft keg is another beast altogether featuring boldly flavoured lagers,   IPAs and stouts from a new wave of technically savvy breweries such as   Camden, BrewDog and Lovibonds.

 2. Wine cocktails are nothing new even if Sangria is these days a bit   Benidorm — but ambitious mixologists looking for new frontiers of flavour   and with an eye on US bar trends would be mad not to carry out such   experiments as bourbon and Rioja or vodka and Chardonnay.

3. Here today, gone tomorrow is the philosophy behind the pop-up   restaurant so expect a wave of pop-up bars — North Bar in Leeds leads the   way already with Mr Frothy, an old ice cream van for hire whose chimes usher   in the promise of a pint rather than a choc ice.

4.The government’s increased tax on strong beer is a misguided attempt   to deal with binge drinking, but the accompanying introduction of lower   taxes on beers below 2.8% has led to flavoursome and weaker real ales from   the likes of Adnams, Greene King and Fuller’s.

5. ‘A pint of Martini’ might shake and stir the purists, but be ready   to hear these words more often when the American fondness for ready-made   cocktails served straight from the barrel lands in London.

6. Even though cider topped with handfuls of ice cubes is not such the   cool thing it was several years back, expect it to continue its upmarket   growth especially with an emphasis on single varietal and single orchard   ciders.

7. The sweet and fizzy Moscato d’Asti will keep defying the wine snobs   as drinkers seek something lighter that actually has some taste and also   goes very well with desserts such as lemon tart.

8. As hard times continue, home brew remains a popular pastime, but   it’s not just beer —several ground-breaking books such as Home Brew   (Pavilion) extend the idea of DIY tipple-making to wines, spirits and ciders.

9. Even though the rate is slowing, too many pubs are still closing —   however, so-called ‘craft beer bars’ such as Cask in London and Port Street   Beer House in Manchester will continue to open and thrive, as their young   hip clientele seek real ale and craft keg beers with the emphasis on   artisanal producers

10. Expect gin to keep shaking off its mother’s ruin image, especially   as a new wave of micro distilleries such as London-based Sipsmith continue   to push boundaries and add interesting botanicals.

Sourced from The Telegraph