SAN FRANCISCO, April 1, 2019 – Will the real foodies please stand up? According to Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants’ Spring 2019 Culinary + Cocktail Trend Forecast, butter is best in more than just coffee, juicy succulents are the new cauliflower steaks, and the whole plate (and cutlery) movement is taking sustainability to the next level. With regards to the bar scene, expect to see an increase in drinks where size doesn’t matter, municipal grass-infused beverages, and cocktails actually made in bathtubs.
"As a company that’s always been at the forefront of major food trends and innovations, it was our duty to uncover additional late-breaking trends that we predict will continue to shape our industry,” says Scott Gingerich, Kimpton’s Senior Vice President of Restaurants & Bars. “We like to think that with this report we’ve pinpointed the truly life-altering trends that will become your absolute definitive guide to eating and drinking in restaurants this year.”
As one of the largest operators of multi-concept restaurants and bars, Kimpton is uniquely positioned to leverage industry expertise across the U.S., Europe and the Caribbean to develop this trend report. Each year, the Kimpton Culinary + Cocktail Trends Forecast reveals the flavors, ingredients and philosophies that will be explored by the most cutting-edge chefs and bartenders in the year ahead. For this trend report specifically, in addition to individually surveying billions of chefs and bartenders, trends were uncovered by extensive and highly-targeted Google searching by Kimpton interns and hours of Instagram scrolling.
See below for the full list of the Spring 2019 Culinary + Cocktail Trends:
Culinary Trends:
- Coffee Grounds on Toast – move over avocado toast, 66 percent of the trendiest chefs note that spreading raw third wave coffee grounds on toast will be the next millennial obsession.
- Keto Pasta – leaning into the keto diet trend, Kimpton is predicting noodles made from real butter as a great carb-free alternative that goes particularly well with Bolognese. This hot new trend will have everyone asking, “Is butter a carb?”
- Succulent Steaks – while cauliflower steaks have crept their way onto menus as entrees in recent years, we will see succulents take their place as an exciting new option for plant loving vegetarians. These steaks are mouth-wateringly juicy – or should we say succulent?
- Edible Plates + Cutlery – the next phase in sustainability is zero-waste dinners, where consumers will have the chance to finish their dinner and gobble down the silverware and dishes as well.
- Sporks Make a Comeback – in effort to save on labor costs, restaurants will eliminate forks and spoons completely, and reintroduce sporks in fine dining.
- House Plants You Can Eat – from Fiddle Leaf Fig to Spider Plants to Bromeliads, we’ll take the Jungalow™ trend from your house to your mouth.
- Savory Shaved Ice – 68 percent of chefs surveyed will infuse savory favorites into this vacation classic including Green Goddess, Buffalo Blue Cheese, and Truffle Salumi shaved ice.
Cocktail Trends:
- Salt Water – bottled flat and sparkling water are on the way out, and salt water is taking their place. By that we mean electrolyte-rich, salted water sourced directly from the Pacific Ocean. Californians are particularly thrilled for this drought-resistant offering that can also be used in cocktails.
- Putting the Bathtub Back in Bathtub Gin – with the motto of “what’s old is new again,” we’re predicting the resurgence of bathtub gin, which we’ll be leading with DIY gin making kits for use with our in-room bathtubs.
- Municipal Grass Takes the Mainstage – taking botanical infused beverages to the next level, we predict municipal grass-infused cocktails will be the next big thing in the farm (or city street) to table movement.
- Micro Drinks – gone are the days of the pointy mustachios, the vests with arm garters, and the tipped fedora at the cocktail bar; the next wave in high-end service will be tiny, perfect drinks made in doll cups though exclusive partnerships with boutique small batch toy shops.
