As the world's No.1 premium mixer and adult soft drink brand, Fever-Tree has a unique view of how drinking occasions are evolving around the world. Through our teams across Europe, the UK, North America and Australia, we're fortunate to work with some of the world's best bars, distributors, spirits companies and hospitality operators. Every year, these insights help us identify the trends shaping consumer behaviour before they arrive on Australian shores.
This year, the feedback from Europe's Summer 2026 season has been remarkably consistent. Consumers are drinking earlier, choosing lighter serves, seeking lower-ABV occasions and placing greater value on experiences they can share with friends. From the continued growth of the Limoncello Spritz and Paloma to the explosion of the Hugo Spritz and flavour-led G&T serves, the common thread is clear: consumers are gravitating towards drinks that are refreshing, social and perfectly suited to longer occasions.
Fortunately for Australia's hospitality industry, we're seeing many of the same behaviours emerge locally.
Australians continue to embrace the "drink less, but better" mindset, with 66% of consumers saying they would choose one or two quality drinks over quantity. At the same time, consumers are increasingly shifting towards earlier occasions such as long lunches, after-work catch-ups, Sunday sessions and rooftop afternoons, replacing more traditional late-night drinking occasions.
The experience has become part of the drink
The shift isn't just about what people are drinking, it's about why they are going out.
Research shows that 39% of on-premises occasions are now special or event-based, while 40% of consumers say the visual appeal of a drink influences their purchasing decisions. Today's guests are increasingly choosing venues that create memorable moments, not simply places to have a drink.
One insight stood out above all others: consumers are increasingly choosing occasions that are social by design. Group serves, sharing formats and visually engaging experiences encourage guests to stay longer, order together and create moments worth sharing. This creates a significant opportunity for venues to capture the first drink of the afternoon and extend the overall occasion.
From Global Trends to Local Occasions
At Fever-Tree, these insights led us to rethink how we approach summer.
Rather than building a traditional seasonal campaign, we developed Fever-Tree Social Club, a platform designed around occasions. The objective is simple: help venues create experiences worth leaving home for through premium serves, social moments and activation ideas that can flex throughout the season.
Our planning starts with an occasion calendar, mapping key cultural, sporting and social moments from September through to April. From spring racing and long weekends to New Year's Eve, summer holidays and Easter celebrations, each occasion presents an opportunity for venues to drive visitation, dwell time and spend.
To help venues lean into the growing group occasion trend, Fever-Tree has also developed its own unique Spritz Tree and G&T Tree concepts. Designed to bring theatre to the table, these sharing serves transform a round of drinks into a memorable experience while helping venues encourage group participation, increase average spend and drive social engagement.
What this means for summer 2026/27
The venues that will win this summer won't necessarily be the ones with the biggest promotions. They will be the venues that best understand how consumers want to socialise.
Earlier occasions. Better drinks. Shared experiences.
The biggest opportunity for the Australian drinks industry isn't simply selling more drinks. It's helping venues create occasions that consumers actively choose to leave home for. Whether that's a rooftop spritz, a long lunch, a Sunday session or a shared Spritz Tree experience, the winning venues will be the ones that understand the occasion behind the order.
Join The Social Club
As a mixer and adult soft drinks business, we're fortunate to work alongside some of the world's best spirits brands, venue groups and hospitality partners. If you'd like to learn more about Fever-Tree Social Club or explore opportunities to get involved this summer, please reach out to Darren.dalzell@fever-tree.com; Senior Marketing & Partnerships Manager at Fever-Tree.
Fever-Tree is a Platinum Partner of the Drinks Association.