Diageo's AI-Informed Summer Flavours
Published 12 June 2024
Global alcohol giant Diageo has pinpointed five key flavour profiles it predicts will dominate food and beverage globally this summer. These are: Umami Universe, Spicy Spark, Tropical Takeover, Treating Temptation and Bloom Harvest. Diageo identified these flavours by using an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to track online conversations.
According to its research, umami-rich ingredient turmeric has seen a 79% boost in online searches in the UK over the past year. In the US, searches are up for intensely savoury and spicy Korean sauce gochujang (+55%) and “parmesan expresso martini” (+12%), meaning this flavour profile is rooted in a growing interest in novel experiences and global flavours.
Meanwhile, desire for piquant flavours is on the rise, with increased interest in jalapeños (+32% in the UK), pepperoncini (+53% in Australia) and chillis (+36% in the US). According to Diageo, Tex-Mex and Latin American food has surpassed Italian as Americans’ go-to food order, whereas 44% of British shoppers now use hot sauce in everyday meals.
It also notes a resurgence of tropical flavours, as consumers crave adventurous experiences, with online conversations about fruits – including tamarind (+50%, US) and guava (+18%, UK) – seeing an uptick.
Indulgent treats are set to take on new forms and textures. Conversations about ingredients like coffee (+12%, UK), hazelnut and nutmeg (+91% and +78%, globally) indicate this, while Vogue US recently calling the affogato “fashion’s favourite dessert” could be a sign of cocktails becoming the new dessert du jour.
Elsewhere, an obsession with nature is driving interest in floral and botanical flavours, such as elderflower (+67%, France) and rhubarb (+36%, Canada). Diageo suggests this could be thanks to a growing enthusiasm for foraging and cultural occasions like the 2024 Met Gala’s Garden of Time theme.
