Asian Cocktails Are Going To Be A Big Trend In 2025 - Everything You Need To Know

The long-time Western love affair with Asian food and culture is going to ramp up to the next level this year.

2025 is set to be a breakout year for Asian-inspired cocktails as we see momentum in the USA Top 50 bars increasingly using specialist Asian ingredients, softs and alcohol in their menu programmes as reported last year by leading global drinks agency Wilde Toast.

Top USA bars such as Thundabota and Overstory have a big footprint of Asian flavors and drinks on their menus using an array of Asian-inspired teas as well as exotic ingredients such as dashi, Ling Hing Mu and Shio Koji.

And we are not surprised one bit that Asian cocktails are now going to become a staple in bars up and down the country.

There have been growing online trends for Asian flavors such as Yuzu, Matcha and Lychee, as well as more niche Asian spirits becoming more widely available including Baiju, Soju and Sochu.

It’s an exciting time for cocktail enthusiasts and bars as we will see a really exciting evolution in cocktails.

What’s Driving The Trend

Although Asian food has been a long-time favourite in Western culture, until relatively recently, Asian drinks and spirits have been hard to get hold of as well as being leftfield for consumers.

This is now all changing with more and more spirits being available to bartenders and at-home cocktail enthusiasts such as Shochu, Soju and Baiju.

There is also big trends in online searches for Asian flavors as well as these types of drinks being more widely available in bars.

On top of this, a little-known fact is that Asian spirits brands make up the majority of the world's top 10 most valuable. A report by Brand Finance confirms that 6 out of 10 of the worlds most valuable drinks are Asian.

So with such global popularity and the USA’s best bartenders hooked, it’s only a matter of time before Asian ingredients and drinks become easier to get your hands on.

What Asian Spirits Should I Be Looking Out For?

Some incredible Asian spirits are widely available now in the USA, each with a unique character that is perfect for mixing with cocktails.

1. Sake

This is one of the spirits that has been around for a long time and is a great ingredient to use in Asian cocktails. Sake, like many other spirits, has a really varied flavor profile. Often though Sake tends to have fruity tones to it such as watermelon, apples, bananas and other fruits. That said, some Sake can also have bitter or herbal notes.

2. Baijiu

Baijiu is still quite unknown in the mainstream but you will be surprised just how easy it is to find in stores if you are looking for it. This spirit is one of China's most consumed drinks (and one of the world's most popular spirits) and has many different flavor and ABV varieties. Asian cocktails are perfect for many of the Baijiu styles which come in fruity, saucy and sour styles to name a few.

3. Soju

This Korean spirit is often compared to vodka but its characteristics tend to be slightly sweeter and with a lower ABV than Vodka, at between 12% and 20%. Due to its neutral flavor and low ABV, this spirit has become a big favourite in Asian cocktails.

4. Shochu

Shochu is one of Japan's latest spirit exports running hot on the heels of its famed Japanese whisky. In Japan, it is an incredibly popular spirit and often the centrepiece of family celebrations. Again, like other Asian spirits, Shochu has many flavor profiles but the most popular for Asian cocktails tend to be the smooth floral Shochu’s which add great depth of flavor.

What Asian Cocktails Should You Be Drinking At Home?

There is such a huge amount of variety in Asian spirits, drinks and flavors that you could spend a lifetime creating different cocktails. Some of the most popular flavors right now are lychee, yuzu, matcha and aniseed Thai basil.

Here are a few simple serves you can make at home to start your journey with Asian cocktails:

1. Lychee Martini

A deliciously fruity and delicate martini which is a big crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients

2.5oz Sake

2oz Lychee Juice

1oz Lychee Liqueur

2 Raspberries

Method :

Fill a cocktail shaker with all the ingredients. Top with cubed ice and shake hard. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a raspberry.

2. Sake Cooler

A sparkling and fresh spritz-style cocktail which is ideal for sundowners.

Ingredients

0.75oz Sake

0.75oz Triple Sec

Top Tonic

Method :

Fill a high ball glass with cubed ice and add the spirits. Top with soda and garnish with a slice of orange.

3. Asian Jungle Bird

A tasty topical number that has a few more ingredients but creates a deliciously complex and fruity concoction.

Ingredients

1.5oz Strong Aroma Baijiu (Ming River is a good one)

0.75oz Aperol

0.75 Lime Juice

0.5oz Pineapple Juice

0.5oz Simple Syrup

1 Egg White

Method :

Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker and fill with cubed ice. Shake the cocktail hard and strain it into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with an orange slice.

4. Hana Hana Highball

This is a simple cocktail, similar to a spirit mixer but with such an interesting flavor profile. It's also one of Japan's favourite mixed drinks for Shochu.

Ingredients

2oz Shochu

0.5oz Lemon Juice

Top Soda

Method :

Fill a highball glass with the Shochu and lemon juice. Add cubed ice and fill with soda. Garnish with a fresh lemon slice.

Now It’s Your Turn To Enjoy Asian Cocktails

Whether you want to sample some when you go out or try mixing your own, Asian flavors and drinks are going to continue to be a big trend in the USA this year.

So next time you are at your favourite bar try an Asian cocktail and if you spot some Sake or Baijiu at the store why not pick up a bottle and start mixing some stunning cocktails for yourself with the recipes above?

ENDS

Author Bio – Tom Bronock

Linked In Profile Here

Tom is a highly experienced drinks industry bartender and marketer with a focus on trends, cocktail culture and on-trade insights.

Over a 20-year career in the drinks industry, I worked as a cocktail bartender running top UK venues before going on to run cocktail bars and gastro pubs, launching two award-winning hospitality venues I’m currently co-founder of drinks agency Wilde Toast which works with the world leading drink hospitality brands.

Our agency clients currently include Diageo, Edrington, Red Bull, The Macallan, Tanqueray, Suntory and many more. We also have a burgeoning bar consultancy which offers menu development, training and venue consultancy for global hospitality venues.

I regularly contribute to media and have been cited by Forbes, Chowhound, The Tasting Table, Food Republic and Yahoo News to name a few.