Knowing customers' tastes and selecting regionally and seasonally trending products makes it possible to offer customized menus based on the most beloved cocktails and the most popular wines in the fall-winter period. Taking stock of Italy's top drink trends is Tilby, Zucchetti Group's cloud point of sale.

Colorful, fragrant, alcoholic or non-alcoholic, perfect for an aperitif or an after-dinner drink, for all tastes and occasions and, above all, for every season: cocktails really cannot be missed on the menus of bars and restaurants. Not in all of Italy, however, people toast in the same way: if in Valle d'Aosta Spritz, Mojito and Negroni are the most popular ones, non-alcoholic cocktails are especially popular in Marche, Sardinia and Abruzzo. This is revealed by Tilby, the cloud system of the Zucchetti Group, which with its Drink & Food Observatory identifies trends regarding cocktails and wines. Knowing the tastes of consumers is in fact fundamental to develop strategies that enhance the offer of establishments: by identifying regional and seasonal trends emerge the preferences of Italians and the period in which drinks are consumed most.

"Investigating customers' interests is key to ensuring they have a pleasant and personalized experience" explains Francesco Medda, Ceo of Tilby. "Imagining and creating menus with specific proposals helps merchants organize their business more effectively and on time, preparing a cocktail list consistent with what are the most trending consumptions." For example, Tilby offers the merchant a cloud point of sale that can analyze sales data, highlighting customer tastes and preferences, based on which a specific cocktail menu can be created.

Analyzing consumption trends is therefore a particularly effective mode of investigation, as predicting the demands of one's customers guides the choice of raw materials to be purchased, facilitating supply management and stock organization.

Summer is undoubtedly the season when cocktail consumption is at its highest, but it is also possible to identify some relevant trends for the fall and winter period. Contrary to popular belief, interest in cocktails such as the Spritz, Negroni, and Gin Tonic also accompanies the colder months, especially during the holidays. Having access to this data supports restaurateurs, sommeliers and bartenders in creating a menu focused on customers' tastes. Tilby, through its Observatory, has identified some trends related to cocktails and wines.

 #1 Cocktails: regional and seasonal trends
While Spritz and Negroni are widely spread throughout Italy, a local trend can be identified for other drinks: Mojito is more popular in northern regions, Gin Tonic is liked in Valle d'Aosta, Americano in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and Margarita in Liguria and Piedmont. Sex on the Beach and Pina Colada are most sought in Sardinia, while Moscow Mule in Marche. Tilby also identified some seasonal trends: Italians drink cocktails mainly in the summer period and during winter holidays. Interest in Spritz, Negroni, and Gin Tonic finds peaks in the run-up to New Year's Eve, while drinks such as Mojito and Sex on the Beach especially between June and September.

 #2 The variants of the Spritz
Although the Aperol Spritz is the most popular, bartenders are offering several increasingly popular variants, with the Campari version being the second most requested. Regionally, the White Spritz is most popular in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, while the Select variant is a favorite in Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige, and Emilia Romagna. Spritz Cynar is almost solely spread in Veneto and Lombardy.

#3 Most popular gins in the regions of Italy
Among Gin-based cocktails, Italians especially like Negroni. Gin Lemon, on the other hand, is especially in demand in Calabria, Marche and Veneto; Gin Fizz is trendy in Friuli, Liguria and Puglia; Blue Angel in Sardinia, Calabria and Sicily, while Tuscans especially appreciate White Lady. Knowing customers' preferences allows the merchant to choose which Gin to use in the preparation of specific drinks, guaranteeing a quality offer, add the advantages of a more conscious supply management and a more efficient stock organization.

#4 Italians' most beloved wines
It is estimated that more than 50 percent of people in Italy in 2022 will have consumed wine, with even percentages in northern, central and southern regions. Among the most popular white wines are Prosecco, which is drunk mainly in Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Pinot Grigio, Moscato, and Falanghina. As a rule, however, red wines are preferred to whites in all Italian regions. Among the most popular ones are Chianti, Barolo, Amarone della Valpolicella, and Barbera. For the merchant, it is useful to guide the choice of products to buy based on consumption: thanks to Tilby, it is possible to create a wine list based on the customer's tastes and to manage orders and stock thanks to data on sales from the cloud system.

To find out about other regional and seasonal trends, Tilby's cocktail and wine studies are available on Tilby blog.