Wine & spirits: A flavourable forecast

You'd think that after nearly 30 years of closely observing every wiggle and shift in consumer wining and dining preferences, I'd have seen everything by now. On the contrary, each new vintage brings fresh surprises and forces my mind (and palate) to open just a little wider.

The most profound change has been the proliferation of artificial and fanciful flavours added to traditional booze categories. There was a time when vodka was breathless, rum went with Coke, and cognac was a gentleman's drink. Now, traditional spirits like gin, rum and whisky are beginning to change; in order to compete for a share of the public gullet in the current era, they're available in an increasing variety of flavours.

Whoever planted the flavour seed is long forgotten, but some of the more successful players include Absolut (Citron, Peppar, Kurant, Mandrin, Raspberri and Vanilia) and Bacardi (Cóco, Limón, O, Razz and Vaníla). These brand-name spirit-makers lead the market with their contemporary flavours. They're a bartender's dream as raw materials for cocktail culture, and they appeal to most home shaker-schleppers looking for a ready-to-pour alternative to basic mixology.