The short version: if 2025 had a defining drink, it was the Espresso Martini — the most-searched, most-ordered cocktail of the year. For 2026, the crown is shifting to the classic Martini's renaissance and a flavor idea the industry is calling swicy (sweet-meets-spicy). Here's how each earned it — and how to make them.
2025: The Espresso Martini's victory lap
The Espresso Martini didn't just trend in 2025; it took over. Coffee culture, the blurring of daytime and nighttime rituals, and its dessert-in-a-glass appeal made it the year's runaway favorite (popularity data via PUNCH and Wine Enthusiast).
The build: 2 oz vodka, 1 oz fresh espresso (cooled slightly), 0.5 oz coffee liqueur, 0.25 oz simple syrup. Shake hard with ice — the aggressive shake is what creates that signature foam cap. Strain into a chilled coupe; three coffee beans on top.
The detail most people miss: the espresso has to be fresh and the shake has to be violent. Weak coffee and a lazy shake are why home versions fall flat.
2026: The Martini reclaims the throne
After years of espresso and elaborate serves, 2026 is a swing back to elegance: the classic Martini has cemented a full renaissance and pushed back into the global top ten. It's the ultimate 'quality over quantity' order — the drink you have one of, made properly (trend read via VinePair's 2026 bartender survey).
The build: 2.5 oz gin, 0.5 oz dry vermouth, stirred (never shaken) over ice for 30 seconds, strained into a chilled glass, lemon twist or olives. Colder and more diluted than you think you want — that's the secret.
The flavor of the year: 'swicy'
If a taste defines 2026, it's swicy — bright and fruity with a chili kick at the finish. The easiest way in is a spicy margarita: 2 oz blanco tequila, 1 oz lime, 0.75 oz agave, and 2–3 slices of muddled jalapeño. Fine-strain so it's clean, not pulpy.
What the crown tells us
The throughline from 2025 to 2026 is intention: fewer, better drinks; premium spirits; proper technique; one spectacular cocktail instead of three forgettable ones. That's a good philosophy for a night out, full stop.
🍐 A little hat tip to the pear
Whatever gets crowned next, the best cocktail is the one you actually enjoyed — and remembered. Drinking is a ritual worth doing well. Gush is the Korean pear pre-drink you sip before round one, so the fun lands harder than the morning after. Meet Gush →
Please drink responsibly.