A few years ago, it seemed like we couldn’t create a sweet or salty recipe to satisfy the appetites of Better Homes & Gardens readers (or editors). Any recipe featuring salted caramel or chocolate sea salt garnered rave reviews and ranked among our most popular recipes. But last year, a new food trend took center stage: swishies.
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Pairing sweet and spicy flavors in cuisine is nothing new. For centuries, people around the world from India, Korea, Mexico, Thailand and throughout the Caribbean have harnessed the power of this dynamic combination to add balance and complexity to their dishes. And of course, let’s not forget that highly controversial spicy tag-team that’s been around for decades: pineapple on pizza.
The term “swishy” was apparently coined on TikTok in 2023, and since then, a slew of intricate and unique snacks and menu items have popped up.
Yelp is seeing year-over-year increases in searches for key ingredients like “hot honey” (up 240%), “sriracha” (up 32%), “jalapeno” (up 32%) and “tahi” (up 26%), according to Tara Lewis, a Washington, DC-based trends expert and vice president of community extension at Yelp.
One of the fastest growing swissy food categories is drinks. And we’re not just talking about spicy margaritas… though they certainly sound refreshing! Read on to dig into the swissy drinks trend and ask the experts if it’s a passing fad or a trend that’s here to stay.
George LaRue is co-owner of Paper Planes, MINI Boss, and Still OG Bar/Alter Ego in San Jose, California. Tara Lewis is a Washington, DC-based trends expert and vice president of community extension at Yelp. Dr. Sarah Marion is director of syndicated research at Murphy Research, a market research firm based in Seattle, Washington.
Explaining trends in sweet drinks
“It used to be that if a customer asked for something spicy, the bartender would probably suggest a Bloody Mary or a spicy margarita,” says George Lahlouh of Paper Planes, MINI Boss, and Still OG Bar/Alter Ego in San Jose, Calif. “But over the last decade, options have sprung up, and craft bartenders have turned to spiciness as a tool to add a new dimension to cocktails.”
The flurry of swissy drink launches from major coffee shops and cola companies in 2024 proves that this drinks trend isn’t just making waves in the bar industry. With Coca-Cola Spiced, Jamba Juice’s Watermelon Tahine, and Starbucks’ Spicy Lemonade Refresher being some of the new launches for 2024, it’s clear that the swissy drink trend is taking the spirit-free and spirited beverage sectors by storm.
A trio of trend experts agree that the swishy drink trend is not a passing fad, with Dr Sarah Marion of Murphy Research attributing part of the reason to the fact that “younger consumers, particularly millennials, and especially Gen Z, and now Gen A, are a much more diverse group not just in terms of race and ethnicity, but also nationality.”
The Harvard Immigration Initiative estimates that roughly 27% of Americans today are first- or second-generation immigrants to the U.S. These people are putting the sweet and spicy combinations they know and love from back home on their plates, in their glasses, in their cookbooks, and on social media. Case in point: Golden Milk, which dates back thousands of years in India (we love this Kosa Ayurveda recipe with turmeric, ginger, ashwagandha, black pepper, and cardamom). Today, golden milk lattes, shaken drinks, and milkshakes are on the menus of several national brands.
Marion said changing attitudes towards health may also be a factor, with younger consumers in particular saying they “live to eat,” are more willing to experiment and feel less guilty about moderate indulgences than their parents did.
“Mindful eating is becoming a trend and consumers today are less interested in actively avoiding sugar, especially compared to pre-pandemic times,” Marion added.
Ingredients for Swishy Drink
Another reason spicy drinks may be here to stay (besides the long history of sweet-hot pairings, the increasing variety of high-profile recipes, and our feelings about sweeteners) is that the heat level can be easily increased or decreased.
Jason Donnelly
“Personally, I love a Bloody Mary for that Saturday morning heartburn,” LaRue says, but you can also dip your toe into this pungent drink trend with something milder.
For example, the next time you have an espresso martini, try using an equal amount of hot honey instead of syrup, adding a few slices of jalapeño to your glass of rose wine, or rimming your lemonade or limeade glass with some chamoy and tajín.
To help you come up with ideas for your new favorite cocktail, we’ve listed some ingredients below that might fit into each category.
sweet
Tamarind Pineapple Strawberry Yuzu Grapefruit Lemon Lime
hard
The Future of Swishy Drinks
Instead of sticking to the same old juices, sodas, and sparkling waters, more and more Americans are already embracing the trend of sweet and spicy drinks served on plates, bowls, and glasses.
“People love to try things that stimulate and satisfy their taste buds in different ways, and spiciness in cocktails and other drinks does just that,” LaRue says.
As summer deepens, Lewis predicts that more and more menus and storefronts will feature “the bold, refreshing flavors that warm-weather diners crave. Whether it’s a spicy mango sorbet or jalapeño-infused lemonade to celebrate mango season, the swishy trend is here to stay. We expect it to become as popular as other popular flavor combinations, like sweet and savory.”
