Drinktec 2025 - From Refreshment to Function
- Lily Temperton
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
This year’s leading beverage stage signalled a clear pivot: hydration now comes bundled with health, focus, and recovery.
The drinks industry is no longer built around thirst. That was the clear message from Drinktec 2025 in Munich. The most compelling launches this year were designed to relax, energise, balance, or nourish - we saw an industry recalibrating itself around wellness, functionality, and sustainability.
Functional drinks are no longer a niche play. In the UK, functional categories have been growing at more than ten times the rate of traditional soft drinks. Globally, consumer surveys show that health and wellness benefits now rank higher than flavour in purchase intent for new beverages. The stakes are clear. Beverages are no longer judged only on taste or branding. They are judged on the benefits they deliver. Drinktec 2025 was the strongest signal yet that this is the new competitive arena.
Ingredients are the Strategy
Raw ingredients were the star of this year’s show.
Hops, once confined to beer, were everywhere. Hop waters, hop lemonades, and alcohol-free IPAs positioned hops as a botanical with functional associations around calm and relaxation. Suppliers also unveiled hop flavour platforms that deliver maximum aroma with minimal raw material. That means sustainability is no longer just a supply chain exercise but something expressed directly in flavour.
Clean label has become the baseline. Botanical extracts, fruit concentrates, and natural colours filled the halls. Sugar reduction was an almost universal theme. But what was notable was not the goal itself, but the sophistication of the solutions. New natural sweeteners, flavour modulators, and blending techniques now allow products to keep indulgence while cutting calories. Consumers expect health without compromise, and technology is catching up.
Upcycling and circularity were also evident. Proteins and fibres derived from brewing by-products were presented as both functional and sustainable. The message was simple: the waste of one process can become the input for another, and brands that tell this story well can capture consumer trust.
Ingredients are no longer hidden behind the brand. They are the brand. Successful companies will build identity around raw materials, provenance, and the functional story that sits behind them. Those that treat ingredients as commodities risk being left behind.
Functional Beverages in the Mainstream
Functional was not a sideshow this year. It was the baseline.
Probiotic sodas, magnesium waters, adaptogen teas, and vitamin-fortified juices were positioned as daily wellness tools. The no and low alcohol trend has collided with functionality: alcohol-free beers enriched with B vitamins, kombuchas for gut health, and hop-infused sparkling waters promoted as evening wind-downs. These are not positioned as second-best replacements for alcohol, but as proactive lifestyle choices.
Another notable shift was the migration of supplement ingredients into drinks. Collagen, omega oils, antioxidants, and even nootropic compounds were present in formulations. The line between beverage and nutraceutical is blurring fast. This trend matters because it changes the competitive landscape. It brings pharma and supplement companies into conversation with beverage producers. It also raises the bar on regulation and substantiation. Claims around gut health or stress relief will increasingly need scientific support.
CBD in Context
CBD and hemp-based drinks were part of the conversation, but the tone was more cautious. Growth in the category continues, yet regulation remains the barrier. In the UK, the Food Standards Agency’s new dosage limits have forced reformulation. In Europe, Novel Food restrictions block many new launches.
Even so, innovation is finding routes forward. Cold-pressed hemp was highlighted as a way to preserve cannabinoids, terpenes, and the entourage effect while avoiding the regulatory complications of solvent extraction. This method provides an authentic hemp profile and keeps products on the right side of compliance.
Technical innovation is also addressing stability. One packaging solution unveiled was an in-can widget designed to prevent cannabinoids from binding to the liner, protecting potency over time. These kinds of fixes show how the category is maturing: formulation is only half the battle, delivery and stability matter just as much.
CBD is still waiting for its mainstream moment in Europe, but the consumer pull is undeniable. Relaxation, stress relief, and “buzz without booze” are clear needs. Policy is the bottleneck, not demand. Brands that prepare now with compliant innovation will be first in line when regulation loosens.
Implications for the Industry
For brands: Ingredient storytelling is no longer optional. Consumers want to know not just what is in the drink, but why it matters. Hero the ingredient and the benefit.
For investors: Growth is concentrated in functional categories. The opportunity is not one-off trends but a structural redefinition of what beverages are for. Traditional categories will stagnate. Functional categories will compound.
For consumers: Expect hydration to always come bundled with benefits. Gut health, mood, energy, recovery, focus — everyday drinks will be designed around a purpose.
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