Acai, a berry found in the Amazon rainforest that has a higher antioxidant level than blueberries, is fast becoming the next new exotic flavor. Sambazon (San Clemente, CA, USA) launched a line of acai frozen purees in 2000. For it’s organic smoothie line, which debuted in early 2004, the company blends acai pulp with guarana and organic cane sugar to create a chocolate-berry flavor–a concoction that was supposedly enjoyed by Amazon warriors. The smoothies come in flavors Acai Mango, Acai Strawberry-Banana and Acai Soy. Ryan Black, Sambazon founder, says the company never was concerned about making acai suit “American” tastes but took care to pair it with flavors that wouldn’t mask it’s unusual flavor.

As the US population becomes more diverse, new cultural influences are emerging to impact beverage flavors. Givaudan’s Berry says beverage companies should look out for Indian-inspired beverages using curry or cloves, African beverages that contain South African Rooibos tea and the marula fruit and Mediterranean-inspired beverages that feature fig or apricot to hit the market soon.

A major challenge for flavorists when using exotic or unusual flavors in beverages is understanding the target consumer and developing the flavor to that particular consumers” expectations in order to maximize acceptance, explains Willoughby.

“Is it a target audience that has grown up with the flavor and knows it intimately or is it a target audience that is experiencing the flavor for the first time? The intimate audience requires a resident local expert or authority to reference the true fruit profile. The audience experiencing it for the first time could have preconceived notions and modifications might have to be made,” he says.

Flavorists also are seeing the use of spices in beverages to develop sweet-hot flavor profiles, such as with chile, chipotie and wasabi.

“The use of heat-inducing accents in conjunction with traditional flavors will continue to gain popularity as consumers seek to not only consume their beverages, but to experience them,” notes Berry.

On the opposite end of the spectrum from exotic flavors, consumers also are seeking out nostalgic, old-fashioned flavors that bring comfort and familiarity.

“Look for continued beverage launches–like the Dr. Pepper line of fountain classics–featuring classic, simple flavors such as cherry vanilla, cherry-lime, cream-soda, cherry cola, root beer and limeade,” says Berry.

An oldie, but goody flavor, blueberry, recently has become the new “it” flavor this year thanks to media attention touting its high antioxidant levels. Other rich, dark berry flavors with high antioxidant levels such as black berry, black currant and even more exotic berry varietals like boysenberry and marionberry as well as the popular pomegranate, quickly are becoming appealing beverage flavors due to their association with health and wellness, flavorists say.

Even spirits and wine companies are looking to incorporate pomegranate juice or pomegranate flavor into their products, asserts Maral Barsoumian, president of marketing for Chatsworth, CA, USA-based Amoretti, a pastry and beverage ingredients supplier.

“We’re bombarded with calls about pomegranate. On a daily basis, I get at least a handful of calls from different beverage companies wanting it and they run the gamut,” she states.

Knowing what’s hot or not in the flavor world increasingly has become the domain of flavorists and applications personnel, those in the industry attest. As beverage companies pare down their technical and marketing staffs, they are relying more and more on flavor companies not only for product formulation, but for intelligence on new trends as well, says Degussa’s Willoughby.