Kimpton Hotels Returns with Annual Culinary + Cocktail Trends

Kimpton, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ luxury and lifestyle portfolio, is returning with its annual Culinary + Cocktail Trend Forecast highlighting predictions from its global team of restaurant and beverage talent.

From salted egg yolks and chili crunch fusions to mushroom-infused teas and freeze-dried fruit powder garnishes, Kimpton’s in-house experts share the standout ingredients, menu items and techniques that will come to the table in 2025. 

Guests will have the opportunity to experience many of these trends come to life at Kimpton restaurants and bars across the globe. See below for a taste of the Kimpton 2025 Culinary + Cocktail Trend Forecast: 

2025 Culinary Trends

• Ingredients on the Rise

  • Takes On Tahini

    • Known for its richer and toastier flavor, black tahini will be featured on menus with versatility ranging from black tahini noodles and black tahini ice cream to tahini lattes and cocktails on the beverage side. 

  • Chili Crunch Fusions

    • Chefs will blend ingredients like fennel seeds, peppercorn, oregano and Marcona almonds for new fusions of chili crunch, combining its roots with global flavors to create variation, including Italian styles perfect for topping seafood dishes like crudo and octopus or pizza.

  • A Twist on Black Limes

    • Made by blanching fresh limes in brine and sun-drying them, these versatile limes feature a unique combination of intense sweet and sour flavors, and can be enjoyed sliced, whole or ground in dishes like soup, stews or in seasoning for a tangy finish.

  • Star of the Show: Salted Egg Yolk

    • This centuries-old ingredient has been a staple in traditional Chinese dishes, offering a umami flavor and saltiness, perfect for items like a creamy pasta or topping a Caesar salad and featured on menus including District at Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo and Bambara at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City.

  • Elevated Snacking

    • Redefining snacking with creative flair and global influence, tapas and shareable boards will evolve in new directions such as Middle Eastern-inspired mezze platters, like those featured at Ladyhawk at Kimpton La Peer Hotel in Los Angeles and Area31 at Kimpton EPIC Hotel in Miami, a greater seafood focus with ingredients like Tempura Fine de Claire oysters, fresh red prawn tartare and seared foie gras at Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok and vegan cheese boards taking center stage.

  • Dishes that Soothe the Seoul

    • As third generation chefs infuse their cultural roots with new techniques, Korean cuisine will continue to embed itself in American comfort foods with dishes like Kimchi Eggs Benedict that provide a blend of warmth and familiarity. 

  • Southeast Asia on a Plate

    • Ingredients, dishes and flavors from this region, particularly Filipino, Burmese and Indonesian cuisine, will inspire menus across the country from breakfast basics to traditional pasta dishes to coffee culture.

  • Get Smart on Oil

    • Consumers are turning their attention to the individual qualities and applications of oils. Chefs and home cooks will further explore the dynamic flavors of cooking, salad and finishing oils such as toasted sesame, coconut and avocado oil to bring out the distinct dimensions of each dish.

2025 Cocktail/Beverage Trends

• Ingredients on the Rise

  • Super Juice

    • Acid correction is a technique that allows bartenders to sustainably mimic flavors not locally available, such as using acid-corrected local citruses in Roatán in the Caribbean to replace lemons in cocktails.

  • Vegan Clarified and Fermented Milks

    • From almond milk-based cocktails with bourbon, cinnamon and nutmeg to coconut milk with tequila and amaretto, clarified non-dairy milks will bring a distinct creamy texture to beverages. Fermented milks like Kefir and goat’s milk with clarified lime will further bring to life a one-of-a-kind combination of salty, sour and umami. 

  • Freeze-Dried Fruit & Veggie Powders

    • Freeze drying fruits or vegetables enhances both flavor and texture in beverages. This zero waste cooking technique will also allow chefs and bartenders to creatively repurpose leftover produce and give it new life. Located inside the Kimpton Cardinal Hotel, check out The Katharine Brasserie & Bar’s Strawberry No-Garita, using a strawberry powder and flaky salt rim finish.

  • Transformative Techniques 

    • Bartenders are experimenting with the foundations of a cocktail by using techniques like sous vide for prep and serving, forced carbonation for effervescence and clarified citrus to augment beverages before they even reach the mixing stage. These techniques allow for combinations like homemade sparkling coconut water or salted plum syrup, as featured at Kimpton Kitalay Samui. 

  • Reimagining the Classics

    • The top four beverages dominating cocktail menus in 2025:

      • Classic Martini: Martinis will continue evolving with ingredients like pickle brine, wasabi and seasonal ingredients such as vanilla, amaretto and cinnamon, offering fresh takes on the classic cocktail like the Sassy Martinez with Sassenach Spirits at Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel.

      • Midori Sour: The lightly-sweetened Japanese melon liquor will make a comeback with an elegant cocktail option packed with a sweet and tangy punch.

      • Highball Variations: Simple cocktails with minimal, high-quality ingredients will reign supreme in 2025, and a highball is an adaptable solution with options including Japanese whiskey, tequila or gin.

      • Carajillos: This Latin-American inspired beverage uses espresso and Licor 43 and is the perfect way to cap off a night or get the evening started.

    • Spiced Fruit Leather Gets Garnished 

      • Spiced fruit leather made from mangos, strawberries, apricots, peaches and plums, mixed with chili or habanero, offers a beautiful garnish that can enhance the flavor notes of its paired spirit while offering a sustainable way to use leftover or overripe fruit. 

    • Functional Teas & Coffees

      • A greater focus on functional uses of tea and coffee will come to light with mushrooms including ashwagandha, reishi and damiana used for their nutritional powers in coffee and adaptogens and teas with intention like herbal for after dinner or green teas for energy.

    • Cheers to Zero: Embracing Non-Alcohol Culture

      • The dedication to non-alcohol culture while maintaining the integrity and spirit of the drink will be featured across cocktail menus, such as the Aper-no Sour from Wilmot Bar and Luke’s Kitchen at Kimpton Margot Sydney, leaning into well composed drinks that feature non-alcoholic distilled ingredients, like botanicals, herbs and roots, rather than processed alternatives. 

2025 Dining Trends

• Embracing Newstalgia

  • Chefs and mixologists will lean into ‘newstalgia’ by adding playful twists on classic dishes. From pairing comfort foods like corn dogs with elevated toppings, including lobster, truffles or caviar, to incorporating childhood visuals like an edible toy garnish on beverages, restaurant and bar teams will embrace retro like never before.

    
    

• Sound Immersion

  • Experts predict a larger focus on infusing auditory and sound immersion into the dining experience to enhance the journey in new ways, from curated playlists with bubbly, upbeat sounds for brunch to relaxed tunes that invite guests to linger longer over dinner and cozier tracks for the winter season. Check out playlists inspired by the trends:

    • Kimpton Culinary + Cocktail Trends: An immersive soundscape blending familiar tunes with rare finds to elevate and enhance the dining experience.

    • Chili Crunch Fusions: Bold, dynamic and vibrant with layered, globally-inspired instrumentation.

    • Elevated Snacking: Salty, sweet and energetic, with guitar-driven melodies and multi-genre influence.

    • Embracing Newstalgia: Retro-soul and funk blended with a modern twist, infused with contemporary production and a fresh, inventive edge.

Photos of the Kimpton Culinary + Cocktail Trend Forecast being brought to life can be found here and infographic here. Check out the full trend forecast here.