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The drinks being served at events are changing. Coffee and cocktails are not disappearing, but brands are increasingly looking for drinks that are more visual, personalised and connected to the experience around them.
As we move towards 2027, the biggest shift is not necessarily towards one particular drink. It is towards making the drink itself part of the event.
From personalised cans and colourful matcha to alcohol-free cocktails and custom flavours, here are seven drinks trends we expect to see more of across exhibitions, offices, retail launches and experiential events.
One of the clearest changes is the move away from generic refreshments.
A drink can now be designed around the same campaign as the event itself. Its colour might complement a product launch, its flavour could reference the brand and its packaging can carry the campaign artwork.
This is particularly visible with branded canned drinks, where the drink and packaging can be considered together.
A strawberry matcha in a pastel pink can, for example, creates a very different interaction from simply handing somebody a standard bottled drink.
The drink becomes another physical touchpoint within the campaign.
Canned cocktails helped familiarise consumers with premium drinks in portable formats, but the idea is expanding much further.
Mixology Insider’s look at the branded canned drinks trend explores how cans are moving into exhibitions and experiential events, with coffee, matcha and alcohol-free drinks joining cocktails in the format.
For brands, that opens considerably more possibilities.
An exhibition might use branded iced coffee during the morning, while a retail activation could serve matcha or colourful alcohol-free drinks later in the day.
The can is increasingly becoming the format rather than defining what has to be inside it.
Matcha’s distinctive colour has made it particularly well suited to social media, retail launches and experiential campaigns.
But the attraction goes beyond appearance.
Flavours such as strawberry, coconut and ube allow brands to create combinations that feel more individual than a conventional tea or coffee menu.
This has already become increasingly visible at branded events. Matcha Activations specialises in taking matcha into corporate events, retail activations and launches, while Barista Hire London has increasingly incorporated matcha alongside speciality coffee at larger events.
For 2027, expect matcha to become less of an alternative menu item and more frequently the central feature of an activation.
Iced coffee was once heavily associated with summer.
That distinction is disappearing.
Cold drinks now appear at exhibitions, offices and indoor launches throughout the year, particularly when the audience is moving around or the event has a more informal format.
Presentation also gives iced coffee considerable potential for branding.
A classic iced latte can be kept intentionally minimal, while vanilla, pistachio and other flavours allow the drink to become more distinctive.
Putting it into a personalised iced coffee can takes that idea further because the packaging can carry the identity of the event.
The result sits somewhere between hospitality, product and branded merchandise.
Alcohol-free no longer needs to mean orange juice, sparkling water or a basic soft drink.
One of the strongest opportunities for events is creating alcohol-free drinks with the same attention normally given to cocktails.
Fruit-led serves, colourful mocktails, botanical flavours and visually distinctive garnishes can create something inclusive without making the alcohol-free option feel secondary.
The same thinking applies to branded canned mocktails, where the drink can be prepared around an event and presented inside personalised packaging.
For daytime activations in particular, alcohol-free drinks give brands considerably more flexibility because they can be offered to a broader audience.
The next development in personalisation is likely to happen inside the can rather than just on it.
Putting a logo on a drink creates branded packaging. Creating a flavour around the campaign creates a branded drink.
That distinction matters.
A beauty brand launching a coconut product could serve coconut matcha. A company using purple throughout a campaign might explore an ube-based drink. A summer launch could use tropical fruit flavours that reflect the wider creative.
At Happy Sips, our drinks range already moves between iced coffee, matcha, cocktails and mocktails, while bespoke recipes can be explored where a campaign needs something more individual.
This does not mean every event needs a complicated signature recipe.
Often the strongest idea is the simplest one, provided the connection between the brand and drink makes sense.
Convenience is important, but experiences still matter.
That creates an interesting tension for event drinks: guests like something quick and portable, but brands also want interaction.
Live preparation can provide both.
Coffee already does this particularly well. Watching a professional barista prepare a drink creates theatre that a bottle taken from a fridge cannot replicate. Barista Hire London has built its event service around that interaction, with coffee and matcha prepared in front of guests at exhibitions, launches and corporate events.
Cocktails work in much the same way. Cocktails With Mario uses live preparation as part of the entertainment and guest experience.
Live canning takes elements of both ideas and applies them to a portable drink.
The drink can be prepared, filled and sealed as part of the activation before being handed to the guest in its finished branded packaging.
The packaging surrounding a drink is also receiving more attention.
A can can carry much more than a logo. Artwork, campaign messages and QR codes can connect the physical drink to something digital.
Different formats also change how the finished product feels. A slim 250ml can creates a different impression from a larger 500ml format.
Our guide to branded can sizes explains how 250ml, 330ml and 500ml options can work for different drinks and occasions.
As personalised drinks become more sophisticated, choosing the packaging is likely to become part of the creative process rather than something decided at the end.
The most interesting development is that the boundaries between hospitality, marketing and experience are becoming less obvious.
Coffee can be entertainment. Matcha can become a campaign visual. A mocktail can be designed around a product colour. A can can become branded media that somebody carries around an exhibition.
None of this means traditional event drinks are disappearing.
A beautifully made flat white or well-balanced cocktail will still matter.
The difference is that brands are beginning to ask another question: what can the drink contribute to the experience?
That is likely to shape many of the most interesting event drinks we see in 2027.
For more ideas, explore the Happy Sips drinks collection, compare our available can sizes or discover Happy Sips personalised branded canned drinks.
Expect to see more matcha, iced coffee, creative alcohol-free drinks, personalised canned beverages and bespoke flavours developed around individual brands and campaigns. Visual presentation and interactive preparation are also becoming increasingly important.
Personalised drinks allow the flavour, colour and packaging to connect with the wider campaign. This can turn an ordinary refreshment into another brand touchpoint that guests can carry, photograph and share.
Yes. Creative mocktails, matcha, iced coffee and fruit-based drinks provide inclusive options for daytime and corporate events without treating alcohol-free guests as an afterthought.
Tell us your event, venue, dates, stand number and approximate quantity and we’ll help you put together the right drinks and branding.
You can also explore our office canned drinks for workplace campaigns or contact Happy Sips to discuss your exhibition.
