Seasonal hot chocolate and mocha beverages are positioned to drive traffic in the winter. | Photo: Shutterstock
A blast of chilly weather and snow blanketed a good part of the country this month, but that didn’t deter fans of cold brew, iced lattes and frosty energy drinks from getting their fix.
According to Restaurant Business sister company Technomic, cold brew, iced coffee and frozen blended coffee are the top beverage categories on menus. But in the winter, hot beverages get some love, too.
Technomic Ignite menu data reveals that specialty tea is the fastest-growing beverage on the hot side, increasing 18.1% in menu mentions year over year. Specialty coffee was up 12.1%, while cortados surged 8.1%. The cortado is a Spanish espresso drink made with lightly steamed milk.
On the tea side, matcha has seen over 16% growth on menus in both hot and cold beverages. But Technomic’s Global Navigator program predicts hojicha to be the next matcha. Hojicha is a Japanese tea created by roasting green tea leaves over charcoal, which lowers the caffeine and bitterness and brings out notes of caramel, chicory and roasted cacao. It makes for a more soothing, relaxing base for a latte.
Hot chocolates and mochas are also experiencing a rise in popularity. Peppermint Mocha is a perennial favorite, but this season, other flavors are joining the limited-time lineup. Dutch Bros launched a Hazelnut Truffle Mocha, Caribou Coffee a Pumpkin White Mocha and Tim Horton’s an Oreo Peppermint Hot Chocolate.
Technomic also tracks some of the flavors emerging in hot beverages that can put a beverage concept ahead of the pack. At the introduction stage are bergamot, turmeric, cardamom and lavender, while banana, boba, cinnamon roll and apricot are already emerging at high-end casual-dining restaurants.
Foot traffic tracking firm Placer.ai just released a new report titled “6 Coffee-Inspired Strategies that can Reshape Dining in 2026.” Among the findings are the success of recurring limited-time “rituals” like peppermint mochas and hot chocolates in the winter. “Coffee chains show that ritualized promotions can ‘own the calendar,’ generating predictable traffic spikes and deepening emotional engagement,” said the report.
When the weather gets chilly, that means a hot beverage that sets the trends and becomes a signature.
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