The fascination with abstract, futuristic concepts has officially penetrated the Food & Beverage Industry! Flavors such as “Unicorn”, “Mermaid”, “Galaxy”, and “Starlight” were all fan favorite flavors launched in 2023, and the trend is expected to continue. Between the Great Northern Solar Eclipse happening on April 8 and the first crewed moon mission planned for later this summer, space-themed flavors are projected to be more popular than ever before this Spring!

Additionally, new innovations in the food & beverage space (edible glitter, bold colors, unusual textures, eye-catching layers, etc.) are likely to continue to capture the attention of children in 2024. Starbucks, Little Debbie’s, and Snack Pack have all witnessed success from launching unicorn flavored frappuccinos, snack cakes and layered puddings, respectively. Teens and adults have even caught the unicorn curiosity bug: Bang Energy launched a “Rainbow Unicorn” flavored energy drink that went viral on social media.

When it comes to the world of fantasy flavors, the options are endless! While standing out among the landscape of increasingly unique flavors may seem overwhelming, our team of flavor experts have simplified the fantasy flavor creation process into 3 simple steps.

Step 1: Research Your Customer Base

Although this may seem like the obvious first step, it’s arguably the most important. For example, companies marketing towards an adult demographic- such as Coca-Cola and Torani- likely experienced the success they did with fantasy flavors from space-themed products whereas brands like Lucky Charms and Little Debbie’s strategically went for a kid-centric approach that involved flavor concepts such as “unicorn”, “mermaid”, and “fairy dust”.

This first step is admittedly more so about marketing than it is about flavors, but peaking consumer interest to set expectations of a mind-blowing flavor experience is pivotal to a product’s success in the market. Before launching any line extension project, knowing your customer base well enough to cater to their desires will lead to fantasy flavor success!

Step 2: Define a Flavor Profile to Match the Concept

Creativity is key in this step. Fantasy flavors don’t come attached to preconceived expectations. However, it’s fascinating how some of these flavors become defined over time. The “Moose Tracks” ice cream flavor is now almost universally accepted as being a vanilla flavored ice cream with a chocolate fudge swirl riddled with mini peanut butter cups shaped like a moose hoof. Although Moose Tracks is a less abstract concept than several of the fantasy flavors launched within the past year, it still may not be long before we start noticing consistencies among several of the most popular ones hitting the market.

For the creators of Torani’s new Galaxy Syrup, “galaxy” tastes like cotton candy and blue raspberry. Coca-Cola’s Starlight Coke is described as a mix of raspberry and s’mores type flavors. Little Debbie’s Unicorn Snack Cakes are a blend of ultra-sweet cake batter type flavors, strawberry, and lavender. Meanwhile, the unicorn flavor was interpreted very differently in Starbucks’ Unicorn Frappuccino- which is described as having a sweet crème flavored base blended with mango and sour blue raspberry flavored syrups.

Narrowing down the scope of options by defining a flavor blend that not only works well as a seamless combination but also somewhat reflects the overall feeling of the fantasy concept chosen in Step 1 is easier said than done. Inspiration can be taken from anywhere, but a few of our favorite ideas are below:

• “Shooting Star” Sparkling Water – Mango + Lemongrass + Ginger
• “Fairydust” Cupcakes – Strawberry + Dragonfruit + Cotton Candy + Crystallized Wild Honey
• “Black Hole” Pasta Sauce – Black Sesame + Black Garlic + Black Truffle
• “Electric Thunder” Energy Drink – Sour Apple + Yuzu + Apricot
• “Magical Cloud” Ice Cream – Cake Batter + Toffee + Blue Raspberry

Step 3: Refine

As you can imagine, it’s easy to go overboard working with limitless flavor possibilities. There are so many fun flavors that can be thrown together to fit the fantasy concept. If it’s pulled off well, a fantasy flavor is bound to make headlines. However, for every successful “unicorn” food or beverage on the market, there are likely at least five that flop.

Turning to flavor scientists to help masterfully balance competing flavors to result in a novel flavor experience is key to helping you refine a fantasy flavor. If you plan to jump on the trend this month, be sure to choose premium made-to-order flavors that will be sure to set your fantasy flavor project above the rest!

References

1. 25 food and drink trends you’ll see everywhere in 2024 – delish. (n.d.). https://www.delish.com/food/g46170754/restaurant-food-drink-trend-predictions-2024/
2. Zigoris, J. (2023, November 23). We tried Torani’s 2024 syrup flavor of the year, and we have thoughts. The San Francisco Standard. https://sfstandard.com/2023/11/22/bay-area-torani-syrup-galaxy-flavor-year-2024/
3. Quittner, E. (2022, June 29). What does unicorn flavor actually taste like?. Food52. https://food52.com/blog/27502-unicorn-flavor
4. Starbucks new color and flavor changing unicorn frappuccino. (n.d.-b). https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2017/starbucks-unicorn-frappuccino/