Lauren Sabetta

Although credible evidence shows that cultivation and coffee drinking began in Yemen by the 15th century, in the coffee world, there’s a tale that remains an iconic origin story for the world's beloved beverage. Legend has it that Kaldi, a goat-herder from Ethiopia in the 9th century, went out to search for some of his missing goats only to find them energetically dancing and eating the berries of a small tree, which he had never seen before.

The idiom that “you can’t have your cake and eat it too” is a proverb meaning you cannot have two incompatible, desirable things at once, often suggesting one should make a choice rather than expect to have it both ways. Yet, in the world of beverages, where consumers simultaneously expect both function and indulgence from the drinks they consume, experts note that this demand is a running theme that is influencing the flavors market.

Image courtesy of Spindrift Recent research suggests beverage alcohol is losing relevance as younger legal-drinking-age (LDA) consumers experiment with abstinence, moderation and new ways to get a buzz. Although this framing is directionally right, according to an NECG proprietary survey of LDA Gen Zs it’s strategically incomplete. The results of the NECG survey challenge the retreat narrative, with 76% of respondents reporting that they drink weekly.