Originally written and performed as a Christmas song, “Fruitcake” extols the virtues of cinnamon by proclaiming, “Cinnamon, cinnamon, don’t forget the cinnamon. Cloves and spice will make it nice, but don’t forget the cinnamon.” In addition to being a popular baking ingredient, cinnamon also is resonating as a popular flavor within more beverages, experts note.
In Beverage Industry’s 2015 New Product Development Outlook study, 18 percent of respondents named cinnamon as a top-selling flavor for2015. Although we are early into the new year, it seems as those the readers of the magazine are carrying that assessment in their voting records.
It was only a matter of time before hot and spicy ingredients made the transition from food to beverages, according to Lisa Demme, marketing director for Fona International, Geneva, Ill. Now, there’s no slowing the flavor profiles down, suppliers say.