The global festive drinks map: your 2026 export strategy.

As December 2025 unfolds, the world is raising a glass, and the variety of festive beverages flowing across the globe offers invaluable market intelligence for drinks exporters. For producers, seasonal drinks are more than just winter warmers; they are powerful tools for brand storytelling and export growth, tapping into consumer desires for limited editions, novelty, and cosy seasonal moments. 

From warming spiced ciders in UK pubs to year-end celebrations in Tokyo izakayas, understanding what consumers crave right now is the key to positioning your products internationally. At Cheers Global, we see these trends not just as seasonal spikes, but as tangible opportunities for brands – whether you produce craft cider, premium spirits, or sparkling wine. 

If you have a festive offering you want to get to international tables by next December, now is the time to start planning your global drinks export strategy for 2026. 

Retailers around the world, much like those in the UK, plan their Christmas drinks ranges many months ahead, often kicking off in the first quarter of the previous year. This early start lets them forecast demand, brief suppliers and lock in production. By late summer the final line up and promotions are agreed, with products appearing in stores during autumn. The long lead time helps them maintain stock and respond to changing tastes and supply pressures. 

Below we explore the flavours and traditions defining current global consumption and reveal where your seasonal products can travel next. 

1. Spiced and warming classics 

This category speaks to the universal desire for comfort during the colder months, making it highly successful for export to many climates. 

The classic spiced wine: mulled wine & glühwein 

Mulled wine – red wine gently warmed with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and citrus – is a quintessential festive drink in the UK, evoking comfort and nostalgia. Its global cousins are popular throughout Europe: Glühwein in Germany and Austria, Glögg in Sweden, and Vin Chaud in France. 

What makes this classic interesting for exporters is how it illustrates consumer preferences for traditional, authentic products. While many supermarkets sell pre-mixed versions, the most valued versions come from small producers or are made fresh at markets, demonstrating the premium consumers place on quality and tradition in festive beverages. 

• The export angle: Consumers around the world recognise the festive cues of spiced, gently warmed wine. A high-quality, authentic mulled wine can appeal in export markets from Europe to North America, offering familiarity with a touch of British character. 

Mulled cider 

While mulled wine takes the top spot, mulled cider has carved out its own devoted following. Known as Glühmost in Germany and Austria, this warming blend of hard cider, spices, and citrus offers a slightly lighter alternative to red wine whilst maintaining those essential warming qualities. The UK has embraced it as part of its winter pub culture. 

• The export angle: This represents a growing opportunity for producers. A product like Healey's Rattler mulled cider exemplifies the kind of craft, spiced cider that resonates with international markets, appealing to consumers seeking familiar profiles with a point of difference from wine-based alternatives. This category is a strong candidate for festive drinks export to cold climates. 

2. Rich, creamy and indulgent 

These drinks are unapologetically decadent, making them popular as once-a-year treats, after-dinner indulgences, and highly valued gifts. 

Cream liqueurs 

When temperatures drop, cream liqueurs find their way into steaming mugs of hot chocolate around the world. This practice is a tradition popular from Alpine ski resorts – where après-ski culture made it a warming tradition – to homes across Europe, North America, and beyond. The appeal is straightforward: the rich, smooth character complements chocolate’s depth. December sales spike dramatically, driven by both consumption and their use in baking and desserts. 

• The export angle: The Christmas season is a crucial sales period. Products that can be positioned for multiple uses – direct sipping, spiking hot chocolate, baking, and cocktails – have the strongest global appeal. Gift packaging becomes particularly important during this period. 

  
  

Eggnog and its spirit partners 

Eggnog is North America's most deeply rooted Christmas staple, with over 15 million gallons consumed annually, much of it from Thanksgiving through New Year. This rich, custard-like beverage is traditionally fortified with rum, bourbon, or brandy. 

• The export angle for spirits: The substantial commercial market and appetite for rich, indulgent, spiced beverages creates openings for exporters of the base spirit. Premium spiced rums, high-quality brandies, and fine whiskies all benefit from this consumer mindset, appealing to those who make their eggnog from scratch or seek high-end cocktail ingredients. 

• Latin American variations: This category adapts regionally. Puerto Rico’s Coquito replaces dairy and egg with coconut milk, while Mexico’s Rompope (Mexico's answer to eggnog) is a cooked-yolk-based drink enjoyed cold or warm. 

3. Festive beers & seasonal brews 

Winter ales and Christmas beers represent one of brewing's oldest seasonal traditions. This category offers unique opportunities for craft brands seeking limited-edition releases with deeper flavour profiles. 

Yuletide ales and winter warmers 

The custom of brewing stronger, darker ales for the coldest months dates back centuries in Northern Europe. Today, North America’s craft beer scene has embraced this tradition with enthusiasm, releasing limited-edition holiday ales often incorporating festive spices. In the UK, the winter ale tradition continues to evolve with contemporary craft brewers. 

• The export angle: British winter ales have significant export potential, particularly to North America where consumers actively seek out international seasonal offerings, and to emerging craft beer markets in the Asia-Pacific. A product like Andams’ Yuletide showcases quality ingredients, balanced spicing, and distinctive character that have strong international appeal. Seasonal beers are highly export-friendly due to their clear positioning and strong storytelling potential. 

  
  

Belgian and German Christmas beers 

Belgium’s Christmas beers are renowned for their complexity, dark malts, spices, and higher ABVs. Germany also maintains a robust tradition of seasonal and festive brews. 

• The export angle: These products have a dedicated following across Europe, North America, and Asia. Their export strength lies in recognition and heritage – they are seen as premium seasonal products, positioning them well for markets where consumers value craft, tradition, and fuller winter styles. This makes them ideal for a festive drinks export push. 

4. Fruity and sparkling sips 

This category includes celebratory toasts that thrive in both cold and warmer climates, particularly in global urban centres. 

British sparkling wine 

In the UK and Commonwealth countries, Christmas morning often begins with Buck’s Fizz. More broadly, sparkling wine consumption surges globally throughout December, driven by both Christmas and the approaching New Year. 

• The export angle: British sparkling wines have gained significant international recognition in recent years. Positioning them for festive morning traditions taps into established consumer behaviour while showcasing quality. Export markets increasingly value the provenance and craftsmanship of English and Welsh sparkling wines, with Christmas providing a natural entry point for premium products. Asia-Pacific markets, especially urban centres in Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, have also increasingly adopted sparkling wine for year-end parties. 

  
  

Latin American festive punches 

For countries celebrating Christmas in warmer weather, traditional drinks adapt. Ponche Navideño, a warming fruit punch featuring tropical fruits with cinnamon and cloves, represents a lighter, fruit-forward alternative to European mulled wines. 

• The export angle: This tradition highlights the importance of understanding local contexts and potentially adapting products or positioning for different markets. British craft spirits, particularly rum and flavoured liqueurs, may find opportunities in these markets when positioned appropriately. For instance, a spirit such as RumTing Pineapple, Mango & Guava Rum is a natural fit for traditional Ponche Navideño, offering a premium, flavour-aligned spirit to this culturally rooted celebration. The rising popularity of Latin American food and drink provides exciting festive drinks export potential. The rising popularity of Latin American food and drink provides exciting festive drinks export potential. 

Global market insight: Japan's bonenkai tradition 

Japan represents a sophisticated, high-value market with a growing appreciation for imported craft beers, whiskies, and premium spirits. While Christmas is primarily commercial, December brings bonenkai – "forget the year" parties – a centuries-old tradition. 

These parties centre around copious drinking at izakayas (Japanese-style pubs), where beer and sake flow freely. Understanding bonenkai culture – its emphasis on group bonding and its role as a year-end ritual – helps inform global beverage export strategy. Products positioned for sharing and celebration, particularly premium beers and spirits, can find success when marketed with cultural sensitivity. 

Planning ahead: your 2026 festive drinks export strategy 

This snapshot reveals both the diversity and the common threads in festive beverage traditions. Getting products to international markets by December 2026 requires beginning conversations, establishing distribution partnerships, and building brand awareness well in advance. 

The drinks export market rewards those who understand not just their own products, but the cultural contexts into which they are selling. The planning season has already begun. 

Contact Cheers Global today to discuss how we can help you navigate international markets and get your festive beverages onto international tables next December. 

To the best of our knowledge, all information was accurate at the time of publishing, in December 2025