From hard cider to cocktails in a can, dragon fruit is taking a bite out of the bevvy market.
The flavor-packed dragon fruit brings more than playful style and subtle sweetness to cocktails and ales. The pretty pink cactus fruit, also known as pitaya, packs a nutrient-dense wallop for health conscious consumers. It’s rich in immune-boosting antioxidants and naturally fat-free, making it a wellness-friendly addition to happy hour favorites like dragon fruit margaritas in a can. Big brands like Taco Bell and Starbucks are already capitalizing on dragon fruit’s growing popularity in the beverage space as are smaller niche manufacturers of ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails and fruit-forward beers.
How are brewers incorporating dragon fruit into fruited beers?
Dragonfruit shows up in wild wheat ales with a brink pink pour and rich, fruity aromatics. Brewers have also paired it with hibiscus and mango in tropical sours. Perhaps more surprising, brewhouses have successfully mingled this bright, vibrant fruit with brown sugar and malt in winter warmers and with coriander and caramel in salty gose-style ales.
Five more beer styles that are a natural fit for dragonfruit
How are ready-to-drink cocktail distillers using dragon fruit?
Like dragonfruit, RTDs are having a moment, and for a lot of the same reasons. Canned cocktails and mocktails are still fairly new and exotic, and many RTD manufacturers are focused on crafting health conscious versions of favorite happy hour beverages. Given dragonfruit’s natural health benefits, it’s a perfect ingredient to pair with more familiar ingredients like pineapple and strawberry for “approachable adventure” with an immune boost.
Five more cocktails that taste better with dragon fruit
Dragon fruit is a playful addition to any beverage!
Purée Areté award-winning fruit purées infuse beers and ready-to-drink cocktails with real fruit flavor. Our rigorous standards ensure that each batch is consistent, and no sugar is added to purees and concentrates for brewers and distillers. When you customize your fruit beer or cocktail with our puree, you’re getting nothing but pure fruit flavor. Each flavor is available in a 5 gallon bag-in-box or 55 gallon drums.
