#6 - MFI: From Smashable Whiskey to Sip-Ready Tea – Packaging Gets Personal, Playful and Purposeful

March 31, 2025

The beverage landscape is heating up—or should we say, becoming smashable, nostalgic, and ready-to-sip. This edition MFI Trends & Insights explores packaging that’s as much about storytelling and convenience as it is about innovation and taste. Here’s what we unpacked:

1. Packaging Becomes an Experience

Glenrothes’s Smashable Whiskey turns luxury packaging into an interactive ritual—customers crack open collectible casings with a custom hammer, creating a memorable moment and sustainable design. Meanwhile, Chloé Wine’s collaboration with the fashion industry introduces perfume-inspired bottles, elevating everyday gifting through multi-sensory design and cross-industry collaboration.

References: The Spirits Business , Glenrothe website

2. Nostalgia Meets Beverage Culture

Starbucks’s partnership with Peanuts brings beloved cartoon characters to limited-edition drinkware, leveraging nostalgia and collectability much like Pokémon’s Gotcha campaign or the MoonSwatch x Snoopy collaboration. Emotional resonance proves yet again its powerful role in driving consumer interest and purchase decisions.

References: Starbucks Stories, Starbucks, Peanuts website

3. Convenience-First Drinking Culture

Beverages are increasingly convenient, casual, and designed for on-the-go enjoyment. Slim cans featuring zero-proof beers, sparkling canned wines, and even single-serve rum bottles reminiscent of cider packaging indicate shifting consumer habits. Cup-Ji’s Brew introduces tea in a pre-loaded cup, requiring only hot water—simplicity and innovation in perfect harmony.

References: Cupji.com, Cupji website.

4. Flavour Forward and Heritage-Led Innovation

The spirits sector is embracing bold, approachable flavours with pineapple liquors and pandan-infused whiskeys designed for mixability and everyday enjoyment. Brands are also leveraging heritage, regional storytelling, and climate-driven flavour profiles—such as tin-mining-inspired packaging and distinct bourbon expressions—to connect deeply with consumer identity and locality.

References: Difford’s guides, ForGeorges, Distill News, Kota website

5. Next-Gen Delivery Formats

Innovative delivery formats like THC-infused ice cubes offer entirely new ways to consume novel types of beverages discreetly and conveniently. Hydration cubes, comparable to popular vitamin-boosted tablets like Voost, highlight a potential shift toward portable, sustainable, and nutrient-rich beverage solutions designed for health-conscious consumers.

References: Trendhunter, RootedIn, Melt website

6. Influencer-Backed Functional Beverages

Celebrity endorsements continue to shape beverage markets, as demonstrated by Steph Curry’s launch of Plezi—an influencer-driven hydration drink targeting active and wellness-oriented young consumers. Leveraging celebrity credibility is proving a strategic advantage in crowded health-focused beverage spaces.

References: Stack3d, CNN, PLEZi website

Looking Ahead

Beverages today are becoming more playful, interactive, and consumer-centric than ever before. Whether it's whiskey that you literally smash open or tea packaged for instant enjoyment, the future of drinking experiences is here—and it's making a statement.