The trend towards beverage customisation is reshaping the coffee industry, driven by indulgence, value for money, and aesthetics. Consumers, especially Gen Z, increasingly want to personalise their drinks, adding syrups, functional ingredients, and cold foam – making them experiential rather than just a simple drink.
Customised beverages help coffee shops differentiate themselves and elevate their offerings, catering to evolving tastes and the demand for premium menu options. In mature markets like North America, Europe, and Australia, the lineup consists of the familiar pumpkin spice lattes, peppermint mochas, espresso tonics, and cold brew sweet cream cold foam, to name a few.
These drinks certainly have their place on menus, proving popular with consumers seeking more indulgent and “Instagrammable” options. But as the customisation wave continues, it presents an opportunity to draw inspiration from other cultures.
East Asia’s thriving coffee shop market, expected to hit over US $9.5 billion by 2029, has been setting global trends in recent years. Drinks like Dalgona coffee, bubble tea, and even onion-infused lattes have captured the attention of international coffee drinkers. Add-ons like cheese foam, boba, and taro paste have also piqued interest, introducing consumers to new flavours and textures.
I spoke to Andre Chanco, the head of product at Yardstick Coffee in the Phillippines, and Felipe Cabrera, the founder of China’s Ad Astra Coffee Consulting, to explore how East Asian brands are giving renewed impetus to beverage customisation.
You may also like our article on why customised beverages are set to become even more popular.
Customisation is king
Customers around the world are demanding more control over their coffee, making beverage customisation one of the biggest industry trends in recent years. At the same time, baristas are still considered trusted experts, blending creativity with expertise to craft unique flavour and texture combinations.
Coffee shops are tapping into the trend, using seasonal and signature personalised drinks to boost their visibility, attract new customers, and stand out in a saturated market. From innovative flavour pairings to visually stunning creations, customisation has become a powerful tool to not only meet evolving customer preferences but also to set a business apart from competitors.
Thanks to the rise of social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, vibrant and visually stunning coffee drinks are increasingly in the spotlight, driven by Gen Z users who equally value aesthetics and quality.
Younger consumers are increasingly prioritising convenience, opting for customisable cold and RTD beverages that don’t compromise quality. They want coffee drinks made “their way” at any time of the day, adding flavourings, plant milks, and cold foam infusions.
“Different types of drinks resonate with different target audiences. When the alternative milk movement started, it was because it spoke to an audience with a preference or the need for non-dairy options,” says Andre Chanco, who has worked at Filipino specialty coffee roaster Yardstick for over a decade. “The same goes for the seasonal drinks; looking at our marketing in the Philippines, we attract a younger audience, which is important for us to build on in the long term.”
Gen Z is driving the global trend
We only have to look back a few years to see the huge influence that East Asian coffee trends have on the global market.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Dalgona coffee went viral on social media around the world for its unique frothy texture and flavour resembling South Korean sugar candy. Its simple preparation method of whipping equal parts instant coffee, sugar, and hot water and then adding it to cold or hot milk spurred its popularity, as many people became interested in preparing café-style beverages at home with minimal equipment needed.
In the years since the pandemic, the East Asian coffee market has thrived. According to data from Project Café East Asia 2024, the region reached almost 120,000 branded outlets in 2023. Younger consumers are increasing their coffee consumption in traditional tea-drinking cultures, spurring the growth of the region’s market.
“Asian customers, especially Gen Z and millennials, are constantly looking for new things in their F&B consumption and general shopping experiences,” says Felipe Cabrera, a consultant at GourmetPro and the founder of Ad Astra Coffee Consulting in Shanghai, China. “Having a variety of ‘Instagrammable’ menu options and updating them constantly has become essential to bring regular and new customers in.”
Chains and specialty cafés alike in China, South Korea, and Taiwan (as well as further afield in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Singapore) offer a range of signature, customised beverages that blend global trends with local flavours. Eye-catching colours, toppings, and finishing touches grab the attention of Gen Z and millennials, who feel like they are experiencing something new and exciting in their daily coffee rituals.
“Offering unique beverages helps coffee businesses to differentiate from one another,” Felipe says. “In fact, many specialty and boutique coffee shops in China have become well-recognised brands due to their seasonal and trendy coffee drinks.”
East Asian coffee trends have become international
Chains and smaller coffee shops in many mature markets have long leveraged beverage customisation to their advantage. Industry heavyweights like Starbucks have built their business around it. The recent success of Sabrina’s Brown Sugar Shakin’ Espresso – a tongue-in-cheek collaboration between Dunkin’ and Espresso pop icon Sabrina Carpenter – is a clear sign that it continues to be a clever marketing move.
Key players in the East Asian coffee sector are also finding success with customised signature beverages. Luckin Coffee is a prominent example. Over the last few years, the Chinese coffee giant has launched a number of trendy, unique drink line-ups that have helped it gain dominance over its competitors in the regional market.
Its collaboration with Kweichow Moutai, the producer of Maotai baijiu liquor, featured an alcohol-infused latte, which sold an impressive 5.42 million cups on the first day, according to Luckin. The drink quickly garnered global attention after its launch. International media outlets branded it a “soy sauce-flavoured latte” due to the savoury notes from the baijiu liquor.
Flavour combinations that many Western consumers may consider “unorthodox” are particularly popular in the Asian coffee market, where coffee is often a component or ingredient rather than the singular focus.
“In East Asia, non-dairy cold coffees using raw coconut milk, which is thicker and pairs well with coffee, are very popular, allowing coffee shops to blend seasonal fruits like lychee, mandarins, and plums into those cold drinks,” Felipe says. “In summer, iced americanos with orange or other citrus fruits are commonly ordered, offering a refreshing drink that balances the coffee flavours with fruit acidity.”
“Unconventional” flavour combinations are emerging
Regional and local cuisines have a huge impact on the variety of foods that consumers are exposed to, shaping their flavour preferences. Longan (a tropical fruit), rosella (wild hibiscus flowers), smoked plum (commonly used in East Asian cooking), and jujube (Chinese dates), for instance, aren’t commonly found in Western grocery retailers or restaurants.
This access to a wider range of fruits, vegetables, and spices has influenced East Asian consumers’ palates in different ways, making fruit and tea coffee combinations particularly popular. To celebrate the Lunar New Year, Luckin recently launched the Apple Fizzy Americano, which includes fresh apple juice and sparkling soda, and the Ceylon Yuan-Yang, containing Ceylon black tea, espresso, and milk.
“Matcha is still very popular, and cafés integrate it into their menus with or without coffee,” Andre says. “The typical flavours and syrups, such as caramel, hazelnut, and vanilla, always do well because they are staples and pair easily with coffee.
“But the orange and espresso trend that recently became popular shows that there is room for experimentation. We launched a pineapple slushie that we serve with a shot of espresso, which has been surprisingly popular.”
Fruit-infused coffee drinks work particularly well on East Asian coffee shop menus. Still, the explosive popularity of the bubble (or boba) tea market, predicted to hit over US $4 billion by 2030, indicates that global consumers’ flavour preferences are becoming more inclusive.
Popular bubble tea combinations include brown sugar, lychee, taro, durian, and mango, with an increasing number of brands also offering coffee as an alternative to tea. The endless add-on options, such as popping boba, grass jelly, and cheese foam, lend bubble tea well to customisation, creating visually appealing drinks that resonate with Gen Z consumers, encouraging them to share their creations on social media, furthering the trend.
Western coffee shops can look East for inspiration
As the beverage customisation wave continues, specialty coffee shops in North American, European, and Australian markets have an opportunity to flex their creative muscle. Borrowing from East Asian coffee trends opens up new possibilities for signature and seasonal drinks, pivoting away from popular yet predictable options like pumpkin spice lattes and cold brew cold foams.
At the same time, cafés need to balance tradition with innovation. Offering seemingly “left-field” flavours that customers aren’t familiar with or accustomed to risks alienating their consumer base.
“Every market has some sort of tradition of how coffee was consumed historically, and this has been changing recently,” Andre says. “I believe that innovation is always good; it just has to be implemented at a pace that fits with the market while at the same time respecting the local traditions and preferences.
“There are different levels of beverage customisation because coffee is such a personal and subjective experience. It can be as simple as small upgrades to offering a rotating seasonal beverage menu.”
A useful starting point could be introducing flavours and textures that are already familiar to most Western palates. The sweetness and creaminess of chestnut – a popular option on Chinese and South Korean coffee shop menus and commonly found in European cuisine – is one option that could prove effective, tapping into the growing trend of indulgent flavours.
But customisation won’t offer a one-size-fits-all solution
As seen by Starbucks’ recent turnaround strategy, beverage customisation isn’t a guaranteed path to success. Long wait times and disorganised mobile ordering resulted in a significant sales slump for the chain in key markets like the US and China, prompting it to cut 30% of its menu in US stores.
The olive oil-infused Oleato range, positioned as a premium offering, was the first to go – a sign that “unconventional” flavour pairings may not always resonate well with consumers who seek familiarity and tradition. Instead of leaning on heavily customised beverages, Starbucks added the cortado, signalling a shift towards simplicity and efficiency.
“Understanding the market and what customers are currently looking for is an important task for coffee shop owners or managers,” Felipe says. “Look around your local area to gauge how you can craft a well-balanced, innovative menu, as well as engaging with social media posts.”
While the cortado is unlikely to prove popular among US coffee drinkers, who are known for their affinity for larger and sweeter drinks, it shows that brands are prioritising cost-effective solutions that cater to changing tastes.
“You need to set the recipes and cost ingredients out, but there should be a philosophy behind your customised beverages, too, similar to how cocktail bars have evolving menus,” Andre says. “There should be enough to suit a variety of palates.”
Customisation has turned coffee into something far more than a beverage; it’s now an immersive experience. East Asian brands have emerged as leaders in creativity and innovation, showcasing the full potential of flavour and texture combinations that local and regional consumers gravitate towards – and Western coffee shops should take note if they want to stand out.
But that’s not to say that all East Asian beverage trends will translate and prove effective in other markets. Coffee shops can draw plenty of inspiration from the wide range of seasonal and signature drinks on offer, but they still need to cater to the preferences of their core consumer base.
Enjoyed this? Then read our article on how signature drinks help drive innovation in specialty coffee.
Photo credits: Perper Coffee
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