March Madness isn't just for basketball. At Harmonya, we brought the bracket energy to the beverage aisle.
Instead of basketball teams, we seeded beverage characteristics—from "cold brew" to "caramel" to "extra protein"—and let them battle it out based on one thing: year-over-year growth in consumer review mentions. These matchups reveal what’s gaining traction with shoppers in their own words, surfacing trends that reflect real-world demand.
And now, we have a champion. After weeks of matchups, surprises, and strong signals, the 2025 Beverage Bracket winner is Cold Brew!
We seeded 64 beverage-related tags across four themes:
Each matchup was decided by the year-over-year percentage change in how often a tag appeared in consumer reviews. The higher-growth tag moved on. No guesswork. Just review data.
Behind the scenes, Harmonya’s AI models scraped and structured product pages and consumer reviews, quantifying the way shoppers talk about their drinks. This approach allows us to surface emerging trends before they show up in traditional data sources.
It wouldn’t be March Madness without upsets, and the beverage world delivered:
The takeaway? Shoppers are branching out from legacy favorites and gravitating toward formats and flavors that feel fresh, functional, and flavorful.
Now that we’re down to the Sweet 16, broader trends are starting to emerge:
With the Elite 8 locked in, some trends are solidifying:
These matchups highlight the blend of health, comfort, and evolving routines driving today’s beverage trends—all through the lens of real consumer language.
And then there were four:
Coffee, clean label, fruit-forward flavor, and early-day rituals—these are the spaces where growth is happening now. The Final Four tags each reflect a powerful shift in what consumers want from their beverages, and how they talk about them!
From niche favorite to category leader, Cold Brew emerged as the fastest-growing tag in consumer reviews year-over-year—and it showed up strong in every round. With support from big brand investments, convenience-driven innovation, and a consumer shift toward smoother, less acidic formats, Cold Brew clearly captured the attention (and taste buds) of shoppers!
It beat out Latte, then took down Breakfast and Organic on its path to the top—solidifying its spot as coffee’s biggest breakout story.
These aren’t vague predictions or analyst guesses. These are real shifts in how shoppers talk about what they’re buying and drinking, drawn directly from their product reviews.
By quantifying product data from the consumer's point of view, Harmonya helps brands:
If you’re building your next beverage innovation, launching a campaign, or simply trying to stay ahead of the curve, this kind of review-based insight could give you the edge. And if you're curious what trends are bubbling up in your own category, let's talk.
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