Coffee Trends Worth Trying and Skipping

Coffee’s identity has never been fixed. It began, after all, as a functional beverage – when it was discovered that the drink made with the cherries kept (goats initially !!! ) people alert.

Following its initial discovery, coffee has since become a social fuel. It’s not just a drink – it’s a ritual, a culture, a conversation starter. From the Italian espresso bar to the American diner, or the Turkish coffee ceremony coffee has a deeply rooted presence across cultures. Trends may come and go – adaptogens, mushroom lattes, cold foam everything – but coffee evolves without ever really fading. What unites these shifts is that the coffee stays. The reasons are manifold. Coffee provides caffeine, but also routine and familiarity.

The coffee industry is always brewing up something new. As any coffee lover knows, there’s always something new that people are promising will make the ‘perfect’ cup. With Instagram and TikTok working overtime, trends are spiralling out of control, not just spreading quicker than you can say “flat white” but getting stranger too. It’s fair to say that not every trend is worth the hype.

With so much noise online, you might be wondering which coffee trends are really worth your time, and which are best left to the internet. So, we’ve got you covered, here’s our take on some trends in coffee in Ireland right now. 

Dairy-Free Milks

Plant-based milks aren’t new to the market, but they’re definitely more popular than ever before. They’re no longer just for people avoiding dairy, but for anyone looking to explore new flavours and textures in their coffee. Oat milk still remains one of the most popular dairy-free milks.

This is one trend that’s also easy to try at home. Dairy-free milks don’t always foam the same, as regular milk, so you might need to play around when steaming or heating the oat milk to get the velvety texture result that you want.

Flavoured Syrups

If you go to coffee shops regularly, you are already familiar with the wide range of syrups and how various flavours come and go.  The three staples are Vanilla, Caramel and Hazelnut, others such as Pumpkin and Gingerbread are definitely seasonal and then you will also find the once off trends such as the current trend of Pistachio which only time will tell if it continues to feature. They often serve a different purpose, offering benefits like visual appeal for social media, that appeals to younger consumers who haven’t yet developed a taste for coffee.  

Coffee syrups aren’t for everyone, especially if you don’t have a sweet tooth, so this is one you’re probably going to have to try yourself.

High-End Coffee Machines at Home

While some enjoy the convenience of instant coffee or coffee pods, lots of people are starting to invest in more brewing equipment. From a simple French press to a pour-over brewer, there’s a solution for absolutely everyone on the market, and it’s also becoming more common to see fancy espresso machines on kitchen worktops, with many of the commercial machine manufacturing investing in the home market opportunity too. 

True coffee enthusiasts are swapping speed for true flavour; grinding their own coffee beans and learning how to pull the perfect shot for their morning coffee. Some are even practising latte art to achieve the coffee shop finish at home. Covid certainly accelerated this trend and it appears to be one that is going to continue to grow.

Cloud Coffee

The trending “cloud coffee” takes whipped coffee to a whole new level. It uses coconut water for an added twist. Pour the coconut water over ice, then add a freshly brewed espresso shot and your preferred milk. While this trend won’t be for everyone, it’s an interesting one to try. The coconut water adds a unique taste, not to everyone’s liking but if you want to experiment with your coffee, this offers an unexpected alternative to iced coffee. 

Bulletproof coffee

Some experiments just don’t pass the taste test in our humble opinion – but are popular and commercially successful. Butter espresso better known as Bulletproof coffee is one trend we would definitely advise you skip. Named after the company that developed the brew. The beverage is made with hot black coffee blended with 1 to 2 tablespoons of unsalted, grass-fed butter or ghee, and 1 to 2 tablespoons of medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil or coconut oil. Popular with various dietary devotees including paleo and ketogenic diets. It is definitely one of the is one trend we would definitely advise you skip based on taste.

Cola and Coffee

Adding a shot of espresso to a glass of ice and topping it with Coca-Cola has become a social media trend. It’s fizzy, sweet and packs a caffeine punch, but it is an acquired taste.

Give it a try if you’re curious.

Coffee Is the New Alcohol

Our 2024 coffee survey found that almost half of Irish consumers prefer meeting up over coffee instead of alcohol, and this hasn’t changed in 2025 either. More people are reducing their alcohol consumption, and coffee shops are in some scenarios replacing bars as places to socialise in Ireland.

Creative non-alcoholic “coffee cocktails”, like espresso and tonic water, are one of the latest coffee trends. This shift is inspiring cafe owners to expand their menus, and their trading hours to evening time giving you another excuse to linger over a great cup with friends. 

This is a trend we can back.

Enhanced Coffees (the healthiest coffee out there is black coffee !!)

People are adding spirulina, collagen peptides, adaptogens, protein powder, lion’s mane mushroom extract, maca root, and even raw egg yolks. What began as a humble morning ritual has, in the age of social media and personal optimisation, has now turned many kitchens into so call “wellness labs”.

Today, the conversation is shifting toward function… What more can coffee give me? 

The reasons vary. For some, it’s about changing the taste by adding syrup or something similar. For others, it’s about so-called benefits with coffee becoming just another delivery vehicle. 

Enhanced or functional coffee isn’t redefining what coffee should be — it’s broadening what coffee can offer to specific audiences. For us as coffee suppliers, the priority remains on preserving exceptional coffee quality, not chasing every wellness trend. The choice to explore those trends belongs entirely to the customer.

So, depending on how passionate you are about the taste of your morning cup of coffee, enhanced coffees might not be the trend for you.

Coffee Subscriptions

Subscription boxes have been around for a while now, but they are gaining popularity. Coffee subscriptions can be a game-changer for anyone who loves fresh coffee without the hassle of constantly restocking. With a subscription, beans or pre ground coffees arrive at your door on a regular schedule.

Monthly subscriptions are the hands-down best way to try a range of different coffee beans or ground coffee, and a variety subscription can help you mix up your usual morning coffee with new flavours. 

Lots of coffee lovers enjoy the flexibility of coffee subscriptions too, so you can choose exactly how much coffee you get delivered and how frequently and it means you’ll never run out of beans again when you’re craving a morning cup. 

Trying Trends with FiXX Coffee in Ireland 

The world of coffee never stands still, but some trends become classics while others disappear as quickly as they arrive. The genius of coffee is its adaptability without losing identity. A Vietnamese Ca Phe Sua Da (iced coffee) and an Italian espresso couldn’t be more different, yet both serve the same human need for ritual and community. That’s why coffee survives every trend. 

There’s always something new to explore, and you can decide for yourself what’s worth the fuss and what’s best left to Social Media. We can add collagen, swap milk for oat, or serve it sparkling, but we’re not changing coffee’s core job: making every cup an event every day.

However you prefer your coffee, make sure you’re brewing FiXX.